Cricket 1893

FEB. 23, 1893 CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. be contemplating a return to England at a much earlier date than was at one time thought likely. A c c o r d in g to all accounts, the two travellers seem to have got on to a very good pitch at Ceres. Though it is a very small place mostly populated by theDutch, a few English are temporarily settled there in search of health. Among them are F. A. Mackinnon (whose batting was of such service to Kent for so many years) and his wife. Maurice Bead, as far as I can learn, has already made his mark on the athletics of the place. As yet he has only established his right to the Quoit Championship of the place. There is no knowing, though, to what higher flights in the same line vaulting ambition will lead him. invite an English team to visit Australia at the end of next season. And what is of greater importance, the official impri­ matur, i.e., the approval of the Australian Cricket Council, has been given to such a visit, under the dual control of the authorities at Melbourne and (Sydney. TaonoH he did not stay long enough in Cape Town to see lu'ich cricket, what U n l e s s my infor­ mation should prove to be faulty, it would seem as if the York­ shire eleven would this year be without their usual captain. It is said, and my in telligen ce comes from a reliable source, that Lord Hawke intends to prolong his tour in India to a much greater extent than was at first in­ tended. Indeed, my informant goes so far as to say that he will in all probability not be here to take part in English cricket during next summer. T h e leaders of Aus­ tralian cricket are very anxious that the Earl of Sheffield should be able to see his way to conduct in person an Eng­ lish team to the Colonies during next winter. It will be remembered that the Sussex president had an idea of another tour at the end of last year, but feeling that it might perhaps prejudice the chance of an Australian combination coming home this summer abandoned it for the time, should Lord Sheffield, however, be unable ^ a r t e arrangements, the committee of the Melbourne C.C. and the managers of the Association Ground at Sydney have 8lv®“ notice a ", this early date, through Mr. " ■Alcock, that they intend formally to As far as I can learn, the opinions which have been taken on the subject of legislation with a view to the complete abolition of leg play show a considerable amount of diversity. My knowledge on this particular point I must confess is limited, and has only come to me in the way of ordinary work. I have not, indeed, like the Editor of the Eatanswill Gazette, been able to “ combine my information.’ The majority of those with whom I have spoken seem, however, to be of opinion that there is no im­ mediate need of special legislation. Still, as I have already said, the ground I have covered in the discus­ sion has not yet been very extensive. T h e impetus given to Australian cricket by the visit of Lord Sheffield’s team last winter, it is satisfac­ tory to notice,was not a mere passing whim i On the contrary, the experience of the different Inter - Col­ onial matches dur­ ing the last few months shows that the effect bids fair to b e enduring. In any case the game s e e m s t o h a v e quite regained its popularity with the public, which is after all the most substan­ tial test. W^ttfcswoik THE TWELFTH MAN AGAIN. U m pire (after listening to bowler's reproaches at the close of the over) : “ W h y don’t you ask, man ? It isn’t too late now ! ” little he saw seems to have satisfied Maurice Bead that the game has consider­ ably improved in the district since he visited it with Major Warton some few years ago. Some of the young players he saw there shape particularly well, and the quality of the cricket generally appears to have impressed him favourably. At the same time he is of opinion that a lot of practice on turf would be required before a South African team coming home would be able to do themselves justice, or at all events to prove their real capacity. First day .. Second day .. Third day .. Fourth d a y .. Fifth day .. I t will interest some, no doubt, to know that in the forty- ninth Inter - colonial match between Vic­ toria and New S'nith Wales, begun at Mel­ bourne on Christmas Eve, no less than f o rt y - six thousand persons attended dur­ ing the course of the five days. The num­ ber who paid for admission, according to the official state­ ment, is as follows:— M s. d. . 5,875 .. 349 3 0 , 11,772 .. 705 16 0 8,633 .. 508 17 0 3,316 .. 190 7 0 4, 228 .. 206 18 0 Total paid for admission .. 83,824 ..,£1,970 1 T h e brilliant form H. Moses has been showing this winter only emphasises the regret that circumstances prevent hsi giving the English public an opportunity