Cricket 1893

FEB. 23, 1892 CKICRET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 27 THE COMING AUSTRALIAN TEAM. The advices just to hand from Australia seem to suggest that the composition of the Australian team which is to visit England in the summer does not seem to have given unqualified satisfaction in the Colonies. Considering the rivalry between Victoria and New South Wales in the first place, and in the second the rapid advance of South Australia as a factor in inter-Colonial cricket, no selection would hardly meet the approval of all the interests. Just at present too, instead of the dearth of available talent of promise which pessimists toretold would be the case two years ago, there would seem to be rather a surplus of likely players. On the face of it, indeed, on the form of the New South Wales team in recent Intercolonial matches, it would certainly appear as if there were all-round cricketers, of the stamp of Donnan and Callaway for instance, who would have been quite up to the level of an Austra­ lian team. On the other hand, other interests than that of mere cricket have often to be considered in the preliminaries incidental to such an undertaking as an Australian tour. These will readily occur to anyone who has had any experience of such matters. In the collection of the coming team the responsibility was wisely entrusted to a committee of experts, all of them tried and experienced players, each of, and every one of whom has had practical experience of English players and English grounds, and well capable of judging of the special requirements for success under these particular conditions. But, perhaps, after all it will be best if Mr. Victor Cohen, who is to accompany the team in the responsible position of manager, should be allowed to speak for himself. The following is in effect the official version as presented to an inter­ viewer from the Sydney Daily Tele­ graph — Questioned in the first instance as to the motives actuating those entrusted with the selection of the team, Mr. Cohen replied : “ In choosing the team the predominating idea was to shut out from our minds any question of provincialism and set ourselves solely to the task of selecting a purely Australian eleven. Although we cannot expect everyone to look at these matters in a broad and liberal spirit, I am astonished the people should cavil because New South Wales has only three representatives, and simply set forth as their reason for objecting that this is the oldest colony. I cannot see that such a reason is any justification for holding that New South Wales should have a larger number of representatives than Victoria or South Australia. Our only desire was to get the strongest team possible, and in the 13 men selected we say we have the strongest and most representative team we could get. The only way that we should have desired to amend it would have been by the inclusion of Mr. Moses, whose inability to join us, we, and I am sure every true lover of the game must deeply regret. Those who criticise the personnel of the team would have a very difficult task if they attempted to select from the whole of the crioketers eleven better men than those selected. And further, they ought not to overlook the fact that we play but eleven aside. Therefore, having thirteen such good men we could always put into the field as strong an eleven as it is possible for Australia to produce at the present tiIne.,, “ You have been accused too of having the selection made in ‘ a hole and corner fashion.’ Is that tru e ?” —“ Certainly not; it is alto­ gether incorrect. The public have been in possession of the fact that in March, 1892, I invited the co-operation of Messrs. Banner- man, Turner, Bruce, Blackham, Lyons, and G. Giffen—men whom I considered certainties in any team that might be selected—to assist me in choosing the remainder of the team. All this was intimated by me to the Australian Cricket Council at their initial meeting, when that body appointed me manager, and every­ one commended me for the action taken. It appears to me to come with very bad grace now to take exception to those gentlemen, and I can only ascribe it to the fact that the cor­ respondents to the daily press must be in some way or other associated with disappointed aspirants. Therefore the views so expressed ought to be accepted with a certain amount of reservation. There are a number of reasons why certain men should not be selected, as much in the interests of cricket as in that of the individuals themselves. But those reasons I do not think it advisable to make public. Having the confidence of the cricket associa­ tion, with which I have now been connected for over a quarter of a century, and the more recently established, but higher authority— the Australian Cricketing Council, whom I have before stated appointed me manager, I think I ought at the same time to possess the confidence of the public, who must be well aware that neither the gentlemen associated with me nor myself would be likely to select a team without thoroughly canvassing the quali­ fications of any possible candidate. Person­ ally, there are other men whom I should have liked to have seen included in the team, but I could not force my personal opinions against what 1 considered to be my public duty in the interests of the game.” •*What have you to say about the outcry against Bannerman?” —“ In his case I should like to point out the fickleness of public opinion. Everyone admits that he showed remarkable ability in his captaincy during the match played this week against South Austra­ lia. Especially was his management of the men commended, and the frequent changes he made in the bowling were said, and rightly said to be due to his excellent judgment, which could only be the result of his vast ex­ perience in connection with the game. When Bannerman plays for his colony and shows stubborn defence people are apt to get weary, but in playing against teams of the calibre of Lord Sheffield’s eleven he might from the amount of applause bestowed be a perfect god. Hav* cricketers and those interested in the game forgotten the scores he made in two of the test matches against Lord Sheffield’s team last year ? In Melbourne he put together 44 in each innings, and he, in conjunction with Lyons, won the match in New South Wales in the second innings by their excellent display of cricket, Bannerman making 91 and Lyons 134. The best answer to those who complain of Bannerman’s inclusion is to assure them that I have no doubt the English repre­ sentatives of the game likely to be faced would be extremely glad if our selection committee had acted upon the discontented ones’ advice and left him out.” “ It had been stated that Graham, a com ­ paratively untried man, has been given a place to the exclusion of such men as Callaway and Donnan; would you like to make any re­ mark on that subject ? ’ ’— “ Well, as to Graham, so far as the Sydney public are concerned, he is a comparatively unknown man, and some objections have been raised to his inclusion in the team on the ground that he was never thought fit until the present sea­ son to be selected in an intercolonial team. If the same idea had been carried out when the first team went to England under Conway, Bannerman would never have been taken, for the simple reason that he had never played in an intercolonial match before his first visit to England. For all that he came out only third in his averages, and each time he has been home he has never been less than fourth. Graham’s averages, it may interest some of his critics to know, have been made in pennant matches, which are undoubtedly first-class matches in Victoria. For example, in the season 1890-91 his average was 25, in 1891-92 it was 57, and this season it has been 58 for so much of the season as has passed’. He also scored 30 against New South Wales this year, and 86 (not out) against South Australia. His innings in the last-named match was played in a manner that called forth the approbation of everyone capable of judging what a good performance really is. He „is a magnificent field, and I think the figures I have quoted clearly show that he is a good, sound, and improving cricketer. \ . “ I see Blackham has been mentioned as another one who ought to be placed upon the shelf,” continued Mr. Cohen, “ and the reason given by his opposers is that it is time he made room for a younger, and I think I may add, less experienced player. Here again the fickleness of public opinion manifests itself, that is if the few critics who have taken up their pens against him can be said to represent publio opinion. Only last season Blackham was considered good enough to act with Turner and Giffen in the selection of teams for the test matches I have already referred to, and he was chosen by the team of the best cricketing talent that ever represented Aus­ tralia, as their captain, a choice which his generalship amply justified. That he is re­ cognised as the leading wicket-keeper in the world it is hardly necessary for me to repeat, but of late he has certainly not been able to bat because of an injury to his finger is a I so true. Still, on looking over his performances for past seasons, everyone will admit that he has shown himself to be no mean exponent of the game, while his general knowledge and wide experience must prove invaluable to any Australian cricketing team undertaking the tour we are about to undertake.” H am pshire and Leicestershire are to meet at Leicester on Whit Monday. L ancashire ’ s home match with Somerset­ shire, this year, takes place at Liverpool. J. J. S tedm an , a liberal supporter of cricket in South London and an old member of the Surrey County C.C., died recently. L ancashire and Yorkshire will meet at Manchester on the August Bank Holiday as last year. L . F. B. D ykes , many years hon. sec. of the Cumberland County C.C.,died recently, in his thirty-eighth year. THE COUNTY TEAMS, 1892. The Following Groups of County Teams have appeared in C ricket this year. MIDDLESEX YORKSHIRE SURREY GLOUCESTERSHIRE NOTTS SOMERSETSHIRE LANCASHIRE ENGLISH TEAM IN SOUTH AFRICA In addition to the above, Special Photographic Supplem ents have been presented of G. LOHMANN, L. C. H. PALAIRET& H. T.HEWETT, ARTHUR SHREWSBURY. AND A. E. STODDART. (Several others in preparation). Back Numbers containing any of the above can be had at the usual price, on application at Office— 41, St. Andrew’s Hill, Doctors’ Commons, E C.