Cricket 1893

NOV. 30, 1893 ©RICKET; A WEKKLY RECORD OF THE GAME, 461 trate, Wiltshire oricket and indeed the game everywhere has always had an active and enthusiastic follower. T h e habitues of Bramall Lane cricket ground will sadly miss a figure which has been familiar to the frequenters of that enclosure for upwards of a quarter of a century. Himself a Sheffielder by birth, there was a special fitness in Harry Wright's close connection with the scene of so many historic cricket matches. A player of infinite variety, or, to use the expressive phraseology of to-day, a good all-round man, hewas a prominent member of the Sheffield eleven as long ago as 1813. His cricket, too, was held in sufficiently high esteem to warrant his selection to represent the North against the South at Lord's in 1855, and once even to earn the high distinction of an invitation to help the Players against the Gentlemen. B y no means abad slowbowler, he was, withal, a useful bat, as well as an excep­ tionally smart field. But to the later generations of cricketers he was known —at least personally—in his capacity as caretaker of the Bramall Lane ground, the real home of the Yorkshire County Club. As a groundman, he had few, if any, superiors, and it is no empty phrase to say that throughout his long association with Bramall Lane he won the respect not only of the cricketers with whom he came more closely into contact, but of all classes of the sport-loving public of Sheffield. He had completed the allotted span, for he had passed his seventy-fourth birthday by thirteen dayswhen his innings was closed on Tuesday. T h e same evening, too, saw the death of another Yorkshire player, in this case one iu the prime of a cricketer’s life. C r ic k e t readers will, no doubt, recall the name of Fred Crabtree, who kept wicket in more than one match last summer for the Yorkshire Eleven in the absence of the regular “ stoomper,” Hunter. Crab­ tree, awicket-keeper of no small capacity, died on Tuesday evening at Nelson, where he had been engaged as wicket-keeper for three summers. He was only in his twenty-seventh year. T h e news of the retirement of Mr. H. T. Hewett from the captaincy of the Somersetshire team will be received with genuine regret far beyond the limits of the County to whose advancement he has per­ sonally contributed so largely. The strain of first-class cricket isnow so severe that the difficulty of finding amateurs able and willing to undertake the respon­ sibilities of captaining a County eleven is likely to increase rather than decrease. T h e withdrawal of a cricketer whose personal influence has'done so much not only to bring Somersetshire to, but to maintain it in the front rank, must be deplored by all who are concerned about the welfare of County cricket generally. Great as will be the loss of his services as player, I venture to think be will be even more missed in his capacity as captain, a post for which he was specially fitted, not only by his keenness and judgment, but also by reason of the confidence he inspired. The increase of his professional work at the Bar is a full and substantial reason for his withdrawal to some extent from County Cricket. Still every one will hope that the withdrawal will be only partial. “ DOWN UNDER.” N ow that winter days have come, And forgotten are our flannels, "We seek solace in “ tlie scrum " —■ Vide “ football 'dishun " annals. Here, to watch the football play, Come the crowds who plaudits thunder— But across the seas to-day Cornstalks play our game “ down under.” Truly, never sets the sun On our empire— or on cricket, And to day they cheer each run Registered on some far -wicket, Each breaking ball, each cut for three, Rivets bonds that none shall sunder ; Loyal aye our kin will be W hile they play T he G ame “ down under.” C.P. As far as.one can judge, the secretaries of the county clubs, who are to meet in solemn conclave at Lord’s on Tuesday, will have no lack of business to engage their attention. The arrangement of the season’s programme is ofitself awork that requires some care and a good deal of tact withal. Beyond that there is the proposition with regard to an increase in the powers of a captain in closing his innings, emanating from the Notts County C.C. Apparently the intention is to per­ sist in the proposition. Whether it is likely to meet with a sufficiency of sup­ port of course remains to be seen. A no th e r matter which will in all pro­ bability come before the secretaries will be the proposed visit of a South African team. The negotiations have not reached an advanced stage as yet, owing to the absence of a definite intimation that the tour was decided upon. The latest intelli­ gence, though, conveys the assurance that the chief players are very keen on the tour, and have in fact promised to join the party if satisfactory arrangements can be made. A ccording to the editor of the South African Review, who has the very best means of knowing, the team is likely to be made up of one player from Natal, the Free State, and probably Kimberley, with the balance from the Western Province and the Transvaal. D. C. Davey of Natal, A. B. Tancred, Halliwell, Frank Hearne, and Kempis are thought to be certainties. According to the best sources of information the team would be leaving the Cape about a week or a fortnight before Easter. They would require, it is expected, about three weekB’ practice on English wickets before the first fixture. Secretary Alcock is awaiting fuller par­ ticulars, in time for next Tuesday's meeting, B y - t h g - w a y , talking of South Africa reminds me that they have been beating the African record in Johannesburg, which is Transvaal way. The Pirates included in their eloven not only A. B . Tancred, who is regarded as a certainty for the South African team, but also Routledge, a cricketer of whom Mr. W. W. Read has a high opinion, based on the cricket he showed against the last English team in Africa. Their presence, too, naturally made the total of 583 reached by ths Wanderers on the 28th of last month the more meritorious. In any case the Wanderers’ score is arecord for South Africa. So far, perhaps, one of the chief difficulties in arranging for the visit of the South African team has been the abserca of any really reliable estimate of tl eir cricket to make a fair handicap against English teams. The opinions of Englishplayers who haveresided in South Africa vary greatly as to the figure a representative team, used as they all are to matting wickets, would make on English turf, even after they had become to some extent accustomed to the new conditions. It would therefore be of interest to give the opinion of one of the chief authorities on South African cricketers, one who knows about what he is talking. Taking everything into consideration [he says,] I am inclined to consider that if South Africa’s best eleven goes to England it will acquit itself middling well. It will not be able to hole at an All England eleven, and will probably be smashed into the ground by two or three of the more powerful countieB. But it oould play any amateur oounty team on equal terms. It might do well against M.C.C. and Ground, Surrey Club and Ground, Oxford University, Cambridge University, Derby­ shire, Warwickshire, Essex, Leicestershire, Gloucestershire, Scotland, and Ireland. This class of oricket is quite good enough to com­ mence with, and when the eleven has played together for a week or two, its strength will be fifty per cent, greater than at the start. If after the first month or two. South Afrioa acquitted itself fairly well, the advisability of tackling big game might be considered. We shall see. I n view of Tuesday’s conference it may be of interest if I give the dates fixed for the principal contests at Lord’s and the Oval next season. They are as follow:— June 29.—Oxford v. Cambridge. July 5, Oval.—Gentlemen v. Players. July 9.—Gentlemen v. Players. July 13.—Eton v. Harrow. The Surrey Committee have decided, I may add, to give Wood a benefit at the Oval, which will most likely take the form of North v. South. Barnes is also to