Cricket 1894

JULY 5, 1894 OBICKET s A WEEKLY RECORD OF THB GAMB, £3 3 batting as yet, it will be admitted. Richardso3? I understand, is to be utilised mainly for the eleven a-side and representative matches. T h e death of Lord Charles Russell has re­ moved an octogenarian who could go as far back into the history of cricket to the mid­ dle of the twenties Lord Charles, who, as many will remember, was Sergeant- at-Arms in the House of Commons for many xears, was one of the oldest members of the Marylebone Club. He was playing at Lord’s, indeed, as the records show, so long ago as 1827, and his name, bo it is stated, figures in “ Scores and Biographies” for about a quarter of a century. His interest in the game never slackened, and, as Cit c k e t readers cannot fail to recollect, it was he who was deputed to make the presentation of the testimonial to Mr. W , G. Grace in 1872, a task he performed in the most graceful way. Some few years ago, that is in 1885. His reminiscences of cricket appeared in this paper under the title of “ ’Tis Sixty Years Since.’ Until the last year or two he was a frequent attendant at the principal fixtures in London. The Bank Holiday match invariably, that is until re­ cently, saw him in evidence at the Oval, and he thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity of a comparison of the old and present-day cricket with those who remembered both. As he joined the M.C.C. in 1825, his connection with the club extended over a period of just on seventy y e a r s . ------- T he effect of the hard wickets, of which there was such substantial proof in the majority of the important matches decided last week, was also abundantly shown in Publio School cricket. The match between Malvern College and Sherborne School, at Sherborne, on Friday and Saturday, indeed, produced scoring, considerably above the average of Public School matches. Altogether 655 runs were made for twenty wickets, and, what is more, the credit was pretty equally divided between the two sides. If anything Sherborne had the better of a comparison, for, after being 123 behind on the first innings, they made 176 for the loss of only one wioket. Inter.school matches, too, give occasion for so few scores of over a hundred that J. E. Stevens’ second innings of 105 (not out) for Sherborne is worthy of special notice. T h e double first of the Surrey eleven last week at the Oval does not seem to have had the justice done to it perhaps that it deserved. Anyhow, the side commanded by Mr. Key did well, considering that they had in each match to face the serious difficulty, in consequence of the foliow on, of two successive outings in the field in sweltering weather, and without their best bowler. The excellence of the wickets on the Surrey ground this summer is conclu­ sively shown by the fact that in five days of actual cricket no less than 1,937—practically 400 a day—were totalled for sixty - four wickets. Surrey’s share of the runs in the two matches came to 97U runs for twent\-four wickets, an average of forty for each batsman. Considering, too, that over 1,064 runs were totalled in the second fixture, with Sussex, it was curious that there should not have been one individual score of three figures. T he University Elevens o f next year will not offer a very material difference to those whioh competed at Lord’s this week, that is always provided the old choices retain their form sufficiently to maintain their places. If the information to date is correct, indeed, Palairet and Bathurst are the only members of the Oxford team who will not be available for 1895. On the other hand, Cambridge has only one who is barred for next year. That is J. J. Robinson, a double blue by the way. M a t t h e w K e m pso n , who died on the 20th of last month, was the eldest son of the late Rev. Edward Kempsoa, incumbent of Castle Bromwich, Warwickshire. He was educated at Cheltenham, where he was in the eleven in 1848 and the t*?o following years. He then went to Cambridge and played against Oxford in 1851 and 1853, on the first occasion scoring 48 runs. It was, however, in the latter year that he made his reputation, for being selected to play for Gentlemen against Players at Lord’ s, he, with Sir Frederick Bathurst, bowled throughout the match without change, dismissing the Players for 42 and G9. He was a very good“ head ’ bowler,with mar­ vellous acouracy of pitch, which he acquired, as he stated, by winter practice at a single stump on the clay floor of a brickfield shed near hig home. Some interesting letters of his on this topic appeared in Bell's Life under the signature of a “ Quidnunc Professional.” He was one of those who assisted to found the Free Fore sters club in 1856, but soon after that date the scholastic avocations to which he turned caused him to go to India, and he was lost to the cricket world. He was a man of very amiable and genial disposition, and much esteemed by troops of friends. C b ic k e t readers will be interested to learn that Mr. F. W . Maude — who is so widely known amongst Metropolitan cricketers—is not neglecting his cricket whilst wooing the suffrages of the electors of the Southern Division of Nottingham, as the Gladstonian candidate at the next election. Trent Bridge itself comes within the area of this same constituency, and the candidate has figured several times on that enclosure with local clubs. For Notts Castle, Forest Ama­ teurs, and Commercial he has rendered most excellent servic3 with both bat and ball, and several of his performances in the latter department have been particularly noteworthy. Only last week, too, for Lenton United v. an eleven of Notts Castle, he compiled a finely-hit 157 not out, out of 233 for three wickets, whioh enabled his side to have the game all their own way. ------- A BALLAD OF THE BLUE. A M e t e o r o l o g ic a l F a n c y . B y “ V.C.” The sun deserted tho heavenly “ Twins ” Where Castor circles and Pollux spins, And far he followed his long career Round the middle zone of the concave sphere. He drove the rain-clouds back to the West, And topped their spires with a burning crest: And into the space of a season new Where the skie3 are all of a bright light blue He rode on the back of the zodiac “ Crab,” — Like a Jehu driving a fair-priced cab. The sun looked down on the sultry town Where the panting crowd went up and down Beside tbe pomp and the pride that go To grace the streets with a royal show. And his last bright beam of the half-year gone Slid down on the azure air and shone On the gilded towers of the monster bridge As he gazed down under the western ridge. T h e re , u n d er sh a d e o f th e sle e p in g sp h e re , H e cro sse d th e b rid g e o f th e m id d le y e a r ; A n d b u rst a t m o rn , in a b lu er sk y T h a n J u n e ’s w as b lu e , o n th e n e w J u ly . T h e su n sh o n e d o w n fr o m th e h o llo w sp h ere In th e ea rly d a y s o f th e n e w h a lf-y e a r, A n d th re w th e sh a d ow s o f w ick e ts tw a in A s la n t, th rice -b a rr e d , on th e \ e lv e t p la in . H e sa w th e h e ro e s w h o p a ced th e g reen F ro m w ick e t to w io k e t a fa r b e tw e e n ; A n d a ll b e y o n d th e m a co n co u rse g rea t O f w e a lth a n d b e a u ty a n d p rid e a n d state, W ith d ra g s a n d fo o tm e n a rra n g e d a rou n d W h e r e th e g litte r in g circ le co m m a n d s th e g ro u n d . A n d h e b la ze d o n ih e r o o f w h ich a sh a de a fford s T o th e p r o u d p a v ilio n , th e “ h o u se ” o f “ L o r d ’s.” W a s it e n v y b u rn e d in th e k in g o f d a y T h a t h e lo o k e d so fierce o n th e fie ld o f p la y, W h e n th e scen e w as b iillia n t w ith b lu e a n d b lu e T h a t riv a lle d th e b lu e o f th e sk y in h u e ? D id it irk h im so th a t th e lo w ly ea rth W a s g iv e n t o p a stim e a n d p le a su re a n d m ir th ? W a s h e je a lo u s th a t g litte r a n d g lo w b elow W e re m o re th a n h is o w n r ic h g litte r a n d g lo w , W h e n m e n a n d m a tro n s a n d m a id s m ig h t m o v e In sp le n d o u r o u ts h in in g th e sh in e a b o v e ? W h e n th e D a rk B lu e soore on th e b o a rd w as rea d , T h e su n b lu sh e d re d d e r a n d w e n t to b ed . A n d f h e ra in -clo u d s ra llied fr o m o u t of th e W e s t A n d sp rea d o v e r ea rth as h e sa n k to rest. A n d th e sk y th a t h a d b e e n o f a b rig h t lig h t b lu e T o o k e v e r a n d e v e r a d a rk er hu e. O , w as it in a n ger o r so rro w o r sp ite T h a t th e sk y g re w d a rk er a n d w e p t in th e n ig h t ? T h e su n rose u p , and th e su n w e n t d o w n , A n d h e ro se a g a in on th e fe stiv e tow n . B u t h e rod e h is th ro n e w ith a m ie n less p ro u d F o r h a lf o f h is g lo rie s w ere h id in a clo u d — O r is h e e clip se d b y g litte r a n d sh o w W h e n th e u p p e r ten th o u sa n d a -crick e tin g g o ? A n d d a y a fter d a y th e b lu e sk y g re w F ro m a b rig h t lig h t b lu e to a d a rk er b lu e, A n d n ig h t b y n ig h t in th e lo n g d a rk h ou rs I t w ep t, a n d m o is te n e d th e g ro u n d w ith sh ow ers. N o w , w as it in e n v y th e su n g re w d im W h e n th e g lo rie s o f orick e t o u t g lo r ie d h im ? A n d w as it p e rch a n ce in sy m p a th y , th en W h e n O x o n ia n s co n q u e re d th e C a m b rid ge m e n . T h a t th e sk y g re w te a rfu l a n d ch a n g e d its h u e F ro m a lig h ter b lu e to a d a rk er b lu e ,— F ro m a C a m b rid g e B lu e to a n O x fo rd B lu e ? T h e fo llo w in g ta b le w ill sh o w th e re la tiv e p o s itio n s o f th e n in e le a d in g co u n tie s to d a t e :— P layed. W on. L ost. D rw n. P ts Surrey ................... 8 ... 7 ... 1 ... 0 ... 6 Yorkshire ...... 7 ... 5 ... ‘2 ... 0 ... 3 M iddlesex ...... 9 ... tt ... 3 ... 0 ... 3 Som erset ...... 4 ... 8 ... 1 ... 0 ... 2 K en t............ ...... 4 ... 3 ... 1 ... 0 ... 2 G loucestershire ... 5 ... 2 ... 3 ... 0 ... — 1 N otts............................ 6 ... 1 ... 4 .. 1 ... —3 L ancashire ... .. 7 ... 1 ... 6 ... 0 ... — 5 Sussex ................... 8 ... 0 ... 7 ... 1 ... — 7 T he m atch Y orkshire v. K ent, at B radford, on June 4, 5, and 6, was abandoned, w ith ou t a ball being tow led , th rou gh wet. P R IN C IP A L M A TC H ES FO R N E X T W E E K . July 5—K ennington Oval. G en t’em en v. Players July 5—LordV, M C.C. and G round v. C am bridge­ shire July 5 —L eyton , E ssex v. O xford U niversity July 5—P ortsm ou th , Mr. W righ t’s X I. v. Eouth A frican Team July 5—B irm ingham , W arw ickshire v. H am p­ shire July P—L ord ’s, G entlem en v.P .ayers July 9 —K ennin gton Oval, Surrey v. N orthants July 9— B righton, Sussex v. Bania Ju>y 9 —Cam bridge, Cam bridgeshire v. L in coln ­ shire July 9 —D erby, D er’ yahire v. Y orkshire July 9—B irm ingham , W arw ickshire v. South A frican Team