Cricket 1894

JULY 26, 1894 m iO & E T t A W E E K L Y BECOKB OF TH® GAME; 281 T he Cricket; Shield presented by the Earl of Sheffield for the development of Australian cricket, to be held each season by the most successful Colony, was formally handed over to Mr. J. Creswell, the hon. sec. of the South Australian Cricket Association, on behalf of the winning Colony, on June 17. The Shield which was presented at the rooms of the Victorian Crioketing Associatior, in Mel" bourne, after being exhibited at the Oval in Adelaide for a few weeks, is to be transferred to the safe keeping of Sir Edwin Smith, the President of the South Australian Associa­ tion. Sir Edwin will be its custodian until next season’s contests shall determine which Colony shall next hold it. Sia F red erick W ig a n , who has just ac­ cepted a Baronetcy offered him by the Queen, presumably in Lis capacity as High Sheriff of Surrey, is, and has been, a keen supporter of county cricket. He has bee a for years a member of tbe Surrey County C.C., and a much more than occasional visitor at the Oval. He recently took a leading part in the recep- sion of the Queen at Richmond, on her visit to the Royal Borough, for the christening of her great-grandson. On the occasion in ques­ tion he presented an address of congratulation from the people of Mortlake, where he livep. Since writing the above. I find the doctors differ with regard to the precise distinction Sir F . Wigan has received. The Richmond paper, published yesterday evening, gives it as a knighthood. T h e result of the referendum which the Surrey executive have adopted to find out the views of the members on the important question, whether football is to be continued at the Oval or not, would appear to be causing no little excitement among the parties most interested. The public curiosity, however, cannot be allayed for a week or so, as the authorities have decided to open the voting papers altogether. In this case, considering that the time for the return of the papers does not expire till Tuesday next, it will be pretty well the end of next week before the decision of the majority can be known. T he unexpected happened on Friday last twice, and in parts of the country widely separated. The ctllapse of Surrey at Leices­ ter was only another illustration of the fatality which seems to attend the visits of the Surrey Eleven to that town. In the ordinary way it would not have excited wonderment—the surprise wa°, perhaps, in that the Surrey men at any time lcoked like winning. In the match between Kent and Notts at Maidstone, Kent had so much the best of the first part of the game that it hardlj looked as if they could lose. Of course this only emphasised the victory of Notts, which wTas a distinctly fine performance. S cores of over two hundred for School elevens are of such very rare occurrence that the performance of J. H. Curtis for Clifton College against the Clifton Club deserves more thau a mere passing notice. His 228 not out, too, included a big hit in the shape of a tenner all run out. Tt»ere are few cricket grounds in England whose area is large enough for such a record, and that of Clifton College is quite among, if not the largest. I gathered from W.G., a week or two ago, that he had an idea of trying Curtis in the Gloucestershire eleven. But if the facts given by “ Wanderer ” in yes­ terday's Sportsman are correct, his qualifica­ tion is at the best a little doubtful. H o llan d ’ s performance in going through the first innings of Leicestershire against Surrey at Leicester, on Thursday last, was the more notable from the fact that his 46 out Of 92 from the bat was the only double figure on the side. Another cricketer, one who was in the zenith of his fame before Holland was born, had the satisfaction of a similar achievement the other day. This was no other than our old friend, E. M. Graoe, who went through the innings for his own eleven against South Wales with 29 out of 45 to his credit. Considering that “ The Crowner” celebrated his fifty-third birthday on Novem ­ ber 28 the extent of his staying powers can be fully understood. M r L . C. H. P A L A IB E T (Som erset). I h ad hardly thought when I gave the table of important matches completed in a day in last week’s C r ic k e t that before the lines could have been even read, in some parts of England, that another instance of the kind would have to be chronicled. To Somerset­ shire belongs the unique distinction of being defeated in two successive inter - county matches each finished in a day. As a matter of fact, in three of the four last recorded cases of the same kind the Somersetshire eleven have repreeented the losing side. Sic itur ad astra. I t is anything but suggestive of the opera­ tion of taking coals to Newcastle to go to the A'hlctic News for information relative to Hertfordshire cricket. Yet let justice be done an’ the heavens fall. It was from the A.N. that I got the information which provides the material for this par. A match was played at Saffron Walden in Hertfordshire just lately between the local club and the Eev. J. P. Noyes eleven. Even if the reverend gentle­ man was a “ Muscular Christian” himself, there was very little muscle in the batting exhibition his eleven gave. They certainly did manage to get five, but as none of them was able to make a run between them, it will be gathered that “ extras ’’ supplied the whole total. My old friend and co llo 'jo ra teu r -th e spelling must be taken for granted—Captain Coe, in yesterday’s S ta r , tells, in his peculiarly effective way, how the G. 0. M. “ first made mark ” in cricket. Here it is, Grace and Co(e). “ It is interesting to note the way in which Dr. Grace first made his mark in cricket. Mr. Billy Burrup was at Lord’s one day, when E. M. Grace came up to him and said, ‘ Billy, I’ve a young brother at home who can lick my head off.’ *Have you ?’ said Billy. ‘ Then I’ll have him. Bring him up, and he shall play in the next match for “ Gentlemen against •Players.” ’ Young Grace, then but 16, made his appearance, played in the match, and commenced his career as a cricket cham­ pion by making 46 runs.’’ I t would of course be heresy to suggest that our tried friend, Mr. Benjamin Trovato, is really the person who ought to have the credit of the yarn—I don’t like to call it a story —Not that I am disputing the authenticity of the interview in question. In one respeot the par is right—that W.G. made his first appearance for the Gentlemen at the Oval. That was in 1865—he was at the time within a week of his seventeenth year—when he scored 23 and not out 12, or 45 for onoe out Alfred fchaw, the playful young cricketer whom Sussex has just revived with such complete success, it may be of interest to add, bowled him on the one occasion he was out. But W.G. was not unknown at that time by any means, the Captain may be concerned to know. On the contrary, just a year before he had scored 170 and 56 not out at Brighton for South Wales against the Gentlemen of Sufsex. A week later, too, he p la je l an excellent innings of 50 for the same team against the Marylebone Club, so that his form had already, even then, been fully tested. TH E CO U N T Y C H AM P IO N SH IP . T h e following will show the position of the nine leading counties up to date:— Played. W on. Lo9t. D rw n . Ptp. Yorkshire ... .. 10 ... 8 ... 2 .. 0 ... 6 Surrey .................. .. 9 ... 7 ... 2 . . 0 ... 5 M iddlesex ... .. 10 ... 7 ... 3 . . 0 ... 4 K e n t............................. 7 ... 5 ... 2 . . 0 ... 3 Som ersetshire .. 8 ... 8 ... 4 . . 1 ... — 1 N otts.......................... .. 10 ... 3 ... 6 . 1 ... - 3 L ancashire ... .. 10 ... 3 ... 6 . . 1 ... —3 Gloucestershire .. 8 ... 2 ... 6 . . 0 ... — 4 Sussex ............ .. 10 ... 1 ... 8 . . 1 ... — 7 The m atch Y orkshire v. K ent, at B radford, ou June 4, 5, and 6, was abandoned, w ith ou t a ball being bow led, th rou gh w et. P R IN C IP A L M A TC H ES F O R N E X T W E E K July 26—K ennin gton O val, Surrey v. S om erset July 26—L o rd ’ s, M .C.C. and G. v. K edfordehire July 25—C a tford Bridge, K en t v. Sussex July 26—D erby, 1) erbyshire, v. South A frican Team July 26—N ottingham , N otts v. G loucestershire July 30—L o rd ’s, M.C.C. and G. v. G lam organshire July 30—B irm ingham , W arw ickshire v. Surrey July 30—D ublin, G entlem en o f Ireland v. South A frica n Team July 30—L eicester, L eicestershire v. N otts July 30—M anch ester, L ancashire v. G lou cester­ shire July 30—Sheffield, Y orkshire v. D erbyshire July 30—T a u n ton , S om ersetshire v. K ent