Cricket 1894

* FEB 22, 189ll CRICKET j A WEEKLY RECORD OP THE GAME; 25 regulated families, are not unlikely un­ der the at times heated atmosphere of a not over successful cricket tour of such dimensions. I n any case it is somewhat o f a reliefto find an Australian paper treating the affair from a humorous point. Let him who runs read—- Listen, my friend, to the maxim wise which has dropped from a censor moruvi, That the rules of cricket go hand in hand with the rules of high decorum , And then when you're out you can proudly boast, as you turn from the tempting pewter, That the only vice of your blameless life is to be too slow on a “ shooter.’’ Let the man who fields, or bats, or bowls, Shun English beer And expletives queer, Or, instead of his share in the “ gate,” he’ll get a hauling over the coals. Is the W .C.T.U. asleep ? They must wake and look to their laurels, For a rival mission is in the field reclaiming cricketers’ morals; Reforming the poor lost cover-point, and chiding the long-leg sinner, And bidding the outcast near the fenoe to take less fizz with his dinner. So shall the erring ba' sman come To curse no more When he fails to score, But to hear the yorker soatter the bails and be politely dumb. None but a pillar of churoh and state, or a man of social station, May eat and drink as much as he likes without risking his reputation ; While a cross-i xamining barrister and an orator on laboui Are the only men in the wide, wide world who can s.:y what they think of their neighbour. My boy, wiuu you’ ve got this lesson pat, There’s one more rule That will scoop the pool— When you see the manager coming along, be sure that you touch your hat. D e t a il s of a somewhat remarkable innings are given by Nat Lee, the writer of the Cricket Notes for the Tasmanian Mail. The match, which was between Mudgee and the Nepean— a good cricket name— District, was ] layed in the early part of last month. II. J. Macpherson and C. D . Meares, who opened the Mud­ gee—a name more suggestive perhaps of football than of cricket—batting, had scored 219 without the fall of a wicket when the closure was applied. Nepean's show was of quite a different kind. In fact, the match was very nearly played out, as after a first innings of 94, they had lost eight wickets for 80 in the second when time was up. As Mudgee’s innings is quite out of the ordinary it will be of in­ terest to give the score :—• F. J. Macpherso!!, not out ............................... 143 C. D. Meares, not out............................................. 70 Extras .......... ...................................... 6 Total ...............................219 T he rumours that George Lohmann is not likely to return to England after all appear, C ricket readers will be sorry to hear, to be based on fact. At all events, as far as I can learn, the famou cricketer, acting on the advice of a medical expert, seems to have made up his mind to stay in South Africa for a couple of years at all events, with a view to the complete restoration of hia health. In any case it is very likely that he will settle permanently out of England—if not in South Africa, perhaps in Australia. S ome time since he had an idea of mak­ ing his home in the Australian Colonies, and it is just possible that Melbourne will ultimately be his location. It may be, of course, that events may occur to modify his plans to admit of his reappearance in England. Just now, however, his family seem to have little hope in this direction. Whether or no, the heartiest wishes of English cricketers will follow him wherever he may find it best to settle. T h e Hampstead Nondescripts have decided to abandon the distinctive prefix which has given the club something of a local colouring in the past. For the future they intend to be known as the Non­ descripts tout court. L. Corlce, whose address is 5, Grosvenor Gardens, Ealing, W ., is the lion, secretary as heretofore. A n old suggestion, having for its object an amendment of the present regulations with regard to the manner of dealing with overthrows, has been revived, and in a practical fashion,in Australia. At a recent meeting of the South Australian Cricket Association Mr. W . 0 . Whitridge, one of the greatest authorities on cricket matters in the colonies, moved as a recommenda­ tion from the committee to theAustralasian Cricket Council to introduce a new rule in the laws of cricket, providing for all runs from overthrows being added to the score as sundries, and not as at present begin credited to the batsman and counting against a bowler. T h e motion was not carried, but still a provision which credits a batsman with runs for which he is no way responsible, and at the same time mulcts a bowler for no fault or failure of his own, is manifestly on the face of it unjust. The Adelaide Observer, in commenting on this par­ ticular, pays a compliment to an able con­ tributor of C b ic k e t , which even his well- known modesty will not allow' me to pass unnoticed. But this is what “ Point,” the critic of the Adelaide Observer, says: Many practical players in England are in favour of the alteration, likewise the Rev. R. S. Holmes, one of the most praotical writers of cricket I know of. Amongst his notches in C b ic k e t he has repeatedly written in favour of the alteration, which no doubt will come about in due time. “ Approbation from Sir Hubert Stanley!” T he Dutch cricketers are bestirring themselves betimes, influenced, no doubt, by the prospect of their forthcoming visit to England in August, of which I gave full particulars in the last number of C r ic k e t . Coming events are casting their shadows before, apparently, to judge by the appointment of the new committee of the Dutch Cricket Union. As I have had several enquiries for the names of the responsible officers from cricketers desirous of personally conducting English teams to Holland, the names of the new administration will, no doubt, be of use. They are as follows :— W. F. Proost (Amsterdam1, President J. W . de Goeje (Oeyden), Vioe President H. S. Isbrucker, Frederick Straat, 62, The Hague, Secretary J.W. G. Coops(Tte Hague), As3istant-Secretary H. Van Makea, Treasurer C. T. Posthuma (Haarlem), Official L. J. Van Erp Taalman Kip, Official A gentlem an learned in the law, well- known in the Thames Valley district, is responsible for the following cricket yarn. Not long since he happened to be in the neighbourhood of a private lunatic asylum in the county of — no matter. Accosted by a very agreeable stranger, he found himself confronted with a rather “ leading question,” whether he thought his acquaintance would have a chance of a place in the county eleven of, say, Middlesurrey. The character of his companion had already begun to dawn upon him, and he thought it best to dissemble, so he replied in his most per­ suasive style, “ Well, I should think so, they are in want of really good players.” After a short pause came the reply, “ Yes, but there is only one difficulty that I can see.” “ And what’s that ?” asked the coming K., I mean Q.C. “ Why, I am terribly afraid that I shall bowl mytelf out.” My friend, the Counsel, thought it best to leave before judgment was delivered. T h e following is from the note book of a well-known Australian cricketer. Per­ haps, after all, though, it is hardly neces­ sary for a writer so very particular as I am, to disclaim any direct responsibility for the story. A friend of mine has forwarded me the following amusing reminiscence, in which a well known looal journalist, poet,and cricketer was the leading actor:—“ Some fifteen or sixteen years ago, being then on the Hamilton Spec­ tator staff,------was batting on a fine pitch at Cavendish when he suddenly abandoned his customary defensive tactics ana drove a ball hard and low to m id-on. The fieldsman there held out his hands, not so much for a catch as to protect him self; but he missed the ball, which mysteriously disappeared. Onlookers thought it must have passed him, nor did he know where it was. All this time the bats­ men were running apace, and had almost completed their seoond run—if, indeed, they had not started on their third—when mid-on, who had recovered from hiu fright, felt a lump on his back. It was the missing ball, which had entered a split in his shirt just below the armpit, and had safely lodged in the baggy portion at the rear. The batsman was given out when the missile had been extraoted, but I have always thought wrongly so, for if a man is not allowed to use hat or cap to catoh a ball with, he certainly should not be allowed to so utilise his underclothing.