Cricket 1894

42 tOBlC&ET • a WEEKLl RECORD (0F THE GAME, MAR. v i, 1894 marked success in the seventies and even till the middle of the eighties. In his earlier days a sprinter of exceptional abilities, he landed more than one of the big handicaps. Subsequently he became as conspicuous on the cricket-field, and did excellent service for Notts, particularly in 1878, when he was at the head of the batting averages. A very fine fieldsman, he covered a lot of ground by reason of his great pace, which stood him in equally good stead behind the wicket. He was only in his forty-fifth year. C ric k e t readers gen era lly w ill be in terested to k n ow that an excellen t a u toty p e com p osition pictu re has ju st b een published, com p risin g portraits o f m o st o f the leadin g cricketers o f the day. I t con tain s, in d eed , n ea rly o n e hu n d red an d six ty likenesses, an d as the grou p in g has been ju d iciou sly arranged w ith a view to get the rep resentatives o f the several cou n ties together, this m e th o d m akes a n y referen ce p rop ortion a tely easy. I t is not often that a side which makes four hundred for the first innings of a match has to put up with defeat. This w a s the luck of the Norwoods of Adelaide, who after making over four hundred had to field while the Australs scored 423. A noteworthy feature of this particular match w as that the chief contribation to the latter was 127 by S. Leak, a youngster only just eighteen years old. A notable instance of thekind occurs tom'? inEnglish cricket, in which, too, Australia was directly interested. I refer to the match between the Australian team and the Gentleunn in 1886 at the Oval, when the Australians topped the Gentlemen’s score of 471 by seventeen. T h e Currie Cup tournament, to be held at Cape Town, which was to begin last Saturday, was expected to be the most notable Inter-Union tournament ever held in South Africa. In addition to the holders of the Cup, the Western Province Union, four visiting teams have given notice to compete, viz. :—Transvaal, Griqualand West, Eastern Province, and Natal. The four visiting teams were to play two matches simultaneously on the knock-out system, and the two winning teams in these two matches to enter with the Cup holders to play on the League system for the trophy. D. M a il e r , a cricketer who made a very favourable impression on more than one member of English teams in Austra­ lia, settle 1 himself lately in a way which does not as a rule commend itself to batsmen. Playing in a match between Coburg and Richmond City at Melbourne in the middle of January, he gave himself the happy dispatch by removing the ball, which had stuck on his pads after being played. “ Felix,” the Australasian cricket critic, though, must have overlooked more than one case of a similar kind in first- class cricket when he expresses his ignorance of any similar mistakes by bats­ men. I remember at lexst two myself, one, unless I am mistaken, as recently as last summer. I t does not often fall to the lot of a bowler to run a batsman out from square leg. Yet this distinction, it appears, must j be awarded to a South Australian cricketer. This is the version, at all events, of the Adelaide Observer ; S. A. Davenport, of the North Adelaides and Wanderers, was bowling in a matoh at Port Elliott dnriag the Christmas holidays, and the ball was hit far enough to leg for the batsmen to get two runs comfortably and start for a third. Meanwhile Davenport, not seeing square-le ' move, had chased the ball, and a smart return ran one of the men out and effected a much desired separation. This notice of quite a new addition to the possibilities of out cricket is worthy of mention if only “ to encourage the others”. T h e Gentlemen of Philadelphia have shown themselves to be such thoroughly good sportsmen, and made so many friends in consequence over here, that their decision not to carry out the arrangements made for their visit to England this year is the more to be regretted. No doubt the difficulties that faced the International Match Committee which has the control of all such matters were great, if not unsurmountable. At the same time, it must be pointed out that they formally invited the co-operation of the county secretaries at the meeting last December, and that their withdrawal at this late hour cannot fail to cause considerable in­ convenience to some if not all of the clubs with whom fixtures were made on their br- half. How far these considerations ought t o weigh against the reasons which have influenced the Committee in abandoning the tour, must be a matter of opinion. In any case, I am afraid that English clubs will naturally view the possible disturbance of their programmes another time with some misgivings. THE GENTLEMEN OF PHILADEL­ PHIA. ABANDONMENT OP TOUR. Mr. 0. W. Alcock his requested us to publish the following letter: — D e a r M r. A lc o c k , —As I intimated in my note to you of Feb. 19, the International Match Committee held a meeting on Feb. 21, and I regret very much to be obliged t >say that the conclusions arrived at preclude the possibility of a visit to Eug’and during the coming summer by the Gemlomea of Phila­ delphia. We have for some time been much dis­ couraged from inability to secu e positive and affirmative answers from some of the most im­ portant cricketers who would bi members of the proposed team, althoigh three or four months have e’apsed siace the first steps were tak n to ascertain upon whom the cirnmktee oould depend. The continued an! increasing depression iu business of aU kinds, ho vever, has m ide it difficult, if not impossible, for some of oar cricketers to arrange row for an absence of suoh leng h. From this cause several of the most prominent members of the team, who in ordinary times could arrange to take the trip without trouble, ha\e been obliged to abandon all idea of leaving home. Feeling that justice to you and to the g‘ n ltmen with whom you have made arrangements for us required that this matter should be definitely settled at once, the committee invited to be present at its meeting on February 21 seven or eight of the gentlemen who would form part of the team to go abroad ; it was there developed that Mr. E, W. Clafk, jun., Mr. F. W. Ralston, Mr. U. P. Baily, and vtr. VV. W, Noble would be absolutely unable to go; Mr. Walter Scott, who was unable to be present, wrote to the oommittee that if called upon to give a positive answer now he should be obliged to decline the committee’ invitation. borne others were equally uncertain. Yon are probably sufficiently familiar with the status of the Philadelphia cricketers to be able to appreciate the fact that a Philadelphia team which did not contain the five gentlemen named above would be by no means represen* tative, Mr. Ralston being,I may say, our only wicket keeper; Mr. Baily, Mr. Clark, and Mr. Scott being bowlers who would be relied upon to do a large part of the work, while all five are among the hading batters in the oountry. The committee and the other gentlemen present felt that in view of the inability of the committee to find substitutes who would ade­ quately fill the places of these gentlemen, to send a seoond rate team to England would hive an injurious effect up in Amerioan cricket, and would not be dealing fairly with the teams whom our eleven expected to meet. The committee, however, while feeling that the ciroumstauces made it injudicious to send a team this year, consider that the decision should be left with the oricketers who would oompose the team Teese gentlemen, when the question was put to them, after careful consideration of the facts mentioned, unani­ mously decided that it would not be wise to m ike the trip this year, aDd it was therefore deoided to abandon the effort now, and take it up agaia in the autumn of the present year, with the expectation of sending an eleven over in the summer of 1895. I need hardly assure you that this conclu­ sion was reached by the committee and the gentlem;n they consulted with the greatest possible regret. The list of matohes arranged by you is extremely attractive, and our cricketers looked forward with great pleasure to the prospeot of meeting the elevens of Ox- ford and Cambridge Universities. I trust you will make it clear to the teams with whom fixtures have been made that the trip is only abandoned for the present year through our absolute inability to secure a properly representative eleven, and that we hope to be allowed to oonsider th ;se fixtures as only postponed for one year. With warmest thanks for your kindness in making our arrangements, and regrets that we sh uld be unable to avail ourselves of them,— Yours, eto., F. M. B is s e tt, Seoretary. 228, South Third Street, Philadelphia. Feb. 27, 1894. T he Croydon Club’s annual general meetin® was held on the 8th inst. at the Greyhound Hotel, Croydon, when about 50 members were p eseut. The chair was taken by Mr. T. L. Roberts, the President. The reports of the" Treasurer and the Secretary were of a very satisfactory nature, that of the former showing a substantial balance in hand. The matoh list has again been inoreased, there being 74 fixtures for the forthcoming season. Ail the retiring officers—including the Treasurer (Mr. J. Aria), the Captain, and Hon. Secretary (Mr! H- R Groom), and the captain of the second eleven (Mr. R. Archer)—were re eleoted,andthe meeting terminated with hearty votes of thanks to the Au itor. the Treasurer the Seoretary, and the Chairman. W A T E R P R O O F T E N T S . Several fffc. square Lawn Tents left over from last year, and which cost £ 110s„ are to be sold foe £ i 10s. They are made from Rotproof and Waterproof Cloth. Apply to -G octrock H 0 i’EW 0 P.i£ Co., 18, B:Uiter Street, London.