Cricket 1894

APRIL 26, 1894 OBlGKETt’ A WEEKLY RECORD* TH® 0AMB, 8Q To judge by the number of Australian papers which have reached me with full particulars of the feat, it is evident that a record of any performance at all out of the common in cricket by the veteran, H. F. Boyle, will g ve pleasure to the many friends of a keen and genuine cricketer in the Colonies, as it is sure to give to all here who remember his many brilliant doings with the ball for the earlier Australian teams. His achievement on March 16 for East Melbourne against Melbourne would have done him credit even when he was at the zenith of his fame. T he Melbourne Club had a strong side, including F. H. Walters, W. Bruce, H. Trumble, aud R. W . McLeod, all of whom have represented Australia on English grounds. During the day, how­ ever, they lost sixteen wickets for an aggregate of 180 runs. Of these sixteen twelve were from Boyle’s bowling, and at a cost of only 75 runs. A correspondent points out that last month exactly twenty- two years had elapsed since Boyle played his first Inter-colonial match for Victoria v. New SouthWales, andover twenty years since he gained the distinction of being the first Australian cricketer to lower the stumps of W . G. Grace. It will be very gratifying to his many friends in Eng­ land to see that he has even yet not lost the command of the ball which made him so deadly on occasions for Australian teams over here. T he test practice held at the Oval during the early part of the week, it will interest well wishers of Surrey cricket to know, has satisfied the authorities that there is no lack of promise among the rising cricketers of the county. Consider­ ing, indeed, that most of them could have had no preliminary trial, the twenty- five young players who were put through their paces on Monday and Tuesday ac­ quitted themselves surprisingly well. Two or three most promising bowlers from the outlying parte of the county were un­ earthed, while a young batsman from Uppingham School showed great promise. D. Keeley, a wicket-keeper hailing from Bermondsey, will do great things behind the sticks if he keeps up his form of Mon­ day last. In any case, the executive will have the satisfaction of knowing that he is a native of Surrey. R ain sadly interfered with the continu­ ance of the matches on Tuesday. Still, they will have another chance of distin­ guishing themselves, as a picked eleven from the Colts of this and last year will oppose eleven of the Junior Ground staff at the Oval on Thursday next. Although not “ coloured on the card,” the season at the Oval will really open on Tuesday next with a match between the “ Old Guard ” of Surrey, and the next fourteen. As Messrs. J. Shuter and W . W. Read have both accepted invitations to play, and Mr. K. J. Key also, if he is in England, will probably turn out, we may take it that the full strength of the county will be engaged. M esses . E. A. Halliwell, T. Routledge, and C. L. Johnson, the advanced guard of the South African team, who reached Southampton in,the “ Spartan ” on Mon­ day week, dispersed on reaching England to their several destinations with the view of making the best use of the fortnight's interval before the arrival of the rest ol the party. Mr. Routledge, who is a native of Liverpool, has been spending his brief holiday in that City. Mr. Johnson has been renewing his old associations with Dublin. Mr. Halliwell, unlike the Rev. Mr. Spaldmgin “ The Private Secretary,” does like London, of which he is a native, and though just at the moment in Sussex, has been doing the sights of the little village. Mr. H a lliw e ll furnishes another instance of cricket heredity. I have not myself seen it stated anywhere that he is a son of the well-known amateur wicket-keeper, the late Mr. R. B. Halliwell, who did good service behind the sticks for Middlesex for a greater part of the seventies. The mantle of the father, who, as many will remember, played cricket as Mr. R. “ Bissett,” his second Christian name, in this case has fittingly descended to the son. In Mr. E. A. Halliwell, at least, the South African team will have a wicket-keeper above the average. Mr. C. Sewell, son of another Middlesex amateur, J.J., of that name, came to England even earlier than the trio named. Nothing, however, seems as yet to have transpired as to his where­ abouts on this side. A ccording to official information, the “ Tartar,” which is conveying themajority of the South African players to the old country, shouldbe at Southampton on Sun­ day next. Nor will the team have to wait long before they have their first taste of English hospitality. Indeed, the directors of the Union Steamship Company have already, I understand, intimated their de­ sire to welcome our visitors at a dinner on Monday night. In all probability the party will make their headquarters, at least for the earlier part of the tour, at the Tavistock Hotel. By this time the management of the Tavistock should be pretty well acquainted with the little ways of cricket tourists, if the successive visits of Australian teams are to be taken as a sign of approval. O xford and Essex C r ic k e t readers in particular will bo concerned to know that one of the prizes for the best batting per­ formances during the recent Currie Tour­ nament in Cape Town fell to Mr. H . M. Taberer, who, if I am informed rightly, is on the staff of the Governor of Natal, Unfortunately the latest advices show that the old Oxonian will not after all be able to visit England this summer. This will be a decided loss to the South African team, who would have been pretty certain to have found his fast bowling of great use. Mention of the prizes in connection with the Currie Tournament reminds me that another cricketer not unknown to En^lith sportsmen, Mr. A. Richards, landed a double trophy, for the highest individual score as well as for the best batting average in the Western Province team. C ricket in “ the West Countree ” has lost one of its best friends and most liberal supporters by the death of Mr. W . Sim, of Clyst St, George, for many years hon. sec. and treasurer of the Devon County C.C. The touring clubs, and their name is legion, which have visited Devonshire will all have a grateful recol­ lection, not only of the good cricket he provided for them in his double capacity of hon. sec. of the County as well aB of the Weybridge Club, but also of the hospi­ tality extended to visiting teams without exception. His death, which took place on the 9th of this month, was not long p reced ed b y that of his son, Capt. A. D. S im , who, as some Wykehamists will rem em ber, played for Winchester College som e years a go. T he cricket fathers of New South Wales at all events seem to have found salvation in the proposed alteration of the follow-on rule, which the various Aus­ tralian Colonies have tested during the winter at the request of the Marylebone Club. It would seem so at least, from the fact that at the monthly meeting of the New SouthWales Cricket Association, held at Sydney on the 12th oflast month, the secretary was instructed to inform the M.C.C. that the Associa­ tion agreed to the alteration in the rule relating to the follow-on, whereby the side having a majority of eighty runs was empowered to order the follow on or not, as it thought fit, instead of the follow- on being imperative. A cu rious instance of a game pulled out of the fire under quite exceptional circumstances was furnished in the match between the Austral and Norwood Clubs, at Adelaide, on March 10. Though the Australs began most auspiciously with a big score of 424, the Norwoods seemed certain to outdo this with 400 up for four wickets. The collapse at the finish, though, was as remarkable. Even subsequently, with four men still left, and only 22 to get to win against worn-out bowling, the victory of Norwood seemed assured. In­ stead, the last four batsmen were only able to make seven between them, so that after all the Australs were able to win on the very post. T he elevation of Sir John Rigby to the office of Attorney General, consequent on Sir Charles Russell's acceptance of a Judgeship of Appeal, has advanced an old cricketer another and important step to­ wards the highest honours of the legal profession. The appointment of Mr. R. T. Reid as Solicitor General will be as popular with those who appreciate a good sportsman as it will be with the bar. Cricketers have especial reason to be pleased with this particular appointment. For “ Mr. Attorney ” was in his day a bright, particular star in the world of cricket. First at Cheltenham and subse­ quently at Oxford, he graduated with