Cricket 1894

90 UB1CKJST & WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME APRIL 26, l894 honours, a first class, at all events in one branch of the game. As a wicket keeper he did excellent service for the Oxford elevens of 1866, ’67 and ’68. Indeed, in this difficult position he was quite one of the best amateurs of his time. B u t in other grades of athletics the new Solicitor General played as distinguished a part. He was racquet champion at Cheltenham as well as Oxford, and repre­ sented his University in both the tingle and double contests. Besides, he was pro­ ficient in most branches of athletic sports at Oxford. In 1865 he landed the open strangers’ race at Magdalen College, as well as a hundred yards race and a hurdle race of 250 yards. B jth over hurdles and on the flat, indeed, he c >uld take his own part. More than once, too, while at Oxford he was first in throwing the cricket ball at Balliol. S t il l another change in the earlier dates of the South African programme. It had been originally hoped that a meet­ ing might have been arranged between the Gentlemen of Philadelphia and the South African team at the Oval, and a date was reserved in each programme w th this view. The abandonment of the Philadelphian tour destroyed every chance of what would have been a sporting match, besides leaving the South Africans without a fixture on the Surrey ground, Fortw ately, through the kindness of Dr. Bencrat'c and the executive of the Hamp­ shire County C.C., a re-arrangement of dates wa3 obtained, which got rid of the difficulty. The South Africans, who open their tour as already stated at Sheffield Park, on May 22, will therefore visit Southampton on May 25 and 26, and the Oval on the 31st of that month. The match between Surrey and Cambridge University at the Oval originally arranged for the last mentioned date will be com­ menced on June 4 instead. T h e y take their pleasures a trifle sadly in Samoa, which is Austi alasia way. Some little time ago the sporting public was con­ cerned to learn of the issue of a proclama tion by theKing declaring cricketillegal.on the ground that the native population had taken such a liking to the game as to neglect their ordinary pursuits. Rumour was also busy with an account of a match in which 463 natives represented one side and 500 on the other. The game was a little protracted, extending over six weeks, with the result an entire suspension ofwork, the natives flatlyrefusing to go to theirlabours. A brother of Mr. Victor Cohen, the manager of the last Australian team, who has just returned from Samoa, which is one of the islands in the Pacific, corro­ borates the thoroughness of the natives in their pursuit of cricket. Wbole fields of copra, he declares, can be purchased for an old bat. A cricket ball would work the population to frenzy, and a set of stumps judiciously distributed among the natives would, he b lieves, effect the deposition of the Samoan king. What a chance for anyone with a surplus stock of cricket material. “ T he glorious uncertainty of C r ic k e t !' This is how a volatile subscriber describes the non-arrival of the last number of the paper in due course. It is of course superfluous to add that the error was with the postal authorities. Of course ! “ On their own merits modest men are dumb.” Quite so. But, if in the public interest alone, it is worth while to see that justice is done, without fear, and without favour. Ia any case, the following is a copy of a post card just as it was received by the Manager of C r ic k e t , of course omitting names. Please send Mr.---------- 's C ricket to above address. He is particularly anxious for it, as he says he cares more for it than any other paper whatever.” “ Change of address, April 17. (Name) (Address) Ontario, Canada. N.H. This is not a goak. Should there be any one base enough to doubt the good faith of the Pavilion Gossip —quod D i avertant —the original can be seen on application to the Publisher. Walk up ! 1 A m eetin g of representatives of county clubs has been called on the initiative of the Yorkshire C.C.C. for Tuesday afternoon next at one o’clock, at Lord’s. The business is to consider a scheme whereby any county playing a certain number of matches against a recognised first class county, can qualify in some way for recognition in the front rank, as well as to discuss the advisability of some better arrangement for umpiring in inter-county matches. In view of the recent failure to revive the Cricked Council, the success of such a gathering does not appear to be very hopeful. Siill, in face of the farcical proceedings which resulted iD the collapse of the Council, it is not safe to estimate the possibilities of such conferences by the standard of an ordinary business meeting. SOUTH AKRIOAN TEAM. The following are the fixtures of the South African team up to date : — May 22—Sheffield Park. v. Lord Sheffield’s Team May 25—Southampton, v. Hampshire May 28—Oxford, v. Oxford University May 31—Kennington Ova', v. Surrey June 4—Lord’d, v. M.C.C. & G. June 11—Leitester, v. Leicestershire June 18—Graveseud v. North Kent .tune 20—Taunton, v. Somersetshire June 21—Cardiff, v. Glamorganshire June 25—Bristol, v. Gloucester hire July 2—Brighton, v. Sussex July 5—Portsmouth, v. United Services July 9—Birmingham, v. Warwickshire July 12—Edinburgh, v. Gentlemen of Scotland July 19—Liverpool, v. Liverpool and District July 26—Derby, v. Derbyshire July 30—Dublin, v. Ireland Aug. 2—Belfast, v. North of Ireland Aug. 8—Leeds, v. Leeds and District Aug. 19—Scarborough, v. Scarborough and Dis­ trict REMINISCENCES OF CRICKET B y BICHAED DAFT. “ C o n c e r n in g S o m e O l d P l a y e r s a n d S o m e O l d S in g l e W ic k e t M a t c h e s . " Probably no two counties from the time cricket became the national game down to the present time have produced such a great number of fine players as Notts and Surrey. During the past forty years either one county or the other, and often both at the same time, have been able to furnish players for a representative eleven of England. During those forty years which county has had the honour of turn­ ing out the greater number of really first- class talent ? It is indeed hard to tay. Notts perhaps has been the richest in bowling. It wuuld be hard to point to any county and to find the equals collec­ tively of old Clarke, Bedgate, Grundy, J. C. Shaw, Alfred Shaw, Jackson, Fred Morley, and Attewell, to say nothing of many others who may perhaps be ranked but little below them. On the other hand the Southern County may perhaps claim to have produced the greatest number of first rate batsmen. The names of Caffyn, H. H. Stephenson, C. G. Lane, R. Hankey, F. P. Miller, Julius Csesar, Mortlock, Humphrey, and Jupp, W . W. Bead, and J. Shuter are enough to establish the reputation of half a dozen Counties. If these eleven batsmen could all be gathered together to-day, each at his best, it would be difficult indeed to find elevenothers to match them. I have been led to write this article by accidentally coming across a name now little- remembered in cricket circles. In running through an odd volume of that highly interesting and useful work, “ Cricket Scores and Bi graphies,” I turned to the name of Mr. Beginald Han­ key. This gentleman was at one time one of the most brilliant batsmen of his day— which was, I regret to say for cricket, comparatively a short one. Not many years before the death of my old friend, George Parr, I was talking with that veteran about the old Surrey heroes, and happened to mention the name of C. G. Lane as being one of the best bats I ever saw. George replied, “ Yes, he was a fine man, but not so good an all-round hitter as Mr. Hankey.” He further went on to declare that the innings he played for the Gentlemen against the Players in 1857, when he scored 70 against the Players at Lord’s, was about the best he ever saw in his iife Mr. Hankey was indeed built for a powerful an 1 vigorous hitter. He stood exactly 6ft. high and weighed 13st lOlbs. Like most big men, he was better as a driver and as a leg hitter than as a cutter. He knew where his strength lay, and he put it forth m that direction, and very wisely so. In the innings I have alluded to he knocked off in mccession Wisden, Willsher, Jackson, Caffyr, H. H. Stephenson, and George Parr’s lobs, the first five being the very best bowlers in England. Mr. Hankey was an excellent field and very fair bowler, and it is a pity his career in the cricket field was not of much longer duration than it was. I next |turn to another player’sname,better known