Cricket 1895

98 CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. M ay 2, 1895. THE TWELFTH ENGLISH TEAM IN AUSTRALIA . Continued from. Cricket , April 25th. THE TWENTY-SECOND MATCH v. VICTORIA. F ir s t D a y .— T h u r s d a y , M a r c h 21. There is a good deal to be said in extenua­ tion of the fourth defeat of the team, which was administered by Victoria, the colony which holds the Sheffield Shield. The fact alone that Victoria had gained this trophy demonstrated the strength of her cricketers, and there were not a few good judges who thought, despite the magnificent victory of Stoddart’s team in the last test match, that Victoria, single handed, would shake up their distinguished opponents. The match was entirely an extra one, and took the place of one arranged against the Melbourne Club, the change being made to help the Victorian Cricketing Association, whose funds had got into rather low water, owing to the com­ parative lack of interest shown in Inter­ colonial matches this season. The occasion was seized by the VictorianAssociation to try no less than three colts, viz., PerymanJ and Wame, both promising young batsmen, and Johns, a clever wicket-keeper, for whom those who knew him had predicted great things. The first misfortune which befell the English­ men, and its effect cannot be over-estimated, was the captain’s inability to play, owing to illness. The genial skipper had not stood out of a single engagement, and it was hard lines for him when it seemed certain that he would be able to say he had played through every match to be knocked out of one through illness. In his absence Philipson captained the side, and lost the toss to Harry Trott, who was chosen to lead the Victorians. Trott was uncertain what to do, as the wicket was soft, in consequence of rain on the previous day, and one or two of the side were strongly in favour of going to bat. The general opinion was that, though they might not get England out on the wicket for a small score, Richard­ son might prove very awkward, so it was decided to send the Englishmen in. This course proved to be the proper one. Ward and Brockwell began thebatting, andwhennomore than 4 runs had been scored the former was taken at slip off a nasty bumpy ball. Brown now went in, and Brockwell welcomed himby driving Trumble for 4 and cutting the same bowler to the boundary. All the runs were coming fromTrumble, whilejTrott, who bowled a splendid length, sent down four successive maidens, an unusual feat for him. Slowly the score rose to 24, and then Brown was smartly taken at the wickets, Trott’s two wickets having cost no more than 5 runs. Brockwell then hit him to square-leg for 4, but was directly afterwards taken at extra mid-off very low down, just when he was well set and was going strong, having made 25 runs out of 36. Peel was taken at mid-off with the score at 43, and with one run added Fordwas run out through starting for a second run when the fieldsmen had hesitated who should chase a hit. This was a disappoint­ ing record, and, slow though the wicket was, scarcely a creditable one, because the pitch did not play so very badly. M‘Laren, who by jumping out and smothering Trott’s slows, made some nice strokes, was joined by Lock­ wood. A hot return by the amateur was too warm for Trumble to hold, Lockwood played keep, while M‘Laren got two 4’s off Trott. At 59Albert Trott bowled vice Trumble, but at lunch time the same batsmen were at the wickets with the total at 68, of which M‘Laren’ s share was 22. When play was resumed M‘Laren added 4 off Albert Trott, and a minute later lost his partner, who was i neatly stumped. Briggs pottered about, while McLaren continued to force the going at the expense chiefly of Albert Trott, the elder brother’s bowling still being of too ex­ cellent a length to be trifled with. At 92 C. M‘Leod bowled instead of Albert Trott, but at 93 a change of another sort was brought about, M‘Laren being spendidly caught and bowled by Harry Trott. The Lancastrian played very pretty cricket, and showed once more that the tour, if it has done nothing else for England, has developed bis batting to a re­ markable degree. Briggs was taken at slip with the total unaltered. It then seemedto be a question whether the century would be reached, but Philipson, pulling the slows round, soon hoisted the three figures, and at 106 brought about his own doom by lifting one to leg-on. M‘Leod should have had the last wicket, as in one over Gay was let off by R. M‘Leod, and Richardson by Bruce. The latter batsman, hitting with all his might and main, soon ran up 20 before he was caught in the long field. The innings closed for 131, largely owing to the fine bowling of Trott, who, bowling a little faster than usual, kept a perfect length, and got eight wickets for 63 runs. Johns’ clever wicket-keeping was very warmly praised. The wicket had improved considerably when the Victorians went in, although it was still on the slow side. Bruce and H. Trott opened the batting, to the bowling of the usual pair, Richardson and Peel. Trott reached double figures quickly, then hit one of Peel’s very high to the on. Brockwell had a long way to run, but there was lots of time, and he judged an awkward catch admirably, and held it. (One for 13.) Laver joined Bruce, who ran out to hit Peel, but sent it straight up between the wickets, and both Richardson and Peel went for the catch. At the last moment Richardson left it to the bowler, who half held, and then dropped it. This proved expensive, Bruce having then scored only a single. Bruce proceeded to bat in his best style, glancing Richardson, cutting Peel, and making Laver do some sprinting between the wickets. The 50 went up at the end of thirty-eight minutes’ play, and, thinking it time for a change, Philipson put on Briggs instead of Richardson ; but the change suited Bruce, who relished the slows, which he lay back and hit to square leg, sending two to the fence. When Laver was 11, Lockwood should have held him at mid-off. Bruce was first to go, for when he had got 42 he tried to hit Peel to the on, but put the ball on to the opposite side of the wicket, giving Brown, who ran from point to mid-off, an easy catch. Bruce’s was a dashing hour’s display. (Two for 71.) Albert Trott joined Laver, and proceeded without delay to deal out severe treatment to the bowling. Richardson and Lockwood went on, but Trott, hitting cleanly, scored 4’s off both by fine drives. At 112 Laver was prettily caught low down at extra slip, and at 13#, Trott, who had hit without a flaw or a mis-stroke, was bowled by Richardson. His was the most brilliant innings of the day. Stuckey could not master the bowling a little bit, andwas at last caught at the wickets, but M‘Leod, who batted nicely for 19, and Peryman, who scored 5, played out “ Time,” leaving the total at 160 for five wickets. S e c o n d D a y .— F r id a y , M a r c h 22. As on the first day the attendance was small, under 3,000 spectators being on the ground. Peel and Lockwood had charge of the bowling, and whenM‘Leod had only added 1, Brown at point missed a sharp chance from Peel’s bowling. The colt, Peryman, played aggressively from the first, hitting Lockwood to leg for 4, and to the on for 4 more, and then driving Peel to the boundary. Continu­ ing to bat with the utmost confidence he scored 26 while M‘Leod was making half a dozen. At 193 Richardson deposed Lockwood, anda fourer to Peryman off him brought 200 insight. At 217 Briggs relieved Peel, and Peryman, skying him to mid-off, was missed by Lockwood, who apparently lost sight of the ball in the glare of the sun. Peryman had made 38, and the 2 runs he secured by his escape were all that he added, being caught in the same over by Brockwell at long-off, 6—40 —219. The colt batted exceedingly well, and his future should be worth watching. Wame went to the help of M‘Leod, whose play now brightened up, a fine on-drive for 4 off Briggs being numbered amongst other hits. When he was 52 he was hit on the knee by Richard­ son, whose next ball bowled him. M‘Leod played a very good innings, and it would seem that the selectors made a mistake in leaving him out of all the test matches after the first. The end was now not far off, although the last three men took the score from 239 to 269, Wame shaping fairly well. Blunders in the fieldwerelargelyresponsiblefor thefactthat the Englishmen hadto face adebit balance of 138. Brockwell and Ward again started batting to the bowling of C. M‘Leod and H. Trott, at least Brockwell gave them both a taste of his quality. Ward did not, as he was bowled in the very first over after Brockwell had made a single. Brown went in and some very brilliant cricket was exhibited. Brockwell drove Trott for 4, and the same bowler’s next over was expensive, Brockwell cutting him for 3 and Brown scoring 2 and 4 for good consecutive drives. When Brown was 17 he was badly missed at slip by Trumble off Trott. Brown punished both bowlers, hitting M’Leod for four and three, and then twice in one o\er driving Trott finely to the rails. Trott, however, had his revenge, as Brown was stumped when he had made 37 out of 52. He looked like repeating his test match feat, and the Vic­ torians were glad to see the back of him. He scored exactly at the rate of a run a minute. M’Laren went in, and each batsman got a fourer off M’Leod. At 59 R. M’Leod relieved Trott, and the next five overs only produced a single to each batsman. The elder M’Leod in his fifth over clean bowled Brockwell, who had played as stylishly as at any time during the tour. (3—36—78.) Peel’s first single was his last, Johns stumping him splendidly off the first ball of C. M'Leod’s next over, a clever bit of wicket keeping, Peel only having his foot momentarily off the ground. (4—1—79.) Ford joined M’Laren, whose last effort was to make 7 in three hits off Mr. M’Leod, for in the very same over he was taken at slip. (5—16—92.) Lockwood was the next man, and a good stand was made. At 103 H. Trott relieved R. M’Leod, and Lockwood hit the new bowler for 4. A fourer was hit by each batsmen off M’Leod. As Harry Trott had not got a wicket, he handed the ball to his brother with the score at 126, and Trumble relieved M’Leod. Ford back-cut the latter for 2, and then made one of the finest hits of the season off him for 5, the ball soaring away clean over the rails, and dropping amongst a small knot of spectators, one of whom caught it. The deficit was wiped off, but at 148 Lockwood was caught at mid-on. The sixth wicket added 56 runs to the total. Briggs and Ford played] out time. Ford laid on the wood in great style, and played by far the best all­ round cricket that he has shown during the tour, and earned his 60, not out, by splendid driving and cutting at a stage of the game when runs were badly wanted. When stumps were drawn Briggs had made 22, and the total was 183.