Cricket 1895

M ay 2, 18P5. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME, 105 V ie w ok P a v il io n o f Q u e e n ' s C r ic k e t C l u b , S a v a n n a h , T r in id a d . for Sussex during the summer. The report is authoritatively confirmed and by the cricketer in question himself. Though I knew at the time, I hardly felt justified then in disclosing his identity. The secret is now out, as Ranjitsinjhi of the Cambridge University Eleven is down to represent Sussex against M.C.C. and Ground at Lords, on Monday next. I n a letter from New Zealand under date of 20th March, the Hon. J. S. Udal, who was staying on in that Colony for a short time, gives some interesting par­ ticulars of the visit of the Fijian cricket team under his captaincy to New Zealand. I think you will agree with me (he writes) that the result of 4 wins, 20 draws and 2 losses, when you consider from what modest resources we "draw our cricket in Fiji as little short of wonderful. It only shows what a Arm hold the good old game has obtained in our little Colony, and I think we may now fairly claim F iji as heing the stronghold of cricket in the Western Pacific. The idea of a moderate team of amateurs coming down from New Zealand to play the •South Sea Islanders such as Tonga, Samoa, and Fiji has been favourably received, and I hope will be brought off before long, though I am afraid that the suggestion recently made in a London paper that a Fijian team of native cricketers might be expected to visit England is hardly likely to be realized in my time at least! The tour has certainly done our cricket a lot of good, and possibly given a fillip to the game in New Zealand, for everywhere we were most cordially welcomed, and I need hardly say we all most thoroughly enjoyed °ur visit. T h e appointment of Mr. John Francis Fortescue Horner to the office of Com­ missioner of Woods and Forests, in suc­ cession to Sir Nigel Kingscote, may not recall any suggestion of|cricket to the bulk of cricket readers. None the less the new Commissioner, unless I am mistaken, is identical with the J. F. F. Homer, who used to play, and with some success, for I. Zingari some twenty years ago. In this case Sir Nigel will have the satis­ faction of knowing that his mantle has fallen on a sportsman hardly less keen than himself. C o lo n e l K e l l y , whose brilliant dash proved such an important factor in the timely relief of Dr. Robertson and the Chitral Garrison, it will gratify Cricket readers to know, was a keen and active cricketer. A correspondent of the Pall Mall Gazette is my authority for this assertion. The Colonel’s splendid display of British pluck, as well as readiness of resource, has so stirred the hearts of Englishmen that anything which serves to show his personal character will be particularly interesting. In any case it will be satisfactory to cricketers to know that the Colonel, as well as his brother, not only followed the game keenly, but played it as heartily. T h e latest victory of England over Australia in the cricket-field seems, strangely enough, to have been ignored by the English press. I hope it has not been a systematic boycott, and expect to be reassured on the point. Still, the fact remains that England beat Australia, and very decisively, on the ground of the East Melbourne Club during the latter part of March. I t was a ladies’ match, it is true, and the reporter of the newspaper from which I quote was ungallant enough to say that “ as a display of cricket the game was disappointing.” England won by 103 to 41, a success due mainly to the batting of the captain, Miss May McDonnell, who went in second wicket down, and carried out her bat for 62. The adjective would in any case be applicable to a lady cricketer, but she seems to be something of a gentle tapper, for her score, according to the papers, included several clean hard drives for 4. After all there may be something in a name. Any­ how, McDonnell suggests many pleasant recollections of cricket, and bright cricket too. M r. J. P o r t u s ’ name will be familiar to a number of Cricket readers in the Old Country, if only by reason of the leading part he took in the formation of the Aus­ tralasian Cricket Council. He also occupied the important position of hon. sec. of the New South Wales Cricket Association for six years. On retiring at the the monthly meeting in the middle of March, the following resolution was unanimously agreed to :— That the association desires to place on record its appreciation of the extremely valuable services rendered to the association and to cricket in general by the retiring hon. secretary, Mr. John Portus, and at the same