Cricket 1895

M a y 9, 1895. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 121 match. Two scores of 102 and 17 not out would of themselves have represented anything but a bad day’s work in the way of exercise. But when to these was added a bicycle ride of twelve miles each way it was altogether a pretty good start as a preparation for a heavy cricket season. M y good friend and trusty correspon­ dent, “ F. G.,” whose superscription is always welcome to Cricket readers, writes me thusly:— Xsaw repeated for the hundredth time the tl old Joe ’ that the Marquis of Queensberry —“ wicked old Q.” —won a large bet that he would send a letter fifty miles in an hour, and accomplished it by having a letter sewn up in a cricket ball, and that he hired twenty-four expert cricketers, who threw the ball from hand to hand over fifty miles within the time. The feat is quoted inNimrod’s book. It never could have been done, and I think I can prove it. Assuming that the theory is right that the quickest transit of a ball by throwing a long distance is accomplished by a low hand throw with a sixty-five yards pitch and a fifteen yards bound—a very little elevation is re­ quired in doing this—the twenty-four men, if they adopted this plan without a mistake, would have had to manipulate the ball 1,100 times, and would only have had three seconds and a fraction for each time of receiving and throwing the ball. There are 88,000 yards in fifty miles. Divide yards by 80, and you will see that the ball has to be passed 1,100 times. There are 3,600 seconds in an hour, which, divided by 1,100 times, leaves three seconds and a fraction for each throw. Can anyone suggest any quicker mode ? These stories are told until they are accepted as truth, just like the generally accepted theory that the mails travelled twelve miles an hour. In fact, ten miles an hour was very good travelling, eleven miles, which one or two coaches accomplished, was thought ex­ traordinary ; but nine mileswas more common, including stoppages. If the men had thrown forty yards and caught the ball, they would have had to pass the ball 2,200 times. I t has not been the habit of Harrovians to allow those who have deserved well of the School or added lustre to its name to pass unnoticed. Hence it is only in accordance with the general rule to find that the memory of the Earl of Bess­ borough’s active interest of a life time in Harrow, is to be perpetuated in a tangible shape. A meeting of Harrovians is to be held on May 23, at the Westminster Palace Hotel, under the Presidency of Dr. Wei13on, the headmaster of the School, to decide what form the memorial shall take. Even in cricket one would hardly ’expect to find Arthur Roberts anything but original. I might have said strik- ' n'jly original, for the quaintest of his latest conceits, which was in cricket, was of a striking character. But let the Sun man tell the story in his own w ay: The Prince of Wales company were playing a cricket match, in which the eminent co™e,dlan>Arthur Roberts, took part. When called upon to take part in defence he pro­ duced his own special bat, which proved to be just wide enough to cover the wickets, but was allowed to pass. A straight ball was sent, which Arthur blocked, and to the amazement of his partner proceeded to run, and continued to run until the fielders de­ clared “ lost ball,” when “ Gentleman Joe” produced the ball from a receptacle in his bat fitted with a trap-door. It is to be hoped for the sake of the game that this new departure will not find serious imitators. As a joke it may be magnificent. But it is not le cricket. T h e natural and universal regret felt by the members of the Surrey County C.C. at the continued ill health of Viscount Oxen- bridge, who carried out so conscientiously the responsible duties of the presidency for sixteen years, will be tempered to some extent by the choice of the successor. In Sir Richard Webster, as last Thursday’s meeting showed, the Club will lose an admirable chairman. But more than that it will have a President keenly and actively interested in the game. The matches Sir Richard has on his ground at Cranleigh are as pleasant functions as a cricketer could desire. A g e cannot wither sportsmen of the keener type. Only a week or so, GK F. Vernon was making a good fight for the Amateur Racquet Championship. And now he has begun the cricket season in a way which recals some of the best of his many excellent displays of free cricket in the past. Anyhow, his scores of 55 and 51 represented far and away the highest aggregate in the match between M.O.C. and Ground v. Leicestershire, finished at Lords on Tuesday. Not a bad per­ formance either for a cricketer who played his first match (for Rugby School) at Lords as long ago as 1873. Of a truth, Vernon semper viret. A n o t h e r good old gentle tapper opened the season successfully too on Saturday. I refer to Maurice Read, who carried his bat through the innings for Thames Ditton against the Malden Wan­ derers nt Thames Ditton. The innings would have been a poor one indeed with­ out his contribution, as he scored 62 out of a total of 80. It may be of interest, too, considering that Surrey begins its first-class matches to-day, to add that Henderson was also in evidence on Satur­ day for Beddington at Henley. Besides making 72 not out he took six wickets for 13 runs. J. I. S oott , brother of J. A. Scott, who batted with such success for the first Philadelphian team which visited Eng­ land, and himself a good cricketer, is in London for a short stay. His mission I may add is not unconnected with the------ But there—If speech is silver, silence is gold. And time will show------ . T h e majority of Mr. Stoddart’s team who reached Plymouth yesterday in the “ Ophir,” should by the time Cricket sees the light of print be safely landed in their respective homes. Of the Surrey trio who will all be in readiness for the first County Match of the season, Lockwood w.is tiie uuly one who put in au appearance at the Oval yesterday. Brockwell, who, by the way, has been contributing to this month’s Windsor Magazine as well as to the Review o f Reviews, was wisely having a day’s rest after the infinite variety, literary and cricket, of his work during the tour. Lockwood speaks very highly of A. E, Trott as an all-round cricketer, as well as of Clem. Hill, the young South Australian, as a coming batsman. T h o u g h the Essex and Warwickshire match ends in a draw, the very fine show of the Metropolitan county in its first innings of the season must tell very favourably on the prospects, financial and otherwise of the over the border team. And everyone will be glad to see them doing well, for they have long struggled against adversity, and it is a fitting award to the labours of the few gentlemen who have fought so hard to keep their county’s head above water, that the long score of 410 should give them so good a send off in the season of 1895. T h e hit for nine, all run out, by Higgins, one of the most promising Surrey Colts, is a record for the Oval, and indeed, for any first-class ground. I once saw a like hit for nine on Woolwich Common, and some thirty years ago a local professional at Devonport Park hit a ball to leg for sixteen. The story goes (somewhat apocryphal), that he was intoxicated at the time, and could only play when in that condition. The ball, like the Gadarean swine ran violently down a steep place, and by the time it again reached the wicket, old Farrant had staggered sixteen times from crease to crease. I t is like any sentimental simile you prefer, such as the scent of new mown hay in the fields of childhood, and hoc genus omne to know that C. T. Studd, the China missionary and erstwhile first- rate all-round cricketer, has again arrived in England. Just in time, too, to wit­ ness the remarkably good form which his brother, R.A., cadet of the family, has shown in the trial matches at Cambridge. The last-named has scored in three suc­ cessive innings, 19. 92, and 105, and should certainly be given further oppor­ tunity of getting his blue. It would only be the fitting thing that the last of the Studds should follow in the footsteps of his famous brothers in the cricket field. The following are the Principal Fixtures for May 9th to 15th. 9. Lord’s, M.C.C. and Ground v. Sussex. 9. Oval, Surrey v. Leicestershire. 13. Lord’s, M.C.C. and Ground v. Lancashire. 13. Oval, Surrey v. Essex. 13. Cambridge, The University v. Somerset. 13. Birmingham, Warwickshire v. Derbyshire. 13. Oxford, The Eleven v. Sixteen Freshmen. J. Lohmann and Higgins put on 172 for the first wicket of Surrey Colts v. Brockwell Park at the Oval on Monday. The Pall Mall Gazette of yesterday contains an article by George Giffen, under the title of “ England v. Australia in 1894-95.”