Cricket 1895

148 CRICKET: A WEEKLY BECORD OF THE GAME. M ay 23, 1895. repeat? With one fresh bowler of the old, familiar Notts stamp, the Lace County would be in the first three. One man lifted Surrey from the bottom to the top. I am very sorry to learn, indirectly from his brother, that Lohmann will not be in England until the end of July at the earliest; this means that we shall not have him in County cricket this year, I was devoutly thankful that he had not come back last week. M.C.C. have gone under to both Yorkshire and Lancashire, in the first instance by nine wickets, in the second by ten. Peel was as good as ever both with bat and ball—an innings of 47, and 6 wickets for 57 runs in the first hands. Moorhouse (71), and Hirst (56) did uncommonly well: whilst Brown and Milligan were going very strong when the end came. I was speaking to Sellers at Lord’s to-day ; he had run up from Keighley, and was watching the Derbyshire match ; we agreed that in all probability Hirst will train on as a batsman ; in that case he will lose his bowling. Just as Ulyett did ; when he was tried in 1873, it was as a change bowler only. His batting came later. And the reason is not far to seek up north. A man with any cricket in him naturally studies that branch of the game which will turn out most remunerative. Now, although batting has always been unduly extolled, yet the fact is incontestable that among the men who have to get a living out of cricket, bowling com­ mands a better price in the market. Hence they are all bowlers inmanufacturing districts. Mitchell (191) and F. S. Jackson’s (122) success at Cambridge last week, though not in the same match, will give great satisfaction in Yorkshire, where the bowling has generally been more conspicuous than batting. I don’t imagine for one moment that, should the season prove exceptionally favourable for batting, Yorkshire will do very much better in that department than usual. They will not beat Surrey in the race under those con­ ditions. But with a good average rainfall they are certain to prove dangerous rivals. Albert Ward, like Brown, was in at the death up at Lord’s ; andall of uswere delighted that A. N. Hornby looks as if he too might be re­ newing his youth, with 69 runs to his eredit for only once out. Wainwright had a rough time at Cambridge last week end, the Cantabs making merry at his expense, his three wickets costing 50 runs apiece; but then he never was a hard-wicket bowler. Mold took ten M.C.C. wickets. But on this 20th of May I saw Martin immortalize himself, and with balls that looked playable. Four wickets in four balls. Give it a line to itself. 1 saw Jesse Hide do the same trick a few seasons back—also at Lord’s. And Shacklock clean bowled four men of Somerset with successive balls at Trent Bridge some two years ago. As I had no note-book with me, it is impossible to say whether these names com­ plete the magic list. This last reference reminds one of the Westerner’s recent per­ formances ; to be knocked by both the Light Blues and their dear neighbours in the same week was a humiliation. And yet there was light in the darkness. Witness Sam Wood’s great effort—180; a pity somebody did not back him up in that innings ; it is a big drop to 35, Richardson’s quota. And the fast bowler scored 47 at Bristol, the elder Palairet being well to the front twice out of four times-—98 and 80. It’s a pity Fowler plays such in-and-out cricket, against Gloucester­ shire (116 and 33) he was at his very best; and then there is little cricket more attractive to spectators. But the spectacles have figured too often against his name, once in two con­ secutive matches. A victory for Gloucester­ shire by 9 wickets—and all owing to the old man—reminds us of the Western county in the seventies, although young Townsend (98) lent a hand, and Murch bagged a dozen wickets. At a glance one would say that Studd and the younger Druce are certain of their blues this season; and the old Carthusian, Smith, should attain similar honours at Oxford. At both universities there seems to be a plethora of batsmen, but a dearth of bowlers. The Stoddart banquet went off gaily enough, and one was glad to have the oppor­ tunity of assisting at this function, although Saturday evening feasting is scarcely to the taste ecclesiastical. I need not reproduce the menu. I have been to a good many public dinners in my time, and the arrangement of courses seems to me always to follow certain prescribed lines. And there are the same inevitable magnums and bottles—on a table right before me a whole army of them, which set ono a thinking. It was the company, the good fellowship, and the speeches one cared most for. Some of us wouldn’t cross the street for a banquet, but we would walk many amile to a gathering of cricketers. Somebody asked me who was there on Saturday. I said, “ I was; and W. G.” The dear innocent soul seemed perfectly satisfiedwith my modest answer, for he at once collapsed into silence. We had the usual loyal toasts and much singing one could have dispensed with, good though it was. But we had come to hear Stoddart and W. G. ; and we were getting impatient at the interval between their speeches, although a recitation entitled “ The Cricket Club of Red Nose Flat” brought down the house, and the editor of the Pall Mall, along with the Hon. Justice Stephen from Sydney, were well worth listening to. But Stoddart and W. G. bore off all the honours. It was more than generous for W. G. to hurry off frcm Bristol to do honour to a brother sportsman. What a receptionwe gave him as he rolled in a few minutes late, as fresh as a new pin, and as brown as a berry, although I would have preferred to see him in flannels rather than aswallow tail. Stoddart’s speech was modest, and very happy. I couldn’t help wondering how this singularly quiet mellifluous talker could be the mighty smiter we all know him to be. He assured us that two factors made his stay in Australia the happiest eight months in his life. The first was the loyalty of his team; the second, Australia’s boundless hospitality. He thanked his old club, the Hampstead, by whom the banquet was given, for the introduction it had given him to first-class cricket, and he perorated by a very appreciative note of thanksgiving to the enterprise of the Pall Mall and the services they rendered to his team and the cricket-loving public at home. W. G.’s speech waslike his cricket, entirely devoid of all meritorious ornamentation. It was the man, and was effective j ust because it was guilelessly natural. He did not orate, he simply talked; he had us at once by leading off with a reference to an old lady, a fellow-passenger, whose health he jeopardized by converting the railway compartment into a dressing room. And then he spoke of the guest, and their past relations in England and Australia, and then he referred to the test matches and the varying sensation they pro­ duced here. After which, he glided by a side line into some story or other, the point of which required a very powerful glass to see. And then, all of a sudden, he sat down, not having said one word about himself or his recent innings. W. G. has advanced leagues on his oratorical scores in the States in Fitz­ gerald’s tour. But I could not help saying to myself, whilst he was on his legs : “ That dear old face and form of his are the most eloquent speech hewill ever deliver.’ ’ We were glad to see him, the man is better than his talk. Which is more than can be said of most folk. “ Who else was present?” Well, I forget; or rather I saw only two persons out of the company of nearly 300, and their names were A. E. S toddart and W. G . G r ac e . Other names I heard mentioned, or read them in the paper on Monday. HAMPSTEAD v.SOUTH HAMPSTEAD.— Played at Hampstead on May 18. H ampstead . E. Field, b Couchman 51 C. Gray, run out ..4 W . W . A . Deane, b - - - Adam ................... 6 A. L. Gray, c Thomas, b Adam .................. 2 W . R.Moon,stThomas, b Adam ................. 47 T. W . Andrew, c Total Thomas, b Adam ... 20 A. B. Osmond and W . Mackintosh, did not bat. u h*aat * Innings declared closed. S outh H ampstead . J. C. Toller, c Adam, b Couchman .......... 4 A. C. Mutter, not out 12 E. L. Marsden, not out 6 B 2 .1-b 6 ........... f 8 •160 J. Couchman, not out W . Orgias, c Moon, b M arsden.................. 0 W . Hill, c Marsden, b Osborn ........... ... 8 C. Lambert, lbw, b Osborn .................. 2 B. Gilliard, b Field ... 3 J. Adam, c Marsden, b Field ................... 4 W . Houghton, did not bat. W . Tew, b Marsden 4 A . Barrett, b Osmond1' 0 W .Brooman,bOsmond. O B. Thomas, not out ...‘f 9 B 6, 1-b 1 V Total : 73 HAMPSTEAD v. CHELMSFORD.—Played at Chelmsford ou May 18. H ampstead . E. W . Bishop, c Lucas, b Newton......................19 W . S. Hale, c Hilliard, b Ballard......................21 Dr. G. Thornton, c Bury, b Newton ... 6 H. B. Hayman, c Cobb, b Kingham ...........52 T. M. Farmiloe, b Newton .................... 0 C. Newson, c Cobb, b Ballard .................... 6 C helmsford Dr. W . H. Kelson, b Newton ................... 0 Mumer, st Lucas, b Ballard ................... 4 R. Leigh-Ibbs,b King­ ham ...........................10 F. V. Selfe, not out ... 15 J . Hunt, b Kingham... 0 L-b 5, n-b 1 ........... 6 Total ...139 M. P. ’Peterkim, not out ...........................75 W . Hilliard, b Mumer 16 H. W . Newton, c and b Selfe ................ 9 B 11, w 2 .......... 13 Total 217 R. S. Whittaker, lbw, b Thornton ...........45 W . J. Gray, retired hurt ........................... 4 A . P. Lucas, c Bishop, b Thornton ...........47 S. J. Ballard, c Leigh- Ibbs, b Newson ... 8 H. H. Cobb, b Thorn­ ton ........................... 0 ®e' \ y - Burr>J. Kingham, and S. W . Smethurst did not bat. HAMPSTEAD v. WILLESDEN.—Played at Willesden, May 16. J H ampstead . H. B. Hayman, c Short, b Breeds 1 P. F. Wilson, b Breeds ^ E. H. Williams, b Breeds ... ........... i W . Danby, c D om - ton, b Brydone ...4 8 Dr. G. Thornton, c Reed, b Brydone ... 11 W . S. Hale, b Brydone 2 J. G. L. Besch, b Breeds ...................52 W illesden , First Innings. G. L. Short, not out ...........13 A . O. Breeds, b Thornton... 2 H . N. Reed, b Thornton ... 0 H . Chapman, b Thornton... 0 J. Brydone, b Hale ............ 9 H. Smail, b Thornton ... 0 E. W . Bishop, b Bry­ done .......................... 0 Dr. W . H. Kelson, b Breeds .................... 7 W . Burchett, b Breeds 10 H. Price-Williams,not out ................... 3 B 5 ,1-b 2 ........... 7 Total ...150 W . C. Miller, b Thornton ... 0 H. Mclver, b Thornton ... 0 A . S. Dornton, c Hale, b Thornton ........................... 6 H. W . Carson, b Thornton 4 H. A . Carson, run out 5 B8 ......................... 8 Total................. 47 Second Innings. b W ilson ......... 0 b W ilson ........... 3 b W ilson ...........25 run out ........... 5 c Danby, b Price- Williams ... 0 c Kelson, b W il­ son ................... 9 b W ilson ........... 5 c Thornton, b H aym an.......... 0 not out........... c Thornton, W ilson ... not out... . B 6, lb 2 Total...