Cricket 1895

M a r c h 28, 1895. CRICKET A WEEKLY RECORD OF THli GAME. 39 wonderfully well. Like Brown, they scored three centuries apiece in first-class matches, Stoddart registering two. Brockwell has not shone with the bat, as was expected, but he certainly won the second test match with his bowling. Was it wise of him to burden himself with the cares of reporting and photo­ graphing? Cricket demands all one’s thought and energy. Briggs never did himself such bare justice abroad, but Peel was just the same useful coicketer he has proved himself to be every year of his career, always worth his place if we except those fatal ducks—four of them in succession—in the third and fourth representative matches; he set that little indiscretion right in the closing match. Lockwood one must write down a failure; his batting has been poor after the earlier matches, whilst his bowling figures are a curiosity. Was it the game leg ! or indigestion ! or what p . Sharpe lost his old knack in Australia. One devoutly hopes Surreywill find Lockwood as useful as ever. Richardson has done as well as any bowler, which is, perhaps, a very flattering compliment, seeing that no bowling analysis will come out under 20 runs a wicket. His chief successes were in the Brisbane matches, and in the last match against Australia. Then he was at his very best, and there is no better. He was a terror to Giffen this tour. By-the-bye, what a startling con­ trast between Giffen’s batting against Lord Sheffield’s team and against Stod- dart’s ! Then he scored 118 runs in eight innings, now 697 runs in 10 innings. He improves like good wine ; and although he looks old, judged by the colour of his hair, he is but 36 this week, quite young enough to be in command of the next hatch from Australia. Shall there be a public banquet in London to welcome our fellows home ? If you like, by all means. And a local testimonial for individual players ? Some­ body says that, as the entire expenses of the tour had been covered before the fourth test match was begun, the English professionals should receive a bonus from the Australian guarantors. How easy it is to be liberal with other folks’ money ? What if the visit had resulted in financial loss. Should our players then have stumped up some portion of the guarantee ! £300 is not a bad allowance I take it, with expenses all paid. Some of the men, to my certain knowledge, would not have earned as many shillings had they wintered at home. I hope when Australia sends another team over here, that their matches against England will be played out. They ought to be. Why not make a start m those matches on a Saturday? No day would draw such a crowd, and no match in England would ever require more than four days. Could we arrange five test matches ? If only three, a definite conclusion shall be arrived at. Many thanks to two correspondents who have informed me that G. Brann scored an innings of 120 for Sussex v. Somersetshire in 1893. As this is the ™ily correction, am I to conclude that the bounty Statistics are very nearly perfect. I hope so for the sake of all who may wish to use them for reference purpose. I fully agree with my critic in Barmouth that statistical tables are, as a rule, wholly unreliable. I always make my own. I must say my last word on the Amateur-Professional question next time, and to promise that I will never again refer to it. Here let me inform Mr. Lacy that I did refer to this matter in my somewhat uncomplimentary rejoinder in December last. His response in J anuary proves that my surmise was abundantly justified. I wish to acknowledge the courtesy of a Victorian enthusiast in forwarding me the Australasian. That capital critic, “ Felix,” is at his very best. I can only wish our English papers would report matches as brightly and graphically as he does. T. Horan’s pen certainly turns out the most readable description of cricket matches I have ever read. May I refer to a point which has already been noted in this Journal ? I should not have done so but for a very urgent request from Cape Town. “ Your decision in ‘Cricket Notches ’ will be anxiously lookei forward to.” It was the match when Davidson was bowling the last over. He sent down a no-ball when one run was wanted to win. Batsmen not hearing no­ ball called, started, and one of them was run out. The match was decided as drawn, but it was a win for the inside. The no-ball counts as soon as it was delivered. Consequently batsman could not lose his wicket, he could be run out after the requisite number of runs had been made to secure victory. The match is over the moment it is won. Another question he asks appears somewhat trivial. In a one day match, 5 runs were scored, then rain fell, match was postponed for a week. The opposing Captain gave his opponents option of either going on with the innings, or starting afresh. They chose the former. The latter side won on first innings ; consequently they won the match. Cricketers ought to be above trumpery quibbles. This was not a two- days’ match, but one-day. The losing side ought to wear sack-cloth for an indefinite period in trying to shuffle out of an honourable defeat. The deaths of Lord Bessborough and Rev. J. Pycroft takes from our midst two most distinguished and venerable figures, neither of them, perhaps, great cricketers, but both equally noteworthy—the former by his counsel on the field, the latter by his ready pen. I have had the pleasure of receiving letters from them at different times, and their removal comes as a per­ sonal loss. The last of the survivors in Mason’s well-known picture is now gone. It is interesting to note that they both played in the University Match of 1836, the third of the series, though this match marked a new start. In the same match there figured the present Bishop of Liver­ pool, C. G. Taylor (almost the most brilliant amateur that ever played for Sussex), and G. E. Yonge, the famous fast bowler, who in 1852 helped to get rid of George Parr’s All England Eleven for 12 runs, Yonge taking five wickets for three runs. Lord Bessborough’s devotion to his old school has passed into a proverb. “ And Ponsonby, a noble name that long will take its stand Among the patrons of the game throughout our native land.” Mr. Pycroft was the historian of the game. As early as 1835 he wrote “ Prin­ ciples of Scientific Batting,’’ which was received in these words: “ A book that contains as much on cricket as all that had ever been written, and more besides.” “ The Cricket Field” appeared in 1851, and has run through ten editions. In my judgement it is out-and-away the best book cricket has called forth. I thought so as a boy, and I think so now. “ Cricket Tutor,” 1862, is a little gem, but it is hard to meet with. ‘ ‘ Crieketana, ’ ’ 1865, and “ Oxford Memories,” 1886 (Vol. II. pp. 84-210) contain but little new matter. Our old friend probably wrote himself out; it’s a danger all cricket writers are exposed to. But I have to-day read again Mr. Pycroft’s description of a country cricket match in “ Elkerton Rectory,” between Queenly Park and the No-Buffoonery Eleven, and it is as de­ lightful as ever. He wrote many another book on subj ects remote from cricket, but like Lord Bessborough, cricket held chief place in his affections till the last. Both were splendid samples of the “ Fine Old English Gentlemen,” and their memories will not soon fade. CRICKET IN CEYLON. DIMBTJLA v. ROYAL WARWICKSHIRE REGIMENT. This match, played early in March, at Dimbula, was remarkable for an excellent performance by A. C. W. Clarke and A. O. Whiting, who put on 223 for the first wicket of Dimbula. Score:— D im bula C.C. A . C. W . Clarke, b Riches ................... I ll A.O. W hiting,b Poole 120 P. Gaisford, c Landon, b W illis ......................22 R. S. Templer,b Willis 3 W P. Halliley, c and b Callaghan ........... P. C. du 8. Leather, b W illis ................. E. R. E. Geddes, Callaghan, b Price. 58 19 J. D. Martyn, b Callaghan ..............25 I). H. Williams, b Callaghan.......... ... 10 F. C. Mackie, not out 13 A . J. Denison, b Callaghan ............ 5 Extras.......... ... 27 T otal............ 413 R. W . R. First Innings. Lce.-Corpl.Price,c Gaisford, b H a llile y ........................... Pte. Roberts, c Martyn, b Denison .......................... Drum-Major Riches, o Leather, b D enison.......... Mr. Loring, st Whiting, b Gaisford .......................... Mr. Young, b Denison Capt. Landon, b Halliley ... Col. Corse-Scott, b Halliley Pte. W illis, c Leather, b Denison ........................... Mr. Poole, b H alliley... ... Pte. Callaghan .................. Sergt. Kelly, not o u t ........... Extras........................... Total ...................219 Second Innings. 42 c Templer, b Gaisford ... 99 20 b Halliley ... 0 53 b Halliley ... 76 50 c Geddes, b Halli­ ley ........... 0 17 o Templer, b Geddes ... ••• 0 4 b Geddes ... 48 4 not out.......... 0 8 c L e a t h e r , b Denison ... 42 9 b Geddes ... 1 1 c Macky,b Geddes 5 3 o Gaisford, b Halliley ... 27 8 Extras... 19 .Total...........317