Cricket 1895

86 CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. A p u il 25, 1895. AN AUSTRALIAN ELEVEN FOR ENGLAND. In view of the positive rumours that have appeared lately in English papers on the subject of an early visit from another Australian team, the following article by “ Point,” the cricket critic of the Adelaide Observer , will be of interest. Before I left Melbourne on Thursday I heard more or less vague talk about another Australian Eleven being banded together to invade the shores of England, but since then more definite advices have reached me from the other side, and it may now be stated that the Melbourne Cricket Club and the Trustees of the Sydney Cricket Ground are contem­ plating getting together an eleven to visit England in 1896. From 1878 to 1890 a team went to the old country every second year, but three years elapsed before the eighth team left these colonies. No soonerwere they home again than there was talk of another team. Mr. John Portus, the popular Secretary" of the Sydney Cricketing Association, was anxious to manage an eleven, and Mr. Creswell, our own Secretary, was not unwilling to undertake the onerous duties of Manager. Since then, however, it is understood that both gentlemen have abandoned the idea of pioneering an Australian Eleven through England. Now, however, the two bodies mentioned above are said to be willing to take control of the team. The success financially which has attended the tour of the English Eleven through Australia has, doubtless, inspired them with the idea; and the Englishmen themselves, who under their auspices have had a most enjoyable trip, have encouraged the idea, Captain Stoddart especially having assured Major Wardill and Mr. Phil Sheridan that an Eleven touring England under the joint banners of the Melbourne Club and the Sydney trustees would have a warm welcome. Before, how­ ever, anything definite can be done proposals will have to be submitted to the committee of the M.C.C. This will not be the first time that the M.C.C. has been interested in a similiar venture. The 1886 team went to England under its auspices, the arrangement being that the receipts were “ pooled” and divided into sixteen parts, thirteen of these being divided amongst the thirteen players, while the club, in return for financial risk it ran, received the other three parts. No doubt some similiar arrangement will be made in 1896. The queston of Managership of the 1896 Eleven has not yet been definitely considered, but several leading players have been con­ sulted as to their willingness to join the venture, and assurances of support have been given by several of them. It may be urged that, having lost the rubber in the recent series of test matches on their own grounds, Australians cannot throw down the gauntlet in England with any great degree of con­ fidence. Stoddart and his comrades have, however, such high opinions of the strength of Australian cricket at the present time that they do not hesitate to predict success if a team as strong as those which played in the test matches can be landed in England. There is no reason why this consummation cannot be obtained. In the first place I believe that George Giffen, the admitted champion cricketer living, is willing to go to England once more. If he does it will doubtless be as captain. George may not possess all the qualities which com­ bined make the ideal skipper, but he is always a trier, and a team of true hearted Australians, stimulated by his example and skill, whether at the wickets or in the field, should have a successful tour; and I believe that a team composed mostly of the men who played at Melbourne, with a couple of fast bowlers thrown in, will do credit to Australia. In the light of Richardson’s fine bowling in the test matches, and Jones’s excellent performances against Victoria and New South Wales, it can hardly be argued, as Blackham did early in the season, that a lightning bowler is harmless on fast wickets, and therefore a useless member of a teamplay­ ing in Australia ; but even if he were there is no doubt of the value of such a trundler as Richardson or Jones on English pitches, many of which are fiery, and the best of which, with two or three notable exceptions, are rough, as compared with the wickets provided on the Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide grounds. Blackham’s own words to me a month ago were, ‘ ‘ Jones should be one of the first men chosen to go to England with an Australian Eleven.” Then of course there is Turner, who, whatever his value on an Aus­ tralian batsman’s wicket, would still probably head the bowling averages of an Australian Eleven in England. Turner’s first impulse when he was left out of the last test match was to say, “ I’ll never play cricket again,” but Jack Lyons promptly said, “ It’s no usetalking like that, Charlie ; you will have to go to England if we go next year.” The claims of his profession may prevent Bruce accompanying another Eleven, but all the other most prominent players of the day are anxious to go if they showed Australian Eleven form next season, and by “ all the most prominent players” I mean Iredale, Gregory, McKibbin, the Trotts, Graham, C. McLeod, Lyons, Jarvis, Darling, and Jones. There will be no doubt about the strength of the batting, but the bowling will be the trouble. The 1893 Eleven suffered because it did not contain a fast bowler, and I should not be at all surprised to see Eady, the strapping young Tasmanian, included as well as Jones. Bowling very fast and bumping the ball down from his great height, he would be an awkward customer to meet on “ queer ” English wickets. Besides, Victorian judges fancy that he would come on very fast as a batsman if once he got into good company, while he is a brilliant fields­ man. After eight trips JohnMcCarthy Black­ ham admitted the other day :—“ I suppose I ’ll never go to England again.” He has been Prince of Stumpers, but his day as a wicket-keeper is done, and if he maintains his present form (there is no reason why he should not) Affie Jarvis will probably be taken as first wicket-keeper. In that capacity he will have his first opportunity to show his real powers, because in previous tours having to play second fiddle has not improved his form. He wants to be kept up to the collar all the time. The choice of second wicket-keeper will no doubt be between Kelly, of New South Wales, and Clem Hill. 'Ihe latter by his fine batting at Melbourne and Sydney, and his smart wicket- keeping at the latter place, pleased every one, and Sid Gregory’s first comment upon his play was—“ Take it from me ; he has a great chance of being second wicket-keeper of the next Australian Eleven.” Twelve months have, however, to elapse before a team would need to leave Adelaide. A hundred-and-one preliminary arrangements have yet to be made before the time comes for selecting the team, and the players have another season to go through before the thirteen are chosen. Meantime some of this season’s “ stars ” may lose their lustre, and others may come to the front. In any case care will have to be taken that an Eleven does not leave Australia nless it is thoroughly representative. TAUNTON MOONLIGHTERS v. NORTON FITZWARREN. Played at Norton on Saturday, April 20th. It was chiefly remarkable on account of a rare bowling feat by Nichols, who initiated his season by clean bowling the whole of the Norton men, including H. T. Hewett, H. T. Stanley, and F. Martin (Kent). He accom­ plished the hat trick, and his ten wickets cost only six runs. Score :— M o on ligh ters . First Innings. Second Innings. E. J. Lock, b M artin.......... O b Martin ........... 9 E. W . Bartlett, b Martin .. 13 c and b Pellett... 11 D. Jackson, b M artin..........14 b Martin .........12 G. B. Nichols, b Martin ... 2 b Martin .........55 M. Sturt, c Stanley, b Mar­ tin .......................................... 3 b Martin ............17 W . H. Crawford, b Mont­ gomery.................................. 4 c Hewett, b Mar­ tin ................... 1 Rev. H. A . Bowden, b Mont­ gomery.................................. 3 b Pellett .......... 0 F. C. Goodman, b Martin... 0 b Martin ......... 0 W . Sturt, not out ........... 0 b Pellett .......... 0 F. Pope, st Drayson, b Mar­ tin .......................................... 0 not out................... 10 D. Brown, b Mongomery ... 0 b Pellett ........... 0 Extras ........... 3 Extras ... 3 Total ... 42 N o rton . Total ...118 H.T.Hewett, b Nichols 18 H.T. Stanley, b Nichols 1 T. Pellett, not out ... 13 H. Montgomery, jun., b N ich ols................... 0 C.D.Drayson, bNichols 0 F. Martin, b Nichols... 4 R.G.Manley, b Nichols 0 G. W . Hensman, b Nichols ................... 0 M. Manley, b Nichols 0 W . H. Maclean, b Nichols ................... 0 H. Montgomery, b Nichols .................. 0 Extras ... 6 Total GRANVILLE (LEE) CRICKET CLUB.— Opening Match. Capt.’s XI v. Capt. “ A” Teams XVIII, played at Lee on Saturday, April 20. C a p t . “ A ” T eam s X V III. H. F. Kirkpatrick, c Lincoln, b Havers... 10 J. A . Johnston, b Havers ...................11 C. E. G. Lee, b B u ll... A . Hersee, c Ellis, b Bull .......................... 0 H. W . Edwards, b Bull .......................... 6 A. L. Ryder, b B u ll... 2 P. Pate, b Bull ........... 2 E. Furze, c Havers, b Glover ................... 3 A . Davis, b Pull ... 11 E. R. Jones, st Lay­ man, b Bull ........... 2 A . O. Pettman, b Bull 0 T. S. Passmore, b Glover ...................26 C a p t . s X I. P. P. Lincoln, b A. Davis.......................... 0 J.Wilson,Jr, c Helder, b Passmore ........... 5 W . Morris, b A. Davis 0 F. G. Bull, b Passmore 0 Total F. E. Lander, c John­ ston, b Passmore ... 20 C. G. Hill, G. Hutchinson, S. Ellis, L . R. Glover,. and A. K. Layman, did not bat. L. Duttson, b Bull H. G. Davis, b Havers N. Leslie, b Bull ... H. W . Gill, not o u t... G. Helder, b Havers G. S. Scott, b Havers Extras ........... Total ... L. R. Havers, not out 37 E. F. Debenham, not out ........................... 1 Extras ........... 9< 72 NOTTS CASTLE v. Mr. J. A. DIXON’S- TEAM—Played at Nottingham on April 20th. Several county players it will b& seen assisted the Castle club. Score :— M r . D ixo n ’ s T eam . P. Bagguley, b Hand- ford ........................... 5- W . Hogg, jun., b W il­ kinson ................... O' P. Mason, not out ... 15- W . Humphreys, b Handford ........... 0- J. A. Dixon, b Hand- A . E. Scott, b Flowers 0 J. Carter, b Wilkinson 26 H. Foljambe, c Maude, b Wilkinson ........15 M. Chambers, b W il­ kinson ................. 0 J. E. Brookes, b W il­ kinson ................. 0 P. W . Cadman, b W il­ kinson ................. 0 J. Hassall, c W ilkin­ son, b Bennett ... 10 H. Twells, c W ilkin­ son, b Bennett ... 0 C astle C lu b . F. W . Maude, c Cad­ man, b Scott ........32 W . James, b Chambers 0 G. H . Howitt, c Cham­ bers, b Twells .. .. 25 P. W . Oscroft, c Bag­ guley, b Chambers... 38 Total(7w kts) 170 Flowers, b Mason ... 32 J. S. Robinson and A. R. Bennett did not bat. ford Extras Gunn, b Scott ... . Lowe, b Brookes Wilkinson, not out . Handford, not out . Extras ................ 13 0 23 4 3