Cricket 1896

M a y 21, 1896. CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 157 AN A PPR EC IA T IO N OF TH E AU STRA L IAN S . Although, the Australians have only at present played three matches, and those all on the same kind of imperfect wicket, it is possible to form some sort of estimateas to their strong and weak points. That on hard wickets at any rate they are a powerful batting team, is unquestionable, as unquestionable as that their bowlers know how to make use of fiery ones. The reproach which used to be urged against the early Australian teams that the batsmen were nearly all clumsy and ungrace­ ful, and that it was enough to make an ad­ mirer of style weep to see them make runs, has practically died out, and there are in the present team men who are as pleasing to watch as some of the masters of style in Eng­ land. There is, perhaps, too great a mono­ tony in the batting of the team to be alto­ gether attractive, and there is no one whose appearance sends a thrill of delighted expec­ tation through a crowd as did Lyons or Bonnor. But a team which includes Gregory, Iredale, Donnan, Darling, George Giffen and Trott, must nearly always provide batting which will satisfy the severest critic. It is when they have to play on dead wickets that the Australians are likely to feel the want of men, who by bold and lucky play can turn the fortunes of a game, but even then it seems likely that nearly every man will add a few runs to the total, for they are all matter of fact bats, even if they are not all brilliant, and there is not a weakling among them. Altogether it may be taken nearly as a certainty that in batting the team will hardly ever be found wanting. With regard to the bowling there is much more doubt. Up to the present time Jones, Giffen, and Trumble have done great things— greater things than any bowler who has been opposed to them. But there is a danger that this great success may not last. .Tones is certainly fast, but (at present) he relies mainly on one ball—the very fast and very short pitched ball, which is apt to frighten a batsman out of his wits. It is a distinctly dangerous ball—dangerous because the bats man may not be able to get his bat out of the way of it and so may give a catch, and because he may be severely hurt. On a really good wicket, to a really good man, this ball would be a four, unless Jones possesses some extraordinary power over the ball which is unknown to any other bowler. On a dead wicket too, it would be ineffective. For all that, he will, at times be a very difficult bowler to play, Giffen has lost none of his marvellous command over the ball; in fact, he seems to have greater accuracy and variation of pace than ever. He seems, also, almost as untiring as ever, and it will be a bad day for the Australians if he ever has to test his powers of endurance. Except in the Sheffield Park match, he has, as a rule, been played in a hesitating manner, and there is no bowler living who knows better than Giffen how to take advantage of this. There remain Trumble, McKibbin, Trott, and Donnan, and possibly another dark horse. Of these, Trumble will most likely be found as good as he was in 1893, and Trott will be as difficult as ever when he gets his pitch—if he could get it in every match there would probably be some surprising results. McKibbin is as yet an unknown quantity, but it is reason able to suppose that he will shew himself in his true form soon. Taking all things into consideration, it seems likely that if the Australians are often to be beaten, it will be because there is not enough variety in their bowling. It is, however, quite obvious that whenever opposing teams, as a rule, play against the reputations of the Australian bowlers, instead of taking the bowling on its merits, as it comes, the glory of our visitors will be enhanced. W . A. B. PALLINGSW ICK v. GODDINGTON.-Played at Goddington on May 13. P allin g sw ick . THE SCHOOLS. M a l v e r n . —On Thursday last we played the Seniors’ match, which proved to be of considerable interest, although the game was one-sided. Some promising batting was shown by Apthorp, Wyatt, and several others. On Saturday we played our first match against Wadham College, who were not very strongly represented. The feature of the game was the bowling of Wright, who secured all ten wickets for 45 runs, and bowled extremely well. The batting on our side was not particularly good ; it will pro­ bably improve. The fielding was very fair. Gibbons seems likely to prove a useful bowler. E ton .—This year we have a longer list of matches than we usually have, our card em­ bracing a match against Haverford College, played after Lord’s. We have only two of last year’s X I. left—C. T. Allen, captain, a very good bat, useful bowler, and good field ; and A. 0. Legard, who played against Harrow last year, a good bat and field, and a change bowler of some merit. Our great want is a really good bowler, and we badly miss C. C. Pilkington and Mitchell. Our two most promising bowlers are Tryon and Frederick, who is only fifteen years old, both left-handed medium. Of the other most likely players, the best are H. C. Pilkington a younger brother of C. C.—our captain last year,—who will probably prove the most reliable bat in the team; C. K. Hutchison, a good bat; and Bosanquet, a safe but ugly bat, and dangerous fast bowler. For the other places in the X I. we have Penn, promising bat; Hollins, a very good field and useful bat; Mitchell, the third son of R. A. H. Mitchell, a skilful lob bowler but poor bat; C. Cavendish, who played two good innings of 26 and 34 for X X II. against X I .; and Bircham, a fair bat. Our wicket-keeper is Tabor, who is good in that position, and also a useful bat. Our first match is against the Household Brigade, on Saturday, May 93rd, who have been well beaten by Harrow already. Our X I. will not quite be up to the standard of the last three years, but we have great hopes of a successful season. C harterhouse .—The match list is as follows:— M AY. 20. Charterhouse, 2nd X I. v. Broadwater. 23. Broadwater, 1st X I. v. Broadwater. 25. House Matches ; first round. 30. Charterhouse, v. I Zingari. JUNE. 5. Charterhouse, v. Westminster.* 13. Charterhouse, v. Free Foresters. 24. Charterhouse, 2nd X I. v. Godalming Recreation. 27. Charterhouse, v. Butterflies. 29. House Matches ; second round. JULY. 1. Charterhouse, v. Oxford University Authentics 9. Charterhouse, v. Old Carthusians. 11. Wellington, v. Wellington. 13. House Matches ; semi-final. 18. Charterhouse, v. Old Wykehamists. 22. Charterhouse, v. Haverford College. 24. House Matches; final. AUGUST. 1. Charterhouse, v. M.C.C. Two-day match. H. A . Budden, b Kirkby .................. 3 I. Bowstead.c Norman, b Compton ...........53 H. G. B. Walton, lbw, b K ir k b y ..................12 E. A. Collins, b C om pton.................. 7 S. Cheesman, b Kirkby 1 R. A. Melhuish, c Graham, b Kirkby... 11 A. J. Clarke, b C om pton................... 0 G oddington . H. G. Rowley, c Hallett, b Kirkby ... 15 F.Kierman.c Norman, b Compton ........... 0 J. C. Clay, not out ... 10 G. Read, o Norman, b Baker ...................12 B 9, lb 2, w 2, nb 1 14 Total ...138 C. S. King, c Walton, b Cheesman ...........13 J. T. Graham, b Rowley ..................47 G. E. Asprey, b Clarke 4 E. Norman, b Clarke 12 Kirkby, c Collins, b Budden .................. 53 C. Berens, b Kierman 8 A. M. Hallett, lbw, b Clarke .................. 7 C. C. Compton, Budden .......... E. S. Waring, Budden ........... H.. Baker, c Walton, b Collins ......... Seymour, not out B 17, lb 4 ... Total ... 10 0 21 BECKENHAM v. STREATHAM .-Played at Beck­ enham on Mey 16. S treath am . A. T. F. Hooper, b Baker.......................... 4 H. L. Dawson, b Simp­ son ......................... 42 C. H. Leaf, not out ... 12 B 17, lb 7 ...24 N. Miller, c W . Baker, b Eamshaw ...........97 A. C. Broadbent. c Marshall, b W. Ba­ ker .......................... 2 H. H. Scott, c Gulli­ ver, b Earnshaw ... 16 H. M. Leaf, not out... 79 J. E. Barradell, b A . Baker ..................... 27 C. H. Leaf, H. E. Hockley, E. H. Leaf, J. Barry did not bat. ^Innings declared closed. B eckenham . Total (6 wkts)*303 B. S. Matthews, b Barradell.................. 10 G. J. Gulliver, not out 29 B .................. 17 F. D. Browne, b Hoo per ..........................19 E. H. Simpson, c E. H. Leaf, b Scott ... 81 P. E. Earnshaw, c C. H. Leaf, b Barry ... 29 C. O. Cooper, not out 65 A. A. Torrens, b C. H. L e a f .......................... 8 W . B. Baker, A. H. Marshall, J. H. Stenning, A. A. Baker did not bat. Total (5 wkts) 258 FINCHLEY v. NORTH M IDDLESEX W AN ­ DERERS.—Played at Finchley on May 16. F in c h le y . J.A.M eldrum, b Fors­ ter .......................... 0 A . Nederhertmuntel, c Jennings, b Foster 13 S. Batty, b Thornton 46 W . B. Fowler, b Fcrs- b Jennings ...........11 ter .......................... 0 E x tra s....................19 S. A. Watson, c Bisi- ker, b Jennings ... 12 Total ...123 W . Simon, run out ... 2 N orth M id d le se x W an derers . H. F.*Forster, not out 5 E x tra s.................. 12 W . Soft, not out F. W . Hall, run out... A. Davis, b Forster ... F. Baker, b Forster ... J. Wallett, st Greene, x tra s Total (3 wkts) 84 A.J. Dempsey, run out 6 M. A. Jones, b Davis 0 J.M . Greene, c Simon, b Watson .. . ... 43 C. D. Ross, notout ... 18 F. Bisiker, B. W . Thornton, P. Jennings, A. R. Williams, R. E. W ilson, and S. M. Brewer did not bat. STREATHAM v. MARLBOROUGH BLUES.— Played on May 9. S tre a th a m . N. Miller, c C. W . Lindsay, b Thring... 44 P. B. Parker, b Coles 15 T. F. Hooper, b Coles 0 A. Bailey, b Thriug .. 19 T. B. Gabriel, b Coles 0 P.G.Rathbone,bThring 4 C. A. Hill, b Thring... 5 H. H. E. Sutton, b Thring .................. H.W .W ilson,b Thring E. L. Bailey, b Thring E. A. Tomkins, not out .......................... B 22, lg 3 nb 1 ... Total ...133 M arlborough B lues . H. M. Rogers, b H. E. Sutton .................. 4 W .H. Lindsay, not out 9 B ..........................18 C. H. M. Thring, b Sutton ................... 4 C. W . Lindsay, c Miller, b Sutton ... 31 S. A . P. Kitcat, not out ...................72 Total R. Baggallay, Gerald Coles, C. M. Ambrose, W . A. F. Rogers, F, Bellamy, and F. G. Hartopp did not bat.