Cricket 1896

J une 18, 189G. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECOUD OF THE GAME. 219 BETWEEN THE INNINGS. Though, as most of my readers probably know, my sympathies are to a large extent Australian, it is difficult for me to find any­ thing to say in extenuation of the fiasco at Lord’s. When I heard that W. G. had won tho toss, I realised that, play up as pluckily as they might, the Colonials were in for their first defeat. Then came the 219 of the M.C.C., a really remarkable score on such a wicket as it must have been after the heavy rain of Wednesday and the bright sunshine of Thursday morning. It was ominous, too, that nearly all the runs had been made by the earlier batsmen in tho club team, which showed that tho wicket was gradually getting worse, as was only to be expected. “ Beaten in an innings,” I thought; but even then I could not believe my eyes when I saw the words “ 18 for 6 ” in my evening paper. There are always two or three causes for happenings of this sort. A very bad wicket and very good bowling may account for a score of 50 or thereabouts, but cannot account for a tearn of able and experien e I batsmen tumbling out for 18. Giffen’s illne 3 s was a big blow, though I fear even the great George would have been helpless to stay the rot. A t Manchester, in the third test match of 1888, l'eel and Lohmann got down six wickets for seven runs in the second innings of Australia— a far worse start than that on Thursday—but then Turner and Lyons came together, and by dint of sheer pluck and hard hitting put on 48 runs in half an hour. I wish the burly John James had been in the team on Thursday, or even that his namesake, plucky little Ferris (I don’t mean the Ferris of later Gloucester­ shire days, though he had a big heart, but the Ferris of tho Sixth Australian Team, who hit out, as the late Charles Pardon well put it, “ with plentiful lack of science, and a princely contempt for the hands of the fieldsmen” ) had been there. The fine stand of Darling and Eady in the second innings redeemed to some extent that unfortunate collapse. The Tasmanianha 1done little previously ; and that he should come off to such an extent at such a time is better proof of real ability than a three-figure score made under favourable circumstances. McKibbin and Johns appear to be filling the places that Walter Giften, Coningham, and Jarvis held in the last team—that of mere re erve men. in Johns’ case it is understandable ; Kelly is a so much better batsman that he can scaively be left out iu an important match. But McKibbin might have been given a better chance I still believe that he will astonish some side before long. My faith in the Australian team is by no means lost yet. In the first ten matches of the tour, which of course include the M.C.C. game, the Australians have made 3,338 runs for 140 wickets (average 23'8), their opponents 2,475 runs for 169 wickets (average 14 6 ). And their three leading bowlers stand res­ pectively Pecond, fourth, and eighth in to-day’s (Monday) table of averages. It is scarcely fair to dwell upon the one bright spot in the two innings of Australia, and to say never a word for the wonderfully good bowling of Jack Hearne and Pougher. It would be too much to say that the latter quitedeserved his phenomenal figured, lleirno reached his 100 wickets for the reason in the match, having lun right away from Hi- hardson, who at one time looked likely to contest with him the distinction of being the first bowler to reach three figures in wickets in 1896. I must spare a line, too, for praise of Gregory's 28. To me, it seems doubtful whether he or Darling is the best batsman of the present team. Both have that quality of rising to the occasion which is tLe Mirest mark of a really good man. I cannot understand the outcries raised against Ranjitsinhji’s possible inclusion in the England Elevon. Why should he not plav for England ? He has surely qualified to do so by playing for an English county and by getting his Blue at Cambridge. The Aus­ tralians are much worse sportsmen than I take them to be if they would object. By parallel reasoning neither MacGregor nor O’ Brien could legitimately be included in an English team, nor could Percy McDonnell, Charles Pannerman, or William Midwinter properly have played for Australia. Nay, Lord Harris would have been ruled ou t; he was born in the West Indies. Mr. Bainbridge is not likely to be chosen ; but if he were a similar objection would apply to him. Assam was the land of his birth. STOICS v. ENFIELD.—Played at Enfield on Junfe 13. The bowlers had their turn last week ; but I hardly think their hour of triumph will last long. The fine weather seems at time of writing to have set in again ; and the grounds will be all the better for the rain they have had. Nevertheless 5,375 runs for 378 wickets (average 14 2) looks queer when compared with recent figures. The average per wicket throughout the month of May must have been 80 per cent, higher than this. Only two totals during the week passed 300; and in all the eleven first-class matches Lilley’s was the only century scored. Forty five centuries wore scored during May ; the first fortnight of June has produced only three—a remark­ able change. E n field . \ S. G. Staikey, b Levy 0 A. H. Smith, lbw, b Haycraft.............. 12 W. Chart, c and b Roberts ..................43 IT. W . Smith, not. out 77 F. Rowley, lbw, bLevy 5 IT. R. Ford, run out...117 P. Boundy, c Lee, b* Abbott ...................24 E. V. Ford, b Abbott 1 B 6, lb 2. nb 5 ... 13 Total (7 wkts)...*192 J. Ward, J. Pratt, and F. Catting did not bat. * Innings declared closed. S toics . Young W .G .’s success is pleasing, indeed. To carry his bat through the innings, as he did on the 9th against Notts, was a distinctly big performance; but the way in which he and Burnup won the game against Somerset for their side was even better. In face of the fact that Somerset had only managed to score 177 in two innings, and that the Light Blue’s first only amounted to 98, the feat of the pair in knocking off the 80 runs wanted to win was a greit one. I. rather fancy one or two old Blues will have to stand down from both ’ Varsity teams. Je 3 s:>p, Burnup, and Shine can scarcely be left out of the Cambridge eleven, and a wicket-keeper (Kobinson or Bray) must also be played. There are but three vacancies to be filled, those of Studd, Burrough, and the elder Druce. Fry and Phillips, of last year’s Oxford team, are no longer eligible ; and Arkwright would appear to be unavailable. Waddy and Pilkington can scarcely be left ou t; Hartley has already been given his blue ; and Fane, Clayton, and Bosworth-Smith would all richly deservo places in a year when good batsmen were scarcer. A. W . Rammell. c II. R. Ford, b H. W . Smith.......................... 8 M. Abbott, run out ... 3 G. N. Levy, c and b Stirkey ........... ... 5 0. C. Roberts, not out 84 C. E. E. Lee, b II. R. F o r d .......................... 6 Long stands for a wicket (100 or more runs): — June 138 .1...Jones* Shrcw-bury Notts v. O.U. N ’ham 8 123...6 . Diver & Lilley ... Wwk. v.Glos. B’ham 9 128 ..1. ..Rowley & A. Ward Lncs. v.W wk. B’ham 12 112...8 . Darling & Ealy ... Augt.v.M.C.C. Lord’s 12 J.N.P, W . J. TTaycraft, c Pratt, b Starkey ... 4 A. II. Bartlett, run out .......................... 0 F. A. Buckingham, not out .......................... 2 B 17, lb 2, nb 2 ... 21 Total (G wkt*) . 133 S. Cooper, B. Rennie, and W . Peaty did not bat. LONDON AND WESTM INSTER BANK (2) v. FOREST H ILL ( 2 ).- Played at Forest D ill ou June 13. L ondon and W estm inster B ank . C.J.Crossley.c Tratter, b Williams ...........76 N. Davis, c Dill, b Healy......... ........... 0 J. M. Allcock, b Ilealy 47 H. B. Squire, b Healy 4 T. H. Brenan, 11. E. Thomson, M. G. Dunlop, B. A . E. Newman and J. W elch did not bat. F o se st H ilt . T. H.Pritchard, not'out 23 C. C. Simpson, not out 8 B 12,1b 5, wb l,n b 2 20 Total (4 wkts) 178 L. V.Cockell,b Allcock 18 G. Hill, b Allc .ck ...12 TT. Green, b Simpson 1 W . Williams, c New m n, b Simpson ... 18 B.Batchelor.bSimpson 0 J. Trotter, not oun ... 21 W. J. Arendt.c Pritch­ ard, b Simpson ... 4 F. Healy, b S.'mpson .. H. Garlint, c Crossley, b Simpson ........... F. Seel, b Simpson ... R. Boyd, not out Total (9 wkts) 85 PANTHER v. LLOYD’S BAN K .-Played atCatford on June 8 and 9. P an th er . A. Wallers, c Spink, h Harpur ..................21 A .E.D.Lewis bHarpur 0 E.W .Mamle,bHarpur 3 W . A.Standish,b More 48 W . L. Bayley, not out 26 S.8ilverthome.cDavis, b H arpur 5 P. Newton, b ITarpur 25 B. W.Green, b Harpur 0 J. H. Wood, lbw, b Swatman.................. 0 N. S. Leslie, b Harpur 11 B 1, lb 2, nb 1 .. 4 Total ..146 J. R. Armstrong did not bat. L lo y d ’ s B an k . G. R. Godbold, notout 3 T. B. Blain, not out... 17 B 2, lb 2 ........... 4 A. W . Harpur,b New­ ton ..........................31 H. R. Swatman, b Lewis......................... 24 V. C.irleton, b Newton 0 E.B.Lean.c&bNewton 11 n . O. Spink, R. II. More. W . L. Kitson, H. C. V. Davis, a ad C. A. Becker did not bat. CRYSTAL PALACE v. KENLEY. - Played at The Palace on June 16. K en lk y . E. T. n »dgson, c Cip­ riani. b Burchaid .. 4 C. F. Tufnel, b Cole- gr*ve..........................21 Liud«ay, lbw, b Bick­ nell .......................... 3 Trotmm . b Cosens ... 13 N. O. Wilson, c Phil­ lips, b Coseu s ........... 1 E. A. Parke, b Cosens 1 F. C. Lingard, b Cole­ grave .......................... E. Anderton, b Colons F. C. Maw, not o u t... E. C. Ruck, b Cosens W. C. W. Sullivan, c Bickn 11. b Cosens ... B 2, lb I ........... TUitl C r y s t a l P a la c e . J. F . Dunlop, b Trot- man ..........................91 H. M. Colegravo. c Lindsay, b Anderton 22 R. H. Dillon, b Lin­ gard ..........................78 F. Will, b Lingard ... 15 G. E. Ricknell, notout 76 M. Moberley, b Liu- gar^ .. „. ... 12 F. C. Burchard, b Lin­ gard .......................... 0 G. Cosens, b Trotmnn 12 A. B. Cipriani, bLind- say ........................ 15 H.b'.T.Phillips,notout 11 A . Hennell did not Oat 0 B 23, lb 10, w 1... 31 Total •366