Cricket 1896

M abch 26, 1S96. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 37 I cannot decide between the respective claims of Giffen and Palmer or of Turner and Spofforth. Perris I consider to have been in ’88 and ’90 a greater bowler than either of the two who immediately follow him at their best. Boyle I take to have been better than either Garrett or Trumble, because on all kinds of wickets and against all sorts and conditions of batsmen his bowling, when he was in his true form, was so accurate that it had to be treated with respect. If Trumble per­ forms as well this year as he did in ’93, I should be inclined at the end of the season to rank him above Garrett and perhaps equal to Boyle; but remembering Garrett’s fine bowling in ’82 and the splendid way in which he kept up an end during the dry season of ’86, after Spofforth had been hurt and Palmer’s trundling had lost its sting, I cannot at present do so. My choice, if it were possible to have all of the men in one team and all at_their best, would b e :— Por a hard, true wicket: Perris and Giffen, with Spofforth first change. For a bowler’s wicket: Turner and Spofforth, with Perris first change. In these judgments I cannot of course expect that everyone will agree with me. I shall be very pleased, however, to hear of anything by way of criticism; and any reader who is sufficiently interested in the matter to care to express his opinions will be sure to have his letter attended to if he will address to the author of “ Between the Innings,” care of the publishers of Cricket. With Blackham’s dropping out from the ranks of first-class cricketers, the last link that binds us in England to the first Australian team is severed—save indeed, that Murdoch and Spofforth are still among us as English cricketers. Of the other members of the ’78 team, Charles Bannerman has long ago retired from active cricket, but is one of the best and most popular of Australian umpires. Poor William Midwinter is dead. Bailey, the Tasmanian, appeared in one match for his Colony five or six years ago, and later he has been playing in the North and South games in the Island. Horan no longer plays, but as “ Felix ” of the Australasian is still a living force in Colonial cricket. Alec Bannerman is said to be as good as ever; but he has not appeared in the intercolonials since 1893-4. Tom Garrett is still playing. He appears to have lost his bowling, but is a better batsman than ever, and his long experience has made of him an admirable judge of the game and a most successful captain. Frank Allan and David Gregory played their last first-class game many seasons ago. Boyle, now in Queensland, was spoken of as likely to play for his new colony against New South Wales lately, but did not do so. He was one of the candidates for the management of the present team. Alas ! the flying years ! It is now close on eighteen years since that memorable game at Lord’s, when the M.C.C. eleven was “ smitten hip and thigh” by the unknowns from the “ Golden South.” To many who read this the match may seem but a thing of yesterday; so vivid must the recollection of it be to all who saw it. It was that match that established the fame of the first Australian team. Of the Englishmen who took part in it two— Fred Morley and Fred Wild—have gone on their last long journey. W. G. is still with us, bulking even bigger— physically and in reputation—in the cricket world than he did in the days of ’78. Mr. A. J. Webbe and Wilfred Flowers are also still numbered among active players, the former almost as good, the latter better than then. Alfred Shaw, Mr. A. N. Hornby, G. G. Hearne, and Mr. G. F. Yernon were all seen in first-class cricket last year, too, the last named after a year or two’s absence. But the names of Mr. Clement Booth and Mr. A. W. Ridley are names of the past. Here is a complete list of Australian cricketers who were numbered in the nine teams, with the number of visits made by each, the years in which they came, and (wherever obtainable) the date of birth. No. of visits. Player. Years. Date of Birth. 8 J. M. Blackham ’78, ’80, ’82, ’84, ’86, ’88. ’90, ’93 May 11, ’55 6 A. C. Bannerman ’78, ’80, ’82, ’84, ’88, ’93 March 21, ’59 5 G. Giffen ... ’82, ’84 ’86, ’93, 96 ... Mar. 27, ’69 5 G. J. Bonnor ’80, ’82, ’84, ’86, ’f58 .. Feb. 25, ’55 5 W. L. Murdoch ’78, ’80, ’82, 84, 90 Oct. 18, ’55 5 F. R. Spofforth ’78, 80, ’82, ’84, 86 Sept. 9, ’53 4 A. H. Jarvis ... ’80, ’86,’88,’93 ... Oct. 18,’60 4 S. P. Jones ... ’82, ’86, ’88,’90 ... Aug. 1, ’61 4 P. S. M’Donnell ’80, ’82, ’84, ’88 ... Nov. 13, ’60 4 G. E. Palmer ’80, ’82, ’84,’86 ... Feb. 22, ’60 4 G. H. S. Trott ’88, ’90, ’93, 96, ... Aug. 5, ’66 3 T. W . Garrett ’78,’82,’86 ... July 26, ’68 3 S. E. Gregory ’90, ’93, ’96 ... April 14, ’70 3 J. J. L yon s......... 88, ’90, ’ 93 ... May 21, ’63 3 H. Trumble.......... ’90,’93,’96 ... May 12, *67 3 C. T. B. Turner ... 88, ’90, ’93 ... Nov. 16,’62 2 G. Alexander ... ’80, ’84 ... — 2 W . Bruce .......... ... ’86, ’93 ... — ’64 2 J. J. F erris.......... ... ’88, ’90 ... May 21, ’67 2 H. Graham .......... ... ’93, ’96 ... Nov. 29, ’70 2 T. Horan ......... ... ’78, ’82 ... March ’55 2 W. E. Midwinter ... ’78, ’84 ... June 19, ’62 2 H .J .H . Scott ... .. *84, ’86 ... Dec. 26, ’68 F. E. Allan ......... .......... ’78 ... Dec. 2, ’49 G. H. Bailey.......... .......... ’78 ... — C. Bannerman ... .......... ’78 ... — J. E. Barrett......... ......... ’90 ... Oct. 15, ’66 K. E. Burn .......... .......... ’90 ... Sept. 17, ’63 P. C. Charlton ... .......... ’90 ... April 9 ,’67 A. Coningham ... .......... ’93 ... — ’66 W . H. Cooper ......... ’84 ... Sept. 11, ’49 J. Darling ......... ......... ’96 ... Nov. 21, ’70 H. Donnan .......... ......... ’96 ... — ’66 C. J. Eady .......... ......... ’96 ... — J. D. Edwards ... ......... ’88 ... June 12, ’62 E. Evans .......... ......... ’86 ... March 6, ’49 W . F. Giffen ......... ’93 ... Sept. 10, ’63 D. W. Gregory ... T. U. Groube ......... ’78 ......... ’80 Sept. 2, ’57 C. Hill ................ ......... ’96 ... March28,’77 F. A. Iredale ......... ’96 ... June ’67 A. E. Johns.......... ......... ’96 ... — E. Jones .......... ......... ’96 ... Sept. 30, ’69 J. J. Kelly .......... ......... ’96 ... — J. M’llwraith ... ......... ’86 ... — *57 T. R. M’Kibbin .. ......... ’96 ... Dec. 10, ’70 R. W. McLeod ... ........ ’93 ... Jan. 19, ’68 H. H. Massie ......... ’82 ... April 11, ’54 W . H. Moule ........ ’80 ... — J. Slight................ ......... ’80 ... — A. E. Trott ... ... ......... ’96 ... Feb. 6, ’73 J. W. Trumble .. ......... ’86 ... Sept. 16, ’63 F. H. Walters ... ......... ’90 ... Feb. 9, ’60 J. Worrall ......... ......... ’88 ... May 12, ’63 Harry Moses was bora in February, 1858. * Came as manager in 1890. Considerably the junior of the present team, it will be seen, is young Clement Hill, whose nineteenth birthday falls two days after the publication of this number of Cricket. The younger Trott is only 23. M ’Kibbin and Darling are 25, Jones 26, Iredale 28, Donnan 29. The birth- I dates of Kelly, Johns and Eady I have not been able to obtain. Of those who have visited us before, neither Gregory nor Graham is yet 26 ; Trumble is nearly 29 and Harry Trott between 30 and 31 ; while Giffen, the veteran of the team, completes his thirty-seventh year on the day before the birthday of the young South Australian, Hill. Assuming that Kelly, Johns and Eady aggregate 75 years among them (I do not think anyone of them is more than 26), the average of the team would work out at about 26 years. I don’t think any former team would average quite as low as this, though Murdoch, Spofforth, Horan, Blackham, Garrett and Alec Bannerman were all comparative youngsters in 1878. Boyle isthe doyen of Australian cricketers known in England as Hill will be the cadet. Alec Bannerman was only a few days older than Hill will be on arrival when he landed at Liverpool on May 14th, ’78. Gregory was only 20 when he came in 1890. Jarvis was 19 when he first came. S. P. Jones and Palmer were 20. M ’Don­ nell was 19, as was Garrett. Perris celebrated his twenty-first birthday by taking 5 wickets for 69 v. Yorkshire at Sheffield during his first visit. On the other hand, Boyle had turned 30 before he started out for his first visit. Cooper was 34 in 1884. Evans was no less than 39 in 1886. Walters was 30 in 1890. It is my turn to chuckle over my list of certainties for the present team and the team as actually constituted. Eight of the nine men I mentioned are actually coining; and the ninth, Lyons, would have been with them but for the calls of business. Three of the six I had set down as “ probables ” are on their w ay; and the four others were all included among the “ possibles.” “ How’s that, umpire ? ” There are two or three things in the programme of matches that strike one at first glance. Lancashire for the first time has a return game, which takes the place of the usual Liverpool and District match. Kent has only one match, against two in ’93 and ’90. Yorkshire, as usual, has three. She had as many as five in ’82. three of them consecutively. All the first-class counties are in the list, except Middlesex. Only one game is down so far for decision at Nottingham. The Trent Bridge Ground has generally had at least two matches. In ’93 there was a game with the County and one for Shrewsbury’s benefit with a splendid England Eleven. In 1890 and 1888 the County was met twice. In 1886 two games with the County, one with the Players. In 1884 two with the County, one with the North. In 1882 two with the County. Meanwhile Leyton and Birmingham each gets two fixtures. This is a sign of the times. The status of Essex and Warwickshire has materially improved, while that of Notts has de­ teriorated. The actual novelties of the programme are confined to a game at Eastbourne, one at Bexhill, and a matcn with Hampshire, which County has never previously opposed the Colonists. The