Cricket 1896

423 CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF TIIE GAME. S ept . 17, 1696. always aiming at his degree and that alone. I am told, too, that the exams, are much harder there than here, especi­ ally in law. I am not saying this because I happened to take the law exams, myself, but merely expressing what seems to be the general opinion. The consequence of this is that there is very little time for cricket. It used to be necessary for a law student to take his B. A. degree as well as his L.L.B., ihe course lasting for five years. I took the course for solicitors, and had to be articled for five years, which again inter­ fered with cricket. Nowadays the two divisions are amalgamated, and solicitors and barristers are on an equal footing. I b lieve (hat in England a man who goes to the Universities can play as much cricket as he likes, which must be very jolly.” “ You spoke of beginning to keep wicket seriously two years ago.” “ Before that time it was useless for a wicket-keeper to hope to play in any of the inter-colonial matches, or against English teams, because Blackham was so good that nobody else had a chance. His time was at his own disposal, his constitution was very sound, and his eye was so good that he never met with accidents. TLie result was that he was able to play in every match. But one day he was unable to appear for Victoria in a match against Stoddart’s team, and the committee selected me to take his place. Naturally I was a little nervous, but >t was not long before I got over that, and they all said that I did as well as could have been expected. After this I thought it possible that I might get a show, and accordingly I got as much practice as I could, but not as much as I wanted.” “ You had soms powerful rivals p” “ Yes, especially Percy Lewis, who was a much better bat than I. He was select e l to play in the past cricket season in Australia, in the first inter-colonial match. He did so well, that they selected him again for Victoria against New South Wales, but for some reason or other he did not do himself justice, with the result that for the next match the committee picked me. The team which was to visit England was chosen while this match was in progress, and I found that I was included in it. Kelly is so much better with the bat than I am, that in England I have not played as often as I could have wished, bur. 1 Lave greatly enjoyed the tour, which, indeed, every member of the team has tried to make as enjoyable as possible for the others—not only tried to make it enjoyable, but succeeded in doing so.” “ What do you consider your best performance at the wicket this year ? ” “ I think it was in the Oxford match, when 1 got six men out. But for two mistakes made by the umpire, I should have had eight. I can thoroughly endorse what Trott to ll jo u about the general excellence ( f the umpiring during this ti ur. I had heard from members of some of foimer teams that the umpiiing in England had sometimes been very bad, and Englishmen have told me that this was true. But except for occasional and unavoidable mistakes, there has certainly been no fault to find during the present tour. A wicket keeper is especially con­ cerned with umpiring, because he ha3 to get a decision about everything he does. A curious incident happened at Notting­ ham. Guttridge turned a ball from Giffen on to my chest. I dropped down a little, fumbling about for the ball, hoping that it would drop into my hands. Everybody yelled out ‘ catch it,’ and after quite an appreciable time, I dis covei ed that it had rolled down into the top of my pad. I took it out, and of course it was a fair catch. But Gultridge naturally appealed. The umpire at the bowler’s end replied that he could not see, and in his turn asked the other umpire, who also said that he couldn’t see. On the spur of the moment, without intend­ ing to influence the decision, I said, ‘ I caughttheball allright,’ while Guttridge, also on the spur of the moment, said, ‘ Oh, it hit the ground.’ But the umpire at the bowler’ s end decided, on second thoughts,'that it was out. Some of our own team could see that it was a fair catch; others could not see anything at all what had happened.” “ Are you anything of a bowler ? ” “ Oh no, not at all, despite the fact that one of your papers, when we first came over, put me down as a fair change bowler. This has been a standing joke with our fellows ever since. I can bowl a fair practice ball, and occ isionally I skittle a few of them out at the nets, but there my ability as a bowler ends. Now and then I have been on in a match. Last season I was playing for the University when Carlton made 922 against us, of which Worrall’s share was 417 notout. During this match I bowled about half-a-dozen overs, but did not get a wicket.” “ Have you ever been hurt much in keeping wicket.” “ Some of my fingers have been knocked out of shape, but otherwise I have not been badly hurt. The other day I had a smack on the cheek, but it fortunately did no damage. During this tour I have found that the balls some­ times seemed very hard, and Kelly says the same, though his hands are much harder than mine. But I have been told by two or three makers that some cricket balls are much harder than others. We don’t seem to get such harl ones in Australia.” W. A. B e tte s'w o k th . © o m s i j o n t i e i u e . To the Editor of C ricket . Sir,—The County Championship is decided, and the most thorough partisan of any one of the other thirteen will hardly dispute that Yorkshire has fairly won, although a championship, which does not include at least even results with every other competition, is not quite beyond the reach of cavil, and depends rather upon arithmetic than upon proved superiority ! Lancashire, having been beaten twice by Yorkshire, can have no claim to first place, but Middlesex, which also beat the County Palatine twice, may reasonably demur at having to yield the second place to her. When we come, however, to the relative positions of Middlesex and Surrey, the matter assumes a very, different aspect. Surrey played all the other thirteen counties ; Middlesex only eight. Surrey showed her superiority over five other countiesby beating each of them twice ; Middlesex over one only. The honours of war between the two counties themselves were evenly divided. There can be no real competition, unless all the com­ petitors go through the same ordeal. It would not have required much shifting of results to have placed Middlesex, with her sixteen matches (eight only won), or even Essex, with her twelve matches (five only won, over the head of Yorkshire, with her twenty-six matches, of which sixteen were victories! The County Championship is a Frankenstein’s monster, which is probably come to slay, but it has nothing to do with the Laws of Cricket, for the enforcement and reform of which we look to the M.C.C, Those of us who love mathematical problems —with any number of places of decimals— can indulge in them to our heart’s content, and we do not like to have them solved for us by an authority from which there is no appeal! Yours faithfully, A. C. C oxhead . Ontwood, Surrey. THE AUSTRALIANS. SUMMARY OF THE TOURS. Won. Lost. Drawn. Ttl. 1Q7Q ( XI. a side . ( All Matches . 9 ... ... 4 ... ... 4 ... ... 17 18 ... ... 7 ... ... 12 ... ... 37 iaHf. t XI. a side . <All Matches . 5 ... .. 2 ... ... 4 .. ... 11 21 ... ... 4 ... ... 12 ... ... 37 1882 ..................... . 23 ... ... 4 ... ... 11 ... ... 38 1834..................... . 18 ... ... 7 ... ... 7 ... ... 32 1886 ..................... . 9 ... ... 8 ... ... 22 ... ... 39 1888 ..................... . 19 ... .. 14 ... ... 7 ... ... 40 1890 ..................... . 13 ... ... 16 ... ... 9 ... ... 38 1893 ..................... . 18 ... ... 10 ... ... 8 ... ... 36 1896 ..................... . 19 ... ... 6 ... ... 9 ... ... 31 N.B.—Since 188). with the exception of one game at Skegness in 1836 (lost by nine wickets) and one at Blackpool in 1893 (won by 79 runs), all the mitches have been on level terms. COMPARATIVE TABLE OF AVERAGES. The following tables show how the Australians who had been here before batted and bowled on their various visits:— BATTING AVERAGES. No. 'Jimes Most of not Total in an Year. inns out. runs. inns. Aver. G. Giffen ... . .1882 . . 52 .. 4 .. 873 ... 81 ... 18*18 G. Gitfen ... . . 1884 ... 51 .. 1 .. 1052 ...113 . . 21*04 G. Gitfen ... . . 1886 . . 65 .. 9 .. 1454 ...119 . . 25 96 G. Giffen ... . . 1893 .. 55 .. 1 .. 1*80 ...180 . . 23-70 G. Giffen ... . 1896 .. 49 .. 1 .. 1208 ...130 . . 2516 H. Graham . 1893 .. 55 .. 3 .. 1492 ...219 . . 28-69 H. Graham .. 1896 .. 32 .. 2 .. 547 ... 96 . . 18-23 S. E. Gregory .. 1890 .. 60 ..15 .. 568 ... 59*. . 12-62 S. E. Gregory .. 1893 .. 55 .. 4 . 1196 .. .112 . . 23 45 S. E. Gregory .. 1896 .. 48 .. 2 . 1464 ...154 . . 31-82 G. H. S. Troit .. 1888 .. 65 .. 2 . .1212 ... 83 . 1923 G. H. S. Trott .. 1890 .. 65 .. 1 . .1273 ...186 . . 19-89 G. H. S. Trott .. 1893 .. 61 .. 2 . 1496 ...145 . . 25 35 G. H. S. Trott .. 1896 .. 54 .. 5 . .1297 ..143 . 26-46 H. Trumble .. 1890 .. 50 ..12 . . 3.0 ... 34 . . 815 H. Trumble .. 1893 . 52 .12 . . 874 ...105 . . 2185 H. Trumble .. 1896 .. 43 ..11 . . 628 ... 45*. . 19-62 •Signifies not out. BOW’ LINO AVERAGES. Year. Overs. Mdns. Runs. Wkts. Aver. G. Giffen 1882 ,. 386'3...122 ... 728 ... 32 ... 22 75 G. Giffen ... 1SS4 ... 8>7 4 285 . .1613 ... 82 .. . 19-67 G. Giffen ... 1886 ..1726 2. ..735 .. 2752 ...162 ... 16-98 G. Giffen 1893 ...1063 3.. 302 .. 2649 ...148 .... 17-89 G. Giffen 1896 ... 864-2 219 ...2*57 .. 117 .. . 19-29 G. H. 8. Trott 1888 ... 503 3 ..149 ...1145 ... 48 ... 23 85 G. H. S. Trott 1890 ... 199 ... 34 ... 610 . . 23 ..,. 26-52 G. H. S. Trott 1808 ... 386-1... 86 ...1148 ... 60 . . 19-13 G. H. 8. Trott 1896 ... 339 4... 66 .. 928 ... 44 .,. 21-09 11. Trumble... 1890 ... 497 4...175 ..1138 ... 53 ... 2147 H. Tiumble 1893 ... 977-1...336 .. 2016 ..123 ... 16 39 H. Trumble .. 1896 ...1140-1...380 ...2340 ...148 ... 1581 N E X T ISSUE, THURSDAY , OCTOBER 29.