Cricket 1896

O c t. 29, 1896. CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 449 I t has been proposed by an American that a team of United Stites cricketers should make a tour in Australia. This has not met with much approval in Australia at present; as it is considered that such a visit would only interfere with the various competi'ions. A t a committee meeting of the Notts County C.C. it was decided to give Gunn half the net proceeds of the home match with Surrey next Whit-Monday for his benefit. In addition to the usual pro­ gramme, the county will play out and home matches with Northamptonshire and a match against the Philadelphians. O j * September 29th a complimentary dinner was given at the Guildhall, Cam­ bridge, to K. S. Rinjitsinbji. The Cambridge Dons were well represented, and several well known cricketers were present. Many other well known cricketers who were unable to keep their promise to appear, sent apologies for their absence, and in the gentle art of making excuses, some of them, especially those who were holiday making, showed a proficiency which was wholly delight­ ful. The dinner was a great success, and some clever speeches were made. The following interesting letter is from Mr. A. E. Coates, who writes from Citrus Colony, Loomis, California :— “ It is some time since you heard from me, but in the summer months cricket is dormant in this part of California, on account of the heat. Now, however, that the Indian, summer is with us, with reddening leaves, and cooler skies, we have picked up the thread of the broken season, andhopeto beep the hall rolling until the November rains set in. “ Our Placer Co. team is going on tour this year, and will try hard to keep its unbeaten record of 1895. We shall visit Lake Co., Santa Clara Co., and San Francisco, with almost the same team as won five out of six matches last year; so our hopes are bright. The captain is H. A. Butt (Jesus College, Cambridge). The clubs in San Francisco have nearly completed their scries of cup matches ; the Bohemian Cluh is first, and the Pacific Club second, the latter having had valuable help during part of the season from Harold Richardson, who was captain of the Clifton College Eleven about six years ago, and is undoubtedly fit to play in any com­ pany ; his recent scores have been 208 (not out), 33 (not out), 5t, and 101 (retired). He may return to England next month, in which case Surrey, his native county, will do well to keep an eye on him. “ There is said to be lots of cricket in Oregon and British Columbia, notably in Vancouver, and it is a pity that their teams cannot exchange visits with California, but the distance and expense are sad obstacles. It must be remembered that gate-money is not to be had here, and all costs of travelling and hotels fall on the players. But for all that, and in spite of all difficulties, the game more than holds its own on the Pacific Coast.” The Australian Cricket Annual, elited by Mr. J. C. Davis, of the Sydney Referee, with preface by T. W. Garrett, the well- known cricketer, was to have made its appearance last month. Previous ven­ tures of this kiud have not been very succesful—but it is a long lane that has no turning. “ A fellow feeling makes us wondrous kind” was the subject of an Adelaide Quiz cartoon a short time ago. W.G., who grasps a bat emblazoned with the figures “ 17,” is squatting by the side of Trott, who has a bat with “ 18 ” upon it. There is no sympathy, however, in the expression of their faces. W.G. looks wrathful, and Trott has a look of trouble. But the fellow feeling is there. K . S. ItiNjlT8lNH.il took a scratch football team on October 17, to play the Abbey Schools, Beckenham. He played on the left wing with great vigour, and although he showed at times a pardonable tendency to kick “ boundaries,” he played a very useful game. Mr. W. L. Mur­ doch filled the position of goal-keeper most creditably in more senses than one, and seemed to greatly enjoy the experience. The two matches played in September between British Guiana and Jamaica at Georgetown, both ended in favour of the former. Tbe first match was won by an inniDgs and 45 runs, but the second pro­ duced a most exciting finish, and when the winning runs were made the last two men were at the wickets. A V ery neat little book, showing the scores and details of the matches, has been issued by the Georgetown C.C., of which Sir Augustus Hemming is presi­ dent. A very interesting feature among the details is, that the exact times when each man began his innings and when he concluded it are given. J. A. L ester, who scored so con­ sistently well for the Haverford College Eleven in their matches against the principal public schools in England last summer, underwent his baptism of fire in first-class cricket on his return home. He only arrived in time to represent Philadelphia in the last two games against the Australian team, and naturally had not had any opportunity of getting back to his English form. Even then he did better than the average, and Phila­ delphia should profit materially by his excellent all-round cricket in the future. O n the ninth of last month passed away at Monk Sherborne, Basingstoke, the Rev. Edmond Henry Lacon Willes. Close half a century ago, to be precise in 1848, E. H. L. Willes gained his colours as one of the Winchester College Eleven for whom he did good, even better service in the two succeeding summers. Sub­ sequently he got his blue at Oxford, and for three years, in 1852, 1853 and 1854 his all round cricket was of great use to the University, though on a few occasions he represented Kent, and with credit. A free bat, he was alsoauseful fast bowler, aswellasanexcellentfield. His connection with first class cricket ceased on his taking holy orders. G eorge L ohmawn left Southampton on Saturday in the Union Steamer “ Norman,” for the Cape, in company with Mr. J. D. Logan, the Laird of Matjesfontein. Lohmann leaves England again for the winter to get the full benefit of the seasonable climate of South Africa. As irresponsible chatter has very unfairly attributed to him all kinds of plans, I can authoritatively say tbat he intends, all being well, to return to England early next summer. His intention, indeed, is to be over here in time to take pirt in Surrey’s first match of 1897. I t is stated and I believe with authority that the Committee of the Leicestershire C.C. have been inviting the opinions of the other counties on the advisability of an alteration of Rule 1. They are exercised in their minds on the expediency of giving the visiting side the choice of innings when home and matches are played. The idea is, I need hardly add, not quite new and hitherto has not met with favour. Not a few good judges are of opinion that we are just now having a little bit too much legislation. They prefer, and not without reason the extreme caution of the old school of cricket administration to the latter day tendency to provide for isolated incidents rather than general and acknowledged abuses. Some twenty-five years ago there were few more dangerous amateur bats­ men in the So ith of England than O. E. Winslow of the Sussex eleven. A free hitter, with any amount of nerve, for several seasons he was in quite the front rank of Sussex batsmen. Unfortunately for the county he was not able to devote his attention to first-class cricket for any great length of time, and, unless I am mistaken, he went abroad. Now a brief notice in the Times records the fact of of his death, which took place on the thirteenth of this month. He was only in bis forty-seventh year. The Hon. W. H. Parnell, who has within the last fortnight become Lord Congleton, has always, like the late peer, been a keen supporter of the game, but was also in his day a useful cricketer of the military type. In 1886 his name first appears in Scores and Biographies as one of the Household Brigade eleven which opposed M.C.C. and Ground at Lord’s. Just about that time he was a fairly busy cricketer, and, if I remember rightly, in addition to regimental matches represented I Zingari by no means infrequently. In an interview which appeared in the Chicago Daily News, Giffen is made to say that ‘ ' the best bowler in all England and best general player of the present season, is a Hindoo, named Ranjitsinhji (sic) ! ” The account, which seems to have been written by a baseball enthusiast, of the Australia v. Chicago match in the Chicago Daily News is very interesting and amus­ ing. “ All the Englishmen” says the N E X T ISSUE, T HURSDA Y , NOVEMBER 26.