Cricket 1896

D ec . 31, 1696. CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 479 an improved cricket bat, has been offered £20,000 for tbe American rights by a firm of manufacturers. The question of what is the record throw with a cricket ball for Ceylon is attracting some attention among cricketers in the island. Mr. E. F. Solomons claims to have thrown 113 yards and 111 yards, while Mr. T. Y. Wright is said to have thrown 107 yards, but apparently these distances are not authenticated. The record throw is generally regarded as 106 yards by Mr. Sjlomons. Gr. L. W ilson, the Sussex amateur, who was so greatly missed by his county this year, is playing for tbe Melbourne C.C. In the first Pennant match he scored only 5, but no doubt astonished himself—he seems to have astonished Australian cricketers—by taking two good wickets for 11 runs with what is humorously described as “ fast stuff.” In tbe same match J. McC. Blackham played, making 7 and 26 not ou t; he did not keep wicket, but fielded brilliantly at mid-off. I n his second Pennant match, Mel­ bourne v. East Melbourne, Mr. Wilson played a splendid innings of 80, which included ten 4’s. His off strokes are des­ cribed as exceedingly powerful, and he almost invariably came down with great effect on A. E. Trott’s fast ones. In the same innings W. Bruce made 71 and C. M’Leod 124. Three wickets were down for 283, and the whole team was out for 361. Among other well-known batsmen in Australia who have distinguished them­ selves in the earlier matches are Sid Donahoo, 116; W. Bruce, 69; F. Laver, who a year or two ago was thought to be the coming man, 38 and 69 ; Alec Banner­ man, 26; A. E. Trott, 37, 52 and 32; J. Harry, 35, 18, 27 and 41. A n accident which is somewhat un­ common occurred recently in a Western Australian match. Cover-point, in tiying to catch a very hard hit, only succeeded in getting his forehead in the way of the ball, which bounded off safely into the bowler’s hands. I t seems to be the general opinion of critics that J. J. Lyons, the great hitter, has improved very greatly this season. He is now said to choose with consider­ able judgment the right ball to hit. Already he has scored 35 and 27. C r ic k e t e r s in Adelaide are congratu­ lating themselves on possessing a batsman in G. S. P. Jones who is likely to hold bis own against all others. He had played without much success for two years for the Port Austral C.C., but at the end of last season he came on rapidly. In his first important match this season he scored 112 not out. W a lte r G iffen , who was one of the Australian team of 1893, is now far re­ moved from districts where first-class cricket is played, but he has done great things for his club. Not long ago he had an average for it of over 150. I n one of his reminiscences in the Australasian, which are always so delightful to read, “ Felix,” better known to Englishmen as Mr. Thomas Horan, says “ I remember once at Lord’s a kindly-disposed gentleman telling me that P. H. Morton, of Cambridge Univer­ sity, was a medium-paced bowler. The result was that I found myself making an elegant attempt to negotiate the ball some time (I forget how long) subsequent to tbe dislodgment of the middle stump. That occurred more than 18 years ago, and if I were to live a thousand years I would not forget my sense of utter dis­ comfiture on retracing my steps with 30,000 eyes rivetted on the unlucky wight who was ‘ bowled first ball at Lord’ s.’ Since then I have often thought that the kindly-disposed gentleman intentionally deceived me as to P. H. Morton’s pace, but even if he did I forgive him.” And again, apropos of a batsman who was in for three hours for 33 runs, he says :—“ I once heard of a village bats­ man in England who had his own bat (made it himself), which weighed three pounds. He kept his three-pounder in­ variably firmly rooted in the block-hole, and once was in about three hours for 15, all made off his right thumb.” I n bowling Turner has not yet done as well as usual. In his first match he took two wickets for 49, and in his second (an Electorate match) one for 26. He was also unsuccessful for the Sydney X I. against the Colts, but it is to be hoped that he is only out of practice. A. E. Trott is considered to have been improved as a bowler by his visit to England. It is remarked that he has developed a good leg break, and that he disguises his fast ball much better than before. For a time, while he was in England, he was a fast bowler with an occasional slow. He took seven wickets for 46 runs in his first pennant match, but was unable to bowl in the second innings owing to an attack of influenza. m U p to the present time Lord Hawke has arranged his team for the West Indies as follows;—Lord Ha.vke (capt.), H. D. G. Leveson-Gower, G. 14. Bardswell, P. F. Warner, H. B. Bromley-Davenport, C. Heseltine, W. H. Wakefield, E. M. Dawson, B. W. Wickham, A. E. Leatham, and K. Berens. The team is to leave Southampton on January 13th n ex t; Trinidad will probably be reached on January 27th, and left on Febuary 4th. Barbados will be visited after this, and it is likely that some matches will be played there. On February 22nd (as at present arranged) the team leaves for Grenada, and is due at St. Vincent on March 1st. Other dates are March 4th, St. Lucia; St. Kitt’s, March 10th ; Demerara, March 23rd. The homeward voyage will be begun on April 16th. F o r Carisbrook (A) against Grange (A) (Otago) a bowler named Fisher took four wickets with successive balls, and in the innings had an analysis of eight wickets for 7 runs. T h e benefit matches which will take place in 1897 are as follows :— Match. Place. Date. Sugg (F. H.) ...Lancashire v. Kent..Man. ...June 7 Gunn W ...........Notts v. Surrey..........Nottgm.June 7 Henderson :'Il.) Surrey v. Yorkshire Oval ...July 1 Pallett (H. J.)...Warwick v. Lancs....Birmhm.July 5 Hunter (D.) ... .Yorkshire v. Lancs. Bradf’d July 19 Roberts (F. G.) Glous. v. Middlesex Bristol Aug. 5 Pickett (H .)......Essex v. Hampshire Leyton Aug.23 In the match between Fifteen Colts and the Eleven at Sydney, W. Bichardson scored 96 for the Eleven. On the scoring board his figures were exactly 100, but it was afterwards discovered that four byes had been put down to him by mistake. Who shall say that the sight of the 100 on the board did not make him play in a careless manner and so get out ? A l t h o u g h it rained hard during the Sunday night—the match began on Saturday, November 7th—the wicket was found to be very little affected. This is attributed to the fact that Bulli soil has lately been used for topdressing, and this does not become sticky like the soil used at Melbourne. Perhaps there will now be no more of the well-known Australian “ sticky ” wickets. No less than three men went on with grubs for North Melbourne against East iVTelbourne ia the second innings. They did not take a wicket between them. One of them, however, bowled two wide3, although the umpire at first called no-ball to one which went over the batsman’s head. M r . P r ie s t l e y ’ s team which sailed yesterday morning (Wednesday) is com­ prised of Messrs. A. E. Stoddart, C. A. Beldam, W. Williams, S. M. J. Woods, B. C. N. Palairet, H. T. Stanley, B. P . Lewis, C. C. Stone, F. W. Bush, Leigh Barratt, J. Leigh, A. Priestley (capt.), and Dr. G. Elliott. The programme is as follows :—Leave Southampton December; arrive Barbados January 11; leave Barbados January 25 ; from January 25 to February 10 the Northern Islands will be visited ; arrive Trinidad February 10; leave Trinidad March 4 ; arrive Jamaica March 10; leave Jamaica March 30 ; arrive South­ ampton April 14. T he King’s Langley Club, so one learns from a report of its annual dinner, had an unbeaten record in 1896. The season was a particularly notable one, as of twenty-one matches played, nineteen were won, and the other two drawn. The cricket club happily still plays an important part in village life, and King’s Lmgley is fortunate in having for its vicar the Bev. E. P. Anderson, an Old Harrovian, who not only takes a keen interest in the recreations of his people, but can and does wield a bat and handle a ball as well as any of them. The vil­ lage ground, “ One of the Best,” not N E X T ISSUE, THURSDAY , J ANU A R Y 28.