Cricket 1896

A pril 16, 1896, CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 73 o n b o a rd , a rriv ed a t P o r t S aid safely on M o n d a y . A teleg ra m fro m th e M a n a ger, sent fro m th ere, rep orts th e cricketers as a ll w ell. M r . M u sg ro v e has a ccep ted , on b e h a lf o f th e team , an in v ita tio n from th e S u rrey C o u n ty C lu b t o a d in n er at th e O v a l, o n F rid a y , th e 1st o f M a y . All b e in g w e ll, w e m a y e x p e c t th e team to arrive in L o n d o n w ith in th e n e x t ten d a ys. T h e d o u b le ce n tu ry o f K . B u m , to w h ich I re fe rre d la st w eek , w as even a better p e rfo rm a n ce th a n it loo k e d fro m th e b a re d etails th en to h and. T h e T asm anian pap ers g iv e th e fu ll score, an d as th e a ch iev em en t w as o f a ve ry e x c e p ­ tion a l ch aracter, it is qu ite w o rth y o f a special p la ce in “ G ossip .” W ellington . First innings. Second innings. K, Burn, not out...............117 not out ........... 162 N. Dodds, lbw, b Kirby ... 34 run out ........... 8 W. Ward, b Maxwell.......... 2 run out ........... 1 L. McLeod, b Maxwell ... 0 c Hanson, b Eady 1 G. Reynolds, c Vautin, b Eady ............................... 6 C. Gibson, bMaxwell.......... 3 lbw, b Butler ... 0 R. Sams, b Eady................. 8 lbw, b Hanson ... 15 H. Reeves, b Butler .......... 7 not out ........... 29 G. McMillan, b Hanson ... 4 B. Davies, b Maxwell........15 G. Gatehouse, absent.......... 0 b Maxwell.............79 B 1, lb 12............... 13 B 17, lb 5 ... 22 Total .................200 Total..........317 B reak of D ay . E. Maxwell, c sub, b Burn 47 c Ward, b Sams 14 R. Kirby, b Ward ..........55 b Ward ........... 23 E. Lucas, c Sams, b Ward 50 b Ward ........... 1 C. W . Butler, b Ward ... 14 run out ..........24 C. Vautin, b Sams ..........35 cGatehouse,bBum22 0. Byfield, c Bum, b Ward 6 J. Briggs, b Burn .......... 2 W . Gill, b Reeves.................33 not out ............ 0 F. Hanson, not out ..........24 Ellis, c Ward, b Burn..........13 G. J.Eady, absent .......... 0 notout.................135 B 4, lb 3, w 1, nb 1 ... 9 B 5, lb 4, w 1... 10 Total ..........288 Total..........229 U n d e r a n y circum stan ces, tw o in n in g s o f a h u n d red are o f th e rarest. B u m ’s scores h a d th e a d d ition a l m erit o f b e in g b o th n o t o u t. M o re th a n th a t, to o , in th e first in n in g s h e ca rried his b a t th ro u g h , w h ich m ad e h is ach ievem en t m ore n o te w o rth y . B u t th e b est featu re o f th e p erform a n ce w as a t th e finish. S ix w ick ets h a d fa llen fo r 129, w h en R eeves a n d B u m b ecam e associated, an d the tw o b a tsm en w o n th e m atch b etw een th em . A s th e to ta l a t th e en d w as 317 fo r six w ick ets, it w ill b e seen, th e y added 188. B u m s 162 (n o t o u t) a cco rd ­ in g to th e Tasmanian Mail, to o , w as a bsolu tely w ith o u t a ch an ce. C a r r y in g o n e ’ s b a t th ro u g h the in n in g s is a n in cid en t w o r th y o f m en tion in a m a tch o f a n y k in d . T h e d ifficu lty, o f cou rse, increases in p ro p o rtio n t o th e q u a lity o f th e b o w lin g . In a n y case, the p erform a n ce o f G . M ills, fo r A u ck la n d , a ga in st W e llin g to n , in th e In te r-P ro v in ­ cia l m atch , tow a rd s th e en d o f F eb ru a ry , stands o u t in b o ld relief in N ew Z ea la n d crick et. M ills, as the score in an oth er p a rt o f th e p a p er w ill sh o w , w en t th ro u g h A u ck la n d ’s first in n in g s, sco rin g 106, ou t o f a to ta l Of 235. T h o u g h p rev iou sly a second eleven m an , h e h a d been sco rin g w ell th ro u g h o u t th e season, h a v in g n o less th a n fo u r hu n d red s t o his cred it. H e is a m em b er o f a crick etin g fam ily. T he Haverford College Eleven, who are playing a series of matches during July with the principal English schools, are to leave Philadelphia on June 13th in the steamer Belgenland, for Liverpool. So far, their first fixture is against Chel­ tenham College, at Cheltenham, on June 29th and 30th. It is possible, however, that they may open their tour on the previous Friday, i.e., June 26th. There is just a chance that they may play Owen’s College, Manchester, on their way from Liverpool to London. Since last week another fixture has been made for them against Haileybury College, through the kind offices of the Head Master, the Hon. and Rev. E. Lyttelton, one of the very best players of his day, as Cricket readers hardly need to be re­ minded. T he members of Lord Hawke’s team, who have reached London, speak in most appreciative terms of the reception they met with everywhere in South Africa. The whole party, according to allaccounts, had a very enjoyable time of it notwith­ standing the moving incidents by flood and field they experienced. Not the least gratifying feature to the promoters, at all events, was the financial success of the trip, a result the more creditable con­ sidering the disturbing elements they had to face. On the evening after Lord Hawke’s team defeated South Africa in the third match, they were the guests of the Union Steamship Company, on board the Pretoria. Lord Hawke, in a speech after the dinner, said that the team were delighted with their visit to South Africa, and wished to express their thanks for the welcome which they had received. IN the course of the evening, Lord Hawke announced that the cup, which had been presented by the Union Steam­ ship Company, to be awarded to the team which he considered had given the best display against the visitors, had been won by Kimberley. The winners of the cup were all men bom in South Africa. I f it were not that the Australians have a convenient habit of rising to the occasion when the necessity arrives, it would be pretty safe to prophesy that, while the fielding of our visitors this year will be good, their bowling will not be up to the average of previous years. On the face of it, the bowling of Turner, who, it will be remembered, was chosen to accompany the team—though he did not accompany it—can hardly be as good now as it was in 1892, and is certainly nothing like it was during his previous visit. The other bowlers are, without doubt, all good on occasion, but no one of them seems to have the abilities of a Spofforth or a Palmer, or a Boyle. At the same time it is quite on the cards that one or two of them may surprise themselves as well as Englishmen, especially if it happens to be a wet season. I n batting, the Australians are likely to give a display which will be attractive to spectators, whatever the result of the matches may be, and this may have a great deal to do with the success of the tour. There is no mighty hitter like Lyons, it is true; but, on the other hand, there is no batsman who can be so wearisome to watch as Bannerman. Gregory and Graham are very well known as men who can force a game, even when the chances of doing it seem altogether against them ; and the best authorities in Australia are of opinion that Iredale and Darling will strike English spectators as being batsmen not merely correct, but delightful to watch. Hill can hit all round, and if he takes kindly to English wicketa, may leam to know how en­ thusiastic an English crowd can be when it sees a powerful batting performance. I t has been suggested in Australia that a testimonial should be given to J. M’Carthy Blackham, who when at his best, was recognised all the world over as the greatest wicket-keeper of the day. It seems almost certain that Blackham will retire from the game after this season, and there can be no doubt that his admirers would be very glad to show their appreciation of the good which he has done to the game. I n a match against South Melbourne, on the North Melbourne cricket ground, G. Stuckey made 76, which included a sixer from a “ lost ball.” The ball was hidden in the grass, which seems an un­ usual thing to happen on a first-class cricket ground. N ever , since it became fashionable to go on cricket tours abroad during the winter, has a team had to contend with more difficulties than thatof Lord Hawke’s. As a rule, the chief enemy to the success of a tour is the clerk of the weather, and battles and seiges are conspicuous by their absence. At the beginning of the tour there was an accident to the boat in which the captain and two of his team were sailing, but with the remembrance in their minds of accidents at sea to cricket tourists, they were not discouraged. M isfortunes of a serious kind began to come almost as soon as the actual business of the tour began, and what with acci­ dents to various important members of his team, and the sudden enforced return of Mr. Hewett to England, there was enough worry to satisfy any captain. But, just before the first match at Johannesburg was to come off, to be confronted with the news that the town was in a state of seige, and that battles might be expected at any moment, was alarming, to say the least of it. It was useless to think of playing in Johannes- burg under these circumstances, and although, in the end, the match came off, it was not surprising that it failed to attract spectators. A second match, which had been arranged at the same town, had to be abandoned, owing to the great explosion there. And yet, despite