Cricket 1897

“ Together joined in Cricket’s manly toil.”— Byron. n o . 446 . v o l . x v i . T H U E S D A Y , A P E I L 2 9 , 1 8 9 7 . p r i c e a a . CHATS ON THE CRICKET FIELD. W. BKOCKWELL. Meeting, in his early days of first-class cricket, with disappointments which would have completely discouraged a player of less determination, Brockwell steadily kept on his way, and after appear­ ing irregularly with very little success in the Surrey team for four years, he showed in 1890 that he would have to be reckoned with in the future. After this his place in the team was un­ questioned. Coutinuing to improve every year as a bat, he astonished everybody iu 1893 by coming out as a great bowler. In 1894 he beaded the averages in first-class cricket, and although in 1895 it was said that he was falling off, he proved last year that if there was a falling off at all it was at least only temporary. Besides visiting Australia in 1894-95 with Mr. Stoddart’s team, he went to South Africa in 1891-92 with Mr. Bead’s team, and since then has occa­ sionally gone to Africa to give the cricketers in Pretoria the benefit of his assistance and advice in coaching. In this, it is admitted, on all sides, he has met with the greatest success. With reference to the ack­ nowledged improvement in South African cricket this year, Brockwell said, “ I was not greatly surprised at the improvement shown by nearly all the teams with which I came in contact, but the very pronounced strides |made in the game reflect infinite credit upon the players. My previous experience of South African cricket led me to expect improvements, and I was by no means disappointed. South African players are particularly apt and |ains- taking—this remark applies to the whole cricketing community—and have any amount of stamina; they play without the least regard for heat, and the mere fact that the thermometer may be over 100 in the shade does not affect them in the least.” “ Doestheheat trouble you very much ? ’ ’ “ Although it does not trouble me, really, we Englishmen find as a rule that it requires a great effort to play a long innings. I have had a fair amount of experience—not, perhaps, of long innings, but of the heat—and I find that it is necessary to study my health in every way. An innings in Pretoria ex­ tending over a period of about three hours on a hot day is, in my opinion, a decided feat of physical endurance.” ‘ 1Do you invariably play on matting wickets in the Transvaal ? ” “ Yes, and as a matter of fact matting is used in every centre of African cricket. The Western Province, Port Elizabeth, and Natal grounds have a fine grass surface, but the turf is coarse and too frail to wear; with matting stretched over it the pitch is reliable in every way. In Kimberley and Johannesburg there is an entire absence of any growth at all like grass ; in fact the whole arena is an expanse of sand of a very tenacious character. This is levelled and rolled into a surface which, aided by the rain and sun, becomes like con­ crete, and is of a deep but decided red colour. It is very difficult to make the ball turn in dry weather, but after rain it does a lot as a rule. The Pretoria wicket is, I think, one of the best in Africa; it was prepared by Lack, the ground attendant, who had huge ant heaps brought in from the veldt. This was a very fine idea of his, and a most true and durable wicket resulted from it.” “ Who are the best men in the Pretoria team ? ” ‘ 1Tancred and Seccull are decidedly the best, and it is a splendid thing for a side to have two such men as leaders. Tancred, who has never been to England, although he is, I believe, on his way here, is a wonderfully good ba t; he has some beautiful strokes, watches the ball well, and should make some fine scores on our good wickets. He will no doubt find our sticky ones rather trying, but he can hit. Seccull and Sinclair, the Johannesburg batsman, are in my opinion, the two best all-round men iu the Trans­ vaal. Other fine players who are coming on a lot are the brothers Wallach, W. A . Tindall, P. J. Korsten, and Y . M. Tancred ; B. Wallach is an excellent stumper, and is at times quite brilliant; he is also a safe and reliable bat. His brother and Korsten are two of the finest fields in South Africa, and with Tindall and the younger Tancred, both very promising players, form the backbone of Pretoria cricket. Pretoria cricketers owe a great deal to Mr. E. F. Bourke, a gentleman W . BROCKWELL. {From a photograph by G. W • Bradshaw, Eastings,)