Cricket 1898

M a r c h 31, 1898. CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 35 BUSSEY’S CR ICKET BATS ARE THE GRANDEST MADE. BUSSEY’S <CCfrft CR ICKET BALLS RETAIN THEIR SHAPE, AND LAST LONSER THAN ANY OTHER. BUSSEY’S < G C B ^ LEG GUARDS ARE EXCEPTIONALLY GOOD, AND THE LIGHTEST MADE. BUSSEY’S BATTING GLOVES ARE FAR SUPERIOR TO THE USUAL CLASS, BUSSEY’S CR ICKET BAGS ARE OF THE HIGHEST GRADE. BUSSEY’S SCORE BOOKS ARE THE MOST APPROVED. BUSSEY’S DIARY AND COMPANION IS A GEM FOR SIXPENCE. CATALOGUE ON APPLICATION TO 36 & 38, QUEEN VICTORIA STREET, LONDON; OR dealers all over the world . MANUFACTORY— PECKHAM , LONDON. TIMBER MILLS— E L M S W E L L , SU FFO LK . BETWEEN THE INNINGS. A QU AR TER OF A CEN TU R Y ’S U N IV E R S IT Y CR ICKET . CHAPTER I. When I began these articles I had no definite notion of instituting compari­ sons between the two great ’Varsity sides. So far, indeed, was this from being my intention that I had at first thought of dealing with each University separately; and in that case my notes on one or the other would probably have had to await the next off-season. All I had intended to do was to give a short account of the more notable happenings in the matches played by Oxford and Cambridge during the last twenty-five years, and to show what part each of the great players who have helped to make illustrious the Dark or Light Blue annals during that time had in the ’Varsity cricket of his day. But the design grew, as such designs generally do, in execution ; and before I had gone far with the Cambridge record —which I tackled first—it became ap­ parent that to dissociate the stories of the two teams would be to risk depriving my work of the greater part of its interest. It is well enough to tell the history of a single county alone; indeed, county cricket is so big a subject that it is difficult to do justice to even one county at a time, and no two counties are so bound together that the history of one is incomplete without that of the other—though I can remember being told by a Yorkshireman that an account of Yorkshire Cricket and Cricketers ought, to be at all complete, to include a good deal of Lancashire cricket history. But the interest of a county season is spread out over the season; though at various times Surrey v. Notts, Yorkshire v. Lancashire, Surrey v. Lancashire, may have been, as it were, the crown of the year’s cricket, yet even these matches can never be quite so im­ portant to the sides concerned as is Oxford v. Cambridge to the wearers of the Dark and Light Blues. The great match at Lord’s is the very climax of the season’s cricket with these. To it all that goes before is subordinated; the most im­ portant of the other games are but trial spins for this one great race. Cantabs have felt honest pride in beating Surrey ; Oxonians have exulted over all too rare victories over the County Palatine ; but if a ’Varsity team were were given its choice of losing all its other matches and beating its rival, or of winning all its other matches and losing the great game, one knows well which would be chosen. To the man who (like C. P. Foley in 1891) has a large share in winning the game for his side, all former shortcomings are forgiven—nay, almost forgotten. In these notes, therefore, I have taken the records of the two teams year by year, giving their deeds in the same paragraph, their figures side by side. And thus comparison has become inevit­ able ; and comparison is very largely in favour of the Light Blues. In the earlier years of the quarter of a century over which my survey extends the Oxonians were several times decidedly the more powerful team; but from 1878 onwards there were very few years when Cam­ bridge had not a better record and a stronger side. In 1884, indeed, again in 1887, and in 1894, one would unhesi­ tatingly rank the Dark Blues first, and there were some other seasons in which there was very little to choose between the sides; but on the whole, as all figures go to show, Cambridge has held the upper hand. There are good reasons for this, however, and one need not have been surprised had the disparity been even more marked. The possession of Fenner’s has given the Cintabs a great advantage over their rivals, who are not allowed by the ’Varsity authorities to take gate-money when they play in the Parks ; and as, generally, only one Oxford match each season is played elsewhere, the Dark Blue exchequer has never been sufficiently full to admit of the employment of pro­ fessional coaching of the same class as the Cantabs have been able to hire. A list of the various professionals employed at Oxford and at Cambridge during the last twenty-five years would make in­ teresting and instructive reading, and would form a fitting sequel to the com­ parative tables which I shall give herein. I have not the materials at hand for making it ; but possibly some of my readers may have. A great cricketer is not necessarily a good coach, of course ; but the advantages of practising regularly against the very best bowling can scarcely be overestimated. A word as to the make-up of my articles. This—Chapter I. —may be con­ sidered as by way of preface. In Chapter II. I shall give the figures relating to the doings of sides, so that they may be con­ venient for reference as the story of each year’s doings is unfolded. The next chapter (or chapters) will give notes on each year’s play. The individual averages of each man who played year by year would take up too muoh space; but I shall try to find room for the best in each ssason. Then we shall come to the com­ plete records of each individual player of any note, together with century lists, fine bowling performances, and the like. I hope also to be able to give in my closiD g chapter the school from which each Blue of the last twenty-five yea*s hailed, and though there will be some difficulty in making this list complete, I do not think that, if some of my readers who aie “ learned in the lore” (of cricket) wilt help me, it will be found impossible. CHAPTER If. RESULTS OF MATCHES PLAYED (i.). C ambridge . O xkohd . Year. P. W . L. D. P. W. L. D. 1873 ... 7 ... 1 .. . 6 .. . 0 ... ... 5 . . 5 . 0 .. . 0 1874 .. . 7 ... 3 ... 3 .. . 1 ... ... 6 . .. 4 .. . 2 ... 0 1875 ... 7 ... 4 ..,. 2 ... 1 ... ... 5 ... 4 .. . 1 ... 0 1876 ... 7 ... 4 ... 1 ... 2 ... ... 5 .. 1 ... 2 .. 2 1877 ... 7 ... 3 ... 3 ... 1 ... ... 5 ... 3 ... 2 ... 0 1878 ... 8 ... 8 .. . 0 .. 0 ... ... 4 ... 0 ... 3 ... 1 1879 .. . 6 ... 4 .. . 0 .. 2 ... G ... 2 ... 3 ... 1 1880 .. . 7 ... 3 .... 3 .. ! I ... 5 ... C ... 5 ... u 1881 .. 8 ... 2 ..,. :i ... 3 ... ... 5 ... 1*... 2 ... J 1882 ..,. 9 ... 5 .. 2 . 2 ... ... 6 ... 1 ... 5 ... <» 1883 .. 8 ... 5 .... 1 .. . 2 ... ... 7 ... 2 ... 3 ... J 1884 .. 8 ... 1 ... 7 .. . 0 ... ... 8 ... 7 ... 1 ... 0 18:5 .... 9 ... 1 .. 4 ... 4 ... ... 8 . .. 0 ... 6 ... 2