Cricket 1898

466 CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. Nov. 24, 1898. T he follow ing are the dates for the matches between England and Australia next summer:— June 1. N ottingham , England v. Australia. June 15. L ord’s, England v. Australia. June 29. Leeds, England v. Australia. July 17. M anchester, England v. Australia. A u g. 14. Oval, E ngland v. Australia. T he follow ing dates, so I am told, at least, have been fixed for the four great matches of the year at Lord’s :— June 15 ... E ngland v. Australia. July 3 ... O xford v. Cam bridge. ,, 10 ... Gentlem en v. Players. „ 14 ... } to n V. Harrow. The Australian team, it may be added, are to appear four times in all on the ground of the Marylebone 0.0. In addition to the test match, they have to meet M.O.C. and Ground twice, and Middlesex once. W h a t with the five test matches and a number of applicants whom there will be little or no chance to satisfy, the arrange­ ment of the programme for this same Australian team can hardly, one would imagine, be athing of great joy. Humour has it that there will be in all likelihood a fixture at the Crystal Palace against the South of England, captained, of course, by “ W.G.,” at quite the commencement of the tour. In addition to the five test matches and fixtures against each of the first-class counties, the Australians will play M.C.C. and Ground, the two Uni­ versities, as well as take part in the Scarborough and Hastings Weeks. One is justified in hoping that Major Wardill, the secretary of the Melbourne Cricket Club, has definitely arranged to accom­ pany the team as manager. G. M ills , the Surreyprofessional, who has just returned home after fulfilling a successful engagement with the Phila­ delphians, speaks in very appreciative terms of the hearty encouragement given out there to the rising generation of players, not only by the cricketers of older growth, but by all interested in the grand old game. In a small way Mills has done a bit of travelling in pursuit of his profession. He enjoyed for a long time the distinction of the record for the highest individual score in South Africa, where he was engaged for a time. After his American trip, and he judiciously took the opportunity to visit most, of the principal show places in the States before he returned, the deserving little Surrey cricketer contemplates a rest in the shape of an engagement in the old country. T h e vexed question of County Qualifi­ cation is to have a preliminary canter, so it would seem, before the County Secretaries meet at Lord’sonDecember 6. Lord Harris has invited theCounty Clubs to send their representatives for an interchange of views on the scheme he has promulgated for amending the rules affecting County Qualifications. Since these were published, the Committee of the Notts County Club have also circulated their suggestions for arevision of the qualification rules. It might be heresy, perhaps, to suggest that the rules, as they are, provide fairly well for what is required. Any shortcomings have not been so much in the laws as the lack of a firm administration. A clear and definite interpretation of the resi­ dential qualification in the spirit of the rule would have, as some thii k, met what few difficulties there have been. Recent events justify the regret shared bymany that the County Cricket Council should have lapsed. T h a t Mr. A. J. Webbe should have desired a rest from theincreasing respon­ sibilities of the captaincy of the Middle­ sex Eleven will surprise no one who knows anything of the unceasing cares and constant strain of such a position. At the same time, everyone will be sorry to think that he has felt it necessary to relinquish the active management just at a time when he has succeeded in getting together a side that will hold its own with the best, and is likely to be even more successful in 1899 than it was this year. How much he has done to put Middlesexcricketona substantial footing, only those who have an intimate know­ ledge of the work he has got through can estimate. However, his mantle has fallen on the shoulders of a worthy successor in Andrew Ernest, whose other name is Stoddart. As there seems to have been, if there is not even now, a doubt as to the extent of the division of the receipts in the five test-matches, it may be as well to place onrecord that themoney taken for admis­ sion at the gates is only applicable for apportionment among the first-class counties cum MaryleboneClub. Thepro­ ceeds of the stands do not come into the calculation at all. They go, as they have hitherto, into the treasuries of the clubs on whose groundsthematches areplayed. As hitherto, too, the Australians receive one-half of the money taken at the gates. They bear no part of the expenses. On the other hand, they do not participate in the takings at the stands at all. T h e Committee of the Kent C.C. only paid a fair tribute at theirrecent meeting to Mr. J. R. Mason’s able captaincy of the county team during his first year. If he was not able to command complete success, he certainly did very much by his personal influence as well as by his example to deserve it. If the cricket towards the last failed, comparatively that is of course, in the other important respect of finance the club had a good time of it in 1898. One very gratifying feature in the year’s report is that the club is at last in undisputed possession of the freehold of the St. Lawrence Ground at Canterbury. Por the Canterbury Week of 1899, which begins, of course, on the August Bank Holiday, the Lan­ cashire Eleven and the Australians will be the guests of the Kent Club in the order given. T h e Surrey Eleven will have less rest than usual next summer, if all that one hears should prove to be true. I hear on good authority that they will have no less than thirty-one engagements, by which I mean first-class matches, of course. In addition to home and home fixtures with all the first-class counties, Surrey has arranged to meet the Austra­ lians and Cambridge University each twice and Oxford once. It looks as if the members of the Surrey County C:C. would have a high old time of it in 1899. CRlCKETreaderseverywherewill beglad to hear what may be called fairly good news of Harry Trott’s progress towards recovery. He was at least able by the middle of last month to get about again. His appearance in the pavilion of the Melbourne Club on October loth, it goes without saying, gave great pleasure to the cricketers present. Still, the pleasure was mixed with some sadness, as he showed unmistakable traces of the terrible sufferings he had undergone during his severe illness. Th e opening day of the season at Sydney must have been trying to bats­ men. According to the Sydney Mail it was one of the dustiest days ever ex­ perienced in Sydney. Those at the Sydney Cricket Ground were reminded of the terrible fire raging close to Eve- leigh railway station by burnt paper now and then dropping on the field of play; it had been carried by the gale a distance of probably a mile and a half. Clouds of smoke crossed the wickets at a right angle showed that the windwas as nearly as possible due-west. It is said that the wind travelled at the rate of thirty-four miles an hour. Th e name of Jayaram, the well-known Indian native batsman, has turned up in a Tasmanian paper as “ Jazardus.” S c o r e s made this season in club matches by well-known Australians :— JH. Graham, 35, not out; J. Darling, 1; J. J. Lyons, 11 ; G. Giffen, 1; F. Jarvis, 26, not out; Y. Trumper, 34; S, E. Gregory, 6; M. A. Noble, 35, not out; P. Iredale, 30. Noble took nine wickets for 27, and Jones six for 41. T h e first of the inter-colonial matches took place on November 14, . 15, 16, and 17 between Victoria and South Australia, at Adelaide. The Victorians were fortunate enough to bat first, and made a total of 507, of which J. Giller claimed 116, H. Stuckey 134, and Worrall 104. Jones, of course, did the brunt of the bowling, and 192 runs were hit cff him for five wickets. South Australia made 331 (Clement Hill 86 and Jones 42), no less than eight of the wickets falling to H. Trumble for 129 runs. In their second innings Victoria made 217, Jones taking four wickets for 67. So far from appearing likely to knock off the runs, South Australia did very badly from the first in their second innings, and were all cut for 98. This tin,e the siucfssful bowler was Giller—seven wickets for 51 runs. N E X T ISSUE, T HURSDA Y , DECEMBER 22