Cricket 1898

474 CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. D ec . 22, 1 8 9 8 hospitality our elevens received during their stay within the walls of Paris.” Few people know that the Hon. E. Chandos Leigh was one of the founders of tlie famous Harlequin Cricket Club at Oxford. “ The club was founded,” he said, “ at a small dinner given by Mr. C. S. Roundell, who was formerly M.P. for Grantham. There were present, Lord Justice Chitty, Charles Austen Leigh, and myself, besides the host. We talked over the proposed club, and the name of the ‘ Harlequins ’ Was sug­ gested ; I forget by whom. In tbe same year we played the Quidnuncs on the Magdalene ground, and in a short time the club became for Oxford what the Quidnuncs was for Cambridge. The mainstays of the clubat firstwere thethree Marsbams, more particularlyMr. Charles Marsham. In lateryearsnoman has con­ tributed so greatly to the success of the clubasA. J. "Webbe, an old Harrowboy.” “ How long were you in the Harrow Eleven ? ” “ Three years—1849, 1850, and 1851. In my third year I was captain, and I remember that I put Montague Butler, the present Master of Trinity, in tbe team. Among the best players who were in the eleven during my time were Henry Vernon, P. D. Longe, and Regi­ nald Hankey, of whom George Parr said that he was the finest amateur bat he had ever come across.” “Youwere also intheOxford Eleven ? ” “ Yes, as long-stop, in the three years after I left Harrow, and in each year Oxford won by an innings. The wickets were, as you have doubtless heard, very much worse in those days than they are now, and the office of long-stop was by no means a sinecure, especially when nne had to stop such bowlers as A. Payne and Walter Fellows. I consider ihat Harvey Fellows—Walter Fellows’ brother—was the fastest bowler to whom I ever acted as long-stop, andthat Payne was the most difficult for the reason that he was left-handed and erratic. There used to be a great deal of leg- hitting, and lots of catches came to long- btop ; indeed, in the second year inwhich 1 was in the Oxford team, no less than five catches came tome in the M.O.C. and Cambridgematches atLord’s. The famous W. Ridding was our wicket-keeper, and C. D. Marsham our great bowler.” “ There was not much first-class clicket in these days, as a rule, for a cricketer after he left the University ? ” “ Not as a rule. My cricket was chiefly confined to playing for I Zingaii. For some twenty years I was secretary of tbe club. We had not a great many of the best cricketers of the day among us; we were very limited as to numbers. Among the members were Lord Bessborougb, who played now and then ; E. T. Drake, Eobert and C. D. Marsham, the two Fiennes, ard the present Sir Spencer Ponsonby Fane. I was going in for the Bar at this time, and did not play regularly until the Vacation began, although I occasionally took part in the Midland Circuit matches until 1873 or 1874. Frequently I took on the elevens which I Zingari sent every jear to Ireland to play the Vice-regal Lodge during the Lieutenancies of the Duke of Abercorn andLord Spencer.” “ Will youtell meabouttheoriginof the proposal to buyPrinceGeorge’s ground P” “ In 1890, an idea was originated that it would be a splendid thing to provide cricket grounds for the clerks, artisans, and workmen of London. A great meeting was held at the Memorial Hall, Farringdon Street, Lord Brassey in the chair. It was subsequently deter­ mined to divide London into districts, and I was unanimously elected chairman of the general committee. There was also a chairman of each district, who at stated intervals gave a report of what hadbeen donein bis district. Thescheme worked so well that in the Jubilee year abold planwas formedto purchasePrince George’sgroundatHaynesPark, so called after the Duke of York, who, as Prince George, graciously accepted the office of President of the society.” “ What is the presentpositionof affairs with regardto PrinceGeorge’sground ? ” “ The purchase is nowconcluded. The subscriptions amount to about £7,500, snd it has been foundnecessarytoborrow onlyabout£2,000. Mr. GeraldMordaunt, tbe famousOxford cricketer is ourpresent secretary. I may saythat thelandlord, Mr. Herron, has agreed to deduct £200 from the option price as discount for payment at Christmas, instead of next Midsummer, five per cent, interest to be paid if the purchase moneywas not punctuallypaid. He has also agreed to include the timber, and to give £500 to tbe purchase fund. Reckoning this generous donation as a deduction, the purchase money is reduced from £9,800, andtimber extra, to £9,100, including timber. This equals about £370 per acre. This price is reasonable, considering the long frontage. A rather larger area of adjoining land, without frontage, could be bought at a much less price, even allowing for the expense of laying it out for cricket, and by buying this land the probable necessity of bor­ rowing money to n ake up the purchase money requiredforPrinceGeorge’swould be avoided, and an offer was made to the committee to take this land instead of Prince George’s. But it was rightly urged that the scheme for the preserva­ tion of Prince George’s Ground, to which the public bad so generously subscribed, ought to be carried out.” W. A. B e i t e s w o b t h . NATIVE CRICKET IN INDIA. The following account of the cricket at St.Aloysius’ College, Mangalore, is sentby Mr. A. S. A. Monteno :—The St. Aloysius’ College team held its own against all opposing teams during the seasonwhich we have just closed. It is admitted to be one of the best, if not the very best, team in the provinces of South Canaia, and has succeeded in keeping its cricket record of these few years without a reverse. Theirswasthe first teamtrained sixteen years ago by the late Father Ryan, an Irish Jesuit, and for many years the only native team in these parts. Our young men here take kindly to cricket, andit seems to suit their tempera­ ment to a dot. They have made this and some other English games their own. They are very proud of many hard- earned victories over the officers and men of different British regiments. Un­ doubtedly they have good batsmen, and their bowlers are not inferior. Among the 1898 bowlers, the most noteworthy was Albert Correa. In one match he bowled with such remarkable skill that in the course of an hour and seven minutes the whole side had been in and out, without a double figure among them'. Here is a list of the principal matches in which the Aloysians were engaged in the season of 1898. We don’t fear to speak of 1898. A ugust 4. Aloysians v. Cath Cricket Club. A loy- sinns w on by 71 rune. A ugust 11. Aloys-ians v. Sodality C.C. 8.C.C. were beaten by 90 runs. September 3rd, Aloyt-ians v. European C.C. A loy- sians 122 runs, European C.C. 64 runs and a wicket. A virtual victory. September 15, A lojsians v. European C.C. The College w on a very creditable and haid-contested game by 5 runs. O ctober 24, Aloyeians v. M angalore C.C. Match was closed owing to rain. B O W L IN G A N A L Y S IS . Buns. W kts. Overs. Mdns. Albert Correa ............ 125 ... 25 ... 97 ... 42 Koman M iranda............ 100 ... 21 ... 57 ... 22 K rishnappa.................... 75 ... 2 ... 34 ... 10 Sequeira, A ...................... 6 .. — ... 6 ... 4 The match of September 15, Aloysians v. English team, was avery exciting one. When it opened the Aloysians bad little expectation of its being a very brilliant one, much less of their beiDg destined to score a victory. The very first two balls sent the captain and the next best player to Coventry, and the third wicket was down fcr two runs. Still gloomier was the outlook when tbe fourth wicket went down for 8, the fifth for 10, and the sixth for 12 runs. The succeeding men truly left a forlcrnhope. Julian Saldanha got in, and at the opposite wicket was Albert Sequeira. Albert played with confidence and care, while his partner hit in splendid style, having to his credit 25 runs before he was out. Even then, when their innings was over, they had succeeded in getting only 58 runs. The other side batted carefully, but the College fielding was so huperb that they were all out for 53. The highest score on their side was Mr. Dawson’s 28, and Mr. H. Morgan’s 13. Mr. J. H. Stoddart, anold-time playeragainst anAll England Eleven, neversucceededinscoring against tbe College. In the second innings especially, the Europeans tried hard to save the game, but victory again smiled on the College boys, though they had narrowly escaped a beating. Your paper is read with avidity by all cricketers in the College, I may say the whole College, because everybody plays cricket here. The cricket song, by Mr. Clement Scott, published in one of your earlier issues, is a favourite, and other pieces, too, come in for their share. We are kept in touch with different phases of cricket at home through your paper. May it have a prosperous future before it for the advantage of ciichet and all those who are “ Together joined in Cricket’s manly toil.” N E X T ISSUE, THUR SDA Y J A N U A R Y 26.