Cricket 1898

480 CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD' OF THE GAME. D e c . 22 , 1898. The ex-Lord Mayor, Sir H. D. Davies, M.P., came later inthe evening to present the prizeswon during thepast season. A capital musical programme had been arranged. T h e visit of a team of Indian native cricketers to England in 1900 may be said to now have come fairly within the scope of practical politics. There is in fact at the moment only one requisite to convert it into a certainty, that is the acceptance of the captaincy by K. S. Ranjitsinhji. Indian cricketers are of one accord that he will undertake a position for which he is peculiarly quali­ fied. “ Ranji” in charge of the team would ensure the success of the tour, which of itself would command the sym­ pathy and enlist the good wishes of every one interested in the game over here. In all probability “ Ranji’s” decision will not be known till February. Other­ wise, everything is thoroughly in train on the other side. Mr. J. M. Framjee Patel, who is the moving spirit over there, has secured the good offices of Lord Sandhurst, the present Governor of Bombay, as well as of Lord Harris, who it is needless to add held the same high office. The chief native cricketers in India have taken up the matter with enthusiasm. Among others, B. Jayaram has promised, if the requisite leave can be obtained, to accom­ pany theparty, and even the composition of the team is being discussed. Mr. C. W. Alcock has undertaken to arrange the programme, which will consist en­ tirely of first-class matches, as in the case of the Philadelphian team, who visited us in 1897. The Maharajah of Patiala would seem to be an uncertain starter. But another Maharajah, his Highness of Dholpore, who seems to be equally good at polo and cricket, is likely to come. T h e managementof theMinor Counties Association has acted wisely in deciding to admit the second elevens of first-class counties into the second-class county championship. At least it is likely to infuse into the competition an interest which appears hitherto to have been lacking. The Committee of the Maryle­ bone Club has been asked to officially recognise the competition under the title of the County Championship Second Division. T h e news that the Melbourne Club will have control of the Australian team, which is to visit England next summer, will give universal satisfaction to English cricketers. One can say this without the smallest disrespect to the Australasian Cricket Council, which should strictly, perhaps, by virtue of its constitution, regulate such matters. On tbe other hand, the Melbourne Cricket Club has been in such close touch with English cricket and cricketers that anything it undertakes would be readily and heartily accepted in the Old Country. If it only meant that it would be the means of sending the ever-green B. J. Wardill, its genial secretary, over here in charge of the team that would of itself be a cause for congratulation. T om R ic h a r d s o n , tbe greatest of fast bowlers, is to have a well-merited recog­ nitionnext yearat the hands of the Surrey County Cricket Club in the shape of a benefit. He has chosen the match between Surrey and Lancashire at the Oval on August 24th and two following days. It is a little early as yet to make reference to his exceptional performances. For present purposes it will be enough perhaps to place on record, if only by way of a reminder, that in the last four years he has taken nearly eleven hundred wickets in England and Australia in first- classmatches. Two players, both of them amateurs, who played by no means unimportant parts on the cricket field, have passed over to the majority during the last month. The senior, John Smith, did good service for Derbyshire for many years, and took an active as well as sub­ stantial share in the management of Derbyshire cricket till the last. Somer­ setshire claimed the younger, Captain R. P. Spurrway, of the R >yal Engineers. A few years ago his batting was of con­ siderable use to the county. The exigencies of his profession alone pre­ vented him taking the high position as a batsman to which, with better opportu­ nities, he would certainly have attained. As it was he played several fine innings for Somerset, notably one of 108 not out v. Gloucestershire at Bristol in 1894. He died on December 8th at the early age of 32. W i t h the next issue, whichwill appear on January 26th, a new volume begins. This will be volume Eighteen. Not content with publishing a football edition on Saturday' evenings, which is so comprehensive as to make one wonder how it can possibly be produced for a halfpenny, the Yorkshire Kvening Post is adding to the attractions of the edition by publishing a series of inteiviews, by “ Old Ebor,” with famous old cricketers. F r o m the interviewwithBarlow in the above edition we take the following anec­ dotes, which, although they a^e some­ what ancient, arenevertheless interesting: 1,'lyett and I took twenty half-crowns to one that we would not put a hundred on in the second innings before we were parted. We won tbe bet easily enough ; before I left the score was 166. On that tour, when at Sydney, playing against the Combined Eleven of Australia, there was another curious bat­ ting success. When Ulyett and I went in to open the second innings, George said, “ Now, Dick, I ’ll be Mr. Hornby; let’s see if we can’t put a hundred on before weare parted.” “ Eight,” said I, “ we will.” And we did; the score was 122 when the first wicket fell. Ulyett made 67 and myself 62. The first eleven a-side match I played in in Australia commenced on December 9, 1881, against New South Wales, and I was batting for about four houis for 75—the top figure on our side. As I was walking back to the pavilion a gentleman stepped over the rails, and with ceremonious politeness, handed me an old cricket belt, with the remark, “I thought we had the champion sticker in Alec Bannerman, but you win the belt. Take it.” I took it, and have it to this day. B o t h Wisden’sand Lillywhite’scricket annuals for 1899 will be ready next week. Wisden’s, in additionto its usual valuable information, will contain special portraits of W. Storer, Albert Trott, Mr. C. L. Townsend, W. Lockwood, and Rhodes; while Lillywhite will give an excellent reproduction of a photograph of the Gloucestershire Eleven. T h e following story is told of a well- known English cricketer whose diction is the admiration of his friends. He was returning to England after a holiday on the continent, and on the boat met a German, who, in choice English, thus addressed him : “ Wbat gontryman are you?” “ Oh, I’mEoglisb,” he replied. “ Dot is a dtffle of a langvitch to learn, bein ? ” “ Yes,” replied the Englishman, “ it took me a great many years to learn it.” “ Ah, joost so. But you sbeaks it preddy good, mein frent, on the whole, but not joost right. Bimeby you talk him ash well as me ! ” B b lo w will be found a list of scorers of 200 runs in India. It is probably not quite complete, but it is difficult to get data. 268 E. T . Saulez, v. Poona. 257* K . S. K anjitsinbji, Patiala v. U m balla, at U m ­ balla. Novem ber, 18-8. 255 K . M . M istri, Patiala v. Um balla, at Um balla, Novem ber, 1898. 246 C. M itchell, Calcutta v. B allyganj (13 a-side), at Calcutta, February, 1887. 246 E . H . D . Sewell, M adras v. Bellary, at M adras, July, 1898. 237 E. G. W jnyard, 8th K ing’ s Regim ent v. 23rd Royal Fusiliers, Decem ber, 1887. 226 K. H . De-wing, Bellary v . Secunderabad, August, 1894. 225* E. H . D. Sewell, Visitors v. Residents, at Octa- cam und (Madras Presidency), April. 1898. 223 S. S. D oeg, How rah v. Jam alpur, at Jam alpur, January, 1885. 219* Badesi Ram , Patiala v. K aeauli D epot, at Kasauli, October, 1P96. 218* A . D . W ilkins, N orth v. South o f Bom bay Presidency, at Poona, September, 1886. 206 H . C. K ing, Madras v. Bangalore, Decem ber, 1885. 205 Prince Christian Vict-ir, K ing’s Royal Rifles v. Devonshire Regim ent, at Raw ul Pindee, Pindee, 1893. 202* Capt. R. M. Poore, Ganeshkind v. Lancashire Fusiliers and W orcestershire Regim ent, June, 1892. [N ote.— ** E. E. Eicke ” is credited w ith a score of 229, but I have n o details.] The following are some of tbe latest hundreds :— O CTOBER. 13. R . T. R okeby, N ew Y ork V eterans v. Phila­ delphia Veterans ..................................................142 15. E. Rush, H aw ksbum v. Carlton ........................108 15-22. G. L . W ilson, M elbourne v. South M el­ bourne ......................................................................-126 15-22. H . Graham , M elbourne v. South M el­ bourne ........................................................................ 15-22. F. Laver, East M elbourne v. Fitzroy........... 171 . 22. W arne, Carlton v. H aw ksburn.............................. 140* 22. Brooks, Carlton v. B aw ksbu rn ...........................141 NO VEM BER. 5. J. J. Slatem, Piratesv. W anderers (Pretoria) 115 5. W . Hruce, M elbourne v. Hawksburn .. ...166 5-7. S. M cM ichael, East M elbourne v. St.Kilda..246^ 5-7. F, Laver. East M elbourne v. St. K ilda .. 1*6 5-9. R . A . D uff, N ext Fifteen v. Eleven of New South W ales ............................ •■• .*4®® 12-14. Lieut. Bush, M ilitary v. Civil (Calcutta).. K 4 15. E. H. D. Sewell, Bangalore Gym khans v. W est Riding Regim ent ............................. . . .. ••■125 19. L.J.Tancred,W anderers v. Pirates (Pretoria).114 N E X T ISSUE T HURSDA Y , J A N U A R Y 26.