Cricket 1898

58 CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE QAME. A p r il 14, 1898. F o r a neat way of letting the English team down easily, the Australian cap­ tain’s remark in his speech after the close of the above match is admirable. He said that the English team was the best -—or one of the best—that had visited Australia. I n a match between Mr. S. B. Joel’s team and the Press, George Lobmann was seen at his best. He took 8 wickets for 20, and made not out 30 out of a total o f 58. F r o m the Australasian : — “ No standing allowed in front of the pavilion ” is the notice posted at the Mel­ bourne Cricket Ground. During the last test match this was taken very literally indeed by an aged Scotchman, evidently not familiar with the usages of the ground. He sat in the front row when Howell went in to bat, and MacLaren, with a prescience amply justified by subsequent events in Sydney, fielded close up to the fence in anticipation of a higK drive. The venerable onlooker leaned over the rose bushes, pointed his umbrella at the fieldsman, and said, “ Young mon, ye’re no allowed to stan’ in front o’ the privilion.” I t is said that when W . G. Grace was o f the same age as 0 . H ill is at present, he had scored j ust as many hundreds as the young Australian. H is average was 47'68 for 72 completed innings, while H ill’s is about 40 for 80 completed innings. Possibly some statistician may be able to verify or dispose of this statement. Pre­ sumably the matches referred to are of all kinds. F o r X I I . of the Melbourne C.C. against X IV . of Prahan Trades, on Feb. 23, C. Over bowled 186 balls for 64 runs and the whole of the thirteen Trades’ wickets. A n extract from a colonial news­ paper:— “ Cricketer Ernest Jones umpired recently in Melbourne in an interprovincial drummers’ match. The mercury was 107° in the shade, and Jonah made himself immensely popular by stopping the game every fifteen minutes for drinks ! ” C le m e n t H i l l ’s feat of scoring a hun­ dred in the same season against each of the two colonies to which he was opposed has only been equalled by that of George Giffen in 1891-2, when he made 271 against Victoria and 120 again B t New South Wales. L o rd H e l l in g d o n , who succeeded to the title on the death of his father some ten days or a fortnight ago, will be better known to Cricket readers as the H o n . C. W . Mills. H e has taken a prominent part in cricket in West Kent, and has been an active member o f the West Kent Club as well as of I Zingari for some years. As a lob bow ler at times he has been particularly successful for West Kent. U m p ir e Bannerman—and he ought to be as good a judge as one could find— has evidently a pretty high opinion of E . Jones, the South Australian, as a field. A t all events, this is what he was over­ heard to say of him :—“ He is a wonder, a real marvel as a field. He excels any other man I have ever seen, wonderfully fast, wonderfully active, and very clever at throwing the ball in.” No damning with faint praise about this ! T h e Sydney papers just to hand give particulars of an exceptionally fine per­ formance by a youngster named Campbell of the Newington College eleven. In the first match for this year’s premiership, among the larger schools, Newington College played last season’s champions, Sydney Grammar School. Campbell was very much to the fore, as in the first innings he was responsible for 117 out of a total of 229, and in the second, 118 out of 208 for one wicket. In neither case did his innings occupy two hours. But even this brilliant scoring could not savehis side. TheGramniar School, indeed, replied well, 282 and 111 for one wicket, and consequently won on the first innings by 53 runs. Altogether it was a run-get­ ting match, for 830 runs were scored for21 wickets. Campbell’s “ double century,” I opine is an unmistakable record for a school match. THB SEASON BEGINS. T h e follow ing letter will speak for itself JONES’ BOWLING. To the Editor of C r icket . Sir,—So much commendation has been be­ stowed upon Phillips for no-balling Jones during the Australian season now closing, that 1 must ask space to say a little on the other side. In England, under the very eyes of the rulers of the game, the law relating to doubtful deliveries has been allowed to fall into disuse, and there are several seemingly unfair bowlers. Does it not therefore savour of persecution for an umpire to revive a dis­ honoured rule in the case of one particular bowler, while others are allowed to go scot- free. Would it not have been better for Phillips to have waited until the M.C.C. took the initiative (that is, if they really think it necessary to check doubtful' bowling) ? In these days, when the batsmen have the bene­ fit of “ boundaries ” .and other advantages that the early cricketer never dreamed of, I think a little extra latitude might be allowed to the howler; but this is by the way. The strangest part of this strange affair is that Phillips should have allowed Jones to bowl during the tour of the 1896 team with­ out once calling him to account.—I am, etc., J. FITZPATRICK, Sydney, February 28, 1898. Australia. A t their recent meeting for the election of umpires to stand in first-class inter- connty matches, the captains of the different elevens decided to institute a system which would enable them to get the opinions of those interested on the merits of the various officials so elected. With this view the Secretary of the Mary- lebone Club has sent down forms, to be filled up at the end of each county fixture by the two captains, expressing their views on the quality of the umpiring in the match in question. This w ill at least ensure an authoritative report on one of the most important matters affecting county cricket. A t the annual general meeting of the Derbyshire C.C. Mr. Arthur Wilson shewed the necessity of increasing the number of subscribers, inasmuch as, chiefly owing to bad weather, the receipts were £ 100 less than in 1896. The president, Mr. W . Boden, had suggested that a sum of £400 should be raised, offering £50 towards this, and the amount was practically collected. A letter was read from Mr. S. H . Evershed, who had announced his intention of giving up county cricket on account of the pressure of business. Mr. Evershed, however, promised to captain the team again this season. T h e follow ing is a list of the benefits for this season. May 26, Baldwin, S’hmpton, Hampshire v, Yorkshire* ,, 30, G. G. Hearne, Lord’s, Middlesex v. Somerset* ,, 30, W. Attewell, Nottingham, Notts v. Surrey (half gate). July 11, Wainwright, Sheffield, Yorkshire v. Lancs. Aug. 1, Alec Hearne, Canterbury, Kent v. Lancs. „ 11, W. Baker, Manchester, Lancashire v. Yorks. „ 18, W. 8ugg, Derby, Derbyshire v. Yorkshire. „ —, G. Bean, Brighton (match not fixed). T h e “ com ing of age ” dinner of the Stoics C.C. will take place on Wednesday, April 20, at 7 p.m ., at the H olbom Restaurant. I n the return match between Victoria and South Australia, Graham was hit on the foot b y a ball from Jones., While Graham was hopping away from the wicket in some pain, the ball, after rising about a dozen feet in the air, dropped near the wicket and then rolled into it, to the great disgust of the batsman. E d it e d by Mr. Sydney Pardon, a book which will be invaluable to all Eton, Harrow and Winchester boys has just been published b y John Wisden & Co. It is entitled “ Public School Matches,” and contains a correct record of all the matches of which the scores are in existence played between Eton, Harrow and Winchester. In addition to the scores, the book contains articles on the cricket of their school by the H on. E. H . Lyttelton, Mr. A. C. MacLaren, and Mr. E. H. Buckland. These articles alone would mark the book as one to be bought. C r i c k e t a n d l a w n t e n n i s .c l u b Captains and Secretaries are invited to write for estimate fur complete or partial Club outfits for 1he season to :— H aycraft & S on , L imited , Sports Furnishers, The Broadway, Deptford, London, S.E.