Cricket 1899

“ Together joined in Cricket’ s manly toil.” — Byron. no . 5 n . v o l . x v i i i . THUESDAY, JUNE 8, 1899. p r i c e ad. up to their reputation during their first tour, they were somewhat disappointing. If either Kenny Burn or C. J. E id y had received another chance, he in all proba­ bility would have distinguished himself. But selection committees can only go by the recent form of players who are eligible, and it was not the fault of any committee that neither Eady nor Bum MR. S. A. WINDSOR. was chosen a second time. Unfortunately for (hem they did not happen to do any­ thing very biilliant in the few trial matches which could be given them, and thus they had to be passed over. For several years E. A. Windsor has been Bteadily com ing to the front in Tasmania, and^when before the past Australian season he became ill, such sympathy was felt by all cricketers of the colony that a fund was promptly raised to give him the opportunity of visiting a health resort. The results were all that could be desired, and Windsor returned a new man. Throughout the season he did brilliant things for the North, both in batting and bow ling. As a bowler, he is slow, with a break, chiefly from the leg, which comes off oa almost every kii.d o f wicket, and it was but natural that Tasmanian cricketers insisted on his claims as an all-round man, with all the more energy be­ cause they had an uneasy suspicion that Eady would be left at home. It was pointed out that the Australians had no bow ler of his particular brand, and that slow bow ling like his would be very useful. But Australians have tried leg-break bowlers before with a want of success which has not tended to encourage them to try another experi­ ment of the same kind, and it is not altogether surpris­ ing that the selection com ­ mittee decided not to take the Tasmanian, whose turn may, however, yet come if he shows good form next season. E. A. W indsor was born at Launceston on March 9th, 1869, and is therefore just thirty years of age. H e was educated at the Launceston H igh School, where he prac­ tically learned his cricket. In lfc86 he joined the Esk club, the Launceston being the only other club then existing. In the follow ing season he first played for North v. South, and he has appeared in every match since that tim e—twenty-three matches in all. In 1888 he was highest scorer for Tasmania v. Mr. Vernon’s English Team with 29. Playing for North v. South in 1890 he scored 33 runs in eleven minutes—26 in tw o overs (three 4’s and a single, and two 4’s and a 5). In 1896 a third senior club was formed in LauncestoD, of which he was appointed captain, a position he still ME . E. A. W INDSOR. It is the misfortune of Tasmanian cricketers that they have few opportuni­ ties of improving their game by playing against, or even watching, men who are better tban themselves. It is true that the Australian colonies send teams to Tasmania now and then, but, with a pardonable sense of their own vast superiority, they are content to leave most of their best men at home. The question is constantly being discussed in Australia whether matches against Tas­ mania should count as first- class, and in the averages it may be said to be customary to give two tables—one in which figure Victorian, South Austialian, and New South Wales matches, as well as matches against English teams, while in the other appear the words “ including matches against Tasmania, Queensland, etc.” A ll this is very discouraging to a body of cricketers who, despite their great disadvantages, have shown that they are capable of making runs against the best bow ling in the world, and often of getting wickets against the best batting. To Englishmen who follow the course of cricket in the Antipodes at all carefully, it seems strange that matches against the Tasmanians are not promptly and definitely counted as first-class, and that the Australian colonies do not put their very strongest teams into the field against them. It is quite certain that, although Tasmania would at times be beaten in the most hollow fashion, the cricket would gradually im ­ prove until a match against Tasmania would come to be regarded as anything hut a certainty for opposing teams. At times Tasmanians have been considered good enough to accompany Australian teams to E r gland, but like so many men, Englishmen included, who do not play