Cricket 1899

Together joined In Cricket’s manly toil.”— Byron. NO. 5 2 4 . VOL. X V III. THUKSDAY, SEPTEMBEE 7, 1899. PR ICE 2d. A CHAT ABOUT THE AUSTRA­ LIANS OF 1899. In a short speech which he made at a dinner given to the Australians at the Crystal Palace, on the Saturday before the first match of the tour, Dr. W . G. Grace said: “ I admit my anxiety to and it was promptly forthcoming, although, be it noted, the Australians themselves would have none of it. The victory was ascribed to a fluke, for Englishmen as a body seem to have made up their minds from the first that this team was all that was ever said of it— and a little more. Any lingering doubt which may have remained was removed when triumphed all along the line. Jones was even more of a terror than before, while if he happened by chance not to come off, some other bowler immediately did what was necessary. Meanwhile, the batsmen did remarkable things. Nothing went wrong with the team, and by the time that the first England match was played we were, as a nation, ready for defeat in THE AUSTRALIANS AT THE OVAL : RANJITSINHJI BATTING. A REMINISCENCE. judge of the quality of the new bowlers, and whether they are really as good as the last team who went to Australia made them out to be. (Laughter.) Everybody knows that a team does not always perform away as well as on their j own ground. There generally is an excuse leady.” There was an opportunity for the fxcuse in the second match of the tour when Essex gained a very easy victory. I the rout of the Surrey team, in the following match, became known. Doubt was turned to certainty, and hope to despondency. We had no bowlers, nc field, no batsmen— nothing; we were out-generalled and beaten at every point of the game. We were effete. What had been done to Surrey would be done ! to other teams, and it was not long before there was a newspaper panic. The team an innings; but we luckily scraped through and made a most ignominious draw. The strong M .C.C. team went down like chaff before the wind; Cam­ bridge was beaten by ten wickets after having made 436 in the first innings; while Yorkshire barely succeeded in making a draw in the return match. Who could stand against such a victorious team ! A “ panic ” eleven was chosen to