Cricket 1899

462 CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. Nov. 30, 1899. A r e m a r k a b le ta le o f tw o um pires is to ld in th e Sydney M ail :— A batsmannamed Hull knocked the whole of the three stumps out of the ground, and was given “ not out.” Fortunately, I happened to he present on that occasion, though I wasnot playing, andthereforecould vouch for Mr. Evers’s story. The batsman turned to hit the ball to leg, and in doing so carried his bat round and floored the wieket. The square leg umpire was appealed to, but he replied that he did not see it; he then sought the decision of the other umpire, who also replied that it had escaped his notice. The explanation was that both officials watched the ball bounding away to long leg. T h e death is announced of the Rev. Arthur Trosse Fortescue, vicar of Hainton and Sixhills, Lincolnshire, seat of Lord Heneage. The deceased gentleman was born in 1846, and played in the Oxford University cricket eleven in 1869 and two following years. He was a pretty bat, a popular man, and always went in first for the Varsity. He played for Oxford against the M.C.C., in which match Dr. W. G. Grace made his first appparance as a member of the M C C. After leaving college he took Holy Orders, and held curacies in Norfolk and Essex, and took a prominent part in the cricket of those counlies. In 1866, Mr. Fortescue was one of the team which went to America under the captaincy of Mr. E. J. Sinderp, the other members being Messrs. W. E. Roller, J. A. Turner, A. R. Cobb, T. R. Hiue-Haycock, H. W. Bainbridge, C. E Cottrell, H. Rotherham, F. T. Wilman, E. H. Buckland, and K. J. Key. Sixteen years ago Mr. Fortescue accepted the living of Hainton, and took a very prominent part in reviv­ ing interest in cricket in the county. He also aided materially in resuscitating the Lincolnshire County Club, and played regularly for the county until some five years ago the club again collapsed. The deceased clergyman was interred at Hainton on Saturday. [We are indebted to Mr. S. Watkins, Leyland House, Lincoln, for the above information]. T h e annual meeting of County secre­ taries for the purpose of fixing the dates of matches for next season will be held at Lord’s on December 5. A t Cambridge, T. L. Taylor succeeds G. L. Jessop as captain of the University Eleven, while E. F. Penn becomes secretary, and S. H. Day assistant- treasurer. R. E. Foster is the new captain at Oxford. I t seems to be definitely decided that a West Indian team will visit England next season at the invitation of the Sports Committee of the West Indian Club. Lord Hawke has taken the priucipal part in the negotiations. It is probable that the team will include representatives of Barbados, Jamaica, British Guiana, St. Vincent, St. Lucia, Trinidad, St. Kitts, Antigua, and Grenada. V i c t o r T rtjm p er is said by the Sports­ man to have scored 208 for New South Wales v. Queensland almost immediately after he reached home. As Mr. W. Troup has gone back to his duties in India, Mr. G. L. Jessop has been chosen to succeed him as captain of the Gloucestershire team. In presenting their report to the mem­ bers, the committee of the Forest Hill C.C. reminded them that the club having lost its old ground in the Woolstone Road, it became necessary not only to seek a new ground, but to provide, if possible, against such a contingency arising again. This engaged the atten­ tion of certain prominent members of the club, and it was resolved to form a limi­ ted liability company, and invite capital to buy the present freehold ground at Perry Hill. The scheme, as tbe members are aware, has been entirely successful; the company was floated, and 2,100 shares have been subscribed for, leaving about 700 shares to be taken up. The new ground being an old nursery had to be entirely laid out and turfed all over at considerable expense. T h e report of the committee of the Yorkshire County C.C., to be presented at the annual general meetingon Novem­ ber 30th, states that the receipts from all sources for the year were £8,555 19s., and the expenditure £6,132 14s. 7d., includ­ ing £479 15 i. devoted to subsidies, win­ ter pay, benefits, etc. £5,000 has been invested in three per cent, mortgages, and the bank balance is £4,133 15s. 7d., making a total of £9,133 15s. 7d. to the credit of the club. A very satisfactory increase in membership has taken place, from 1,200 in 1898 to 2,433 in 1899. A p a te n t scoring board has been pro­ vided at Leeds, and similar ones will be placed at Bradford and Sheffield. The four matches played at Sheffield realised £1,660 6s. 10d.; the three at Leeds (one with Durham yielding £6 18s. 3d.) amounted to £1,097 7s. 3d.; the three at Bradford, £1,221 14s. 8d.; that at Har­ rogate, £676 16s.; at Dewsbury. £236 lls. 8d. ; at Scarborough, £227 2s. 9d.; at Huddersfield, £275 10s. lOd.; and at Hull, £426 3s. 6d. The subscriptions for the year were £2,512 lls. 6d. The total profit on the year was £2.424 4s. 5d. The committee decided to allow 25 per cent, of the takings next year to the clubs on whose grounds matches were played. Theyalsodecided to invest £2,500, making the total investments'into £7,500. A grant of 100 guineas wasmade to the Daily Tele­ graph Soldiers’ WidowsandOrphans’Fund O n e of the Essex matches next season is to be set apart for the benefit of Walter Mead, while the Kent committee have given Martin one of the matches of the Canterbury Week. T h e membership of the Kent County Cricket Club is increasing, and there are 1,900 names on the list. Next year a new pavilion is to be made on the St. Lawrence ground at Canterbury; it is to be ready at the beginning of the season. The accounts show a balance of £1,006. Kent will play Hampshire and Worcestershire next season, but not Warwickshire. T h e following are some of the latest hundreds :— OCTOBER. 7. — . Siiaph, Mr. Guverdhana's X I. v. Mr. Dea’s X I. (Poona) .......................................... loi* 7. H. Donnan. Burwoodv. Paddington (Sydney) 164 7. R. L. Halstead, Lomas v. Hurlingham (Buenos Aires)..................................................120* 14. J. Reedman, North Adelaide v. W . Torrens 111* 14. H. Farquhar, Central Cumberland v. Bur- wood (Sydney) . .........................................141 14. R. A. Duff, North Sydney v. Leichhardt ... 145 27. Brockwell, Patiala v. Pdrsis ... ...................145 * Signifies not out. A. E. JOHNS AND THE AUSTRALIAN TOUR. Readers of Cricket may be interested to know what the first of the Australians to arrive home had to say about the tour to his own countrymen, and, therefore, we make no apology for inserting the follow­ ing interview which appeared in the Australasian by “ Felix.” In a brief chat with Johns he informed me that the cricket-field will know him no more. I regretted to learn that his mind is fully and finally made up on this point. The cares of business will require his undivided attention in future, and thus the finest wicket-keeper in Australia will no longer delight thousands of spectators in inter-colonial matches by his superb form with the gloves. Bar Blackham, A. E. Johns has never had a superior in Australia, and I have no hesitation in once more stating that when at his best his dexterity and artistic work was the “ poetry” of wicket-keeping. I ascertained from him that our men in England kept as much as possible studiously aloof from banquets and late hours, and did their utmost to keep in thoroughtrimand condition soas to acquit themselves worthily as representative cricketers of Australia. Their brilliant achievements throughout a very hot and trying summer testify in the most unmistakable way to verify the words of the famous wicketkeeper. It was news to me to hear from A. E. that as the season progressed, the majority' of the team had to undergo massage treatment. Day after day of vigorous work on the hard- baked grounds in sweltering weather, reminding one of a hot Sydney summer, told heavily upon the legs and feet, and had it not baen for the services of a masseur, it is probable that the Major himself would have been obliged to put on flannels and enter the arena. A. E. is particularly complimentary in referring to the Surrey crack, Tom Hayward, whose batting against the team was a special feature of the English season. A. Lilley, the Warwickshire wicket­ keeper, is another who took A. E.’s fancy. “ I like him well,” said A. E .; “ a thorough and plucky cricketer, first- class with the bat as well as with the gloves, and he is almost sure to come to Australia with the next English team.” Jones’s bowling in the big matches, especially at Lord’s, was immense. The South Australian express appears to have