Cricket 1901

18 ORIOKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. F eb . 28, 1901. and Newbolt. W ith the latter, an old friend of mine, I once had a bet as to who should make the more runs in a certain match— b y the way, he was a very good cricketer, and it was a very risky thing for me to take him on. As it happened he got a duck, while I made a hundred. Hutchinson used to play with the heaviest bat I ever saw ; I should think it must have weighed at least four pounds ; I ’ve seen him cu t a lob with it for eight at Woolw ich. Of course it was a great matter of chance whether a hit produced a lot of runs or not. Once I happened to get the ball in a part of the ground the most remote possible from the nearest fieldsman, and we contrived to run eleven for the hit, although my partner, a heavy man, was nearly killed b y the exertion. The ball was a half volley to leg, and was very nearly a possible catch for Lambert, the principal veterinary surgeon of the Army. The match was the R .A . against the 17th Lancers.” “ Who were the best players in the Army days of your career ? ” “ One of the best bowlers was Barney Bruen. He was slow round with a marvellous break from the le g ; he generally kept the ball a bit off tbe off stump, and the consequence was that I used to get any amount of catches at the w ick et; in fact, no other bowler ever gave me half as many chances. H is one fault was that he had a 4head ball,’ which was generally a long h o p—a terrible thing to bow l on a ground on which you could run an eight. But the best bowlers I ever saw in the Army were Henry Arkwright and Jim Fellowes the E agineer, who was very fast indeed. Billy Wright was the best cover point we had ; when the ball was hit through to him it was long odds that a man would be run out if a run was attempted. The best wicket-keeper was Malet, who was conspicuous b y wearing brown gloves, while among the best bats were Herbsrt Stewart, the famous Ganeral who was killed in the Soudan.” 44D id you play much cricket in India P” 44 On the whole I played a good deal, but there are not as many opportunities for cricket in India as in England. In the winters I chiefly played at Peshawur, Umballa, Mhow, and Murree, and in the summer at Simla and Ootacamuud. Even at that time the natives took a great interest in the game, and were marvellous fields. It was not an un­ common thing to see them going to the wicket with pads and gloves and their feet bare— their feet were as hard as nails. Some of them showed such promise that I was not a bit surprised when R injitsinhji began to do such remarkable things, and I should not be surprised if there are other, natives who only want opportunity to bring them to the front.” O f modern cricket the Colonel said: 441 see a very great deal of cricket nowadays, and I cannot help being struck with the fact that many matches are lost through byes. Men play without a longstop now, but I cannot think that it is a good practice. I am surprised that there is not more lob bowling, for to see the way in which nearly every batsman, whether famous or otherwise, plays Jephson, is something to amu3e an old cricketer in whose days lob bow ling was om m o n . They don’t attempt to play him. Nothing pleased me more last year than the fielding of the Yorkshire team at tin O va l; no wonder that Rhodes and Haigh are so successful. It is a great pity that some reform cannot be made by which all hits should be run out, but I do not see how it is possible. I feel certain that it would make a lot of difference to bats­ men, for you often see even a young fellow quite pumped out if he has to run a four. The mention of reform reminds me that I was not so very long ago at Lord’s with a lady, who said, 4What a pity it is that they cannot make this into a croquet ground.’ Another lady said to me, in excusing herself for not com ing to Lord’s, 41 would often go to Lord’s with you if you would play croquet there.’ Perhaps the authorities would like to act on this suggestion! ” W. A. B e t t e s w o r t h . EARLY CR ICKET IN AUSTRALIA. The Commonwealth number of the Sydney Herald contained some interesting facts concerning the early stages of crickes in New South Wales, which will be read with interest by Oricket readers as well. The first match in the colony is stated to have been played in 1826, but cricket was for five or six years played in a very scratch style, the contests being between teams chosen on the ground, married v. single, and between the regiments then stationed in Sydney. To follow the history of the game, first through the files of the Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser and then through the Herald occupied the writer of the article con­ siderable time. One could easily understand that in dealing with such a snbject a lot of what should prove interesting reading had necessarily to be omitted. The desire to play for money was particularly strong in those early days, a desire that came to us with the approval of the leading cricketers of the old world. Matches for big stakes are recorded to have taken place years ago, and the colonials and the military, too, were always prepare 1 to back their side. In the Sydney Gazette, 18 iO, there appeared a report of a match between the 17th and 35th regiments for £25 a side, and £300 changed hands. Sometimes cricket was a secondary consideration, for on one occasion the victorious side declined to arrange a return contest, as it was trouble for nothing to play for £ 11, but they would come to the scratch for £50. The teams interested were the Australians and the Amateurs. Evidently there was not the strict definition of an amateur as now exists, I won’t say in cricket, but in all amateur sports. I cannot say at whit date playing for money was discon­ tinued, but there is no doubt the example set by our intercolonial representatives in fighting for honour alone did a good deal to discourage engagements for money. Two intercolonial single wicket matches were played for £100 a side, both of which were won by Victoria. Nat Thompson, W. Caffyn and Charlie Lawrence played for New South Wales, and Tommy Wills, Sam Cosstick and Jack Conway for Victoria, on each occasion the latter won. A third and last contest was arranged, but for silver cups and not for money. The choice of the New South Wales people fell upon three brothers, Ned, Dave and Charlie Gregory. Nat Thompson, who was one of the umpires, started no-balling Dave. Four or five times was he called, and then cime a surprise. The call of 44no bill ” was followed by the ball being pitched in the air as though to Show the spectators that the decision was premature. An uproar followed, Thompson resigned his position, Caffyn went out and allowed the bowling as fair. That match lasted three days, was played on the Albert Ground, opposite to the present Red- fern Park, and the three trophies stood in a prominent place in the pavilion. The structure still stands though now it faces Elizabeth Street, and instead of chronicling the hundred-and-one battles fought in front of it, it is used as a billiard saloon. Away back in the fifties a couple of single wicket matches were played for £500 aside. Two Englishmen arrived in Sydney in 1851, George Gilbert and W. G. Rees, cousins of the Graces. These two played Harry Hilliard and R. Vaughan, and the Englishmen won. George Gilbert was in for three days, and then knocked down his wicket; in those days there was no declaration of closing innings. The second was between Gilbert and Captain Ward—Rees had gone to the gold diggings— on the one hand and Oswald Lewis and R. Murray on the other. Again the English­ men won. C R IC K E T 1 1ST T A S M A N I A . NORTH v. SOUTH. Played at Hobart on December 24 and 28. South won by an innings and 8 1 runs. This match was chiefly remarkable for the brilliant all-round play of C. J. E id y , who, besides scoring 95 runs, took six wickets of the North in the first innings and nine in the second for 65, a record of which any man might be proud. N orth . J.H. Savigny,c Eady, b Hale 41 c Hudson, b Eady 40 H. W ilsoa, run out ........... 3 c R. Hawson, b E td y ................. 9 J. Bingham, b Eady ...........39 not out.................29 E. A.W indsor, c S. Hawson, b Eady.......... ................... 9 cK.Bailey.b E idy 12 X . R Westbrook, c Gate­ house, b Eady ... ...........63 b E a d y................13 A. E. Emmsrson, c Gate­ house. b E a d y ................. 19 absent................... 0 A. H. Pickett, c Barn, b N. D od d * .................. ..............13 b Eady.................... 0 E. Harrison, e 8. Hawson, b N. Dodds ............................ 7 b E id y .................. 0 C. Hammond, b Eady........... 1 c R. Jiawson, b E a d y ............. 13 J. Camerjn, lbw, b Bailey... 20 b Eady.................... 0 D. R. Smith, not o u t ..............10 c 9* Hawson, b Eady.................. 0 B 6, lb 2, nb 2 ...........10 B 2, w 1, nb 1 4 Total ...................235 S outh . K. E. Burn, lbw, b Wilson .................140 8.Hawson, c Harrison, b P iek ett.................. 0 N.Dodds.e We jtbrook, b Windsor .. ... 20 H. Hale, c Bingham, b Piokett................. 18 Reg.Hawsoa,b Pickjtt 48 C. J. Eady, c Harrison, Tot vl...........120 G. H. Gatehouse, b Smith.......................... 74 J. Hudson, b Windsor 3 O. Douglas, not o u t... 10 J. B. Rogers, e Cam­ eron, b Sm ith........... 1 A.Bailey,e Westbrook, b Winds »r ........... 2 B 22, It) 3 ...........24 b Windsor ...........95 Total 436 N orth . O. M. ft. W. O. M. R. W . Eady ........... . 43 18 68 5 ........... 23 4 65 9 Bailey.......... 12*2 3 36 1 ........... 10 3 20 0 8. Hawson .. . 8 1 16 0 ........... Hal-) ........... 11 1 49 1 ........... 3 0 11 0 Dodd*.......... 11 3 24 2 ........... Rogers . 8 1 17 0 ......... 9 1 20 0 Bum ........... . 3 0 15 0 .......... S ou th . O. M. R. W . 0 . M. R. W. Windsar ... 33 5 120 4 Wilson ... 18 3 55 1 Pickett 34 7 100 3 Emmerson 15 0 1 1 0 Bingham ... 10 0 46 0 Savigny ... 6 0 32 0 Smith 18 3 42 2