Cricket 1901

CRICKET, OCTOBER 31, 1901. “ Together joined in Cricket’s manly toil.”— Byron. No. 587. VOX.. XX. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1901. PRICE 2d. CHATS ON THE CRICKET FIELD. MR. J. MCLAUGHLIN. Just now the Melbourne C.C. in its relations to English cricket is so promi­ nently before the public eye that anything in the shape of official information with regard to its position and the responsi­ bilities it undertakes cannot fail to be of interest. A good deal has been written during the last few months in connection with the tours of English cricketers in Australia which have latterly been under the auspices of the Melbourne C.C. Many statements have appeared in the English papers as well as been made by English cricketers on the subject tending, quite unintention­ ally of course, to give a wrong impression of the policy and attitude of the premier club of Australia in respect of the interchange of visits between English and Australian cricketers. As it happens the Melbourne C.C. is at the moment repre­ sented in England by one of its highest officials—Mr. J. McLaughlin. One of its vice - presidents for several years, and for some twenty years on the committee; he has been in addition the chairman of the sub-com­ mittees appointed by the Melbourne Club to manage the visits of English teams for the last few years. No one therefore can speak with greater authority as to the position the club has taken, and desires to take with respect to the inter­ communication between English Australian cricketers. “ It is quite wrong to assert,” said Mr. McLaughlin, in acceding to a request that he should be interviewed for Cricket, “ as has been said over here and by those in authority, that the Mel­ bourne C.C. has the smallest desire to ‘ boss ’ the teams both going and coming. Until recently the visits of the English teams to Australia were specu­ lative affairs purely. Just lately they have mostly been invited by the Mel­ bourne Club, which has stood the whole of the risk and paid all the expenses, taking of course the receipts.” “ Is it true, as was stated in one of the London dailies not long 'ago, that the m b . j . M c L a u g h l in , v ic e - p r e sid e n t M elbo u rn e c . o . (Front a Photo by R . W . Thomas, Cheapside , London, E. and club netted £10,000 as the result of the visit of the last team to Australia in 1896?” “ It was on the face of it so absurd that.a contradiction was hardly necessary. The profits, as I have the best reason for knowing, did not reach a quarter of that sum. Out of them the M.C.C. gave volun­ tarily, £500 to the half-dozen clubs forming the Victorian Association. Taking into'consideration the very great expenditure '.involved, and the fact that two wet test matches would have left the club considerably on the wrong side, no practical man I am sure would think the return unreasonable. On the occasion of_one tour as much as £4000 was lost; on another, £3,500, so that the risk’ is hardly as imaginary as has been stated.” “ What about the desire of the Melbourne C.C. that the Marylebone Club should send the team now on its way to Australia ? ” “ Well, my committee have for some time past desired that the visits of English cricketers to Aus­ tralia should be under the auspices of a recognised and responsible authority in England. They were pre­ pared to welcome heartily a team sent by the Maryle­ bone C.C., and cordially invited them to send one. In fact the invitation was given by Major Wardill in person on August 21, 1899. The proposal of the Mel­ bourne C.C. was that the M a ry le b o n e C omm ittee should select the players, and that all the arrange­ ments on the other side should be in the hands of the Melbourne C.C., who would practically run the tour Some correspondence took place between thetwo bodies, as events proved, without result. When afteroriginilly accepting the responsibilities a definite reply came from the Marylebone Club to the effect that they were unable for excellent reasons, of course, to send a repre­ sentative team, the Australian public had come to expect one. Under these circumstances a telegram was sent to Mr. MacLaren asking him if he could get up a team, with the result, as you know, the combination just reaching the Colonies. I can only say that the Melbourne C.C. was honestly prepared C.j