Cricket 1902

90 CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. A p r i l 24, 1902. this summer, for it is well known that some of the ablest players on the side for various reasons were not at their best during their recent successful campaign. A t a meeting of the Victorian Cricket Association, held in Melbourne on March 11th, a resolution was adopted that the Sheffield Shield shculd be finally retained by the State which won Ihe first ten series of inter-state matches. If New South Wales and South Australia agree to this, Lord Sheffield will be asked to give his sanction to the scheme. It will be remembered that Lord Sheffield pre­ sented the Shield to be held each year by the winning colony, in the same way that the Elcho Challenge Shield is held by the winning country in the rifle shooting competition at Bisley. It is not easy to see what are the objections to the existing arrangement, but evidently there is some objection, or a new scheme would not be suggested. T he members of Mr. Maclaren’s team, with the exception of the ciptain and Mr. A. 0. Jones, arrived in England on Sunday, having landed at Marseilles. A t Launceston (Tasmania), on March 5th, playing for Tamar against Esk, A. Caff, the old New Zealand ciicketer and athlete, scored 164 not out, and com­ pleted his thousand runs for the season in all matches. F or North Ulney, against Sturt United (Adelaide), G. Alford took nine wickets for thirteen runs, twice getting two wickets with successive balls. The last man was missed off his bowling, and promptly run out. On the same day, at Sydney, but on a matting wicket, a bowler named Conneil took all ten wickets for 6 runs for Mr. Horderne’s team against Hardy Brothers C.C. This feat was all the more remarkable because the total of the Hardy Brothers innings was 97. B efore leaving for England, L. O. S. Poidevin was entertained by the Redfern Electorate C.C. at Sydney, and was presented with a travelling bag, as a memento of his connection with ttie club. O n behalf of the trustees of the Sydney Cricket Ground, Sir William Lyne pre­ sented the amateurs of Mr. Maclaren’s team with a mounted photograph of a scene during the fifth match against Australia at Sydney. Several of the Australian papers reported that in a short speech in reply Mr. Maclaren said that “ when he brought a team out next year the Englishmen would, he ventured to say, give a better account of them­ selves.” Upon the subject of this speech a representative of the Sydney Referee interviewed the English captain, who said:— “ I remarked to Sir W illiam Lyne at the time of the presentation of the photographs that if invited to bring out a team I would be glad to do so. Sir W illiam, you will remember, expressed a hope on that occasion that he would see us back again, and in my reply I expressed my willingness to come if it were the desire of Australians, and I can only repeat that statement now, saying, at the same time, that this is merely my personal sentiment, and must not be regarded as indi­ cating that anything definite has been done in the matter.” T he interviewer also asked Mr. Mac­ laren whether there was anything in the rumourthatheintendedto liveinAustralia, to which the reply was as follows :— “ Nothing whatever. I cannot under­ stand what gives rise to such rumors, not that I wish to speak slightingly of Australia, but, you see, I have my home in England, and all my social and other associations. Indeed, I have never enter­ tained such an idea, and it is strange that it should have got about.” P ublished at the price of one penny, the “ Birmingham Daily Gazette Cricket Guide” for 1902 is certainly not dear. It contains the usual Statistics, and more particularly concerns itself with cricket in Warwickshire, Staffordshire, and Wor­ cestershire. M essrs . J ohn L eng & Co. publish “ The Cricket Handbook” for 1902 at the price of a penny. The book consists of nearly a hundred pages, and contains a vast amount of statistic il matter, some articles, and some humorous illustrations. One of the points of the book which will probably be welcomed, is the plan of giving the results of last year’s matches concurrently with the dates of those for the present season. T here was a very interesting finish to the match at Palermo (Buenos Aires) between Lanus and Buenos Aires (2nd). The latter made 120, and Lanus, with only three wickets down, stood at 98. Then, playing up in the most determined man­ ner, Buenos Aires gradually got level with their opponents, and, just as time was about to be called, dismissed the last man, with the game at a tie. But for a bad bit of fielding, which induced the last man to try a second run, Lanus would most likely have pulled off the match. The match secretaryship of the Dulwich Club—until lately held by Mr. C. P. Tregellas—has been taken over by Mr. S. E. Huntley, of “ Ennerdale,” Trinity Road, Tulse Hill, S.E. All future correspondence therefore should be addressed to Mr. Huntley. H ugh T rumble , who, as already stated in Gossip, was married on March 12th to Miss Florence Christian, youngest daughter of Mrs. Christian, of Myoora, Malvern, Victoria, received a handsome wedding present from the Victorian staff of the National Bank of Australia, in the shape of a case of silver and pearl fruit knives and forks, a case of silver and ivory fish knives and forks, and a marble clock. T he Wanderers’ tour, with Stanley Colman presumably, as usual, in charge this year, is once again on the South Coast. Commencing on July 21st, v Canterbury, it extends over a fortnighti finishing upat Eastbourne againstDevon­ shire Park on August 2nd. In all, there are six two-day matches. The inter­ mediate four are v. Hythe, Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge and Hastings, occupy­ ing from July 23rd to 31st inclusive. T he Nondescripts this August will be touring in Warwickshire and East Anglia in charge of the bon. secretary and hon. treasurer, L. Hutchinson. The pro­ gramme is rather a heavy one, as seven fixtures it contains will show :— AUGUST. 4. Wellesbourne, v. Wellesbourne 5. Rugby, v. Rugby 6. Warwick, v. Warwickshire Gentlemen* 8. Leamington, v. Leamington* 11. Sidestrand, v. Sidestrand* 13. Gunton Park, v. Gunton C.C.* 16. Overstrand, v. Overstrand* * Two-day matches. As was only to be expected in view of the expression of the representatives when they foregathered at Lord’s in December, the minor counties have so far without a dissentient voted for the trial of the new l.b.w. rule, which the M.C.C. is going to try in all the matches it plays against first or second class counties this summer. The rule as it is to be tried is as follows :— The striker is out. Leg before wicket, Law 24. I f with any part of his person (except the hand) which is between wicket and wicket he intercept a ball which would hit the wicket. E leven of the counties taking part in the second division of the county cham­ pionship have so far voted for the trial of the new rule. On Monday nine members of the Australian team unexpectedly arrived in London, having made the journey over­ land from Marseilles. Clement Hill, Jones and M. A. Noble had gone via Monte Carlo, and J. Darling, Victor Trumper, W. Carter, R. A. Duff, A. J. Hopkins, and W. Armstrong via Paris. With the latter came L. O. S. Poidevin and R. J. Pope. Of the other members of the team, Hugh Trumble, who is on his honeymoon trip, is on board the “ Oceana,” which left a week later than the “ Omrah,” while S. E. Gregory, J. J. Kelly, J. V. Saunders, and W. P. Howell, together with Mr. B. J. Wardill, the manager, are finishing the journey on the “ Omrah.” T he Match Committee of the Aus­ tralian team will consist of J. Darling, the captain (South Australia), Hugh Trumble, the vice-captain (Victoria), and M. A. Noble (New South Wales). The colours will be green and old gold, as in the tour of 1899. Practice begins next Monday at Lord’s. Dr. G race has already played two innings of a hundred this season, the first against Sydenham Park (XVIII), and the second, on Saturday, against Anerley. On each occasion the Doctor retired as soon as he had accomplished the feat.