Cricket 1905

D ec . 21, 1905. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME 473 years ago, when South Australia placed eighteen men in the field. In the second innings of that match he took eleven wickets for 29 runs. R e f e r r i n g to the appearance of Tom Horan in the first match between the States, “ Recorder ” in the Adelaide Observer says:— The next link that binds the past and present is found in the match at Adelaide in February, 1888—nearly eighteen years ago. That was the date on which J. C. Reedman made his first appearance in the local eleven. We have to come right down to November, 1898, before we find a unit of the present visiting combination. This discovery shows that P. McAlister is the veteran among the Victorians, and his comrades probably recog­ nised this fact on Saturday when they elected him captain. In the match between Futteh Maidan and the lst Battalion Lincoln Regi­ ment at Secunderabad on October 31st, November lst, 2nd, and 3rd, 1068 runs were scored, the regiment making 205 and 341 and its opponents 288 and 234. I t was stated at a meeting of Scottish secretaries on Friday last that it was hoped to arrange a match between Surrey and Scotland in Edinburgh next season. The West Indian Eleven will play Scotland on July 23rd, 24th, and 25th at Edinburgh. The M.C.C. have stated that three-day matches played by the West Indians will count as first-class. It will be remembered that the Australian match against Scotland this year counted as first-class, but I believe that the last match between Scotland and Surrey was not so counted. As the result of his benefit match last season Robson, the Somersetshire profes­ sional, will receive nearly £400. A t the annual meeting of the Somer­ setshire County C.C. on Saturday last the president, Sir Spencer Ponsonby-Fane said:— The professionals’ expenses were now going up by leaps and bounds. He thought that winter pay for professionals was a most unwise thing and bad in principle. It was paying a man to idle away eight months out of twelve, and this was bad for the club and bad for the man F.mself to go idling instead of having some profession to follow. But all the other counties did it, and, therefore, it was incumbent upon Somerset to do the same. There was one feature in the financial state­ ment which was encouraging, and that was the large increase in the number of members, hut from what they heard that could not continue. It would, of course, be necessary to call upon the guarantors again, and no doubt they would come forward with their usual liberality, but he was afraid that that was a course which they could not be per­ petually adopting. I t is sad to hear that, despite the strenuous efforts of its new editor to make the American Cricketer interesting and successful, our contemporary does not pay. In the current issue, which deals largely with football, golf, etc., Mr. Clarke says:— Begging articles or requests are as a rule tiresome and uninteresting to readers or listeners. The American Cricketer has found it necessary several times during the course of its existence to appeal to the more loyal players of the game for support. We are afraid that an idea has arisen among the sporting community that the American Cricketer is at present on a paying basis. This is not so, although every effort is being made to place it in this enviable position. We cannot, however, accomplish much unless we have the hearty support of cricketers and Association footballers, in fact of every outdoor man who at present sub­ scribes and is interested in the publication. A n attempt is being made to bring about an improvement in cricket as played in New York, and in a circular letter to the clubs, Mr. Henry Martin, President of the New York Veteran Cricketers’ Association, writes : — Realising that the existing state of affairs in New York cricket circles is unsatisfactory and prejudicial to the welfare of the game, I cannot help but feel that the time has arrived when something should be done with the view of bringing all true lovers of the sport together under one organisation, and to this end I desire yonr views as to whether it is not an opportune moment for us to endeavour to organise all clubs in New York and vicinity, somewhat on the lines of the Asso­ ciated Cricket Clubs of Philadelphia............... Should I receive enough favourable replies, I then propose to call a meeting whereat the matter could be more fully discussed, and if possible something definitely done to bring it to a successful issue prior to the beginning of the next season, so that 1906 may see us all united for the best interests of the sport we love so well. T om B o w l e y , the old Surrey cricketer, who has been acting for some years as coach at Sherborne School, celebrated his silver wedding on November 30th. Among the guests at an entertainment in the Lads’ Brigade Drill Hall, Sherborne, were some of the Sherborne masters, in­ cluding the headmaster (the Rev. Canon Brooke Westcott), Tom Richardson, and L. C. Braund. In the course of the evening the Canon made a speech, in which he spoke of Bowley’ahigh personal character and of his great value to the school as a cricket coach, which position he hoped he would hold for many years to come. Mr. Bowley, he said, was not only a good coach, but a man whom it was absolutely safe to leave the boys with, which was a great thing. He felt that if he had gone through the whole of the public schools in England they would not have found a man more suited to the work. A t the conclusion of his speech the Canon, on behalf of himself and the other masters presented Bowley with a silver tea service. The past and present boys of the school presented him with a silver urn, spirit lamp and silver tea caddy, and among numerous other presents were a pair of silver entree dishes from the town cricket club for which Bowley has played for a long time. I n the list of honours published on December 9th appears the name of Mr. W. H. Grenfell, M.P., who becomes a Baron. Mr. Grenfell first appeared in the Harrow eleven in 1873, taking four wickets for 27 in the first innings of Eton at Lord’s. He also played against Harrow in the following year, although he was suffering from quinsy. He is well known as an all-round athlete. He rowed for Oxford in 1887 and 1888, was afterwards President of the O.U.B.C., and amateur punting champion of the Thames for three years. In many other ways he has greatly distinguished him­ self in sport. T he new Lord Chancellor, Sir R. T. Reid, was in the Oxford eleven in 1866, 1867 and 1868 as wicket-keeper, and he also played for Worcestershire. In the Oxford eleven he was contemporary with E. W. Tritton, S. C. Voules, E. S. Carter, T. Case, and B. Paunceforte. He also played rackets for Oxford in 1865 and 1867. He was educated at Cheltenham. Among tho other new ministers who have been enthusiastic cricketers are Mr. Herbert Gladstone, Mr. R. K. Causton, and Mr. John Burns. Of these, Mr. Causton was well-known as a member of the Incogniti. T h e scheme for grouping the Minor counties, proposed at the annual general meeting on December 5th found several opponents, and it was decided to do nothing in the matter at present. But the scheme will ba again discussed at a special general meeting to be held next April. A f t e r the cricket season was over L. O. S. Poidevin, the Lancashire amateur, went in for lawn tennis. At Lucerne he won the Singles and was in the final for the Doubles. He also won the Singles at Les Avants. When he was in Aus­ tralia Poidevin represented New South Wales at lawn tennis, but he has seldom played the game since he has been in England. W r itin g in the Evtning Standard a few days ago, E. H. D. Sewell said:— The Yorkshire captain leaves England for about four months, at the end of this month. His visit to India will not, as has currently been reported, include cricket. Indeed, as he told me not very long ago : “ I am not even taking a cricket bat.” Shooting is the main object of the trip, and he will get most of this with his Highness the Maharaja of Rewah, and also some with Kumar Shri Ranjitsinhji. Few, if any, viceroys have visited the Rewah State for tiger and gone away with an empty bag. Lord Hawke will spend most of the month of March in that State. I h a p p e n to know something about the sporting nature of that State, continues Mr. Sewell, for I was lucky enough to bag a ten-feet three-inch tiger there several years ago in the month of March. Stripes had not then shed his winter coat, and the skin, now, I believe, in the