Cricket 1905

A pril 13, 1905. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE CAME. 55 ENGLAND v. A U S T R A L IA . (T h u m bnail H isto r y .) The first visits of English teams to Australia date back to the early sixties. H. H. Stephenson’s team went in 1862, George Parr’s in 1861, and the great “ W. G.” took a team over ten years later. The first Australian team to visit Eng­ land was that of the Aboriginal Blacks in 1868. They were trained by the old Surrey cricketer, Charles Lawrencs (still alive), who accompanied them to Eng­ land and supervised the tour. Our climate proved fatal to one of their number— Kiog Cole—who died at Brighton before the tour was half over. The first test match was played on the occasion of the visit to the antipodes of the fourth English team, which was captained by Jim Lillywhite, of Sussex. The English team was scarcely represen­ tative, as no fewer than seven county cricketers left behind possessed superior batting averages than any man in Lilly­ white’s team. Australia won the first test game by 45 runs. England made ample amends in the second match, which was won by four wickets. It is a peculiar coincidence that a member of the Australian team against this English eleven, which was captained by a Sussex man, was W. L. Murdoch, who after­ wards became a pcpular captain of the Sussex team. The first true Australian team to visit England was Gregory’s. This was in 1878, but they did not play an England eleven, though they defeated a strong M.C.C. team in a single day, at Lord’s. In 1879 Lord Harris headed a team “ down under,” and Australia gained her second test match victory by the hand­ some margin of ten wickets; thanks to the deadly trundling of F. E. Spcfforth, the “ demon bowler.” Up to 1897 Australia was the acknow­ ledged inferior of cricket of England in cricket, but then Australia woke up, and England was astonished, but pleased, at the prospect of good, close fights. Up to 1902, out of sixty-one matches England had won twenty-seven, Aus­ tralia twenty-four, ten being unfinished. But at the end of 1902 Australia possessed an advantage of one in the record of test matches. 1902 was the year of the Englishmen’s hard luck. In that year Australia won two out of five games, England claimed only one, and two were left drawn. In both of these drawn matches England was robbed of almost certain victory by rain. The individual averages of Eng­ land in 1902 were superior to those of the Australians in both departments of the game, but the Australians were our superiors in fielding. In the autumn of 1903 the M.C.C. sent a team to Austral a, and succeeded in recovering the “ Ashes ” that had rested in the Antipodes since 1896. Sir Malcolm McEacharn, Mayor of Adelaide, offered a trophy valued 250 guineas, for competi­ tion between the two countries, but after careful consideration the offer was re­ fused, it being doubtful whether the present keenness would be increased by its presentation. The test matches here are controlled by a “ Board of Management of Test Matches with Australia,” to give it its full title. The Board is nude up of six members of the M.C.C. Committee— including the President, who has a casting vote—and one representative from each of the six leading first-class counties of the previous year’s county championship. From these a sub­ committee is appointed to elect the players who are to take pirt in the matches. All detail?—-the times of matches and rates of payment of players— are in their hand?. Players and reserves each receive £20, while umpires receive £10. Until the strike of 1896 the players only received half that sum. The rule was made in 1902 that no collfc-.ion should be made on the ground. The sub-committee decide the expenses of amateurs, railway fares, the amount for lunches, and the apportioning re­ ceipts. Concerning the receipts, it need only be said that, after deductions, they benefit cricket generally — first and second-class counties, and the M.C.C. In all seventy-one matches have been fought between England and Australia ; England winning 3l, Australia 28, and 12 drawn. From 1878 till 1890 teams visited this country every other year, but since 1890 the tour has been made every three seasons. A. D. T a y l o r . OB ITUARY . M r. W. M. C h in n e r y . Although Mr. Chinnery, whose death in his sixty-second year was announced last week, was not a great cricketer he played the game in his younger days and took a great interest in it. His name was well known to most cricketers as that of a famous amateur runner, who won the four miles championship and the mile in 1868 and 1869, and the mile in 1871, in addition to winning many prizes in well known competitions. One of his most resolute competitors was Lord Alverstone, who is now the president of the Surrey County C.C. He rowed for the London R.C., Twickenham JRC., and West London B.C., and did much to try to encourage professional rowing. Mr. Chinnery was the father of Mr. H. B. Chinnery, the Eron, Surrey and Middle­ sex cricketer. in 1866, while two years later he enjoyed what was perhaps his most successful season. In that year, playing for bis county against Oxford University, he captured five men at the wicket in one innings, and only gave two byes in a total of 228. For the “ United ” against All England at Dewsbury he made a very opportune 40 not out against Tarrant and J. C. Shaw, and was highest scorer in the match. The Canterbury Week saw him hittiDg fioely for 67 in the match between North and South of the Thames, wherein Mr. W. G. Grace, with scores of 130 and 102 not out, actually found himself on the losing side. Lilly­ white’s “ Companion ” described Plumb’s wicket-keeping in this match as being “ A .I.” Until the end of 1874 he con­ tinued to play for the North and United North, and ou not a few occasions “ kept” through an innings without allowing a bj e. In 1869 he represented the Players against the Gentlemen at Lord’s. Of several useful scores from his bat probably the best was his 53 not out for an All England team against Yorkshire at Huddersfield when Martin McIntyre was the only other batsman who succeeded in making any headway against the fine bowling of Hill, Clayton, Emmett and Ulyett. In Plumb’s time wickets were not too good, and though he had plenty of the fastest bowlers to stand against he usually gave away next to nothing. Mr. W. G. Grace regarded him as an under-rated man and as the best wicket-keeper of his time against fast bowling. The way in which, without any show, he “ took” such men as Freeman and Howitt, especially on the leg-side, Mr. Grace describes as a treat to witness. J. B. P. T h o m a s P l u m b . Tom Plumb, one of the most famous of stumpers, died recently in the Northampton Workhouse. Born at Aylesbury in Bucks, July 26!h, 1833, he first appeared against the All England eleven at Northampton in 1852, and when the Bucks club was formed twelve years later was found in the rauks of his native county. For Bucks in 1865 he made 53 against Hants, and 33 against the M.C.C., in which latter fixture he also captured 5 wickets in the second innings for 43 runs. He first played at Lord’ s A SCORE OF TH R E E H UND RED . SYDNEY UNIVERSITY v. MELBOUKNE UNIVERSITY Played at the Sydney University Oval, on February 2 7 and 2 8 . E. F. Waddy, who made 309 for Sydney University, hit three fives and forty-two fours. M elbourne U niversity . First innings. Second innings. F. E. Langley, c Waddy, b Harvey ........................39 cWaddy,bHarvey 11 L. N. Speirs, b Penman ... 1 bHarvey ..........li E. R. White, b Nathan ... 29 H. Cordner, c Waddy, b Allen ............................... 7b Harvey ........ 0 G. Deravin, not out ..........42 c Nathan, b Allen 68 G. Miller, b Penman.......... 0 run out ........ 9 E. Fleming, b Penman ... 0 not out................ 2 R. N. Downes, b Penman ... 0 R. Wawn, c Walker, b Pen­ man .......... ................. 7 not out................ 5 R. Cain, lbw, b Penman ... 0 D. M'Wliae, b Penman ... II B 7, lb 3 .................10 Extras............ 4 Total .................116 Total (6_wkts.)159 S ydney U niversity . E. F. Waddy, c Wawn, b Fleming ........ 309 I'. C. Rogers, c and b Fleming ... ... ... 48 M. H. Blaxland, run ou t ............................... l-"> S. H. Harris, c Deravin, b Fleming .......... 0 R. Harvey, st Langley, b Cordner ...........101 A. P. Penman, c Flem­ ing, b White.............26 G. G. Nathan, c and b Fleming ..........15 J. Hughes, b Wawn 20 H. G. Allen, b Cord­ ner ........................21 J. Lane, not out ... 2 S. Walker, c Cain, b Flem ing.................10 B 37,1b 2... 39 Total ,..607