Cricket 1905

A pril 13, 1905. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 61 A SU SSEX A U S T R A L IA N P L A Y E R . E. B. Dwyer, the Australian cricketer who is qualifying for Sussex, possesses a history. He is a great grandson of the famous Wicklow chieftain, Michael Dwyer, one of the boldest of the Irish leaders during the great Insurrection of 1798. When the rising was suppressed he returned to the Wickl >w Mountains, where he held out for five years. He was, however, ultimately c iptured, and exiled to the Australian Colony in 1804, where he died in 1826. Last year, being the centenary of the Insurrection, the Irishmen of Pydney, under the leadership of Dr. MacCarthy, inaugurated a com­ memoration movement. The remains of Dwyer, and those of his wife, who fol­ lowed him from Ireland, were removed from the old cemetery in Devonshire Street, and, amid an unparalleled demon - straticn, taken to Waverley Cemetery, where a magnificent monument to all the Iri <hpatriots of 1798 has sincebeen erected. Having commenced a residential qualification for Sussex, E. B. Dwyer will not be eligible until May 28th, 1906 duriDg which time he will have ample opportunities of getting used to our all too fitful climate. DuriDg the Australian sfason of 1902-3, D *yer obtained a battiog average of 58'85 for the Glebe Wednesday Club (Sydney), scoring in eight innings 412 runs which included a well hit 138 against R< d'ein On another occ irion he ran into the eighties, and the vigour with which he went for ti e bowl­ ing can be judged from the fiot that he hit no fewer than seven 5’s. Bowling fcr the same combination two years ago, he sent down 73 overs for 238 runs and 28 wickets, averaging 8’ 14 per wicket. In First Grade matches last year (1903-4) his batting figures w rk o u t: 10 inuingi 287 runs, average 28 70, with a i bights score of 103 ; while in the trundling dep irtment he secured 16 wickets for 171 runs, average 10’69. Tjese figures would probably have be(n improved upon but for i>n injured lfg, wl ich pre­ vented him from playing in more than three matches. Against the Sydney University he lowered seven wickets fo r 16 runs only, a p rformance that elicited praise from luy esteemed colleague, Mr. J. O. Dovis, of tl e Sydney Referee, one of the best critics iu Australia, wno describe.i him as “ a good all-round cricketer, punishing bat, excellent field, and fine bowler.” When it was kuown that Dwyer conte nplattd leaving for Euglano last March, the members of the Belmore Park Coursing Club, of whijh he was secretary, gave a dinner iu Lis honour, which testifies to the respect in which he was held. Dwyer was ‘ discovered” at Lord’s, where he was temporarily engaged, by C. B. Fry, who, recognis­ ing his capabilities, immediately made arrangements for his qualification for Sussex. He has already made a name for himself in local cricket, his best, peiformance so far being the capture of nine wickets for 10 runs when assisting Sheffield Park against Portslade last year, three of his victims falling with three copsecvftive balls .—Sussex Evening Times . T H E M E L B O U R N E C .C . A N D T H E V I C T O R I A N C .A . T h e fo llo w in g is th e fu ll te x t o f th e im p orta n t circu lar sent o u t b y th e M e l­ b o u rn e C .C . at th e b e g in n in g o f F e b ru ­ a ry . R e fe re n ce w as m ad e to th e circu lar in “ G ossip ” o n M a rch 3 0tb. S ir ,— I am directed b y m y Comm ittee to call your attention to the newspaper reports o f a m eeting of the V .C .A . on Tuesday evening, the 17th ult., whereat, under cover o f reporting the result of a Conference held in Sydney to discuss cricket matters, M r. Bean (one of the V .C .A . delegates to the Conference) made an unwarranted attack (only part of which appeared in the above report) on the M .C.C. as to its loyalty to the Association, its alleged control of cricket in Victoria, and its (b y inference) want of generosity towards the Association. A short history o f the relations o f the M .C .C . w ith the V .C .A . is set out herewith, and after you have perused it, m y Committee w ill be glad to learn if your club is in sym ­ pathy with Mr. Bean "and M r. M ‘ Michael, and those other members of the Association who apparently supported them. I remain, Dear Sir, Yours faithfully, B . J. W ardill , Secretary. R eceipts by the V ictorian C ricketers ’ A ssociation and xhr V ictorian C ricket A ssociation , from M atches P layed on the M .C .C . G round , from 1881. Matches against Matches against Matches New South South against Wales. Australia. Tasmania. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. 1881-2 ... 988 17 0 ... — 2-3 ... 1077 16 0 ... — ... — 3-4 ... 1583 3 6 ... — . . . . — 4-5 ... 105340 ... 85 12 6 ... — 5-6 ... 881 3 6 ... — ... — 6-7 ... 579 15 0 ... 71 3 6 ... — 7-8 ... 464 17 6 ... — 8-9 ... — ... 239 13 0 ... — 9-0 ... 977 7 0 ... — 1890-1 ... 860 6 0 ... 900 4 0 ... 87 10 0 1-2 ... 1070 15 0 ... — ... — 2-3 ... 197010 ... 1310 19 0 ... — 3-4 ... 1283 4 0 ... 1002 18 0 ... 181 11 6 4-5 ... 7199 0 ... 296 10 0 ... — 5-6 ... 1188 9 0 ... 179 12 6 ... 154 5 9 6-7 ... 815 7 0 ... 981 17 0 ... 7-8 ... 634 18 6 ... 172 2 0 ... 52 5 0 8-9 ... 912 10 0 ... 909 12 6 ... — 9-0 ... 571 11 6 .... 381 2 6 ... 66 0 6 1900-1 ... 415 11 0 ... 566 7 0 ... 1-2 ... 745 3 o ... 332 1 0 ... — 2-3 ... 724 5 0 ... 689 2 0 ... 71 9 0 3-1 ... 768 17 6 ... 215 8 0 ... — 4-5 ... — ... — ...— £20,319 11 0 £8,331 4 6 £616 1 9 1893 ... West Australia 1898-9 ... New Zealand ... 1895 ... English XI. ... £91 18 0 92 (i 6 84 4 0 F irst M ovement by the M .C .C . to B rin g oct an E n glish T eam . Extract from annual report of 1876-7 of the M.C.C.:—“ Whilst on the subject of the All-England matches, the Committee wish, to state that in their opinion it is desirable to open negotiations with Mr. ,T. D. Walker, with the view of an English Eleven of cricketers coming out under the auspices of the M.C.C.” This eventuated in the visit of a Gentlemen of England team under Lord Harris in the season 1877-8, which resulted in a loss to the Club of £153 19s. 7d. The Club paid a commi-sion of 7J per cent, to the Victorian Cricketers’ Association on the Victorian matches—equal to £96 0s. 8d. The next team brought out by the M.C.C. was that under the Hon. Ivo Bligh in 1882-3, •qrhich showeda credit balance of £1496 2s. 3d. The thirdwas under Lord Hawke in 1887-8, which showed a loss of £3,582 15s. 3d. The fourth was under joint control with the Trustees of the Sydney Cricket Ground in 1894-5, by which the M.C.C. gained £3,599 2s. Id., and the fifth, also under the same management, in 1897-8, showing a profit of £2,388 14s. Ud., and the sixth and last was brought out by Mr. M’ Laren, also showing a profit of £2,796 17s. 9d. Sum­ marised, the series of matches shows a profit of £10,434 16a. 7d., and losses to the extent of £3,736 14s. 10d., or a credit balance of £6,698 Is. 9d. Out of this sum the Club donated to the V.O.A. and Clubs £644 from the 1897-8 tour, £900 from the 1901-2 tour, £400 from the last team, and to the League £150= £2,094, reducing the Club’s credit balance to £4,604 Is. 9d., showing that the V.C.A. got 42 per cent, of the net amount received by the Club. It would thus apprar that with regard to the object of the promoters of the scheme for a Board of Control, to take out of the hands of the M.C.C. the introduction of English Elevens, the V.C.A. and the Clubs interested, have nothing to complain of—the £2,000 freely given to them was a fair share, con­ sidering the Associated Clubs had no risk whatever in any of the ventures. In addition to the sums mentioned, the Association re­ ceived percentages, for its patronage for the Victorian matches against the English teams, of at least £331 5s. 2d. As showing the attitude of the V.C.A. in 1894-5, the following extract is taken from the V.C.A. Annual Report of that season:— “ This match, (second contest, Victoria v. England) took the place of one fixed between Mr. Stoddart’steam anda team representative of the M.C.O. The latter Club proposed such substitution with a view of assisting the finances of theAssociation, which had suffered in consequence of the bad weather experienced in the matches with South Australia and New South Wales, and the result was a profit of £84 4s.” In the same annual reportit states:—“ The. Association desires to record its appreciation of the action of the M.C.C. Committee, who, on learning that the transactions of the season resulted in a deficit, offered to advance (without interest) the amount required to pay all the liabilities.” From the Annual lieport of the M C.C. of the season 1881-2, this paragraph appears :— “ Intercolonial Match — The Committee thought it advisable to grant the use of the ground for the Intercolonial Match with New South Wales without charge. The Associated Clubs were thus enabled to receive a larger dividend from the V.C.A., which amounted this year to £20 per Delegate, as against £10 last year.” Shortly after this, an agreement was made between the M.C.C. and the V.U.A. for three years, in which it was stipulati d that all the Intercolonial matches should be played on the M.C.C. ground, free of charge, and that members of the Associated Clubs should be allowed into the ground free during Inter­ colonial matches. This agreement was renewed for another three years, and the same conditions still exi.-t. Since the season 1881-2, up to the commencement of season •1904-5, the Cricket Associations have received from the Intercolonial matches played on the M.C.C. ground, as follows :— 22 matches against New South Wales £20,319 11 0 16 „ „ South Australia ... 8,331 4 6 7 „ „ Tasmania .......... 616 1 9 1match „ West Australia ... 91 18 0 1 „ „ New Zealand.......... 92 6 6 making a total of £29,451 Is. 9d.for the period named, without any deductions for the use of