Cricket 1908

6 2 CRICKET A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. A p r il 9, 19 0 8 . THE F IJIA N CR ICKETERS. (See Illustration on Va<y 57.) During the past few months a team of fifteen Fijians has been touring Australia under the leadership of Ratu Kadavu Leva, and drawing large crowds. They are accom­ panied by their chap’ain, the Rev. Joni Ravai, who scores for them, and on Sundays attend church, where they generally sing hymns in their melodious native language. With the exception of the captain, who was a member of the Fijian team which visited New Zealand in 1895 under the leadership of the Hon. J. S. Udal, then Attorney-General of Fiji, an old contributor to Cricket, no member of the side is over twenty-five years of age. All the players are very keen, and are sure to improve greatly as a result of their Australian tour. Their names are as follows : — Lieut. Marsden, Kikan Manasa, Prince Kadavu Lovu, Meleti, Prince Pope, Esala, Ratu Rabonu, Sokidi, Toroca, Vulatolu, Liceni, Takieveikata, Samu Bainivanua, Joni Siqila, Tara, Rev. Joni Ravai (scorer). Almost every man, however, like the mem­ bers of the Aboriginal team which visited us from Australia in 1868 , has a nick-name, such as Punch, Jack Lyons, Ping-Pong, Friday, Bunny, The W ild Man, King Billy, Wee MacGregor, Tit Willow, Flibberti­ gibbet, and Cockroach. The crest and badge of the team are those worn by King Thakambau. The badge is red and blue in colour, and contains a crown, a dove carry­ ing an olive branch, and the motto in Fijian — “ Fear God and Honour the King.” Before commencing play they undergo a special greasing or oiling operation in order to temper the effect of the sun on their bodies and legs. In the field they are very smart, their ground fielding being exceptionally good, and when batting they wear pads but not gloves. The Rev. Joni Ravai is writing a weekly account of the trip in Fijian, which is being published in the na'ive newspaper, y~a Mata , whilst Lieut. Marsden is keeping a record of the matches and press ciiticisms, as it is his intention to publish a book on the tour upon his return to the island. The following particulars concerning the side appeared recently in the Austral isian :— The captain of the team is Prince Ratu Kadavu Levu, the hereditary Prince of Fiji and grandson of the late King Thakambau. The Prince is an excellent batsman, and an all-round cricketer of more than ordinary merit. The second in command is Prince Ratu Pope (e accented), the nephew of Prince Kadavu.* Epile Seniloli is a blood relation of Prince Kadavu, and next in the line of succession to the extinct kingship. He is about 23 years old, has a striking appearance, and was educated at the Suva Public School. He speaks, reads, and writes English perfectly. Ratu Habona stands 6 ft. high, and is a good right-hand medium change bowler. Toroca is the head of the native police at Bau, and is a good all-round cricketer. He is also a champion swimmer. Samu Bainivanua is the best runner in Fiji, and is a fast right-hand (though not an express) bowler. Kikau Manash is one of the official cup­ bearers to Prince Kadavu in the great ceremony of nagona drinking. Bele is the town policeman of Bau, and a good change wicket-keeper. Esala is very smart in the field, and also performs well with the bat. Ta Kiveikata, the baby of the team, is only 17 years old, but is a very promising all-round cricketer, and a smart bowler. Meleti Raimuria is a petty chief in Fiji and non-commissioned officer in the Bau constabulary. Some of the displays they have given on Australian wickets prove the falsity of Begley’s lines “ No German, Frenchman, or Fijee, will ever master cricket, sir, Because they haven’t got the pluck to stand before the wicket, sir.” I*Ratu Kadavu Levu and Ratu Pope are cousins, each being a grandson of the late King Thakambau. I'hey are clad differently from the rest of the team. —Ed. Cricket.] Prince Kadavu Levu learnt his cricket in Sydney and taught the others at his home at Bau, where all games arc played on matting over concrete, the heavy rainfall preventing the formation of anything like a good turf wickft. At Bauthere is a picturesque pavilion, wherein a copy of Mason’ s famous Kent v. Sussex engraviug occupies an honoured place. The Fijians opened tbeir tour on December 11 th by opposing a Sydney team, and met with a severe defeat, scoring only 132 against 440 (A. B. S, White, 109 ; E. R. Bubb, 100 ) and 138 for one wicket. As a curiosity it may be mentioned that the game was com­ menced and finished on different grounds, the Sydney ground not being available until the second day owing to the match between New SouthWalesand SouthAustralia lastinglonger than had been anticipated. Among the places they have since visited are Newcastle, West Maitland, Brisbane, Wangaratta, Melbourne, Hobart, Launceston, and Adelaide. At Melbourne, where about £225 was taken on the first day, the attendance exceeding 9 , 000 , they opposed a team which included a few members of the Victorian State Eleven, and did well to score 262 against 377 and 59 for three wickets. A report of this match stated :—“ Prior to commencing play they gathered in the field and chanted, and their song was greeted with hearty plaudits.” Their best performance up to the middle of February was in their match at Hobart against Southern Tasmania, who were a strong side though lacking the services of Eady and Burn. The Tasmanians scored 345 (R. Hawson, 143 ) and 151 for five wickets, innings declared closed, the Fijians respond­ ing with 299 (Ratu Pope, 127 ) and 104 for three wiskets. Ratu Pope, who made his runs in one hundred and thirteen minutes and hit twenty-one 4 ’s, was presented by Sir John Dodds, K.C.M.G., on behalf of the Tasmanian Cricket Association, with a gold badge in the shape of Tasmania suitably inscribed. It is reported that next season a couple of players from England will be en­ gaged, at a cost of £ 400 , to coach the Fijians, who hope to visit this conntry before many years have passed. Their tour through Australia has been a very pleasant one, the only thing to which exception could be taken, Ratu Kadavu Levu has laughingly said, being the grass seeds at Wangaralla, which stuck in their feet. The Prince is an expert swimm r, as he proved on December 23 rd, when h°> rescued two men from drowning in the breakers on the Newcastle beach. OBITUARY. M r . A. B lackm an . Mr. Arthur Blackman, one of the few cricketers who could claim to have played for three first-class counties, died on Mon­ day last at Brighton, where he had for many years been a schoolmaster by pro­ fession. He played in one match for Surrey in 1878, three times for Kent in 1879 and 1880, and on fifteen occasions for Sussex between 1881 and 1887. He was a free and attractive batsman, a good field at cover-point, and a useful medium- paced bowler. For Brighton and District Teachers v. Eastbourne, at Brighton in 1881, he scored 255 not out, but in import­ ant cricket his highest innings was 73 for Sussex v. Hampshire, at Southampton in 188^. He was born at Dartford, in Kent, on October 13th, 1853, and was not re­ lated to the late Mr. W. Blackman, who played for Sussex from 1881 until 1884. His height was 6ft. ^in., and weight (in 1878) i3St. T he R e v . R . L ang . The Rev. Robert Lang, who was born at Jessore, in India, on April 6th, 1840. died at Woodham Walter, in Essex, of which place he was Rector, on March 23rd, in his sixty-eighth year. Mr. Hay- garth, in Scores and Biographies (v. 90), said of him :—“ His round-armed bowling at the commencement of his cricketing career was slow, but afterwards (about 1858) the pace was tremendous, being one of the fastest bowlers that has ever ap­ peared, and with a break-back from the off. If he had only been a little straighter, he would have been excelled by none, though he was by no means a wide bowler, and was at times most effective. As a batsman he was a fine and hard hitter, and in the field he was an admir­ able short-slip. . . .When quite young and bowling in practice (August, 1854) at Canterbury during the Week, William Lillywhite. the famous old bowler, gave him some advice, and prophesied his future excellence.” This was probably the veteran’s last appearance on a cricket ground, for two days after the conclusion of the Week mentioned he was dead. Mr. Lang was a member of the Harrow XI. from 1855 until 1859, being Captain his last two years. In the matches with Eton he scored 37 runs in two completed in­ nings and took twelve wickets for 89 runs ; the two sides did not meet in 1856, and in 1857 the match which took place was not a regular one between the two XI. ’s. Mr. Lang therefore played against Eton three times, and on each occasion Harrow won by an innings. Proceeding to Cam­ bridge, he secured his Blue as a Fresh­ man, and was for three seasons a member of the University XI. Again he was for­ tunate enough to be on the successful side each season in the most important match, Oxford being beaten by three wickets in i860, by 133 runs in 1861, and bv eight wickets in 1862. It is on ac­ count of his bowling for Cambridge that he will always be chiefly remembered. His pace was terrific — by some deemed greater than that of Tarrant and Jackson —and his hand below the shoulder in de­ livery in accordance with the wording of Law X. as it stood until June 10th, 1864, when all restriction as to height of hand was abolished. Had not Cambridge pos­ sessed an excellent long-stop in Mr. Her­ bert Marshall, his bowling would have been very expensive to the side owing to the number of byes which would have re­ sulted. In the three matches in which he played for the University in London in i860 he was most successful, averaging nine with the bat and obtaining nineteen wickets at a cost of four runs each. Against England at Lord’s he took three wickets for 20 runs, against Surrey at the Oval ten for 37 (four for 14 and six for 23), and in the University match six for 19 (one for 9 and five for 10). In the fol­ lowing year he was ineffective, but in 1862 he closed his University career in great style by taking ten wickets for 26 runs (six for 21 and four fot 5) against Surrey at the Oval, and nine for 35 (five for 4 and four for 31) against Oxford at Lord’s. He had just before obtained three wickeLs in an over for one run against the Gentlemen of Cambridgeshire ; therefore in his last three matches for the Univer­ sity he took twenty-two wickets for 62 runs. He was a useful batsman, and twice exceeded the half-century, making 63 against Cambridge Town Club in 1861