Cricket 1910

CRICKET: a weekly re cord o f th e game. AUGUST 25 . 1910 . “ T o g e t h e r j o i n e d in C r i c K e t ’s m a n l y t o i l .” — B y r o n . No 852. VOL . XX IX . THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 1910. ONE PENNY. A CHAT ABOUT Mr. G. E. PALMER. Mr. George Palmer, whose death was announced in a Reuter message from Melbourne on Monday, will be recalled as one of the best of all the Australian bowlers. He has been well summed up by Lord Harris in the following words :—“ He was a most cheery fellow, and a most confident bowler, never afraid of pitching her up, but always with a lot of work o n ; he generally bowled for the leg stump with an off-break and got many wickets, by catches to Boyle, that wonder at short-leg, and off the bats­ men’s legs.” Probably no bowler ever possessed an easier delivery, or could prove more difficult on a true wicket. He was, too, an excellent field, especially to his own bowling. In addition to a good variety of pace he had a spin which was remarkable, and could break-in from leg with more accuracy and deadliness than any other bowler of his pace. This latter ball must have obtained him a very large number of wiekets, but as time went on he depended on it too much and lost command of his length and was hit freely. This, how­ ever, was due largely to an unfortunate accident to his knee in 1886, which pre­ vented him from ever using his leg really properly again. His career in first - class cricket was a comparatively short one, but what he did during the decade that he was before the public will cause him to be placed almost in the same category as Spofforth and Turner. George Eugene Palmer was born at Albuiy, New South Wales, on February 22nd, 1860, but soon after his birth his parents removed to Benallam, Victoria, and it was with the latter State that his cricket in Australia was always associated. He received his education in Melbourne, and in that city his talent for the game found full scope. His doings for South Melbourne gained him more than a local reputation, and he was only eighteen years of age when—in December, 1878—he took part in his first match of note. That was for Fifteen of Victoria against the First Australian Team, and Palmer, who was deputed to open the bowling with Kendall, Reproduced from ] [ “ Cricket" of 1882. ME. GEOEGE EUGENE PAL51EE. took four wickets in the first innings for 43 runs. A fortuight later he appeared for the same side against Lord Harris’ team and dismissed four men at a cost of 72 runs in a total of 331. It was in the same season—in March, 1879, to be precise —that he took part in his first eleven a-side international match, for Victoria against the Englishmen. But for the fact that Frank Allan missed a train Palmer would not have played, for it was ouly at the last moment, when it was found that but ten men were on the ground, that the young bowler was includtd in the side. Even .then it was to field as a substitute; but when it was seen that the Englishmen had fairly collared the bowling with Allan still an absentee it was decided that Palmer should play. He made the most of bis opportunity, taking nine wickets—all clean bowled—on a perfect pitch for 94 runs, and thereby established his reputation as one of the finest bowlers in Australia. He had only just completed his twentieth year when ho was invited to form one of the Second Australian Team for England, in 1880. The injury which Spofforth sustained to his hand gave him an open­ ing of which be availed himself fully. His record daring the whole tour of sixty-seven matches was indeed a brilliant one, seeing that he obtained 533 wickets for an average of just under seven runs : in all games in England he took 268 at a cost of 7'84 a-piece and in eleven a-side fixtures 80 for 1115 each. It was durinz that season that the first Test match took place in England. Palmer was ex­ pensive in the first innings, although he had the personal satisfaction of bowling W. G. Grace for 152, but in the second, when England were set only 57 to win, he caused uneasiness by getting rid of A. P. Lucas, the Hon. Alfred Lyttelton and the late G. F. Grace in rather summary fashion. Frank Penn and “ W.G.” subsequently bit off the runs, the Australians, who were without Spofforth, being beaten by five wickets after a splendid up-hill struggle. Three weeks later, against a strong team of the Players of England at the Crystal Palace, Palmer took elevenwickets for 89 runs, bowling un­ changed through the match with Boyle and being the chief factor in the success of his