Cricket 1913

A p r i l 19, 1913. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 105 Mr. R . B . B e n j a m in , the organiser of this Australian tour, does not find favour in certain Philadelphian circles. “ A pig in sheep’ s clo th ing” is one of the elegant epithets applied to him. I repeat it merely as a sample of the controversial methods adopted b y some people. Personally I don’ t know anything about Mr. Benjamin ; bu t if he has the consent of the Board of Control to the tour, and if the Associated Cricket Clubs of Philadelphia are willing to enter into treaty with him, there are at least two telling facts in his favour. T h e British-American of March 15 contains a most vituperative communication dealing with Mr. Benja­ min’ s alleged iniquities, and the projected tour. Leav­ ing out the personalities, one may mention that the anonymous author of the screed alleges that the team has not the Board’ s authority. B u t perhaps quotations verbatim et literatim will best serve to show the line taken. “ M r . R. B . B e n j a m in , is giving out that he is a representative of the Australian Board of Con trol” (writes “ Old Sport ” ). “ He has had no dealings with the Board of Control, and th at body has refused its sanction for a team to tour America this season. An y men who come over w ith this team will probably never be asked to represent Australia again in representative cricket. . . . . He deputized Mr. E. R. Mayne to get per­ mission to manage another tour ; bu t he was TURNED DOWN COLD . So now Mr. Benjamin is going to run a team on his own account, to try and get a little easy money for himself and a few HAS-BEENS and young cricketers who want a trip and notoriety, regard­ less of their cricket abilities.” U n l e s s the reports as to the constitution of the team are false, the last sentence is palpably absurd. Trumper, Bardsley, Macartney, Crawford, Mayne, and W h itty, the best-known members of the team, are most certainly not has-beens ; Am ott, Collins, Mailey, and Campbell are all excellent cricketers, full of promise, and quite in the running for future tours of more importance than this American one. S in c e the above was written news has come to hand which makes it appear that in one respect at least “ O ldSp ort” may be right. It seems very doubtful indeed whether the tour has the Board’ s assent. That capital paper, the Adelaide Sporting Mail (whose Editor is Clarence Moody, likely to be remembered b y friends of the 1890 Australian Team, with whom he travelled), of date March 6, has the following paragraph :—- “ E. R. M a y n e , whose batting has been a prominent feature of the season’ s cricket, is endeavouring to organise an Australian Eleven to visit America during the coming winter. He has made satisfactory progress, but at the present moment is awaiting final word from America, regarding the arrangements, before the team will be finally selected. It is purely a private venture, and obviously will not have any connection with the Board of Control. While it would not be possible for an Australian Eleven to go to England without the approval of the Board, there is no need to ask for that approval in connection with a trip to America. If a dozen cricketers agree to band themselves together, take a holiday in the States, and play a series of cricket matches, there is nothing in the world to stop them. Mayne has every prospect of getting together a strong combination, including some of the finest players in the Commonwealth, and cricketers will join in wishing them the best possible success in their tour.” B u t if the projected tour is really no business of the Board’ s, Mayne made a distinct false step when he asked the Board for its sanction. He was refused. Now whatever he does will have been done in face of that refusal, and he and those with him must abide b y the consequences. It is all very puzzling, and the dates make it even more so, for the news given in the Sportsman .of March 6 implied, if it did not distinctly state, the Board’ s consent. Until I hear that the team has actually sailed, I shall not feel sanguine that the tour will come off. Trumper, Bardsley, Macartney, and Mayne will scarcely defy the Board flatly, I think ; and it is very unlikely that the Board w ill take the same view as the Sporting Mail does. T h e Washington Post of February 26 says that the Australian tour in America will cover Victoria, Van ­ couver, Portland, San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, Hamilton, Halifax, Sydney, Philadelphia, New York, Providence, and Bermuda. I should imagine this is not the full itinerary, for neither Winnipeg nor Toronto is mentioned, while Mr. Benjamin has stated that thirty matches have been arranged. Other places likely to be visited are surely the two great Canadian cities mentioned, and Montreal, Quebec, Chicago, Boston, and Seattle. T he members of the 1912 Australian Team upon whose conduct the Board of Control had to hold a special commission of enquiry were, it is said, W. Carkeek, T. J. Matthews, and D . Smith. S. E . Gregory’ s name was mentioned w ith theirs ; bu t as far as one can gather ---the proceedings were “ wropt in m istry ” — it was Gregory’ s discipline rather than his conduct that was in question. “ G r o ss and unfair exaggeration ’ ’ — vide the cabled report of the Board’s pronouncement-— was not attri­ buted to Mr. Crouch, the manager, bu t to certain news­ papers which published sensational details. I dare say the Board is right in refusing to make the whole pro­ ceedings public property ; bu t as the names of the alleged offenders have been revealed a little more might well have been told. If what I have heard be true, one man is really at the bottom of it a l l ; and it is scarcely likely that he will again find selection for an Australian team. “ A l w a y s cheery, and a player w ith a wonderfully big heart.” That is what Mr. W. A . Tindall, of Pretoria, who had known James Sinclair ever since boyhood said of the great player whose passing has left a big gap in South African cricket circles. Sinclair was educated at the Marist Brothers’ College, and was for a time in the National Bank at Pretoria. While there he played for the Union Club, and had a batting average of close on 32 and a bowling average of under 16. He was soon transferred to Johannesburg ; but Pretorians have never forgotten the tall lad who was so keen on the game, and showed such promise.