Canadian Cricket Field Volume 1 1882

A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF CRICKET IN CANADA. VOL. I. JULY 5, 1882. No. 7 ?[,#z «)anbitn (trî*tht 'f 1 WI be published twice inMay, twice in September, and Weekly during the ln- tcrveuzxg moxth.. Correspondents are requesed to send :in contributions by //cfirst mailon Afonlay ta be in time for Wednesday's issue. Sdiscritiont price, $.5o pr annlum, in advance. Advertising rates on application. Al communications Io &eaddressed, THE CANADIAN CRICKET FIELD, Box3.7, Toronto, ont. TORONTO, JULY 5 TH, 1882. COUNTY ELEVENS. A worthy object will be accomplished when better elevens than usually meet one another now can be brought together. We have not far to look for the reason why nine out of every ten teans are weak and fail to score well, it is chiefly because the field from whicli the men are gathered is so linited. As a step in the right direction, we would suggest playing County v. County, in preference to Town v. Town or City. We would not propose to make a universal practice of this, but rather to substitute in the generality of cases the proposed plan A little inspection of the condition of county cricket will at once make evident the possibility of this sugges- tion. Many counties have two or more, often a good many more, towns that boast of a club, and a very fair one too, as things go in this country. Now, we would not urge the concentration of these clubs into one, except for occasions, believing that nothing is so cramping in its effects as centralization. Let each exist separately and develop its men, but take the best of these and play them as county men. Take from each of four clubs the three best men, and you can bring together a pretty re- spectable eleven in most cases, while at the saine time mermaid elevens, with decidedly more tail than body in themn, will become defunct genera. The Ontario Cricket Association might adopt this system in place of the present one. Many of the mnior clubs in this organization cease to be heard from after the first tie, and it is only when the two or three last teams meet for the final contest that any interest comes to be attached to the result. The wider the area you draw your men from she more wide-spread the influence you gain and the greater the number of enthusiasts you enlist, and cricket without these latter is flat. The main object, however, to be accomplished is to strengthmn the present teams and bring stronger cricket on the field, so that the paltry thirties and forties that are knocked together as the score by the three crack men for their side may be multiplied by four, and a respect- able total reached. EDITORIAL NOTES. It would be well if all the clubs belonging to the Associa- tion would follow the example of District No. 1, and get their first ties played off without delay. It should be borne in mind that these have to be played off before August lOth. Thamesville now stands at the head of that district, and will doubtless make a plucky stand for first place. The Toronto-Hamilton match has been drawn once inore. This time, we ae happy to say, the blape can le transferred from the participating teams to Jupiter Pluvias, at once the friend and enemy of crieketers. As a reason for the small score of Hamilton was given the fact that the team had arrived the day before; but no excuse can be offered for Toronto. The latter's bowlersdid their work well throughout, but the bats. men, when called upon to reach or overtop a ridiculously small score, proved themselves unworthy of the charge reposed in them, and had actually to trust to the three men who had done all the bowling for making one-half the total number of runs obtained. No one will deny that Upper Canada College should have a professional, but very fow will tell how his presence is to be brought about. Being a Government institution, the amount of red tape necessary to be handled before anything can be accomplished might catch on the opinion of some official and put a stop to its further progress; or possibly the very sugges- tion of making an additional salary a call on the public funds might serve as a signal for a hue and cry from all Ontario's high school masters, who have no good-will towards the college. So much the better if it did. Perhaps the example set might stimulate them to follow it. But failing this, or perhaps, better as a first step mnake the support of such a man incum- bent on every scholar, as the maintenance of the cricket club is at Trinity School. A very small pittance from each of three hundred odd boys would secure the services of a professional. CRICKET, AND HOW TO EXCEL IN IT. BW Dr. w. o. OR^cE. (PtUished by soci2 permissicl.) CHAPTER V.-PRACTICE. In selecting an eleven it should be borne in mind that a team ought never to be made up entirely of men chosen for