James Lillywhte's Cricketers' Annual 1884

2 L I L L Y W H I T E ' SC R I C K E T E R S ' A N N U A L. C H A P T E R II. T H ES E V E N T HE N G L I S HT E A MI N A U S T R A L I . B YT H EH O N. I V OB L I G H. O N September 14th the first detachment of the Seventh English Team in Australiastartedf r o mG r a v e s e n di n theP . a n dO . s.s. " P e s h a w u r ." T h eidea of taking out a mixed teamof gentlemen and professionals , which had originated among some of the members, had been suggested to the Committee of the Melbourne C.C. , who, taking from the first a favourable view of the scheme, finally decided to undertake the management of the tour on their own responsibility . Theterms agreed on were almost precisely the same as those on which the team, captained by Lord Harris , visited Australia in 78-79-that the mainexpenses of the gentlemen should be paid, and each of the professionals should, in addition to his expenses, receive the s u mof £220. Thefirst detach- mentconsisted of A. G. Steel , C. T. Studd, W. W. Read, E. F. S. Tylecote , H o n. Ivo Bligh (Capt.), Morley , and Barnes. These seven were joined at Suez by C. F. H. Leslie , G. B. Studd, G. F. Vernon, Bates , and Barlow, making up the full complement of twelve men-a number which, as the sequel proved, would seem to be hardly sufficient to face the various contingencies which are liable , in the course of a protracted tour , to deprive the team of the services of oneor m o r eof its m e m b e r s. Thevoyage out was rendered , unfortunately , eventful by a collision with a sailing vessel , which took place some 360 miles from Colombo, and caused adelay of ten days, the time spent in towing the sailing vessel (which, although the assailant in the collision , was in a far worse plight than our ship ) back to Colombo, andrepairing the damage done to the " Peshawur" sufficiently to enable us to continue the voyage . This accident was a most unlucky one for the team in twoways-the first being that Morley, through a fall caused by the shock of the collision , sustained an injury which, though its severe nature -a broken rib- was not discovered till long afterwards , rendered his services as a bowler practically useless during the whole tour : a loss which , taking into consideration the fact that he was our only really fast bowler , it would be difficult to over- estimate ; the second reason , that the delay of ten days caused the team to arrive in Adelaide on the daywhich, according to the programme arranged , should have been the second day of the First match (v. Fifteen of South Australia ). Adelaide was reached on the night of the 9th November, and the feelings of the team generally , and the perplexity of the captain in particular , maybe imagined when, at the hour of 2.30 a.m. , they were hastily aroused from their slumbers to receive a deputation of some twenty gentlemen, who, fortified by a dinner given that night by the Mayor in honour of the Prince of Wales' birthday , had resolved to welcome the team at whatever hour they arrived . Whenour good friend , Mr. Peacock, proceeded to explain to the half -awakened cricketers that a special train was actually awaiting them on shore , and that a match that day (Friday ) was confidently looked forward to by the many thousands assembled in the town, it was evident that our contemplated refusal to play on the plea of wantof practice -surely not a fanciful one-would cause great disappointment ; and so, though a more decent time for disembarking -nine o'clock next morning - w a sfixed upon, the demands of Mr. Peacock's deputation were in the main accededto. The next day, November 10th , saw the team, with the exception of the captain , whose hand had been rather severely cut on board ship , for the