James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annaul 1897

6 8 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. (7) M.C.C. andGroundv. Oxford University. Oxford, June 4 and 5. Theeleven which represented M.C.C. was utterly unfit for a matchof such importance . In bowling there were certainly Meadand Martin , but there was absolutely only one first -class English batsman, G. Bean. All round, indeed, the University were decidedly the better side , and the result was never for a momentin doubt. Seven of the Oxford Eleven got into doubles , five of them over 30 runs, with F. G. H. Clayton's 66 the highest figures . O nthe other side , Harry, the Australian (56 and 18), G. Bean(25 and 47), andF. L. Fane, an Oxonian (13 and 39), did most of the scoring for M.C.C. Messrs. Cunliffe and Hartley divided the 19 Marylebone wickets , which fell to the bowlers betweent h e m. T h eformertook ninewickets for 73, the latter ten for 128runs. Oxfordwonby an innings and 23 runs . Oxford , 296 ; M.C.C. and Ground, 147 and 126 ; total , 273. (8) M.C.C.a n dG r o u n dv. K e n t. Lord's , June 8 and 9. Asingularly exciting match wonby Kent with only two runs to spare. Thoughweak in batting M.C.C. had J. T. Hearne, Mead, andPougher to bowl, and on a wicket madedifficult by rain the two were more than enough. All roundthe scoring wasbelow the average , so muchso that only one of the first three innings exceeded the hundred . At the finish M.C.C. had 155 to win, andthanks mainly to Mr. H. O. Peacock (38), Carpenter (27), Dr. G. Thornton (25), and Carlin (22), looked like winning. Alec Hearneat the crisis got rid of Carlin andMead, and Mr. E. B. Shine performed with such effect on the tail that the total after all only reached 152, of which 15 were byes . Kent, 108 and98; total , 206. M.C.C. andGround, 52 and152 ; total , 204. J. T. Hearne(M.C.C.) Mr. Shine (Kent) ::: Overs. Maidens. R u n s. 5 2 . 3 2 5 9 2 Wickets. 1 1 4 2 - 2 1 8 8 7 1 1 (9) M.C.C. andGroundv. Australians. Lord's, June 11 and12. A remarkable match , the most remarkable , unfortunately , for the Australians in one way, perhaps , ever played by an Australian team in England. M.C.C. was represented by a very strong side , and in winning the toss ,with awicket affected by rain ,gained agreat advantage at the outset . Still , asit was, their score of 219 , for which they were mainly indebted to Mr. Stoddart (54), Mr. F. S. Jackson (51), and Gunn (39), was a fine performance . The Australian team were out of luck in losing the effective bowling of Giffen , whohad to retire through illness after delivering nine overs . The sensation camewhen the Australians went in to bat . The wicket was then rapidly getting worse , and very soon it was quite at its worst . Kelly and Graham, who opened the batting, made12 between them, and Trott , whocame in first wicket down, added sıx . This was the extent of the scoring , for the other seven batsmen- Giffen wasunable to go in-failed to makea run, any of them. Pougher, who went on whenthe third wicket fell , had anextraordinary analysis-15 balls for five wickets and no runs. In the follow on the Australians fared for a time better , but even then seven wickets were down for 62. A fine stand by Darling and Eady was the one redeeming feature in the Australians ' batting . While together they put on 112 runs, and without amistake J. T. Hearnetook all nine wickets-Giffen being again anabsentee -for73 runs . H i s13 wickets in the match only cost 77 runs. M.C.C. won byan innings and 18 runs . M.C.C. and Ground, 219. Australians , 18 and 183 ; total,201.