CRICKET MAGAZINE

THE 1882 SEASON

Volume I, Number 3: Wednesday, May 25, 1882

M.C.C. AND GROUND v DERBYSHIRE

The Derbyshire team, in the absence of Messrs L C Docker and H Evans, on last year's form the best bat and bowler in the county, was not representative; but the show all round was very much below the average of first-class shires. In neither innings did the total reach three figures, and Midwinter, who only gave two chances just before the close of the Marylebone batting, in his one attempt scored more than the whole Derbyshire eleven in their two innings.

Fothergill, a Northumbrian by birth, whom Somersetshire can now claim by residence, made a very promising debut for M.C.C. He hit with great freedom, and with more practice in good cricket bids fair to become one of the best all-round professionals. Omitting those got from Mycroft, 261 runs were scored from 113 overs of four Derbyshire bowlers, and the average cost of each of the six wickets was just under 44 runs.

CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY v MR THORNTON'S XI

AUSTRALIANS v SUSSEX

The heavy scoring of the Australians in their opening match against Oxford University early in the week, prepared the public for a sensational performance when they came to meet Sussex at Brighton, on Thursday last. Bonnor, who had not figured in the Colonial team at Oxford, was again chosen to stand out, but with the exception that Horan, who was an absentee against the University, took the place of Boyle, the elevens at Oxford and Brighton were the same.

Sussex was deprived of the services of Mr M P Lucas and Henry Phillips, neither of whom could play owing to recent injuries, as well of James Phillips; Walter Humphreys filled the place of the amateur, and A Payne took the wicket in lieu of H Phillips, so that the County had certainly not its strength.

The English Eleven began well in winning the toss and securing first hit on a splendid wicket, but that piece of good fortune was the only advantage they were able to claim during the game. At 12.20 on Thursday Messrs Ellis and Greenfield began their innings to the bowling of Spofforth and Palmer, and in two hours all was over.

A splendid catch at cover-point by Giffen, who held the ball at the third attempt, got rid of Mr Greenfield. He had made 23 of the first 30, but Palmer, the slow bowler of the Australian team, created a 'funk' by clean bowling Messrs Whitfeld, Blackman and Lucas with successive balls, and the innings closed for 95, Palmer taking eight wickets for 48 runs, an excellent performance on such a wicket. With this score fell any hopes that the most hopeless partisans of Sussex could ever have had.

A formal protest was lodged against the bowling of Mr Blackman by the Australian Captain (Murdoch), on the ground that he threw, but the umpires allowed his delivery, and he began with Lillywhite. Massie, who went in first with Bannerman, at once got on the best of terms with the Sussex bowling, and the first wicket (Bannerman) fell for 127.

When Murdoch came in it was merely a question of how high the Australian total would be. Murdoch was twice missed, once badly by Humphrey from a return, a second time at point from a hard hit to Mr Greenfield, and for these escapes Sussex suffered very heavily. Giffen, who hit very hard, helped Murdoch to raise the score from 389 to 507, and ultimately the innings closed for 643 - the largest score made in a first-class match in England. Murdoch carried out his bat for 286, in which there were no chances beyond those already named. His figures were made up of one five, thirty-nine fours, five threes, and sixteen twos and seventy-eight singles.

In their second attempt Sussex made an excellent start, and the effective batting of Messrs Greenfield, Ellis and Whitfeld enabled them to reach 120 with only one wicket down. With the departure of Mr Ellis, the second batsman, came the 'rot'. Mr Whitfeld played very careful cricket, but no one stayed with him, and all were out for 192. The Australians thus won by an innings and 355 runs. This is, we believe, the easiest victory ever recorded in a first-class match.

It will be noticed that Murdoch alone scored within two runs of the aggregate of the Sussex Eleven in two attempts. Palmer's slow bowling was very effective, resulting in fourteen wickets for 110 runs, a rare analysis on a batsman's wicket. Spofforth was again expensive, his three wickets costing 80 runs.

NOTTS v YORKSHIRE

Although they had the first use of an excellent wicket, Notts only made a poor show of 104, and at the end of an innings were in a minority of 87 runs. In the second innings, however, the Yorkshire bowling did not prove so deadly, and Selby, Butler, Scotton and Wright were mainly instrumental in securing a very respectable aggregate of 241.

Yorkshire still had an excellent chance when they went in with 155 to win, but two stupid cases of run out helped Notts materially, and Shaw and Morley in addition bowled so well that the home county were able to claim a very creditable victory by 90 runs.

Yorkshire for the first time played T Brackin, of Thornes, one of the most successful batsmen in the colts' match at Sheffield early in the week, but his debut was not particularly successful, as will be seen. The Nottingham eleven when its full strength is in the field bids fair to be stronger than ever this year.

THE CRICKET SCANDAL

From the first we have been consistent in refusing to believe the truth of the report, and we are still of the same opinion. At the same time, despite the public denial of Alfred Shaw, it must be admitted that there are still grave rumours afloat in England, circulated by men whose position in connection with the trip gives some responsibility to their statements.

It would be idle to deny the fact that even the rumour of the possible mala fides of players whose names have been regarded as the synonym for manliness and uprightness has shaken the confidence of, at least, a section of the cricket-loving public. It is absolutely necessary, we repeat, in the interests of the game which we are proud to regard as above all suspicion, that the charge so freely circulated should be thoroughly sifted.

It will not suffice to urge the apparent improbability of such a story. To argue the difficulties of selling a match will not convince even those who are desirous of being convinced that the whole rumour is a fabrication. More than this is required. It is in the interests of the men whose characters have been attacked that the most complete investigation should be made into the affair. The Australian cricketers ridicule the idea that there is any truth in the story, but as we have already said, the rumour still obtains a certain amount of credence.

In our first number we argued that it was the duty of the Marylebone Club, as the custodian of cricket honour, to institute a searching inquiry into the matter. We have seen no reason to change that opinion; on the contrary the revival of the statements confirms the necessity for action.

Steps should be taken at once to clear the reputation of two of our best professionals from what have been persistently held to be unfounded charges. The man themselves should long before this have seen that an authoritative and public denial was given by the managers of the team, and in default of such a measure on their account the Marylebone Club should procure an official and explicit contradiction from Shaw, Shrewsbury and Lillywhite.

What steps the Committee of M.C.C. intend to take we do not know, but we do know that a request or what may be called a demand has been made by Lord Harris that they should commence proceedings in the case. In the event of any disinclination on their part, we understand that the Kentish captain is himself prepared to conduct an inquiry. In this case he will expect an affidavit from each member of the team which Shaw commanded in Australia, duly testifying that there is no foundation to the charges that have been made against two of its members.

Testimony of this kind would effectively remove whatever doubt may still exist. The restoration of public confidence is, we hold, essential to the well-being of the game, and we shall await anxiously the first step taken to securing that end.

PAVILION GOSSIP

***A correspondent has sent the following quotation from Troilus and Cressida, which he considers appropriate to "CRICKET":
"The baby figure of the giant mass of things to come."
Gently, my dear young friend - for you must be young. I am sensible of your good intentions, but you might have pitched your note just one key lower.

***More Shakespearian mottoes for the Australian cricketers.
"Thus far have we marched into the bowels of the earth without impediment." - Richard III.

H H MASSIE
"Be somewhat scanter of your maiden presence." - Hamlet.

W L MURDOCH
"O! wonderful, wonderful, and most wonderful, and yet again wonderful!" - As You Like It.

G E PALMER
"He will come straight, look you lay home to him." - Hamlet.

TO ENGLISH CRICKETERS
"But screw your courage to the sticking place, and we'll not fail." - Macbeth.
"Come the three corners of the world in arms and we shall shock them. Nought shall make us rue, if England to itself do rest but true." - King John

C W BEAL
"My business in this state made me a looker-on here in Vienna." - Measure for Measure.

***Some one suggests that after all it is quite as well that the second fixture between Sussex and the Australians will not come off. They did manage to get the Colonials out in May, but whether they would be able to do this in the three days in August about which there has been so much contention, when Murdoch, Massie, Horan, Giffen and Company have got into form, is a question that might be difficult to answer. Perhaps now the authorities at Brighton may be inclined to regard the transfer of their dates to Somersetshire with something like Christian resignation.

***It is not often that we hear of a clean hit for eight, all run out - at least where the grounds are enclosed. Many of us who can unfortunately remember the Consulship of Planeus can still recall the memorable smite of George Anderson for eight for Yorkshire v Surrey some twenty-five years ago. On Saturday last I not only saw one eighter at The Oval, but two, from successive balls, both of them run out. As this is a performance I should think never before recorded, I may say that the hero was Mr J Hearsum, of the Vine Club, in a match against Grosvenor Road.

***The tremendous score of the Australians against Sussex and Murdoch's large individual contribution have given rise to much comment, and also provoked comparison with other performances. The Australian total of 643 has only once been beaten, and that by a Colonial team. I refer to the 775 made by New South Wales against Victoria last season - the greatest innings ever recorded - and in this Murdoch was the principal performer, just failing to reach Mr W G Grace's 344 - the best record in a good match - by 23 runs. For the benefit of the curious, I give the principal individual scores already recorded.
W N Roe, 415, and not out, Caius Long Vacation Club v Emmanuel Long Vacation Club, 1881
E F S Tylecote, 404, not out, Classical v Modern of Clifton College, 1868
W G Grace, 400, and not out, U.S.E.E. v Grimsby Twenty-Two, 1876
W G Grace, 344 and not out, M.C.C. v Kent, 1876
W E W Collins, 338 and not out, Northwood v Freshwater, in 1874
W F Forbes, 331, Fellowes' Eleven v Huntingdonshire, 1881
E M Grace, 327 and not out, Thornbury v Chewton Keynsham, 1876
W L Murdoch, 321, Intercolonial Match, N.S.W. v Victoria, February, 1882
W G Grace, 318 not out, Gloucestershire v Yorkshire, 1876
A Hoare, 302, The Ford v Tonbridge School, 1870
F W Wright, 307 not out, Masters v Eastbourne College and Schools, 1876
H W Renny-Tailyour, 331 not out, Royal Engineers v Civil service, 1880

The highest aggregate in a good match is 775 by New South Wales v Victoria in February, 1882.

***On Saturday last Mr E W Lake, playing for the Incogniti against the School of Gunnery at Shoeburyness, sent a bail a distance of 93 feet behind the wicket.

***More honours for Australian cricketers. At the distribution of prizes in connection with the Faculty of Medicine at University College, last week, some of the most successful among the competitors came from the Colonies. The Aitchison Scholarship and the Gold Fellowes Medal were both taken by Mr W Carnac Wilkinson, of Sydney. Mr Wilkinson played more than once for Middlesex last season, and on some few occasions he figured as one of the first Australian team which starred in England under Gregory's command in 1878. To him is mainly due the institution of the Cup lately raised for competition among the London Hospitals, the first match in which is decided today. He is at present the Honorary Secretary of the Inter-Hospital Cricket Club.

***It has been erroneously reported that Lord Harris will not be able to assist Kent in its earlier matches this year. An operation performed on his eye prevents him appearing at Lord's today, but I am able to state authoritatively that he will take part in the forthcoming northern matches of the Kentish team.

***Charles Bannerman is perplexing the minds of cricketers not a little. Since he took his passage on board the 'Assam', which brought the Australian players to England, the glorious uncertainty which is regarded as the chief attribute of cricket has attended his movements. The last rumour afloat was that he was actually on board the P. and O. steamer 'Shannon', and as that vessel reached Plymouth last week, early intimation of his intentions with regard to English cricket was awaited. Unfortunately though he has again proved a deception. The passenger list of the 'Shannon' does not include his name, and in all likelihood at the last moment he again thought better of the trip, as he did when his berth had actually been engaged on the 'Assam'.

***The executive of the M.C.C., if report be true, is about to establish a Club-house at the West-end for the convenience as well as the social enjoyment of its hundreds of members. With the influence it wields, such a project is quite practicable, and an additional subscription from a majority of the present subscribers to Lord's would guarantee a fair amount of success for the scheme.

***Mr H. Knatchbull-Hugessen has resigned his position as one of the triumvirate forming the Match Committee of the Kent County Club. Mr George Marsham succeeds him, and the management of the matches will this year be in the hands of that gentleman, with Lord Harris and the Hon Ivo Bligh. It is said that a son of Mr Robert Lipscombe, the once famous fast bowler, will make his debut for the County in one of their Northern matches. The best that can be wished for Kent is that his arm may be strong and his aim as true as his father's.

***The Surrey Eleven against the Australians at The Oval today will be J Shuter, A P Lucas, W W Read, W Lindsay, W E Roller, and Pooley, Barratt, Jones, Read, Abel and Dible. The last named, a fast bowler, makes his debut in this match, and I believe two other Colts, Haden and Mr Colman, will make their first appearance for the County on Monday at Nottingham.

***Murdoch's present average in England, 212½!!! His scores are 0, 15 not out, 286 not out, 17, 107 not out.

CORRESPONDENCE

CRICKET AT CAMBRIDGE

Another reverse awaited the Lancashire players in this match, concluded at Cambridge on Saturday last. Two defeats in succession, and both at the hands of an eleven very inferior to many whom much the same team beat decisively last year, appear to be very much against the prospects of the Lancastrians attaining the same high position as last year, especially now that Nottinghamshire is again in its full strength. Mr A G Steel was away, but otherwise the eleven was the same as played in the final engagement of 1881, and might fairly be termed representative.

Cambridge had only displayed moderate form against Mr Thornton's eleven early in the week, but on this occasion they confirmed the opinions expressed by many that they would improve considerably on the show of their opening match. Throughout the scoring was below the average of the Cambridge ground, but the University, chiefly through the good bowling and batting of C T Studd, assisted by Ramsay in the latter department, were able to pull through by the bare majority of 14 runs.

THE SCORE BOOK (continued)

M.C.C. & G. V YORKSHIRE

The easy win of M.C.C. by eight wickets was mainly due to the effective bowling of Morley and Flowers. The Yorkshiremen indeed could do nothing with the latter, whose 12 wickets only cost 47 runs - a fine performance. Peate bowled with success for Yorkshire, but Bates was in no way up to the mark, either with ball or bat. Ulyett was stumped each time off Flowers.

AUSTRALIANS v ORLEANS

As Blackham and Bannerman were both a little out of health they stood down to make way for McDonnell and Bonnor, the latter of whom made his first appearance as a member of the present team. The presence of such cricketers as the Brothers Grace, Messrs A P Lucas, A G Steel and Webbe on the Orleans side led to the belief that the Australians would for the first time since their arrival meet with their match, and so it proved.

The Orleans captain was very lucky in winning the toss, and the privilege of batting first on the wicket provided gave the Club a decided advantage. The Englishmen began badly, as E M Grace (who went in first with W G) was caught in the long field from the sixth ball delivered.

The Australian bowling was commenced by Palmer and Garrett, and in Blackham's absence the wicket was taken by the captain, Murdoch. Despite this unpromising opening the match was productive of some excellent cricket all round. W G Grace, despite his recent illness, hit with vigour, more freely than hitherto. At first Webbe was not quite at his ease, but when he settled down his batting was quite up to his best, and while in with Lucas he put on as many as 77 runs.

Messrs Schultz and Thornton, whose names are rarely absent from the list of an Orleans team, by good hitting both upheld the reputation of the Club, though the latter had a lucky escape when he had only made three. Good catches by Bonnor in the slips dismissed both the Lancastrians, A G Steel and Barlow, and generally the fielding was very close and true.

Some good cricket was shown by the amateurs already mentioned, but the Club would have fared badly had it not been for the brilliant display of A P Lucas. His unwearying defence at the outset helped mainly to break the Australian bowling, and his innings of 87 not out, following as it has so closely on his first score of 145 for Mr Thornton's eleven against Cambridge, must be accounted an extraordinary performance; barring a difficult chance to McDonnell at short slip soon after his arrival, there was nothing like a flaw in his batting. For nearly four hours and a half he was combating all the best of the Colonial bowling, and his masterly style was never seen to greater advantage.

The Australian fielding as we have stated was all round very good, but, excepting that of Palmer, the bowling had no great sting in it. Spofforth was again a failure, and Murdoch at the wicket was certainly not a success. The light on the Orleans ground towards evening is not of the best, owing to the numerous trees, and the Australians had distinctly the worst of the luck in going in so late.

Massie, the fast scorer of the team, was 'yorked' out by Rotherham before he could get a hit, and in fifty minutes the Australians had lost four of their best wickets, including Murdoch's, for only fifty-three runs. So far the play was all against the Australians, and the rain during the night helped the bowling of W G Grace and Steel so much on Tuesday morning that they got rid of the remaining wickets without difficulty.

Forty minutes, indeed, saw the six wickets fall for an addition of only twenty-two runs, and the Colonial team, who, in their two previous matches had secured as many as 1069 runs for twenty-one wickets, were all dismissed for seventy-five. W G Grace and Steel bowled with great success, the former especially, and the fielding all round was excellent. On the second morning W G delivered 37 balls for 15 runs and four wickets; Steel, 40 balls for 6 runs and two wickets.

With 196 to save the innings, and four hours and a half still left for play, there was quite a chance that the Australians might be beaten, and this prospect gave additional interest to the play. Murdoch and Massie again began the Australian batting, and but for the former the Englishmen might have pulled through. Again, as at The Oval in 1880, the Colonial captain showed how bravely he can play an uphill game, and on this occasion, as then, he was entirely instrumental in saving his side.

To say more in praise of his score of 107 not out than that is was got in his very best style is impossible. Pilling allowed an easy chance of running him out when he had only eight to escape, but with the exception of one uppish hit in front of the wickets, he never made anything like a mistake, and his coolness and judgement at a critical time were as remarkable as ever.

Under the circumstances his display was an extraordinary one. He was in four hours and a half, playing some of the very best English amateur bowling without a fault, and it is hardly too much to say that he bids fair, during the present season, to gain fresh honours as a batsman. Indeed, it may fairly be claimed that he has now no equal in this department, either in England or the Colonies.

The appended score will show that the match, which was limited to two days, was left drawn, after some very interesting cricket, altogether in favour of the Club.