LONDON CHAT.

Otago Witness, Volume 11, Issue 2280, 11 November 1897, Page 28

LONDON CHAT.

(Fjiom OtTB Own ConmssPONDKNT.)

London, September 17. '

Autumn is upon us early and unwelcome, for we have grown accaetomed of late to BUinmeri protracted well into October. A premature winter is threatened by some weathsr prophets, — who, happily, are not infallible.

While all other aorta of eport flourish, the English national game is over for the year. The cricket season concluded on Wednesday with the Hastings Festival. That termination of tho season of 1897 was principally noticeable for emphasising what has been the chief feature of the season — viz., tbe unparalleled bowling of. Richardson. The final m&tch — not very important in itself — enabled him to complete the greatest feat ever performed by any bowler afc any time — that of taking 1005 wickets in four seasons, all in " first-class " cricket. No other bowler haa ever even approached this achievement.

Enrly in the season and before the mighty Tom of Milchana had yet got into "form," there wire the usual silly but damaging reports that " Richardson was quite out of form, had lost all his spin, and break, and feting, and retained otily his pace." Bosh ! After the fk*t nmteh or two he proved himself to be in better form than ever before, and bowled mih a consittsnfc destructiveness that has no parallel in cricket history.

Chatting with some of the wonderful old cricket veterans that" one meets with at Lord's or the Oval, I have found a distinct opinion prevalent that R ; c'uardson is the greatest bowler England uss ever produced. I might add, "or seen.'' but I am not sure of this. There was Spofforth. When in his prime he had no equal. As it in, he has none in that povrer which was his most dangerous quality — of imperceptibly altering his pace so that what looked to be a eannonshot of R : chardsonian fury proved to be quite a slow twister. That was fatal to many.

But Richardson goes on full pelt all day, bis tiemendius speed never slackening and bis variety being got purely in change of pitch, spin, '''and bretk. His pace alone "daunts the nerves, of mauy. Even fche redoubtable giant, W. G. Grace, is never quite happy when " Long Tom "is on. The doubt whether one of those c&nnonshots will shoot " alorg the carpet " into your wicket and cover you with confusion, or will fly up into the air and dash out your teeth, is disquieting to all but tfce moafc stoical batsman. I have heard m»n argue fch*it Richardson in not co fast as Woodcock or Kortright. Again I say, " B^sh ! " I have watched them all, Woodcock and Kortright start at a great pace, but they soon tire. No wonder in Kortright's case ; for he begins his rnn almost at the boundary, and then seems to chuck his whole body with the ball. Woodcock has a much neater and prettier action. But Richard-ion can keep his speed up all day and never give a loose b%U. Mold, the Lancastrian, is hia nearest rival, and ran him very closa this year until disabled by an accident. But I assert fearless'.y that Richardson at fche present time is far aud away the best fast bowler ever seen on a cricket ground. He has taken this year 273 wickets at an average of 14 rurs each.

it must be gratifying to Albert Trott, fche Australian, that, after being crowded out of the last Australian team, he has the besb average of any English professional bowler, his 50 wickets being captured at a cost of only 13 runs each. Had he been able to play in county cricket, as he will (for Middlesex) next jear, his aggregate woald have been much larger. Cuttell (the new Lancastrian) and Briggs tho v«.teran (of the same county) come third and fourth wi'h averages" of 16 ruus per wicket. In the batting department Ford has the best average, 53 ; Druce and Maclaren come next; with 51 each. Then follow Quaife 16, Rinjitsinhji 45. and Abel 44. But Abel, though sixth nmong the averages, 'made an aggregate of 2099, being the only player to exceed 2000 ; while Ranjitsinhji made 1910, and Wain wright, who is only twenty-second in the average, made "1812. On the other hand, the three at the head of the averages made aggregates of only 805, 926, and 974 respectively. Thus had they played as often as the ofchers fcheic relative positions might have been materially altered. This poiuta to an unsatisfactory feature in the present method of reckoning. v The highest ccorerß for tho >ear have been J. T. Brown 311, J. A. Dixon 268, Ranjibsinhji 260, Abel 250 and 215. Mac'aren 244. The ohampioD, W. G. Grace, ha* fallen to thirteenth in the averages, his figures being 39. His aggregate was 1532, and his highest 131. Stoddart is relatively "nowhere." Perhaps the most astonishing thing in the musical experiences of, this autumn ia the successful revival of Offenbach, of all composers in tho world. Undeterred by the warning that' Qffenbach was out of date— a ta«fce of bygODe days, quite out of it in these times — the management of a theatre resolved to revive "La Perichole" after an interval of 30 years. And the revival is a big success. My New Zealand readers niay remember ita productien in the days of Madame FauDy Simonsen and that once admirable tenor Carnsini Morley. Also, I fancy, it was done by Emily Soldene and her troupe. The pretty and sparkling music proves as popular as ever, and that excruciatingly .funny old prisoner — one of the most diverting characters in all comic opera — did not fail, as of yore, to make the audience laugh till their sides ached. "La Perichole" seems in for a long run. The Hereford Triennial Festival is now in progress, but so far h>s nob presented either any musical novelty of not* or any specially noteworthy interpretation of accepted masterpieces. Yesterday probably represented the climax of the festival, Beethoven's colossal Maks in D and Tuchaikowtky'a marvellous "Symphouie Pathetique" both being performed, creditably but cot immaculately, to the extreme delight of the unprecedentedly large audience. The &fiycfc wa« necessarily much enhanced through the sublime music of the great Russian and greater German being heard in the noble Cathedral of Hereford.

At the theatres the autumn novelties are gradually making their appearance. ."Miss Francis " continues to enjoy considerable popu--Utity among the lovers of the "screaming farce " order of dramatic architecture. At fche Strand a light comedy (almost a farce), " The Purser," has made a hit. It is distinctly droll, its fun turning on the mishaps of an unlucky P. and O. purser, who, contrary to the regulations of the service, takes with him on a voyage (under her maiden name) his young and fascinating and flirty bride. She incontinently makes a hash of all the men on board from the captain downward, and the ensuing complications are mirth - provoking in the bigheit degree. Another novelty is "White Heather" (nothing to do with William Black's charming novel of the same nr.mo), just brought out at Drury Lane in the lavish style to which the late lamented " Gus " Harris accustomed us. It appears likely to prove a success. - The All-England cricket team, which left to-

day in the Ormuz for Australia, under Stoddart's captaincy, has the advantage of six splendid bowlers — Richardson, Hearne, a*d Hirst (fast), Hayward and Wainwrighfe (medium), and Briggs (slow left-hand):" With Ranjitsinbji, Haclxren, Stoddarfc, Drucw, Mason, Hayward, Hirst, Storer, and Wainwrisht the batting ought to ba able to take care of itself ; and in the hands of Storer and Board the wicket-keeping should be quite safe. A successful tour may be anticipated.