ENGLISH CRICKETERS.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 11876, 25 April 1904, Page 7

ENGLISH CRICKETERS.

THE MARYLEBONE CLUB'S BANQUET.

SPEECH BY WARNER. United Pre§s Association—By Eltctrio Telegraph—Copyright. (Received April 25th. 0.21 a.m.) LONDON, April 24. At the Marylebone Club banquet to welcome Warner's team there were 200 guests, including Earls Jersey aud Lichfield, Viscount Barrington, Messrs Spofforth, Steel, Brown, Stoddart. MacGregor, Sir Conan Doyle, Captain Wynyard. aud Mr Webbe. Lord Alverston, who was presiding, said the team were all sportsmen. They had played the game and upheld tlie honour of British cricket, and had cemented the friendship between England and Australia. Warner, replying, said he regretted MacLaren'sT- absence from tho team. The Australian public mis>vd him, the prince of batsmen on Australian wickets. Regarding the barracking at the lii'J-t test match. he raid they must make allowances for extenuating circumstance. He had torn the page out of the hock of memory and forgotten it for ever. He added that the crowd cheered at tho end of the fourth test match as heartily as crowds cheered «t Lord's or at tht> Oval. Test matches here ought to be played to n finish. Cricketers ought to think imperially and sacrifice :t part of county cricket for international matches. The Australians were magnificent fighters. The first, test match was the finest instance of fighting with one's back to the wall. Noble in Australia was the greatest all-round cricketer, and the most sportsmanlike and charming of men. There had been absolutely no friction between them. Tlie Prince of Wales, Mr Balfour, and Mr Chamberlain sent their hearty congratulations. Tlio team will play the rest of England at Lord's on May 9th.