CRICKET.

Evening Star, Issue 12163, 6 April 1904, Page 3

CRICKET.

[By Umpire.] The first team of English cricketers to visit Australis—in 1862, under the captainship of the late H. H. Stephenson—played twenty-twos of the colonies, and even of New South Wales and Victoria combined. George Parr’s team (1864) and W. G. Grace’s (1874) also played invariatdv against odds, and it was not until 18 f7 that England and Australia met on level terms for the first time. The match, played on the Melbourne Cricket Ground, was won by Australia by 45 runs, the opposing side being captained by James Lilly-white, who afterwards became almost as well known in Australia as in England. It uras in that match that Charlie Banmade his famous score of 165 before retiring with one of his fingers smashed by Ulyctt. A return match, played immediately afterwards, was, won by England by four wickets, and from that time whenever England and Australia have met it has always been on even terms. In all 71 matches recognised as test games havr been played, of which 31 have been won by England, 28 by Australia, and 12 drawn. Of the 42 matches played in Australia 22 have been won by Australia, 18 by England, and 2 drawn; and of the other 29, played in England, 13 have been won by England, 6 by Australia, and 10 drawn.

The first Australian team that visited England (in 1878), says an Australian writer, had no match arranged against All "England, and the second team (1880) only played one, which England won by five wickets. It was reserved for the famous Australian eleven of 1882—in my opinion the strongest cricket combination that has ever been seen—to first lower England 1 s colors on an English ground. Australia won that match by the narrow majority of 7 runs, Harry Boyle bowling the last batsman, Peate, amidst a scene of such intense excitement that one of the spectators dropped dead while watching the finish. Tha.t, however, was not the closest finish that test matches have produced. In 1885, at Sydney, Australia won bv 6 runs; and other close contests almost as close and exerting also took place at Sydney in 1887 and in 1894, when England won by 13 and 10 runs, respectively. The 1894 match wa-s lost by Australia after scoring 586 in tho first innings! England had to follow on, and heavy rain through the nmht preceding the last, day’s play gave Briggs and Peel a wickc-t on which they simply slaughtered the Australian batsmen. That famous match practically closed Blackham's career as a cricketer, ’as his thumb was badly smashed, and though, with characteristic pluck he tried to bat in the second innings, the effort was futile. The greatest finish of all, however, took place at Manchester in 1902, when Australia won bv- o runs.

, l as t 25 matches—extending over tnree seasons in Australia and two in England—have been greatly in favor of Australia, the results (including this season’s record) being 13 won by Australia, 6 won by Lng.and, and 6 drawn. The highest totals for an innings in test matches have teen 586 by Australia at Sydney, 577 bv England at Sydney, 576 by England in England, and 551 by Australia in England. -P- Foster’s 287 at Sydney last December is the highest individual score ever made m a test match, W. L. Murdoch’s 211 at Kennington Oval in 1884 is the second, and E V y Te B or fs 201 at Sydney in 1894 is tee third. Six batsmen—C. Bannerman. , b - Ranjiteinhji, W. G. Grace, H. Graham, R. A. Duff, and R. E. Foster—have played an innings of three figures on the occasion of their first appearance in test matches. H. Tramble is the only bowler who in these matches has “done the hat trick” twice; and F. R. Spofforth, W. Bates, J. Briggs, and J. T. Heame each accomplished it once.

Warner told an interviewer that he considered Gehrs, the South Australian, was going to be a first-rank batsman. “As for his fielding,” added the English captain, “I have not seen finer work at cover by anyone, not even excepting Syd. Gregory.”

The gross proceeds of the four English matches in Sydney amounted to £10,200 14s, Ihe M.C.C. and the Association each £3,689 13s, and the Trustees £2,821 Bs. *lhe match playing expenses came to £1,090 17s Id. and the ground charges to £553 16s Bd, leaving £1,645 los 9d to be deducted from the AssociaSh .n rQ - This gives a net profit of £2.045 19s 3d to the New South Wales Uncket Association.

In the five test matches, England scored 2,050 runs from 5.572 balls, and Australia 2,424 runs from 4,803 balls. These fimires indicate a substantial difference in favor of Australia in the rate of nm-getting. they show the Australian batting to have ecu of a more dashing character, more especially as it is the general belief that aL MSS' Playing in the Steamship Comnonies’ W^^ t R te w-n t - h ’ y ictoria v - New I Srat.h A oo Wl!k3e ’ the ex-Otago rep., made 39 and 82, not out, v ’