THE AUSTRALIAN CRICKETERS IN ENGLAND.

Grey River Argus, Volume 21, Issue 3099, 22 July 1878, Page 2

THE AUSTRALIAN CRICKETERS IN ENGLAND.

(MELBOURNE ARGUS ) The Australian Eleven commenced the first match in England at Notts on the 20th May. They lost the match by an innings and aix runs. Their next match was at Lords, on the 27th, with the Marylebone Club. This match, which created an immense sensation, was the most extraordinary ever seen. The Australians had shown in their contest with Notts, when quite out of practice, and on a wicket most unfavorable to their style of play, that they were fully justified in coming to England, aud that they would do themselves no discredit as representatives of cricket at the antipodes ; still, no one antisipated that they would defeat such a powerful ?tearn as that brought against them by nine wickets. From first to last they took full advantage of their good fortune, and allowed no chance to slip by. Special praise was also bestowed on the excellent fielding of the Australians, which was quick, active, and really very smart in the return. The Marylebone players in their second innings cut a deplorable figure — Mr Grace was perhaps a little unlucky in the first innings, bu , in the second he had only two balls, neither of which did he touch, and the last took his bails. Mr Hornby alone, in the first innings, seemed to have auy idea of how to play to the bowling of Messrs Boyle and Spofforth. The rest went in and out, oue after the other, as if there was something too terrible in the bowling to face. In the second innings, on a good though dead wicket, nine out of ten of the Marylebone side were clean bowled, and they got altogether only 19 runs, to add to the almost equally insignificant score of 33, which they had previously obtained. Six men contributed nothing at their first effort, and seven followed suit the second time. Spofforth, whose action and change of pace seemed to puzzle the batsmen, bowled in all 59 balls for 20 runs and 10 wickets ; Boyle, 89 balls for 17 runs and nine wickets ; the former getting six wickets for 3 runs in the second. As to the Australian batting, Midwinter showed good form in both inning?, and Murdock and Horan likewise did better than any of the English side, except Hornby and Flowers. The game began at 12, and notwithstanding the interval for lunch, ended a little after 5. At a subsequent match on 30bh May with the Yorkshire County team of eleven, the Australians won by six wickets. They were next victorious in a great match with the Surrey Eleven, at Kennington Oval, which they won by five wickets. This contest, owing to the interest excited by the extraordinary success of the Australians, brought the largest crowd to JKLenninrjton Oval ever seen in a cricket field. The victory was welcomed with overwhelming enthusiasm. |