THE PROWESS OF AUSTRALIA IN FIELD SPORTS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XX, Issue 166, 18 July 1884, Page 3

THE PROWESS OF AUSTRALIA IN FIELD SPORTS.

The Daily Telegraph, m a leader deal-, ing with the first (victory of the Aus-' tralian team m England, says ; — "Let no ono run away with tho idea that athletic England is m any degree angry or troubled because athletic Australia has won tho first; cricket match .of the fourth Anglo- Antipodean, season at Lord Sheffield's park, near Brighton. Murdoch and hii' merry men are quite welcome to beat us as often as they can under equally fair and favourable auspices as those which prevailed m Sussex during the two days of the match. Lord Sheffield did his 1 best to deserve success, but he could not command it. He provided the gallant Australians with a springy verdant wicket, an out field, which must have ' delighted the eyes of 'men accustomed to the burnt-iip earth of their sunny ( far-off home, and a team of not unworthy competitors. If was no fault of the Englishmen that from the Beginning of tlie ' play Giffen and Palmer were dead on, or that Banner- , man of New South Wales topped Shrewsbury's score of 39, the best made on pur sido on Monday,- by 55. Nor is it surprising that tho Australians should display such fine form' First,, they -.are a splondid get of men, the very pick of the colonies, secondly they havo been reared and trained m a climato where cricket is play&d all the year round ; and thirdly, their long practice together has given them an ensemble nothing can surpass. In all Victoria, Now South Walos,and South. Australia it may not ba possible to obtain ,such beautiful natural turjE as overy : Englisn county yields m plenty} but whore can wo find such glorious and ' genial weather as. those people enjoy whose favourito Christmas dinnor is incomplete without lamb and green peas ? Practice makes perfect. They play all day and every day ; and no doubt dream of the wickets at night uador a starlit sky, graced- with, tho lambent Southern Gross. „ , They am quite welcome, every ' ' brio of them — Murdoch, Spofforth, Scott, Bannerman, McDonnell, Giffen, Bonnor, Blackham, Midwinter, Palmer, Boyle, and as many more as Murdoch likes to bring into the field. Let their demon bowlers come on and their batsmen — fijrm as rooks and quick as lightning :at tho wickets — take every ball we can send them. We are not afraid, nor yet ashamed, because there ia nothing to be afraid or ashamed of. Whore did they get tho3o close-nit frames, broad, shoulders, deep chests and thin flanks ? Tho unflinching courage, tho readiuoss of resource, the quick oyo, tho dexterous wrist, aro all English. If wo beat them we Bhould not overcome Australia. After all, it is only as if ono English county played against another, For tho broad soa is but as a pariah boundary when it divides men of tho same breed, speaking tho same langtiago, uphold by tho samo manly and noblo traditions, inspired by tho samo passion for froodom, and filled with tho samo healthful, wholusoihe loyp of putnloor , sports,"