CRICKET.

Otago Witness, Issue 2106, 5 July 1894, Page 32

CRICKET.

NOTES BY SLIP.

The income of the Marylebone Club for the past season was no less a sum than £20,670 13s Bd\

The Earl of Jersey, the president of the Marylebone Cricket Club, is perhaps better known in connection with athletics than cricket, and a good many years ago — in 1865— he represented Oxford in the Inter-Varsity sports against Cambridge, but was beaten in the two races he took part in by R. B. Webster, now Sir Richard Webster.

Great things are hoped from F. Mitchell, a Freshman at Cambridge University. In the first seven innings he played for his college daring the current season he scored 711 runs, and as he was twice not out he thus had the splendid average of 142. He learned his cricket at St. Peter's School, York, and the authorities in the county of the Broadacres look forward to securing his services at the close of the university season.

Surrey had all through much the best of their encounter with Gloucestershire at the Oval on May 17 and 18. The Surrey bowler 3, Richardson and Smith, the latter being in each innings the pore successful, did not require to be changed daring the match, and disposed of the western county team for 82 and 104. Surrey, on the other hand, scored 386, the heaviest subscribers being Brockwell, who played a splendid innings for 107 (the first century he has scored in a first-class match), K. J. Key 60, W. W. Read 57, and Lockwood 54. Surrey won by an innings and 200 runs.

Yorkshire was weakened by the absence of Lord Hawke and F. S. Jackson when, on May 17, they met Leicestershire for the first of their two annual encounters, the match being played ab Lticestir Tbe home team scored 136 (Tomlin not out 43. C. E. de Trafford 32) and 131 (C. E. de Trafford 9i), against which the Tyke 3 made 146 (Moorhouse 47) and 74. Six wickets for 28 runs waa Pougher's average in Yorkshire's second innings, and it was largely owing to his efforts that Leicestershire were left with a well-earned victory by 47 runs.

A veiy evenly contested match was that between Sussex and Somersetshire at Brighton on May 17. The home team made 129 (W. L. Murdoch 31) and 124 (W. L. Murdoch 42, W. Newham 41), while the visitors, who were not very strongly represented, made 122 and 132 for nine wickets (R. P. Spur way 34), winning by one wicket. In the second innings of Sussex S. M. J. Woods captured five wickets for only 16 runs. The home team introduced a new bowler, named Killick (from Horsham), who met with such success that a more extended trial was to be expected, six wickets falling to him in the first innings for 28 runs. In Somersetshire's second innings the honours of the attack belonged to Guttridge, who gained seven wickets for 35 runs and bowled superbly at the end.

A match at Lord's between Derbyshire and trie M.C C. and Ground did not last much more than a day, tha county winning by seven wickets. The M.C.C. team scored 61 and 169 (Barnes 58) to Derbyshire's 167 (S. H. Evershed 34) and 64 for three wickets (Chatterton nob out 42). Mr E. B. V. Christian contributes to Cricket an admirably amusing paper, in which he gives the public the benefit of much valuable information he acquired through becoming the purchaser of a penny brochure, purporting to contain all the hints necessary to enable one to become a perfect cricketer. Among other new and curious things propounded in the penny publication, I learn that "the bowler in delivering the ball must stand between two lines," and that the ball should be grasped "firmly yet gently." The best way to practise bowling "is to set up a uark, and bowl at it until an accurate aim is obtained, as well as a quickness and steadiness pf eye wherewith to detect the weak points of the opposing batsman." How, asks Mr Christian, will bowling ab a mark teach this ? B ifc he ia of the uninitiated.

The bints to batsmen are no lees valuable than those lo bowler. First, it seems, when you go iv you ask the umpire at your own end for " blocks." " This the umpire proceeds to give by mea=uring a distance rather more than the length of the bat from the middle Btump of the wi ;ket in front ci and in a direct lice with the latter." Beginners are thus cautioned : "The striker should sedulously guard against the temptation to obtain too many runs. He ought to try to block every bill except wide and favourable ones. . . A ball that runs wide of the wicket may be dealt with anyhow." That is decidedly interesting, the pity being, as Mr Christian points out, that the author does not indicate the best way to deal with a ball that " runs wide of the wicket." Blocking, it appears, " requires great caution," and is performed by " ohopping with a floe downward out," Then follows aq original *nd very fine

definition of a " shooter." It is, we are told, " a ball that goes straight for the wicket without touching the ground in front." The information respecting the field is hardly less interesting, and is illustrated by diagrams showing the positions to be occupied, with the scorers close by one umpire. Two notes are appended to the diagrams. One says : "In fast bowling extend your men." The other states that "in slow bowling you draw them nearer to the wicket." Our captains in New Zealand have obviously proceeded upon wrong lines in the past. Point's " province is to watch the order of the bowling and keep a lookout for favourable balls." Ho is not told what to do with them when he sees them. Cover-point and "middle-wicket" should "cross to the side to which the batsman hits most frequently." Long-leg roust necessarily be long-legged, because he is to "stand behind square-leg" and "support cover-point," while cover-point is to stand " adjacent to the border." Furthermore, we learn from the brochure that " there is usually no second 1 innings when one side has in the first been beaten beyond hope of recovery."

It is understood that the arrangements for the promised visit of a Fijian eleven to New Zealand next season are well under way. W. G. Grace has been the hero of so many notable and brilliant performances on the cricket field that perhaps one ought not to feel surprised at his having, as the cable has informed us, compiled 196 last week for the M.C.U. against Cambridge University, but, even when allowance is made for the fact that the Light Blues' bowling was this season expected to be very weak, it will be recognised by everyone as a feat of a remarkablo kiud that a score of such magnitude should be compiled at the Master's time of life against a team of whom, it is safe to say, not one had seen the light of this world before " W. G." had already attained the vary top of the tree as a cricketer.