THE AUSTRALIANS AT HOME.

Western Star, Issue 260, 31 August 1878, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE AUSTRALIANS AT HOME.

London, August 19. —The match between the Australian Eleven and Eighteen of Yeadon commenced to-day. The first innings of the Yeadon team closed for 91. The Australians in their first innings had seven men out for 47 runs. There was a large attendance. London, August 22.—The Yeadon team won by 24 runs. The team was a good one. The wicket was dead. In the match between the Australians and Eighteen of Scarborough, the Colonials had four men out for 192 runs. At Elland, Boyle performed one of the most extraordinary feats ever chronicled by a howler. He secured eleven wickets at a cost of 12 runs, taking seven wickets with eight successive balls. A circumstance has occurred to mar the general harmony which has attended upon their visit, and this is the more to be regretted as it arose in a quarter where it ought to have been least expected. It appears that just as the match between Middlesex and the Australians was about to commence, and Midwinter was about to take his place at the wickets to do battle for the colonies, Mr W. G. Grace appeared on the scene, and demanded that Midwinter should forthwith proceed with him to “ the Oval” to do battle for Gloucestershire against Surrey. At this arose great consternation in the colonial ranks, to whom Midwinter had been a tower of strength. They pleaded Midwinter’s engagement to them; Mr Grace pleaded Midwinter’s engagement to his native county Gloucestershire, and finally Mr Grace prevailed; the huge subject of dispute was borne off in a cab, and the Colonials bad to do as well as they could without him, which, by the way, seems to have been pretty well. Mr Grace claimed that he had right on his side, for Midwinter is Gloucestershire born, and only by accident an Australian. But the unfortunate part of it is that the dispute has bred had blood between Mr Grace and our visitors, and there is a report that they will play in no match again in this country in which Mr Grace has part. “I know not,” as lago says, “ if’t be true,” but certainly the Australians have good reason to feel themselves aggrieved. Perhaps, however, the best revenge they could take would he to drop all antipathy, if it exists, in a pure love of the game, and put Spofforth to “ bowl” him at the next match in which they meet, and send him back to the tent with a duck’s egg for lunch. Whatever they do, they will do nothing ungentlemanly, and, notwithstanding the report referred to, I incline to the belief that they have too much grace to let the incident just recorded affect any arrangements whloh may be made in regard to the noble game of which they are such capital exponents. — “ Anglo - Australian,” in the ‘ European Mail.’ The dispute between the Australians and W. G. Grace over the Middlesex match is confirmed. The Argus’s London correspondent says in reference to it: “ That Grace lost his temper and sadly forgot himself there can be no doubt, whilst the indecision of Midwinter, who did not seem to know his own mind for two minutes together, cannot be too strongly deprecated. There can he no doubt whatever that Grace thought Midwinter would play with Gloucester against Surrey, and his name appeared in all the papers as one of the Gloucestershire team, and the morning of the match was perhaps somewhat late to tell him of Midwinter’s altered plans, and of his determination to play with the colonial team. At the same time nothing can justify Grace’s passion and language, nor his conduct in coming to Lords and almost •forcibly leading away the captive Middy when the latter was ready to go in with Bannerman to commence batting for the Australians. However, * all’s well that ends well.’ The latter team won their match cleverly, without the aid of the giant; and the Gloucestershire men got handsomely beaten by Surrey, Midwinter rendering his county hut little service, as ho scored but four in the first innings and made a duck for his second, whilst he took but four Surrey wickets at a cost of 65 runs.”