164 



♦ KNOW^LEDGE • 



[AOG. 4, 1882. 



OUR NATIONAL CAME. 



Cl'TCKET has such a charm for all Englishmen, and 

 - such special fascinations for experts, that even its 

 faults aie loved — in this sense, at least, that few ardent 

 cri?ketei-s caii l>c«r to hear of any suggestions of change, 

 even though it be manifest that (on the whole) change 

 would introduce marked improvement There are also 

 certain points in the game, as at present played, wliich are 

 deservtHily in favour, that would be, to some extent, 

 aftK'N d \voit> the changes I am about to suggest intro- 

 duced. We shall see presently what these are. But 

 be it noticed that the defects to be corrected are not 

 trilling. They affect very seriously the value of the 

 gam"". It is practically a gross absurdity, for instance, 

 tfiat tlio finest game we possess should, in quite a large 

 number of cases, result iu drawn battles, wlien yet 

 the progress of the play has decidedly shown the superiority 

 of one side or the other. It is absurd that to the large 

 el(:nient of chance alread}- existing in the game itself there 

 should be added this further element as affecting the 

 s.jason'3 fortunes of vai-ious clubs, that the games in which 

 tfcey have been inferior may all, or nearly all, be played 

 cut, while those in which they would probably have won 

 may all, or nearly all, be drawn : or vice r-ers^l. Take, 

 for instance, the Australian eleven — doubtless superior to 

 any county eleven we can just now put into the field, and 

 capable of coping, with fair prospect of .success, with elevens 

 representing All England. It cannot be denied that to the 

 really gloiious success they have achieved on their n.erits 

 (a .success, howover, not surpassing that wliich has in past 

 years attended the season's work of various counties, as 

 Kent ai;d Sussex in times now regarded as remote, 

 .Surrey later, and more recently Gloucestershire) lias been 

 added a very conspicuous share duo to chance. At the 

 tim-^of writing, the Australians have won fifteen games and 

 only lost one (the game with C!ambridgf),* while five games 

 have been drawn — but most of the drawn games have 

 hiPtx drawn very much in favour of their opponents. 

 .Supposing only three out of the five to have been lost by 

 them, it makes a very different record to say that only 

 four games have been lo.it to seventeen won, than to say 

 that out of sixteen games played out they have lost only 

 orrr-. 



We Lave alieady touched on the very serious defect in 

 ctirfcft as now played, that a match may not occupy the 

 full time assigned to it It is very disappointing to all 

 iatere^ted iii a contest, and should bo .so to the players 

 t'l'-m.ielve.s, when a three days' match ends in two days ; 

 and it is still more annoying when, after two days of play, 

 only three or four (or perhaps only two or three) wickets 

 rriiiain to be taken on the third day. 



Th"? clement of chance arising from changes in the 

 stat^ of the ground a^ the game proceeds, or as 

 th'; v.eatber changes, and again, that arising from 

 tho time of day when an eleven goes in, must bo re- 

 gardful as most injuriously affecting the quality of the 

 Mmrr',— these do not belong to the " glorious," but to the 

 i^ioble " uncertainty of cricket " ; and no honest cricketer 

 Rh luid have any feeling but di.sgust when his side wins, 

 l)ecau-:c " We went in. Sir, with the ground like a billiard- 

 table ; but when we sent thorn in, about an hour before the 

 end of play for the day, the ground was a good deal cut up 



• CaiiiiifTitinjr on this gamo, tho Timcn fin si lead injf article), 

 sfi-r Kiving llio correct score of the older Lytlletoii in the match 

 \.i'Ii (': mljridKC, durinif tho firnt visit of tho AiiHtraliann, said that 

 f.;.'. I.:;-.H jilnyed for OamhridfTO On that ocoaKion. Our stronff im- 

 I r..M:(/u in that he did not play, l^einij unwell. Ue was at that 

 tinic regarded a* the best Cambridge bat. 



and the light bad, so that we got their six best wickets fo' 

 less than ten runs apiece." Then heavy rains may com® 

 after the first day's play, and those who have gone in 

 under unfortunate conditions may have to resume en wickets 

 all in favour of tho ball, and, having to follow on, be all 

 disposed of to the tune of a one-innings defeat Yet they 

 may be as good as their opponents, or even better. 



Cricket is such a fine, manly sport in itself, while the 

 element of chance inseparable from it is already so large, 

 that it should be the interest of all who really love the 

 game to make encoiatters asfhir as possible, aitd to eliminaUi 

 ever I) element of chance, irhich can really be removed without 

 touchiny thi essential charactfr of the game, while every 

 game voitld occupy the full time allotted to the match, and 

 no game ever end in a drav\ This could readily be eU'ected 

 by letting the wickets fall alternately on tho opposing 

 sides, instead of letting all ten wickets on one side fall 

 before the other side goes in : to which would accrue this 

 additional advantage, that neither eleven would bo kept 

 idle long, unless when a wicket gave a good deal of 

 trouble : l)ut an eleven which could not patiently allow 

 nine of its number to look on while the other two made a 

 good stand, perhaps saving what had looked like a lost 

 game, would scarcely be an eleven of true cricketers. 



To illustrate by an example, rather than by a lengthy 

 general description, the nature of a game played on this 

 plan, we may suppose the following to bo tho description of 

 the cricket match between tho Australian eleven and tho 

 Maiylebono Ulub, as thus played : — 



"What iiromises to be one of the most interesting matches 

 of the seafcon, and a contest tending (as far as can be 

 judged from present appearances) to retrieve tho fame of 

 our English cricketer.s, was commonced Monday, July 10, 

 at Lords. The representatives of Maryleboiie were Lord 

 Harris, Dr. W. G. Grace, Messrs. Hornby, A. P. Lucas, 

 C. T. and G. B. Studd, A. G. Steel, Tylecote, and Evans, 

 with the professionals Barnes and Flowers. The club 

 having won the toss, put in Dr. Grace and Mr. Hornby, to 

 the bowling of Spofiorth and Garrett At l.'J Mr. Hornby 

 gave a chance to the wicketkeeper, which was not taken ; 

 but when the score was at 7G ho was tempted off his 

 ground by Garrett, and cleverly stumped by ]{lackham. 

 His innings of 4.5 was made in his usual brilliant stylo. 

 Tho Au.stralians then .^ent in Massio and Bannerman to 

 tho bowling of Steel and Flowers, but when only 5 runs 

 had been made, Massic was smartly taken at the wicket 

 The Club .sent in Mr. Lucas, who played with his 

 customary steadiness, several bump-balls misleading tho 

 inexperienced into the delusion that ho had been caught 

 out With tho score at 10.3, Dr. (Jrace was bowled for 46 

 by a magnificent ball of Spofforth'.s. Ho had played more 

 nearly in his old style than ho has yet done this season — 

 in fact, his innings was faultless. The Australians 

 were even more unfortunate with their second wicket 

 than with their first They sent Murdoch in, but 

 before a run was added Bannerman was easily taken 

 (at mid-ofl) by Hornby off Flowers. Tho Club now made a 

 magnificent stand. C. T. Studd was sent in. Tho score 

 rose steadily to 137, when Lucas let out at a no-ball of 

 Spofibrth's, and was caught by (Jiffen at niid-on, much to 

 the disgtist of tho bowler. Wlien 112 had been made, 

 Studd was very nearly run out . . . [Hero is sup- 

 po.sed to intervene a full and particular account of the 

 play of Studd and Lucas, before tho latter lost his wicket] 

 " When the total had reached 208, Lucas sent Garrett high 

 through the slip.s, where the ball was held by Bonnor. 

 Lucas had made 4.') in his well-known safe stylo. Studd not 

 out G4. The Australians now sent in McDonnell, who 

 began rather wildly. Aft<'r a risky square hit (off Steel) 





