AN ALL-ENGLAND ELEVEN FOR AUSTRALIA.

Evening Star, Issue 2934, 15 July 1872, Page 4

AN ALL-ENGLAND ELEVEN FOR AUSTRALIA.

The proposal to bring an eleven from England this y>ar is taken up con amove by cricketers in Victoria, but is causing a good deal of discussion among the knowing ones as to where that Colony is to procure men able to compete with the team that is likely to come out, Mr 11. W. Warded leads the battle on bebalf of those who think Victoria possesses mettle which ought not to be held too cheaply. In the first place he does not think that the English Eleven, save in the instance of one man—W. G. Grace—will be much superior in all round play to cither of the elevens that have previously visited the Colonies, in support of which statement he mentions the fact that Carpenter is still at the top of the tree with the professionals at Home j that Iddison is still necessary to the success of his county in the held, and Daft is yet looked upon as the “first batsman of the day for style and second only in point of effect ” : Mr Grace, of course, being the first. Such being the case he docs not expect to see any better general fielding than was exhibited by Stephenson’s eleven, nothing more brilliant than Lockyer’s wicket-keeping, no one more destructive as a bowler than Tarrant, and no more finished batting than Carpenter and Hayward showed us. Contrasting what the 22 who took the field against Parr’s eleven in 18G4, did with what a 22 consisting of such men as Couway, Cameron, Cosstick, Philtys, Warded, Weds, Aller, Allan, Darke, Cooper, the two Campbells, Gibson, Goldsmith, llobertson, Wilkie, &c., cou’d do, he has great hopes of success, seeing that Victoria shows a vast improvement on 18t)9 in batting, fielding, and bowling. On the other hand, a writer under the nom de plume of “ Paul Jones,” ridicules the idea of England being defeated, and gives us his notion of the rt • suit of the match, the report of which he says will appear in the Argus of January 1 1873, in these words

GRAND INTERNATIONAL CRICKET MATCH. The Fifth Day’s Play. This match was continued yesterday, but all hope of its being played out is abandoned. Nevertheless crowds visited the ground, ami the hill outside was covered with eager sight-seers. At 12 punctually Messrs Grace and Daft resumed their places at the wicket. Their appearance was greeted with tremendous cheering. Daft acknowledged the com* plimeut by lifting bis cap, but Mr Grace maintained the same stolid demeanor which characterised his play all Saturday and Monday, The Victorians looked fagged and jaded, as well they might after tho heat of those two days. Several substitutes were allowed. It was painful to witness Coss* tick’s attempts to bowl—he could scarcely get his arm up to deliver the ball. Allan did not put in an appearance at all. his hand was so injured from the hard catch Daft hit to him on Saturday, that he was compelled to carry it in a sling. Wardill, looking very line-drawn, bowled at the opposite end—but he was very tame—he could hardly get the windmill on at all, still he stuck manfully to his post, and bowled his best. The weather was certainly very trying again, which accounts for the fielding being awfully loose, as well it might be. After our full reports of the match it would be tedious to go into further particulars, suffice it to say that about 5 o’clock Daft was magnificently caught by G. P. Robertson at loug-leg, with one hand, and thus three wickets of the England men had fallen for a gross score of 362. Daft’s exit was a great relief, and theere was a general rush of the eighteen to the pavilion for drinks, most of them seeming as if they greatly needed a refresher. The scene at the bar reminded us of the lines in the Floors Castle Cricketing ISong:

“ So, just to keep their spirits up— Poor things, they looked to pale— We gave them all a little drop Of ‘ Vaughan and Wild’s ’ best ale.” Mr Thornton then joined “the wonder,” and caused some fuu by his hitting. Twice he drove Darke, who seemed half afraid t q bowl to him, ov-.r the chain fence, and once out of the ground, the ball being lost, of course, as somebody, a larrikin, probably, pocketed it. Mr Thornton was “notout when the stumps were drawn at 6 p.m., his score being exactly 07, obtained by one 6, one 5, and 14 4’s. Mr W. G. Grace was not out for 234. When he retired the fence was rushed and broken through, and the pavilion surfounded by a dense mob. Mr Grace appeared under the verandah, and the scene that ensued bailies description. For an hour the people refused to bunch an inch, and it was not until a strong detachment of horse police arrived that order was restored. The following is the full score, the match being drawn in favor slightly of England. We may add that Mr Gjraqp went in at 4 p.m. on Friday—so that he has been at the wickets three days and two hours. This argues highly in favor of the Victorian lidding that his score was not greater, but with 18 in the field so many of his best hits w r erc stopped, which accounts for it. His patience at the wickets is astonishing, his play was the same all through, not so much to look at, but most effective. The match may be summed up in these few words. Between the heat and Mr Grace Victoria was tired out, fagged to death. Victoria’s score was 230,’England’s 470, with three wickets down.