OXFORD AND CAMBRIDGE CRICKET MATCH.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 379, 30 August 1875, Page 4

OXFORD AND CAMBRIDGE CRICKET MATCH.

\V e he-.r much of the glorious uncertainty of cricket, but surely the danger of prognos floating the result of a game was never more manifestly exhibited than on this last occasion. Ourabriclgo was sufficiently popular when play was left off on June 29th the second dav, nod yet Oxford has won. Won “by the skin of its teeth,” to use Job s expression. after a match rarely equalled in excitement or duration ; and won, every cricketer must admit, by dint of hard work and undaunted pluck. It may be said t lat the victory was drawn out of the The ladies were numerous, as on previous days, and'' willing as ever to simulate cnioyment even if they did not feel it. Many of these ladies had brothers, or cousins, or connections, or acquainta-ccs ot their connections, engaged in the mimic warfare in that spread of emerald turf, and they participated in the general anxiety. The w.athcr was not enlivening, for the dullness of the atmosphere imparted itself to all the surroundings of the sport. When we used the term “sport” in a previous sentence we meant business. As near as possible to mu,day Cambridge, went to the wickets to finish its second innings. It had scored 163 on its first innings, and Oxford had accumulated between both innings 3 *7, so that 171 runs remained to be made before light blue would be on an equality. Tiue, to be literally correct, four runs had been made the previous evening while the space up to the hour for calling time had been filled, so that Cambridge really bad to make but 171 runs to win. It is enough for us to record that there was a halt shortly after two, partly becouse it was close to the hour for refection, but principally because of the rain, and at that hour 1 9 6 runs had been made for seven wickets. Oxford had still the upper hand by forty-eight points. At 338 the bell rang again for a resumption of the contest. Darkness was setting in—that which is considered darkness by batsmen and fielders. The game goes on, until at last but fourteen runs are wanted. Seven of the fourteen are got and a new batsman steps in to the defence, ihc victory now rests on the wrist and eye of one man. It is neck or nothing. Even the reporters forget their vocation, merge the machine in the man, and crane their necks to catch the first glimpse of what the gods may send. The tension is not long, the needed player is bowled out, the hopes of Cambridge are dashed, Oxford wins—by six runs. The cheering is tremendous : but the admission is universal that the fight has been gamely fought, and that neither eleven has much to yield to the other. Within half-atphour of the decision of the match most of the carriages had defiled by Guy’s Nursery, and the arena of the struggle was left to comparative loneliness. The following are the details of the scoring OXFORD.

A. J.Webbr, Esq, c Smith, b Sharpe 55 cBlacker,b Sharpe 21 T. W, Lang, Esq, b Sims 45 c and b Sharpe ... 2 D. Campbell, Esq, c Smith, b Sharpe 1 b Sharpe 0 A. W. Ridley, Esq, b Patterson 21 c Smith, b Patterson 2 W. W. Pulman,Esq c Blacker, b Sharpe 25 st Hamilton, b 30 Sharpe E. Briggs, Esq, c Smith, b Sharpe 2 b Greenfield 12 Y. Royle, Esq, b Patterson 1 st Hamilton, b Sharpe 21 F.M, Bnckland, Esq b Sims ... 22 b Patterson 0 W. II. Game, Esq, st Hamilton, b Patterson 5 c Lucas, b Patterson 22 II.0. Tylccote, Esq c Greenfield, b Sharpe 1 not out 12 W. Foord • Kelsey, Esq, not out ... 2 c Patterson, b Sharpe 11 Byes, 15 ; leg byes, 3; wides, 2 20 Byes 4 200 137 CAMBRIDGE. F. G. Greenfield, Esq, c Ridley, b Kelsey 12 c Campbell, b 14 Royle A. P. Lucas, E c q. c Backland, b Ridley 19 b Buckland 5 G. H. Longman, Esq, c Ridley, b Buckland 40 b Royle 23 W. Blacker, Esq, B. b Buckland 19 b Royle 1 Hon E. Lyttelton, c and b Lang ... 23 c Webbe, b Buckland 20 H. M. Sims, Esq, hit w, b Lang ... 5 c Pulman, bLang 39 G. Macan, Esq, b Lang 2 not out 1 W. 8. Patterson, Esq, c Ridley, b Buckland 12 b Ridley 18 A, F. Smith, Erq, c Royle, b Lang ... 3 b Ridley 0 C, M, Sharpe, Esq, not out 6 b Royle 29 H. A. Hamilton, Esq, st Tylecote, b Lang 5 1 b w, b Lang ... 11 Byes, 10 ; leg-byes, 7 17 Bye, 1 ; leg-byes, 4; no-balls, 2 7 1G3 168