CRICKET.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 1045, 31 October 1877, Page 3

CRICKET.

THE AUSTRALIAN ELEVEN. The arrangements for the principal cricket matches which the Australian Eleven will play in the colonies before they leave for England may be regarded as complete. On Saturday (says the “Argus” of the 15th instant) the terms and conditions had been signed by ten players —viz,, Messrs Allan, Blackham, Boyle, Kendall, and Horan, of Victoria; and Messrs D. Gregory, Spofforth, Murdoch, Bannerman, and Garrett, of New South Wales. The name of Mr Bailey, of Tasmania, may be considered as included, because he would have signed the instrument before this if he had had the opportunity to do so. It is not probable that Thompson, of Sydney, will be taken. The Eleven have still strong hopes that Mr Evans will be induced to go with them. Midwinter has been invited to play with the team in England ; no doubt he will gladly accept the engagement offered to him, and room will then be made for him. The Eleven meet in Sydney on the 4th of November next. Mr Conway, who is one of the partners in the co-operative scheme, will leave Melbourne for Brisbane to-day, to make preparations for the opening match of the series, which is to be played there on the 9th (Prince of Wales’s Birthday), 10th, and 12th November. Most liberal terms have been volunteered by the Queensland cricketers, who have undertaken all responsibilities, guaranteed all expenses, &c. The Brisbane match will be played on the racecourse. It will be followed by inland matches at Toowoomba and Warwick. At each of the the three places the eleven will meet 22 opponents. The next important match will take place at Sydney on the 23rd, 24th, and 26th November. The eleven will then probably go to Maitland and Bathurst, and if they make up their minds to travel overland to Melbourne, to Wagga Wagga and to Beechworth. They are to be in Adelaide on the 13th, 14th, and 15th December, and next at Wallaroo and Moonta. It has not been decided whether the match between the eleven and 16 or 18 of Victoria can be commenced on Boxing Day or on New Year’s Day. The associations seem to have made up their minds to play the intercolonial match on the former day. If they adhere to their determination, Now Year’s Day will have to be taken by the eleven, .From Melbourne the eleven go to New Zealand. They begin at Invercargill on the 10th or 12th of January; then follow matches at Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington, Napier (possibly), and Auckland. The final contest will take place at Christchurch, when New Zealand will be represented by a picked team from the whole colony. Farewell matches will be played in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide in February, and the team will start for London by one of the steamers of the Orient line (Suez route) in March. It was mentioned on Saturday that inducements had been held out by the Sydney Association to the eleven to take part in the return intercolonial match at Sydney in February, but the whole of the members have resolved to play in no intercolonial matches this season. For the sake of discipline and good feeling, they will nowhere enter the cricket field save as colleagues. The eleven have been promised an excellent reception in New Zealand, and the offers sent to them show a strong desire to save them as much expense and trouble as possible. It is expected that the colonial matches will provide them funds enough for the charges of the campaign in England. The terms of the agreement are very strict. The management of the affairs of the team is entrusted to a committee of three, of whom Mr Conway is one. The other two will be chosen in Sydney.