A THIRD AUSTRALIAN ELEVEN.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LVII, Issue 6510, 7 January 1882, Page 6

A THIRD AUSTRALIAN ELEVEN.

(By "VAim," in ths A**tr<4totom.) Another Australian Eleven for England! So we are told, and from what I know on the subject I am in a position to set it down here at thoroughly reliable information that towards the end of March next the best eleven, or pretty nearly the best eleven, of Australia will set sail for the Old Country to play a series of matches thero during the summer of 1882. The announcement that a team is going Home so soon after the last team has been received by some persons with pleasuie j by others with regret. Tho former say that next your is just the time, and that the English cricket public will bo disappointed if an eleven do not go. The latter maintain that another team should not visit tho Old Country for at least five or six, years, and that it is altogether a mistake to send one Home next season. Doubtless there is much to be said on both si')os. If, however, the opinion of a gentleman with the ripe experience and sound judgment of Mr I. D. Walker counts for anything, it is clear that a team should go, for when that distinguished gentleman cricketer was out here last season he said that everybody at Home expected an Australian Eleven in 1882, and that undoubtedly a team ought to go in that year. And iu support of Mr Walker's opinion, it may be mentioned that numerous letters from England have been received by gontlemon both here and in New South Wales, and the tenor of the letters is that tho English public will be on the lookout for an Australian Elevon in 1882. Besides, our best men, Spofforth, Evans, A. Bannerman, Massio, Palmer, Murdoch, Blackham, M'Donndl, and Boyle are now in the zooith of their fame, and if they wait for five or six years, it is only reasonable to suppose that their cricketing skill will have considerably waned ; and it may be that in a generation—aye, half-a-dozen generations—cricketers will not bo forthcoming with the "demoniacal" bowling powers of Spofforth, the wonderful dexterity of Blackham as a wicket-keeper, tho grand all-round play of Evans, the brilliant bitting of Massio, the steady defence and magnificent fielding of Alick Bannerman, and the beautiful cutting, the vigour, the fine defence, and the elegant style of that deservedly popular batsman W. Murdoch. To my mind this is a cogent reason why a team should go Home at an early date, if one is to go Home at aIL But setting taide all arguments against or in favour of an Australian team visiting England in 18b2 or at any other time, it is, as I have already indicated, an undoubted fact that a team will go to the Old Country early next year; and as ono who knows ibe run of the thing from the start, I may here state all tho steps that have been taken up to now in connection with the proposed tour. Well, shortly after the disbandment of the last Australian Eleven, certain influential Sydney gentlemen, who are prominent supporters of cricket, in an interview with Murdoch, the captain of that team, said they felt desirous that the best eleven in Australia should pay a visit to England in 1882, and play a series of first-class matches, including three or four matches against picked elevens of All England. They knew, of course, that the two elevens which had already visited England had done remarkably well in every respect—far batter, indeed, than the best friends of either team had anticipated. For instance, the first team in that sensational match in which Spofforth and Boyle covered themselves with glory, easily defeated the best eleven the Marylebone' llub could send into the field—an eleven thoroughly representative of England. And the cecond team, stale and done up, and minus their best man, Spofforth, met the pick of England in llat memorable match at Bennington Oral, at id though defeated, they played, under adverse circumstances, such a grand uphill game as to make them famous throughout the length and breadth of England. But one match, said these Sydney gentlemen to Murdoch, is no test. What we want is that yon should play three or four matches with England, so os to afford something like an actual test* of the relative merits of Australian and English cricket. Therefore we ask you to do what yon can to get the best eleven of Australia together, and to arrange your programme in time, so that it will contain nothing but firstclass matches. If you do this you will Lave our cordial support, and, doubtless, the equally cordial support of many Victorian lovers of cricket. In compliance with the wishes of these Sydney gentlemen, Mi Murdoch communicated with the leading players of New South Wales and Victoria. By and byo a meeting waa held at Boyle and Scott's rooms in Bourke street, and eight or nine of those likely to form the team were present and listened to Murdoch as he unfolded the plan upon which it was proposed the team should be formed, and the conditions under which they should travel. Briefly, the plan is as follows:—That, to do away with the speculative aspect of the affair, six Sydney gentlemen promised to put down £IOO each, provided six Victorian gentlemen would do so too, and that, in order to make the matter thoroughly Australian, two or three South Australians would be requested to co-operate. Xhe money thus obtained would send the team to England and back, and any profit that might ariße from the Hatches in England would, after each promoter had recouped himself the money he had put down, be distributed amongst the members of the team to compensate them for their loss of salaries during the time the team was in existence. As the adoption of this plan would clearly remove all monetary risk from the team, the members present at the meeting acquiesced in it without any demur. A programme of 32 first-class matches was at once drawn up by Messrs Boyle and Murdoch, and in July last was forwarded by Mr C. Beale, of Sydney, to Mr Perkin, Secretary of the Marylebone Olub, requesting him to arrange at the annual meeting of secretaries a* many- matches as he could of those set down in the Australian Eleven programme. Mr Perkins* reply, received early lost month, stated that he would undertake to arrange the matches, but added that the Marylebone Club would give the promoters only £2lO for a match on Lord's ground, England v. Australia. Of course, this offer could not be entertained, for it meant everything for the M. 0.0. and nothing for the promoters, whose expenses in connection with the trip, it is easy to understand, will neoessarily be very heavy. Accordingly, a telegram was sent to Mr Perkins, stating that the promoters could not, in justice to themselves and the team, accept leas than half the takings. Mr Perkins' answer, received a day or two ago, stated that the Marylebone Olub refused to alter their offer, so that probably the team will not play at all at Lord's. However, some days ago the Argus published a telegram stating that 22 first-class matohes had been arranged for an Australian Eleven, and that the latter would receive half the gate-money. The telegram added that the programme contained one match against England, one against the gentlemon, one against the players, one against each of the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, and 17 County matohes. It is hardly necessary to add that the terms propoasd for these matohes will be accepted by the promoters. b*o far, then, everything has gone well, and as there will be several dates to fill up it will, no doubt, be an easy matter to arrange two additional matches against England as the season progresses. It is intended that the team shall band together about the middle of January, and play three matohes before their departure—one in Sydney, one in Melbourne, and the farewell match in Adelaide, it being considered necessary that the team should have some good match practice together before setting out on their long voyage. Thirteen players will be taken, and I think I am not far out in saying that they will be ohosen from tho following:—Messrs Boyle, Blaokham, Bonnor, A. Bannerman, Edwards, Evans, Horan, 8. Jones, Juris, Massie, M'Donnell, Murdoch, M'Shane, Palmer and Spofforth, In this list you have as bowlers Evans, Spofforth, M'Shane, Palmer and Boyle—a quintette not to be surpassed anywhere) and, moreover, eeoh of them is a capital batsman. Then add such batsmen as Massie, Murdoch, A. Banner* man, Blaokham, Horan, M'Donnell and

Bonnor, tod you hare » hatting team »j t the last roan almost as good as (ha firrt Id the field, too, the men are nearly all class, so that altogether yon hare a u» m whose equal for all-round excellence it wouhj be hard to find Then it not aone-sidtd cricketer in the lot. It will be the Australian Eleven that will visit England for many jeart, and it if to be hoped, therefore that the beat mil go. 1 undenUnd, howercr* that Evens and Horan are doubtful starter,' An earnest effort should be made to secure' the services of the former, ae without him the team will be far from being thoroughly representative of our full strength, and thai the main object the promoters hare in riew —namely, to get the very best eleven together —will be defeated. 1 should like to i«« Allan go also, aid hare him specially referred for the most important contests, for it is well nown that he has not the stamina to stand the wear and tear of constant play day after day for three or four month*. One thing is especially pleasant to note in connection with this team, and it is that all the members of it will wiliimly take pirt ia the Intercolonial matches. Thus, by abiding the unwise policy of the last team—a policy which brought down much and welldeterred censure on the members of that team, the present team will secure the hearty support of the two Association* of New South Wales and Victoria, and all,-Austra-lians will wish them a prosperous trip Home —prosperous in every sense of the word.