Cricket.

Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 15, 8 July 1893, Page 3

Cricket.

[By Norwood.]

GEORGE GIFFEN. George Giffen was born on the 27th of March, 1859, and is therefore now in his 34th year. His height is sft 9pn., and in weight he goes a little over twelve stone. It is said that he began his cricketing career in first-class matches by making six “ducks,” and that it was only through the influence of a certain veteran that he was enabled to keep his place in the team. However this may be he is undoubtedly the best all-round cricketer Australia has yet produced, and many judges consider him to be the finest in the world at the present day. Speaking of his bowling “ Mid-On,” in the Melbourne Leader of 1888 says that in that match (Murdock’s v. Bligh’s team) Giffen, who was only used in the second innings, bowled splendidly; his long run of a dozen yards being puzzling in itself, but the flight of the ball more so as the drop is so sudden that the batsman at times is induced to believe that it is coming down right on to him; added to this he can get a wonderful amount of work on the ball, and a better change bowler cannot be wished. At the present day, however, he must be considered one of Australia’s best bowlers, as time after time he comes out with excellent performances. Although there was some talk of taking him home to England in 1880 with the second Australian Eleven, he did not appear on English grounds until two years later, when he came as a member of perhaps the greatest team that has ever left Australian shores, and which must be remembered for its victory over England by seven runs. In this year -he had an average of 18-9, his highest score being 81, made against Liverpool and District, In 1884 he again visited England, and at the end of the season could show an average of 21-2 for 50 completed innings; but 1886 was his great year, as he appeared at the end of the tour at the head of both batting and bowling averages—a feat never before done by Australians on English grounds. His batting average was 25 - 54 for 56 completed innings, and his bowling average 16-160, taking altogether 162 wickets for 2,752 runs. In batting he could show such fine scores as 72 and 78 made against the Players, while in the next match he made 77 and 52 against Middlesex, and later against Past and Present of Cambridge University he made 119, which turned out to be his highest score for the tour. Turning to his performances in Australia, it must be mentioned that he is the captain of his club—the Norwood; and for several years he captained South Australia in her intercolonial matches. His first principal score, as far as I can find, was against Mr Vernon’s Eleven, when, in December, 1887, he made 203 against such bowlers as Peel and Attewell, and which was described as a masterpiece. In 1890 he scored 296 for his club against South Adelaide, and this, I believe, stands as a record for South Australian cricket; while in January of the following year he made 237 on Victoria’s own ground, following this up in November of the same year by scoring 271 against them—this time on the South Australians’ ground, which, is considered one of the finest in the world. Against Victoria, Giffen’s principal scores for the last few years are—l 66, 135, 84, 237, 271, 92, and 181—the last-mentioned being made this year, and of which the South Australian Kegister says: —“Giffen, who was batting for hours, made his runs when they were badly needed, and his innings will rank as one of the best efforts of his brilliant career; and not only was his defence perfect, but his magnificent straight drives stand prominently amongst the features of the match, and except for a hard chance when he had made 20 his innings was faultless.” The paper also says that it is not so many years since he never ventured to make that prettiest, but most dangerous, of strokes —the cut behind point; but now-a-days it is one of his best hits. In January, 1892, against New South Wales, he made 120 runs, and also took 5 wickets for 28 runs. For the Australian Eleven against the combined team in 1884 he took all 10 wickets for a very small cost, while this year we find him taking all the wickets for 149 runs for his club against the Adelaide Eleven; while he also took 9 wickets for 147 runs against Victoria, the other wicket being run out. As a member of the Australian Eleven now in England, he has already scored two centuries, viz., 180 and 171, made respectively against Gloucestershire and Yorkshire, whilst in bowling he took 7 wickets for only 11 runs against the first-named county. His principal scores are as follow:

For Against Month Year Score Association 18 A.S.C. 1881 116 La Mascotte match at Adelaide Australians Lancashire April June 1883 1884 171 113 „ P.&P.Camb.U. Aug, 1886 119 Norwood Kent (S.A.) 1882 158 Northern Feb. 1887 126 S. Australia Vernon’s 11 Dec. 1887 203 Norwood Adelaide Nov. 1890 160 >> S. Australia S. Adelaide Nov. 1890 296 Victoria Jan, 1891 237 Norwood — Mar. 1891 161 S. Australia Victoria Nov. 1891 271 Norwood N.S. Wales Jan. 1892 120 Hindmarsh Nov. 1892 187 Adelaide Jan, 1893 172 S. Adelaide Nov, 1890 253 Adelaide Oct, 1892 124 S. Australia S. Adelaide Feb. 1893 136 Victoria Mar. 1893 181 Australia Gloucestershire -— 1893 180 Yorkshire — 1893 171