CRICKET FROM A FRENCH POINT OF VIEW.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1928, 13 November 1884, Page 4

CRICKET FROM A FRENCH POINT OF VIEW.

_ , > A Frkncu gcifftemnn, M. Anatole Gou3011, has favoured the St. James' Ca/ette with the following divei ting v ie\v of the representative match .it Kennmglon Oval between England and Austialu :— " J have heard say that thoic is at I'ans an English oneket club winch holds its^ 10unions in the liois de Boulogne. That may be true : but I have nc\oi- seen in Prancethegie.it English game played, and it is to\Uy in England, for the hist titnf, that I have the honour to assist inacncket match. At midday I lendered myself at the O\al at Kenmngton. It was the occasion of the gi and encounter between the champions ot England and the delegates of Austialia. In onteiing I paid foi the piivikge to obseive the struggle, and 1 shall now s.iy that nevet in my life have I seen at so cheap a pi ice a spectacle so cvtiaordinaiy. It was a scalding day, and without losing time! have found myself a shelter fiom the rays of a tropic sun. Ah, I have said to myself in looking curiously mound me, 'the combat-, lias placed thorn in tho open air.' I was truly astonished, for natur ally I fignied to myself that when it was hot they should play cncket in some pavilion. And I sit myself and icq.ard attentively. Tho &pect.itois ha\c disposed themselves hi an immense ciicle, iv the middle of which a smooth lawn finds itself. Soon the players ot the English party ha\o ranged themselves irremilaily in diljeient oomeis of the field, and at certain distances from iwo light barricades of wood that had been erected face to face peipcndieularly on the grass. I began to inteiest myself Then I see two players of the Austialian party m.uch lit inly towards the barricades. Each one is habited in a white costume, and canies a heavy staff with a broad blade : and in addi tion, each one is foitifiod with still greaves and gauntlets ot thick caout chouc. I attend lmpatientlv the moment to con'mence. I hestitate to believe that the delegates aie upon the point to tight with weapons so dangerous, yet I find no otliei e\pl 'nation of the armour. 1 sou the two Austia.li ins gravely take up their positions Ik foie the fragile ban icidus and assume a defensive attitude. It was then that [ have happily assnied myself that tliey had not meditated a shiiL'glo iogethei. P>ut I am once mote contused wlun [ see a player of the English paity possess him self of a formidable ball, and hull it fmioiibly and with a gieat pueision tovv.nds the legs ot one of the Austi.ili.in delegates.. Although then 1 had not examined the ball, and l.ad no idea of its frightfully dangoio.is ihai.ictu 1 ; and I was light Tin' ball is liU' 1 cannon bullet, lint hold ' With this stall the brave Austt alum h.is devteiously tinned aside the projectile, w Inch he has sent far lo his light, wheie 11 has descended among the spectatois. lfu.ll tint some one shall bo lulled; jtt it is nothing Immediately luinaik that a player of the English paity <ei/Oo die b.ill, and thiows it with all his foice to one of his colleagues, who, while the two Australian delegates rapidly cioss fiom one bairicade to the othci, leceivcsit skillfully in his hands, and picsents it, smiling, to the summit of the 110.11 cst banicade, but without actuillv touching there. The hill is then s-uit back to the player who has lust tlno>\n it, and at once he has thrown it a^.nn, as at the commencement, .iir.iinst tins logs of the unfoitunato Anstniluin. This time the bia\e delegite Ins tailed to touch it, but it is iccoi>ed in his hands by an Englishman behind, and .igai'i sent b.ieL. And 111 this mannei the ga-no continues. Ido not comniehend how it is aninsing for the'pla>eis, and especially foi the Austiaiui.i delegites, who aie iv gi^it p-nl at each instant Moie than once the bill stnkes the leg of the delegate, but, thanks to Ihe piotectinggieaves, fain to a< rually bieak it. I admire t'"- ot the Austi \lians winch lends rli'Mit a d» fenre ->o excellent, but at f li° Mine 11 n rt I io_.i)d nit, 1 lionnr Ihe ln'biiilj ot th M'l.iynsn. Then I leain that eichtnno that the Austiahan delegite -uccced to exchaneo positions they gam o'ie ])'jint. It is the law of the game! Suddcilv. our ot th( biave men stnkes the pio|tc'ulc \ iol< 11 tl \ 111 pa-smg, and sends it to\\M''l-> an Englishm in who has coinageouslj a signed himself a veiy dangcious }~>~)zk close to one of tnc baiucades. The Engb .lnnan ha tune to avoid tho h'<,\v, bat no v Me; leccnes the ball in hs 11 iked hand,-. Tin 11 all the "rtoild sluiiitb, and t.ie ball is llnown tow aids lieavcn, and the delegate who hail stnak it with so much vig n quits his bainc.ide vi'h In, e\eslo\\. I give him my sj mpith\ 111 .ipjiielf nding that he lus been v.uh|u,sli^ I, but I am 111 cuor. His iiiinds i.vtive him v\ith applause, an 1 still. c him on the back ma King ooinplmi' nts to him, and ticat hnnas.iheio. Hi-, post, iu'\oi th^less, is occupied w itliout <U I iv, bv .lunther delegate, and the bailie his e'liitinued ior a long tune \\ itliout fatal di udi ut, although some of the jilayeis have been slightly wounded."

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