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SPORT AUD PLAX
Bv " Oltmi'ur."
And so the plucky old Karl of Sheffield has
taken his departure for old lingland once again.
Well, all good luck go with him, for he is a
generous foe, who would scorn to take an undue
advantage. It was a kindly action 011 the part of
Messrs. Prank Crey Smith, 11 .1. Wardill. 1). A.
Madden, W. !3ruee, W. Ryall and the other gentlemen
who braved the elements last Saturday to
pay the last tribute of respect, to his lordship by
•Assembling at, the. Arrmlio's side to wish him (i.idspeed
; and the whole-souled manner in which the
officials of the Melbourne Cricket Club have laid
themselves out '.0 honour their sometime guest,
must have been specially gratifying to the
recipient.. We are told that as soon as ever he
sets foot 011 the shores of Old Albion again he
will set about the task of preparing another
Invasion ; next time with the Very Hest Team
England can produce. 1 would that 1 could
thinksuch athingwerepossible ; butthestern logic
of facts is inexorable. In so far as the monetary
part ot the business is concerned, 110 doubt everything
could be arranged satisfactorily--his lordship's
large-hearted liberality during the last
tour being proof sufficient of that; but there
appear to me to be too many Conflicting Interests,
both in Knglaud and Australia, to allow of the
scheme being carried out. I11 the first place the
Grand Old Bluffer wouldn't be one of the party.
Argal, his back would be further up than ever, at
the bare idea of any team daring to class themselves
as being representative of Englaud without
his presence as one of the component parts. And
although there can be no possible shadow of
doubt but. what the plain English that was dealt
out to W. G. by the non-suborned portion of the
Australian Sporting Press will have had the
effeet of causing many of tlie leading cricketers
of England to imitate Lohmann't action and
throw off once and for ever the galling yoke
they have laboured under for so many years,
it is quite possible that for a season or two the
snake may only be scotched, not. killed. And,
with the very vivid remembrances he mustpossess
of the " liapp.v times " lie spent on occasions
on the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the
Association Cricket Ground and the Adelaide
Oval, it will be 110 cause for wonderment if W. ti.
should attempt to throw cold water on any scheme
that would tend to promote patriotism and good
fellowship betwien the colonies and the mother
country. Along with this the tarantula of
another Visit to England has already bitten some
ot the Certainties of the present day who might
fail to be Certainties say in l,sfl(.. And from that
quarter also trouble is likely to come. The
Cricket Prestige ot the Colonies! Bah ! As
l'olonius puts it—Ay, springes to catch woodcocks
!"
Ykak after year the decision of the Senior
Cricket Pennant, grows more and more unsatisfactory.
Last year the system of averages stood
M'.*Uksuv',:v, good sto:wi. as it enabled them to
secure the trophy, albeit, in reality they were level
chalks with the only club that had defeated them
during the season—North Melbourne to wit. This
year the system of averages appears likely to tell
against them, as a score of 1KP> for one wicket,
which was obtained by the South Melbourne when
the contest between South Melbourne and St.
liilda was abandoned, undoubtedly decides the
averages in the Southerners' favour. You see,
they didn't declare their innings closed; the St.
lvilda lads wanted to abandon the match, owing
to four of their players (who were schoolboys)
beiug desirous to go into the country for their
holidays. However, 1 suppose the I'ennant Committee
will have to have their fingers iu the
pie, and so I shall leave the somewhat knotty
point to theui; such knotty point being
whether the abandoned match with St. Kilda was
a matter of arrangement or otherwise. According
to Monday's Argun—" The general feeling is that,
were Melbourne to win 011 a protest the honour
would be a barren one, while at the same time
the practice of allowing a match to be abandoned
al such a stage as would give one of the teams an
advantage as against others would be a dangerous
precedent. At the same time if is recognised
that the South Melbourne players had no such
object in view, and only abandoned the match in
order that they might have a gamu against the
Englishmen."
At the annual meeting of the Melbourne Football
Club, held in the M.C.C. pavilion last week,
Mr. Hunt, in replying to a vote of thanks passed
ou the retiring office-bearers, explained that it
was through 110 fault of the secretary of the
M.F.C. that two matches each wen' not being
played with Carlton, South Melbourne, Fitzrov
and Geelong. As a matter of fact those matches
had all been arranged ; but owing to other clubs
not being able to till up their programmes to the
extent, of tlie 18 matches uecessary for them to
aspire to premiership honours, the V.K.A, had
stepped in and compelled the M IAC. to forego
return matches with the four clubs named. "It
would at once be seen," said Mr. Hunt, •• that no
reflection rested uj>on the club, which had, as
usual, sought to fly at the highest game.
It had tjiken the Association three hours
and n-half to smooth out the difficulty.
Melbourne had been required to make the
sacrifice this year, and be assumed other clubs
would have to take their turn." Mr. Hunt's
remarks wens received with loud cheers; and
personally I must take the earliest opportunity of
thanking him for setting such a nice question of
football etiquette definitely at rest. There is no
doubt, as Mr. Hunt frankly owned to the meeting,
that the Reds appear to have a number of rather
soft matches this seasou but that has been the
fortune of war. In fact, from a financial p.,hit of
view, 1 hive no doubt Mr. Hunt would rather
have seen matters t'other way about. 1 observe
that Mr. A. 10. Smith has been appointed lion,
see.; Mr. 11. H. M'Leod, who filled the p.ifili.ni
last year, finding a position 011 l.be committee,
in company with Messrs. Fox, lt«U\, Wilson and
Hunt.
The inclement weather last Sat11rJ.1v precluded
any of the contests in the jil't.h round of D.iyle
and Scott's Cup being proceeded with, so that
Friday ami Saturday will be taken disadvantage
of if possible.
That the <championship Meeting to be held on
the East Melbourne Cricket Cround „n Tuesday
and Saturday, l'.Hh and 2:Srd April, under the
auspices of the Victoria. Amateur Athletic Association,
will linirka stage in amateur pi dest nanism
in this colony will pass without saving, (he large
amount of interest that is beimr displayed in the
test contests ,-it. tho present time auguring well
for the success of the venture. The New South
Wales "champs." will leave Sydney by express
this (Thursday! afternoon, and will lie met at tlie
Spencer-street station to-morrow morning bv thai
Prince of Good Fellows. R ,bert W. Best. Mb.A..
who is also President of the V.A.A.A. 1 am
indebted to "Whip," of the
fur the
following list of the New South Wales competitors:-
Messrs. R. .1. White. H. Schwai-r.'.koll',
K. F. M Crae. 1). Hoga.11, W.T.M-l'herwii aud \Y.
Armstrong (Svdnev Harrii-rs' Club),,I. Dawson.
E. H. Fahev, I'. Sbic'id.ile, 1'. .1. O'lt-nm-U. A.
Corti, A. E. It'iisoii and U.S. Marks (Darlinghurst
Harriers' Club). N.S.W.A.A. Association
represeutativos — E. E. Corner, long distance :
A. E. Ohuppere. middle distance ; ,1. it. Maiden,
.sprints. Mr. It. Ooombes, one of the presidenisof
the Sydney Harriers, will arrive 011 the following
Thursday, and will act as one of the judges ill the
Mile Walk ou the second day of the meeting. It. is
almost unnecessary for me to state thatduriiig the
stay ot the visitors in Melbourne 110 efforts will he
spared to make their trip an enjoyable one.
Mt Ker-lonial! But we are going to have
Great Spurt iu this Queen Colony <if ouvs duvbig
the Eastertide. " Lashins aud lavins " of it, as
l'at would say. After-giving our New South Wales
cousins a cordial gieeting at Sp'Mioer-streel on
Good Friday morning, we will have to hie a way o vetto
the East MelhourneCriclcet Ground by half-past
'> in the afternoon, to witness the two premiei
baseball clubs ol their respective colonies (South
Australiatand Victoria) engage in the first of
three contests for the Intercolonial Club Premiership.
For the last two seasons 1 he Adelaide hoys
have been cocks of the bases in tho farinaceous
colony, whilst the tradesmaiilike manner in which
the Kast Melbourne pippins last season walked oil'
with Mr. ,1. C. Williamson's handsome trophy (uou
proudly suspended 011 a wall of the East Melbourne
pavilion) is still vivid in our memories. Under
these circumstances the games are bound fo be
extremely interesting, albeit the fact that llie
Adelaide plavers have quite lately 1 in
harness is a decided point iu their favour. Nat heless
"the Wise Men of the East" (;uid they have
three or four in their ranks who e.ould give the
proverbial " old dog" a point or tw-> in 1 lie way of
ball play wrinkles, you can take mv t.ip for it j—I
say, the " Wise men of the East" wiei't go under
without a struggle; and as the game is all over
aud done with in a couple oi' hours at the outside,
and the excitement is kept at tension point
right through, whilst the admission is only
a modest Sprat, I am positive that every person
who puts iu an appearance will go home
delighted with the display of skill, dexterity
and endurance. Unfortunately P. M. l.iwrence
(right field) of the Adelaide' B.C. injured tho
muscles of his right shoulder at gymnasium
practice on Monday night, and fears are entertained
of his not being able to take his place in
the nine; which would bo a sad loss, as lie
credited with being a fiue batter. On Saturday,
t.wo games will be played on the same, grouud
(East Melbourne), commencing at 10.:)') a.m. and
L'.:ln p.m. respectively. These will complete the
Intercolonial Club Contests: but on Easier
Tuesday our visitors will disport themselves on
the Fit7,rov Cricket Ground, against the Tramway
B.C.. and tne Fitzroy B.C.. representatives. Tin-
Adelaide boys will put up during their stay
heie. at Johnny Sheehau's New Treasury Hotel,
and as that "genial kuss," R. Sellars. is their
secretary and manager, it's Out On Strikes 1o a
Wild Pitih that they one aud all thoroughly
enjoy themselves before making the Home Jiuu.
The following are the nam -s of the participators
ill the glorious struggle in which Mr. C. Alexander
(and who hut her) will acf as guide, philosophei.
and friend, on Friday : —
Ai>i:i..\inr. H.
Ewers. R,
Ewers, E. c.
Ewers, I-'.
M'lntyre, A.
Smith, S.
Wilson. W.
Tfteuber, O.
Pippett. E.
Eillingstone, W.
Lawrence, P. M.
R. Sellars, sec. and man. •
East Mki.uoi i.-xi. li.r.
liovle. H. F.
Bri.ee, .1.
Carter. A. S.
Harrv. -1.
Laver. ]•'.
lrivui, M.
M'.Ulster. 1'.
Mnsgr,,ve. A.
M'Eeod. V.
Sei.lol. A.
Steel, R. F.
This South Melbourne B; diallers are nlro.l.lv
girding up their loins. On the 'Jnd April Ihe
annual meeting of the club took place, when the
following oflioc-bearor.s were elected :—Presiiionf,
Mr. I). A. Madden: vice-presidents. Messrs. ,l!
liarrett, M.D.. and A. Bowman : lion. »vret:iry
and treasurer, Mr. E. D. Heather: c .niiniltei•-'-
Messrs. Vi. Eves, C. Kemp. G. Low, \V. Oliver and
A. G. Itains.
The forty-ninth contest between the Universities
of Oxford and Cambridge took place wi the
Thames last Saturday, and resulted iu a victory
for Oxford by two lengths and a ^jiiiivtev ill I'.lmin.
21sec. The cable says that they won easily, albeit
the times for all distances were records tor this
event. The betting, which was originally in
favour of Cambridge, veered to level moiiev at tho
start. This makes the tally.—Oxford, L"J;
Cambridge, "-'2 ; dead-heat, 1.
$