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| anomoly impliments posessed |
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“CRICKET”
Illustration: THE WICKET KEEPER IN POSITION.
A
“BAWL”
FOR
AMERICAN CRICKET
DEDICATED TO
AMERICAN YOUTH
BY JONES WISTER.
ILLUSTRATED.
PHILADELPHIA, PA.:
1893.
Introductory.
It has been our good fortune to find the fountain of youth lurking in
the out-door pleasures of Skating, Swimming, Rowing, Horseback Riding,
Tennis, Base Ball and Cricket. The “grown-up” folk are now engaged
in utilizing the discovery made by youth thousands of years ago, that
health and happiness depend upon their innocent amusements. College
Faculties have realized that the morals of youth as well as success
in after life, depend upon the good health engendered by competitive
pastimes. The strength of a nation lies in the correct training of the
young. “England’s great victories on land and sea were won by the men,
who when boys wielded a cricket bat, pulled an oar, or kicked the foot
ball.” America too has had her conflicts, and may have others.
These lines are offered to the youth of this fair land, in the hope
that their innocent play may prepare them mentally, physically and
morally for whatever battles life may have in store for them. We
believe there are many who would gladly learn to play cricket, if
the opportunity presented itself. Only the favored few live near
established grounds, while the many are unable to find even a book
upon the game. The enjoyment of cricket, followed by the good health
which it brings, is within the easy grasp of all, nor does it depend
upon the standard of the play, but turns rather upon its equality.
The memories of the past, though dear to many, will not be used
to bore those who look rather to the future. But a few words about
the origin of the game we love, may prove interesting. Early in the
century Englishmen were found playing their national game upon the
beautiful meadows of Germantown. Young America, as quick then as now,
to imitate a good thing, organized a Germantown Cricket Club, and
played upon a field of the Belfield farm from 1840 to 1846. Those
were the glorious days of underhand bowling, forward hits and single
wicket. A stone roller borrowed from a neighboring garden smoothed
the pasture, and almost the only recollection we retain of this
primitive crease, is of two spots bare of grass, indicative of
constant use. This club was the pioneer of cricket by Americans,
and the forerunner of the present Germantown Cricket Club, which
used the impliments left by the old club, to play its first games,
and became the direct heir of both its name and property. But the
Philadelphia Club, which organized a year before the Germantown, grew
out of an organization known as the Union Cricket Club, which upheld
the honor of Philadelphia Englishmen against New York Englishmen
during the “Forties.”
During this decade some University men organized a cricket club known
as the Juniors, and played upon the Union ground. Matches were played
and prize bats were offered by Dr. Mitchell, the father of Dr. S. Weir
Mitchell, one of which is now in the possession of Wm. Rotch Wister,
generally spoken of as the father of American Cricket, who won it
by the handsome score of 44, in the year 1845. All of these clubs
disbanded and cricket slumbered till 1853, when the Philadelphia Club
organized. Camden had been the scene of the Union and Junior Club’s
matches, and it was again selected as the best site for the new
ground.
The names of Englishmen were numerous upon the rolls of this club,
and their professional Tom Seinor was the typical fast round arm
bowler of the period. He trained the elevens to meet the St. George
and New York Clubs, and was regarded with awe and wonder by the young
American cricketer. The boy or even the man, who could block the
cannon balls of the mighty Yorkshireman was the hero of the hour.
The idea of hitting his terrefic balls scarcely entered the heads of
the boys. Only Englishmen were supposed to be able to score against
such speedy bowling.
The Germantown boys who had organized their club in 1854, played only
one or two local teams during its first season, chief of which was
against the Delphian Circumferaneous, whose enthusiasm for cricket
was often evinced before breakfast. A year later when practice had
improved their play, they challenged the Philadelphian’s, who they
had heretofore considered too powerful, but they paid the highest
compliment to Tom Seinor, by barring him; for even in those early
days they had a keen eye to the advantages of victory. But they were
not afraid, old Bradshaw with his high buttoned vest and stiff high
hat, nor of dear old Mrs. Bradshaw, with her kind words and her “coop
of tay.”
From a cricketing standpoint, the English of that day regarded the
American almost with contempt; sixteen, eighteen and often twenty-two,
if the latter number could be mustered, were matched against eleven
Englishmen. Records of many such matches may be found during the
Forties and Fifties. The last we believe was played when George Parr’s
eleven played a twenty-two, composed of the best English and American
cricketers from New York, Newark, and Philadelphia, in the Fall of
1859. Lockyer the great wicket keeper, Jackson, the fast bowler,
Hayward and Carpenter the magnificent batsmen, with Julius Ceasar,
Lillywhite Caffyn, and the rest won a well fought victory. Before
Carpenter had made half a dozen runs, he elevated a mis-called “wide”
into the hands of “mid off” who caught it, the umpire declined to
rectify his palpable error, so the batter was “not out” on a “catch.”
Hayward was in with Carpenter when this culpable descision was made,
and before a separation occurred, more than one hundred runs had been
scored. Many who saw this match declared that but for the error, the
Professionals might have not won the game.
All England elevens composed entirely of professionals, still play
twenty-twos in the country districts of England, and often win, even
against such enormous odds. American patriotism no longer permits
such differences in opposing teams, but prefers to equalize the
merits of players, in order to secure well contested matches.
Illustration: THE BOWLER IN THE ACT OF DELIVERING.
Meet the ball with as full a bat as the case admits, but meet
it. The batsman should not wait for the ball to strike bat.
This applies to blocking as well as to tapping.
Patience, fortitude and good temper, should characterize the
ball player whether upon “diamond” or “crease.”
CHAPTER I.
COMPARING BASE BALL WITH CRICKET.
The popular demand for perfect ball playing, has developed such
marked differences in England and America, that a short comparison
between base ball and cricket may be of interest to some readers,
and may tend to greater toleration. Here the professional has been
brought into undue prominence, because of his recognized skill, while
the people ignore the efforts of the amateurs, and cannot be induced
to part with their “quarter” to see a “comedy of base ball errors,”
or witness the efforts of the undisciplined cricketer, to amuse
himself at their expense.
In England the superiority of the professional cricketer is quite as
marked as that of the professional base ball player, but his skill
is employed in his regular business, which consists in teaching the
amateurs, who abound in countless numbers. They are called “gentlemen”
cricketers, as distinguished from their preceptors, the professionals,
and play their National game as well, or perhaps better. The
exhibition of base ball professionals in every city of America,
has given the youth of this generation, opportunities to learn the
game and their magnificent ball playing upon the diamond, is a worthy
example for American cricketers, and the popularity of the “National
Game” is largely due to the skill of these professional experts. The
organizations are sustained by capitalists, whose investments depend
upon the character of the games, and the system has given it an
impetus which has placed it in the front rank of American sport, and
brought the play up to the highest standard. Cricket on the contrary
is played in America almost exclusively by amateurs, who deserve
the highest praise for the manner in which they have upheld American
Cricket, especially when it is remembered that their English
adversaries, inherit their “national” game from their fathers,
grand-fathers, and great-grand-fathers, and that each generation
of cricketers takes up and improves upon the play of its predecessor.
Many clubs employ “professionals” as teachers, who not withstanding
their superior cricket are always excluded from “trophy” matches.
This comparison we believe will interest enquirers after facts, while
those whose vision is obscured by a total eclipse of either game,
will “skip” to something more interesting. The “base” in the National
game corresponds with the “run” in cricket, and is ninety feet long;
the distance between wickets is sixty-six feet, but between creases
which is the length of a run, the distance is fifty-eight feet, or
thirty-two feet shorter than a base. The average runner of a “base”
must consume enough additional time to cover the added distance.
Supposing that two and one-half seconds is required by the runner of
the base, only one and one-half seconds is consumed by the cricketer
in making his run. This difference in “time” means a preponderating
advantage to the fielder upon the diamond, and a corresponding one
to the batsman in cricket. The public, chiefly for this reason, has
pronounced upon the sloth of cricketers, and the rapidity of those
who play base ball. The unthinking spectator concludes that cricketers
are sleepy, while fielders upon the diamond are consiantly performing
feats of wonder. The cricketer makes his run of only fifty-eight feet
with ease and almost certainty if he uses fair discretion, while the
striker of a base ball must attempt his “run” though bitter experience
tells him that it is an impossibility. It will at once be seen that
the runner of the compulsary long “base” is almost handicapped out
of the race by the cricketer who makes a discretionary short “run.”
The baseball fielder has been given tremendious “time,” advantages
over the cricket fielder by the long base as well as by the “forced”
run. These advantages are increased by the construction of the
diamond, which “fouls off” three-quarters of the field, thereby
permitting eight fielders to be placed almost elbow to elbow in front
of the doomed batter. “Side out” has become such a forgone conclusion
that changes in the rules must follow, if interest in the game is
expected from the public.
Many features of the game of single wicket cricket correspond with
base ball. The efforts of the batter are, limited to hits forward
of the wicket, while the run is one hundred and twenty-four feet,
but this style of cricket has become obsolete, owing to the same
objections which exist in base ball, and has given place to double
wicket cricket. There the impartial observer will find no undue
advantage given either to batter, fielder or bowler. But if a game
is played between cricketers of like standard, every department is
in strict equiblirum, while opportunities are offered to skillful
performers unknown in base ball. Some misguided lovers of American
cricket have tried to popularize the game through base ball
modifications, but their failure was a forgone conclusion, owing to
essential differences in the theories of the two games. If they will
reflect a moment, we think they will see that base ball has reached a
stage only somewhat beyond single wicket cricket, which gave place to
the double wicket game, about the year 1800, but it is so many years
behind modern cricket, that the year 1900 is likely to arrive before
such changes are made, as will place the different departments of
the game in balance. Yet the anomoly of the inferior game producing
the best exponents exists in America, and is the production of that
antagonism between amateurism and professionalism, which seems to
be never ending. The difference though social and educational is
enormously enchanced by business reasons, which have done base ball
little if any good. Cricketers have kept their game above reproach,
and though often taunted because they have imported an English game,
it will be admitted even by the admirers of America’s “national game”
that English cricket has overcome the corruption of the “gambler” and
“blackleg,” of past generations and become the keystone of English
sport, and this result has been brought about by skilful play unaided
by tricks upon players or partiality of umpires.
It is our intention to give some hints to those, who seek pleasure
and health from cricket pure and simple, for we are most firm in the
belief that good fielding, good bowling, and above all good wicket
keeping, now almost a lost art in America will popularize cricket.
Illustration: No. 1--The “cross bat” illustrated by a cross boy.
“Cricket requires constant practice; and to be a good cricketer,
is to be wary, yet bold; strong, yet gentle; self posessed and
cautious; firm and manly. There is no game in the world that so
teaches a boy to rely upon his resources, and to be ever ready
to take advantage of opportunities, as cricket when properly
played.”--_Wisden_