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.
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.