The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-07-05
CRICKET.

The Sport In England.

LONDON June 20, 1863
From accounts which have reached us from New
York. the cricket season there seems to have been
almost entirely ecllpsed by the American national
game Of base ball; but the English cannot under
stand that there Is any other game which can CON-
pare with cricket and their devotion to that good
old form OF sport is upon the increase rather than
the decline. Lords ground-always called Lords
by popular abbreviaton--is the home Of cricket
in London. 1t il located in SC. Johns
Wood amid hosts OF pretty villas, and is
surrounded by some Of the picturesque scenery
Of this suburb which is to London what Harlem
ought to be to New York. Lords has been cricket
ground for eighty seven years, and Ii now owned by
the Maryebone Cricket Club-the largest and perhaps
the best cricket club In the world.
There are many good matches at Lords during the
season-the ground being engaged for nearly every
oxford and Cambridge University clubs which is
to be played on Monday next, and that be-
be played N July. Then thousands OF specta.
tors are present; carriages are drawn on to the
ground the day before, so to secure good places,
sented In the crowd. Previous to the oxford and
Cambridge match both clubs contend with the
have Just been concluded The MaryIebone put in
very strong eleven against the Cambridge on Mon
day last; but the University team were almost
equally strong and the first innings were nearly
equal But at the second innings the Maryebone
fairly surrounded the Cambridge boys and won
chsuy, Win seven WlcketB 10 spare Ine OAIOru
eleven shared the same fate losing by seven wckets
after two days play. In their first innings the Ok
ford men only scored eghtyone runs; but yesterday
they battled beautifully and quite redeemed their
reputation. Mr.. Reid, their wicket keeper, IL very
afraid Of the balls, however. and lodges them most
comically.
There Il an immense amount OF betting upon the
University match next Monday. Perhaps the event
is also the subject Of wagers In New York. At any
rate Ii OF great interest to ell college men through
out the states Harvard has attempted to send
boats crew over here to compete with oxford; why
should not American college send over cricket
club to beat the Cambridge eleven? Al present OK
ford II 90 much below the standard In cricket that the
betting In 2 to and even to against her rep
resentatives. will not say that the cricket match
produces a. great popular excitement as the boat
race between the came universities, but II quite as
interesting to university men. Thirty-three annual
matches have been played, OF which oxford has won
sixteen Cambridge Hteen and two have been drawn.
IL Ia almost a certainty that Cambridge will win the
present game, and so make tie. In the United
States one can scarcely conceive OF the feeling with
which college men regard these matches. IL would
as n they thought themselves sent TO college 10
learn rowing and cricket instead OF Latin and Greek
But 10 her athletic sports England owes her athletic
men, and the next generation OF Americans VIII
show che beneficial results Of the base ball Juror.