New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-08-16
CRICKET IN FICTION.


From The Pail Mall Gazette
1T is strange says Edmund B. V Christian, in the
current number of Bailys Magazine that cricket
the most popular Of gamesmhiis SO snail PlaIe n
article that when novelist does write about me
game his knowledge is, a. n rule very limited Inc Il,
match best known In hctlon-On account Oh SOurSe, VI
the popularity Of the book-ls that between MuseeWh
and Dingley Dell, recorded By Dickens IN the PICK
wick Papers Here Is Mr.. Christians comment upon
the description: &c.. ..,..o, ,.o,,,r,
the wickets7 and this position must have added con
sderably to the difficulties Of the umpire at me bats
LonsoP is Of all men ,6s at w bee tho
valiant Fodder Is recorded-adludgsd u nave
been stmPed out he was most probably brevr
sketch from life He retired few PAGES behind the
wicket and applied the ball to ms T eye fr bew1
cThis. by the way, the umpirc,s duty The ball
new hard straight and swift t2~&d ne c senms S tan5
ioccal) The wary Dumkins was Oh the alert II iell
heads Of the scouts. who stopped low enough 10 e1
ny Djnfey Dell. apparently gave in before they had
ground which had been lost e,-,-.,.-,
What ground has been LOST asks Mr.. Christian
what is meant By An early period Of the winning
qanIc why did any team abandon the match In the
t innings and at before Change aS 90 tSai rnT
been thought necessary Inc only reason InaC (i
70 the reader is that the Dngley Dell men were Justly
~ Honor Judge Hughes Is another novelist whose
description Of cricket match Is not quite up 10 the
mart aGt would be presumption doubt the authors
familiarity with the game but there are some details
In account OF the matcn Nnlcn reshl 10"
that more than thirty years have passed. The men
trom Iord's inspected the ground, crncsng II rather
nnmercifnIy' and difficulty was found In choosing
ritch No modern gTOund-man would stand that Tie
Fcbool with the usual berality OF young hands put
,iair adversarcs in first. Modern young hands are
ase accom- nOdating The fashion OF throwing the ball
nigh above the rock trees at the fall OF each wicket
ba loft first class cricket. II Is odd 10 hear that
Ster the midday lunch. the players sang the most
tanning comic songs and made speeches. The cap
IN Who allowed that deserved 20 lose the match. as
,d Tom BROWN for want Of time 10 finish the second
innings Jack Ragges. TOO, the scorner OF pads and
gloves Is found only on village greens and MS
lit which sent an OFF ball 10 leg for hye-though It
rolld as Mr.. LytteOn allows rejoice the natural man
would cause eroanngs from The deyotees Of style at
Lords The cOver-pOint. who stood very deep IN
toct almost OF the ground would hardly nave been
eynec+cd 50 long before Mr.. Walter Read had perfected
nj favor, re stroke Even unconventional was II
for the captain to be In alternate overs bowling ana
keeping wicket A., -, ..
Mr George Meredith is par excellence the English
novelist who can best describe game OF crckct lie
has the root OF the matter in him. Like DICKENS.
Mr. Meredith was born IN Hampshire, the cradle OF
lie pomeg but II must have been In Surrey despite
The maps that he witnessed that match OF FallOw
TnId against Bechey which he naTratcS in Evan IIar
rinctOns Mr.. Christian quotes the passage. which
our ,caders turn up for themselves, and concludes
tIat Mr. Meredith stands 81 present at the head OF
tise novests OF cricket lie hopes that II he ever
publish the complete Pilgrims Scrip a cricket
section will be found In Il.