The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-12-11
AN IDEAL FIELD
Famous Grounds of Mel.
bourne's Cricket Club.
Developed to Perfection in Half a
Colonies-Center of a Park.

Viggo Jacobsen, who resided in Mel
bourne at the time of the visit to that
city of the Royal Princes in H. B. NJ S.
'Bacchante, and was present at the in
teresting ceremony hereinafter referred
to, sends the following, chiefly culled
from recent number of the ST. James
Budget:
las the Pennington race course near
Melbourne is admittedly the most per-
feet in the world in point of arrange
ment and facilities. so likewise cricket
ers who have visited Australia say that
nowhere in the world does there exist
a finer cricket ground than that belong
ing to the Melbourne Cricket Club in
all that makes for perfection in a
cricket arena, both from the cricketers
and the onlooker's point of view.
THE Melbourne ground as it stands
today is not new institution 1t rep
resents the growth and development of
half a century's cricket, and has come
into its present excellent state through
natural evolution beginning at the
period when middle-aged, slowblooded
men played cricket mostly in top hats
and side whiskers, and working the
game as a science and a profession
In the Melbourne ground, too, is typi-
fled the wonderful growth of cricket in
the colonies, and to it's existence, and
the existence of similar grounds in the
other Australian capitals, is due the
production of so many finished cricket
ers and the widespread, not to say
supreme interest taken in the game by
the general public. If one were asked
where in lay the Melbourne ground s
special advantage over most other
grounds it would be difficult to find an
answer, but rather in the grounds
equipment as a whole-in it's situation,
its arrangement, it's facilities. 1t is
pitched in the centre of public park,
and, but for the rattle of passing trains
some few hundred yards away, it
might be in the heart of the country.
1T may be possible to cram more
people into the Remington Oval than
into this Melbourne ground, but it is
certainly not possible to accommodate
more who can actually see the game.
Cricket cards and printing presses are
unknown on these colonial grounds
The authorities supply the public with
knowledge as to the progress of the
game so much more quickly and ade-
quately than any cards can do, and it
doesn't cost the public anything 1t is
done by a scoring board, of huge di-
mansions, which can be plainly seen
from any part Of the ground This
board tells all that is required to be
known about every run that is scored
| who it is scored by, it's effect on the
total, and off what bowler it is OBJ
tanned. Some idea of this admirable
scOring-bOard can be obtained from
photographs, from which it appears
that the left-hand side is kept for the
two men at the wickets. Their names
are shown distinctly, and as each run
is made both the individual and total
| scores are altered; while on the oppo-
site side are shown the bowlers, even
including those who have been taken
Off, each run and wicket being added
to their account according as they are
made. The centre is reserved for the
| names and scores of the batsmen who
are out, while at the top are kept the
| totals of the teams for each innings
To players as we'll as spectators the
| board is most valuable. Captains in
| particular find it useful, since they can
see exactly how their bowlers are be-
| ing punished and which batsman is do
| ing most damage. Every English
ground of Importance should have had
one of these scoring -bords years ago
| The pavilion on the Melbourne ground
is not quite SO imposing structure
as may be seen on more than one Eng
| lish cricket field, but it has the unique
interest attaching to it that it's corner
stone was laid by the two sons of the
Prince of Wales, when they were mid
shipmen in the Royal Navy and their
ship happened to put in at the Fort OF
Melbourne. Doubtless when the Duke
! of York revisits Melbourne this inter
| esting memento Of an early day when
! he was the rowing young mariner
Prince George, will not be the least in
teresting object his eye will rest upon