Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-19
IN THE WORLD OF SPORTS
An Enthusiastic Cricketers Plea for a
Quickening Interest.
SUGGESTIONS FOR AaoUslNG calcKETsRs
Proclnims that the Game IL Not a
Back Number. hut Is In the Heyday
of Its NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Gossip from Far and Near.

THE result OF the election in Nebraska,
hguratively speaking, knocked the writer OF
the Christmas tree and by the time he re-
covered his equilibrium a Sunday had rolled
by and 1t was too late to offer any sugges-
tions to the Omaha cricketers.' writes an
admirer Of the game to The Bee. However,
here are a few more just for luck: The
great question seems to be how to procure
new members and plenty OF them. 1t seems
to me that the best way ie for the club
management to organize a committee to
make a systematic canvass Of the city and
call on all Britishers and impress on them
that If the game of cricket is to be kept
going in Omaha they must come to the front
and support 1t, either by active playing,
financial aid or both. My idea is this, that II
a man has not time to play he at least
should dig down into his pocket and give a
few dollars to help support the game. In
order to accomplish this 1t may be necessary
to have two classes of members-active and
otherwise. The present subscription Is 50
per annum, which entities the member to
all privileges of the club, and to my mind
the amount ought to be double that at least,
but, supposing s. is the regular subscrlp-
tion, why not make 50 subscription for
non-actve members and IL at any time
any OF this class of members care to play
they can do so by contributing So to the club.
or course a man who will not separate him.
self from So to support the game for n
whole year is not exactly an enthusiast but
it is better perhaps to get three smoleons out
of him than nothing. However, this is a
matter for the committee to decide.
j. ii. Simms OF Council BIuTs sends to The
Bee the following comments on Mr., Lawrie's
cricket article published last Sunday
In the first place. readers of Mr.. Lawrie's
article would naturally assume that cricket
hourished, or had hourished, equally in Eng
land and Scotland, but such is by no means
the case. Cricket in Scotland, as compared
with English cricket, never amounted to a
row of pins there never having been time
when Scotland could compete on equal terms
with the so-caled first-class counties Of
England. One of the principal obstacles to
the game in Scotland has always been the
difficulty and expense Of securing decent
grounds to play on. owing to the conforma-
ton OF the ground, especially in the north
orn counties. However, / take no exception
to Mr.. Lawrie's remarks when applied solely
to cricket in Scotland and have no wish to
contradict his statement that the game has
declined in public favor in that country, but
Nutu ie dseeIlS lHdI lue SAINT True III
England, even to a lesser degree. he is al
together beside the mark.
LAS a matter of fact the season Just closed
has been called the banner season of the
century. There was never a time when the
number of players 50 great, when the
interest of the general public uni
versal and when the doings Of the various
teams were so keenly followed from the
achievements of the Australians and the
struggle for the county championship, down
to the innumerable local league matches and
competitions. The great daily papers, too,
have never before devoted so much space and
attention to the game, and this of itself is
pretty good index. 1t is true that num-
Der of communications have been addressed
to the various papers, protesting against the
barn door style of batting adopted by some
eevens in order to play cut time and save
themselves from defeat. This is only an
other evidence of the general interest in the
game. And various remedies have been sug-
gested, such as using fourth stump, or
playing with a narrower bat, and some ex
pertinent OF the sort may possibly be tried
My own opinion is that ifas much attention
were devoted to fielding as to batting these
big scores would be very materially reduced
and there would be.'eery few drawn games
There is no reason why cricketers should
not field as well as base ball players, if they
would only practice. but unfortunately bat
ting is practced almost exclusively by the
majority of players.
with regard to the game in Omaha 1t
will in all probability continue to flourish
to about the same degree as heretofore
What game does flourish in Omaha? 1t
will continue to be played by men who have
learned the game elsewhere and continue to
play it for the exercise there is in it and
the love they have for it. The players will