Year: 1868

.


AntipOdies.


LONDON, May 20, 1868.


The clear Skies the bright sunshine and the intense
heat of the past few weeks rebuke the universal mis-
representations of English weather. 1t is nearly
month since have had any rain In London, and in
no corner OF the globe have there been more delight
full days and delicious nights than here during that
period. Fine weather Is becoming, however, too
much Of good thing. and we begin to long for the
old fogs and showers. vegetation is backward; the
market gardeners and their customers complain,
and foreigners who have landed upon these shores
under the impression that 1t always rains In London
are in most bewildered state Of mind.


During these dreamy May days know Of no more
pleasant lounge near London than at Lords Cricket
Ground, where the playing season has just COM
menced. The ground Is retired. but easy of access
by cabs, omnibuses or underground railway, and it
Is attended almost every day by splendid company
OF ladies and gentlemen-On foot on horseback and
in carrages-who watch with interest the crack
games of the best crcketers in England. All round
the neighborhood are beautiful Villas The ground
is framed in with trees. Billiard rooms, tennis and
racquet courts are close at hand In the club build
ing. There is grand stand like that at Jerome
Park, and . brick pavilion for the players. new
refreshment saloon Is in progress OF erection. No.
where can cricket be played and seen more comfort
ably and agreeably; and this fact as well as the ex
cellence OF the games there, has given Lords q
world wide reputation.


This cricket season commenced on the 11th Of May
with match between the Marylebone Club and the
Royal Artillery in which the Marylebone was easily
successful This club Is nearly seventy-fve years
old, numbers over six hundred subscribers and has
played fity-tOur years on this ground. Among its
effective members are some OF the finest amateur
cricketers in the world, and many professionals
attached to It, On the 14th the annual match between
the Royal Artillery and the Household Brigade was
played and ended in draw after two days. batting.
The spectators were the cite Of London Yesterday
the third match of the season between the Maryle.
bone Club and the Colts OF All England-the Colts
before-ended by the signal defeat Of the Colts, who
were beaten at every point, and scored less
on their two innings u than the Marylebone
Colleges play their annual match; on the 25th the
MaryebOne Club will play the County of Surrey, and
contest between the Household Brigade and the
Quidnuncs on the 2Sth concludes the crcketing for
May.


But in the meantime great treat for all lovers OF
cricket will be furnished by the performances Of the
Australian abOrigines eleven Of whom have been
taught the game by English settlers and have ar
rived here safely to make their fortunes. These
men are bona tide native Australians, and their pro-
nciency with the bat and ball Is said to be
something wonderful One Of them will allow
himself to be pelted with cricket-balls at
few yards distance and, with only the de-
balls to touch him. English crcketers who have seen
the Australians practice say that they are very
strong eleven, but not too strong to beat In fact
these negro players will find cricket very different
game when they come to be opposed by the scientific
bOwlers Of England just as the Canadian Indians who
came over here to show US the game Of ia Crosse'
found themselves beaten at their own art by the
perienced tents players Of Lords OF whom threw
ball completely out Of sight In the air. much
surprise OF the Indians New York players will re.
member what wonders the English professionals
complished at Hoboken, and will not easily believe
that Australian natives can cope with such adopts
as those. The Australians have their first game in
the result byteegraph


The betting is against the Australians.