CRICKETING. WE may safely aver, that no sport has extended itself so much of late years, to nearly all parts of the globe, as the fine, old, manly, and truly English game of cricket. Clubs have sprung up in almost every town, village, and hamlet throughout the country. So much importance has been attached to the game, as, perhaps, of all athletic sports, none presents so fine a scope for bringing into full and constant play the qualities of both mind and body, that orders have lately issued from the Horse Guards to have a cricket-ground in or adjoining, where such is possible, every barrack in the kingdom. The game is enjoyed equally by the lord and the peasant, and often brings both together in the field, thereby not unfrequently engendering a better and kindlier feeling towards the humbler classes on the one hand, and a feeling of respect and esteem on the other. It is not our intention, however, to enter into any description of the " rise and progress" of the sport, or to dwell upon the benefits (and they are many) which are derived from the establishment of such clubs, but merely to take a brief review of the proceedings in the cricketing world during the past month; and to put our readers in possession of the sport already arranged to take place during the season. We shall therefore commence with the parent society THE MARYLEBONE CLUB.-The anniversary dinner of this club took place on the 5th of May, Lord Grimston in the chair, and among those present were Lord Drumlanrig, Hons. Col. Lowther, F. Ponsonby, and R. Grimston; Sirs St. Vincent Cotton and John Bayley; C. G. Taylor, F. Thackeray, N. Micklethwaite, W. Ward, Esquires, and several others. Fourteen new members were elected, in addition to about a dozen noblemen and gentlemen added to the list since the last anniversary. The Committee of last year was unanimously re-elected, C. Taylor, the celebrated Sussex cricketer, being substituted for H. G. Barnett, Esq., resigned. We regret that anything untoward occurred, and that Mr. Ward did not have his name placed on the committee list in accordance with the wish expressed by the Hon. Secretary, who was unable to attend, from severe indisposition. We really hope that the subject, which caused some slight unpleasantness, will be heard of no more, for we feel satisfied that everything has been done to insure the best possible sport, and to give satisfaction to all parties. It was resolved "That no practice bowler should absent himself on practice days of the Club without permission of the Committee; and such permission only to be given on the bowler finding an efficient substitute." The laws of the game remain the same as last year, no revision being deemed necessary. The Club opened their campaign by repairing to Cambridge, on Thursday, the 19th of May, and playing a match with the gentlemen of the University, who went in first, and scored 169, and in their second hands, 110, making a total of 279. Among those who shone most conspicuously in running up a long score, were Messrs. F. L. French (11 and 25), T. A. Anson (12 and 40), W. Pickering (23 and 10), G. Boudier (18 and 0), E. Dewing (22 and 0), W. Mills (21 and 5), and C. Morse (23 and 4). There were, however, the awful number of 65 byes, &c. Marylebone scored 197, and 83 winning, with three wickets to go down. C. Taylor obtained 40 and 7 ; Hon. F. Ponsonby, 39 and 0 (not out); Captain Munday, 24 and 8; Earl Aboyne, 2 and 6; C. Whittaker, 2 and 14, &c. The byes were 49 and 23, and wide balls, 17 and 9! The match lasted three days. On Monday, the Marylebone Club played a match on their own ground, with the St. John's Wood Club, in which the latter were victorious, with ten wickets to go down, the score being-Marylebone Club, 34 and 121, Sir F. Bathurst marking 3 and 11; E. Wilmot, 16 and 23; J. W. Hay, 0 and 14; F. Huddlestone, 3 and 14 (not out), &c. St. John's Wood scored, first hands, 125, Dark obtaining 43 (not out); Dewdney, 13; Guttliffe, 14, &c. This is generally considered merely a practice match, to prepare the club for more important work during the season, and therefore must not be looked upon with too critical an eye. The contest on Monday, the 23rd ult., with the Clapton Club, was looked forward to with much more interest, as the latter team included several excellent players, the Clapton having long enjoyed the merit of being a very excellent Club. The M.C.C. will have their time occupied, till nearly the end of the present month, with matches with Oxford and Cambridge Universities, and the Rugby School, when, on the 20th, they come into competition with the Northern Counties. The list of matches to come, however, embraces so many first-rate ones that, although our space is limited, we cannot refrain giving them, feeling assured that they will be read with no ordinary interest by all lovers of the game. The list is corrected up to the last meeting of the committee: Thursday... Monday Thursday... Monday ... } Marylebone Club against Artillery. Marylebone Club against Harrovians. Old Etonians, with one player, against Old Harrovians with one player. Marylebone Club against Artillery. Gentlemen against Players. The Annual Eton, Winchester, and Harrow matches. RETURN MATCHES. at Canterbury ... Kent against England. 4 ... 8 at Brighton 11 at Newport ... Gentlemen of England against Gentlemen of Kent. 15... at Nottingham... Marylebone Club and Ground against Northern Counties. EAST KENT BEVERLEY CLUB.-The County of Kent matches will, In the Marylebone Club and Ground and the Northern Counties match, we believe Barker and Good, although belonging to the Marylebone ground, will play for the Northern Counties, and that Pilch will be taken on the side of Marylebone. By this arrangement the interest of the match will be much increased, and will enable the North to bring its full strength into the field, and will give the lovers of cricket an opportunity of seeing the play of the last-named splendid batsman. It is also likely that the Sussex match will be thus altered-Sussex with Pilch against England. in future, be played on the Beverley ground, Canterbury, the Malling Club having ceased to exist. The Beverley Club is one of the most celebrated in the kingdom, and the spirit which is evinced by its members, and the first-rate play in all departments of the game by a great many belonging to it, render its proceedings of much moment to the admirers of the game. They commenced business by defeating the Adisham on Friday, the 20th ult., and they have now the following matches on hand, viz. : Thursday... with Alkham, at Alkham. 7... with Sittingbourne, at Beverley. 14... with Ramsgate, at Ramsgate. 21... with Ickham, at Ickham. 30... Kent against Sussex, at Beverley. Monday July 4... Gentlemen of Kent against Gentlemen of England, at Lord's. Monday Friday Friday 11... Kent against England, at Lord's. 21... Kent v. Sussex, at Brighton. 26 with Ramsgate, at Beverley. 29... with Sittingbourne, at Sittingbourne. Monday Aug. 1... Kent v. England, at Beverley. ... Thursday... 4... Gentlemen of Kent v. Gentlemen of England, at Beverley. THE SUSSEX CLUB.-While splendid arrangements are made in other Clubs, the county of Sussex, at one time foremost as a cricketing county, remains nearly quiet. They have Lillywhite, Box, Hawkins, Millyard, Dean, and Mr. Taylor, and, with such players, she must not suffer herself to sink in the scale of this noble sport. We were, however, glad to learn that Lillywhite, at his annual dinner, stated that he had been authorized by Mr. Langdon to acquaint the meeting that the Club possessed a fund of £50; that further subscriptions were being collected, and that, notwithstanding the present somewhat unfavourable appearance of things, there would be several good matches during the It will be seen, on reference to matches to come, that this has since been borne out. year. THE NOTTINGHAM SEASON has commenced with spirit, and in a one-innings match, between the Town and County, on the Trent Bridge Ground, the latter proved victorious, scoring 194, of which Day marked 39; Clarke, 29; Cresswell, 25; J. Oscroft, 24; Dance, 14; and Knight, 13. The Town obtained but 94; Mr. Moyes succeeding in getting the largest number (29); Guy marked 20, and Need, 10. THE CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY AND TOWN CLUB have played their annual match, on Parker's Piece, commencing on the 12th ult.; and it proved one of the most interesting and best contested matches ever witnessed at Cambridge, the University ultimately winning with three wickets to spare. The score was-Town, 97 and 100; and University, 109 and 90. We would, however, advise some of the young players in the Town Club to pay more attention to the game, and to read what Nyren says,―viz., "A cricketer must be active in all his faculties; he must be active in mind, to prepare for every advantage; and active in eye and limb, to avail himself of those advantages," &c. The introduction to that little work ought to be read by every young cricketer. A dozen matches have already been played at Cambridge, College against College, and Boat Club versus Boat Club, and the play, generally speaking, has been highly creditable to the gentlemen of the University. THE SOUTH HANTS CLUB had their anniversary dinner, on the 4th ult., at the Antelope Inn, Southampton, Sir John B. Mill, Bart., in the chair; and in the following week the worthy Baronet pitted an eleven against the Club; but the latter beat their opponents hollowscoring, in one hands, 143; and Sir J. B. Mill's eleven only 70; D. Day (formerly of Streatham, but who is now proprietor of the Hotel and Ground) obtaining 34 (not out), Bodle, 47; and R. B. Smith, Esq., 19, on the part of the Club. THE LEICESTERSHIRE CLUB have begun successfully, by beating the St. George's Town Club; Captain Cheslyn, on the part of the former, making an excellent score, and carrying out his bat. The Rev. Mr. Elmhirst also played well. AT OXFORD Some admirable play has also taken place. The Wykehamists have defeated the University by 84 runs; the score being, for the former, 121 and 133; and the latter, 78 and 92. Wright fetched 87 (not out) and 8; Dryden, 14 and 29; Coker, 12 and 29; and Campbell and Austin, also on the side of the Wykehamists, made good scores. Farrer achieved most for the University, by marking, in the first hands, 25 (not out), being absent in the second innings. Lords Clinton and Loftus were unfortunate with the bat, but their bowling and activity in the field deserve praise, as also the play generally of W. Curteis, who scored 20. In a subsequent match, on the 16th ult., between the Magdalen and Bullingdon Clubs, the former was triumphant, notwithstanding Lords Clinton, Loftus, Seaham, and Warde batted beautifully, on the part of Bullingdon, and ran up a large score. Ker made 32 and 3; Curteis, 5 and 10; and Garth, 4 and 17; being altogether 107 and 126. Magdalen scored 142 and 98; Coker, Dryden, Townsend, Farrer, Hughes, Cherry, Moberley, Clarke, and Hodge handling the timber with terrible effect. THE CADETS of the Royal Military Academy, at Woolwich, and those of the College, at Sandhurst, played a match on the Marylebone Ground, on the 19th ult., which was won easily by the gentlemen of Sandhurst; they having 8 wickets to go down, scoring 64 and 13; and Woolwich, 25 and 51; Messrs. Piper, Fenwick, and Colville storming their wickets in grand military style, the Academy party only getting 8 off the bat, 5 of which were obtained by Mr. Spencer. Mr. Piper, on the College side, made 26 and 3 (not out), and Mr. Reader, 11. Each having won a match, a conquering game will, we hear, be played. THE ETON COLLEGIANS played a match with the officers of the regiments in garrison at Windsor, on the 21st ult., in which the former proved victorious, with five wickets to go down. The score wasMilitary, 57 and 79, Captain Horrocks fetching 0 and 10, and Mr. Horrocks 39 and 25; Collegians, 57 and 51. Fellowes hit away the bowling of Sir F. Bathurst admirably, scoring 28 and 26; Aimslie, 4 and 19; Randolph, 9 (not out) and 15, &c. THE SHREWSBURY SCHOOLS beat the Eyton Club on the 14th ult., after some excellent play on both sides, S. Micklethwaite, Esq., on the side of the victors, scoring 62 (not out), and 18; and G. Micklethwaite, Calvert, and Wood, also made admirable scores. We could enumerate several hundred Clubs that have already showed in the field, but it must suffice to state that all appear to be in a flourishing condition; and that the play, in the majority of instances, has been extremely good, and speaks volumes in favour of the assertion we made at the commencement of this article, that no sport has taken so wide and extensive a range as the noble game of Cricket. COMMENCEMENT OF THE YACHTING AND ROWING SEASON. THE healthful and most delightful recreation of yachting, now so fashionable, is every year increasing in interest and importance. When we consider the construction of the beautiful vessels-which, by modern science, are so improved, as to become almost the perfection of naval architecture-the vast number of active and smart young seamen employed by the members of the yacht clubs, we cannot too highly appreciate the wise policy of fostering and encouraging such sports and amusements, no doubt, mainly the means of making our sailors what they now are the admiration of the world. ROYAL YACHT SQUADRON.-This truly national club is under the patronage of her most gracious Majesty and Prince Albert; the Queen annually giving a cup, value 100 guineas, to be sailed for by vessels belonging to the squadron. Nearly 100 yachts are enrolled on the list, the majority of which are of the most magnificent description, varying from 30 to 392 tons, the former being the minimum of tonnage allowed in the club. This season, a schooner of 142 tons has been built at Lymington, for the Duke of Rutland, and has since been called the Resolution; one has also been launched at Gosport (the Intrepid, of 55 tons), for the Earl of Tyrconnell; and a schooner, of 160 tons, for J. Fleming, Esq., M. P. At the first meeting of the club this season at the Thatched House, there was a numerous attendance of members. Among those present were the Earl of Yarborough (commodore), Earl of Belfast (vice-commodore), Earl of Wilton, Earl Grosvenor, ViceAdmiral Sir G. E. Hamond, K. C. B., Marquis of Anglesey, Marquis of Ormonde, Lord Lovaine, and many other distinguished and influential patrons and admirers of yacht sailing. It is also gratifying to state, that an addition was made to the already long list of members, as well as the number of vessels; the following having been elected-viz., the Duke of Rutland (Resolution, schooner, 143 tons); Lord Wharncliffe, (Romulus, cutter, 30 tons); J. H. W. P. S. Pigott, Esq. (Ganymede, cutter, 69 tons); John Quantock, Esq. (Naiad, cutter, 70 tons); and John C. Blackett, Esq. (Albatros, cutter, 75 tons). The honorary members elected were- -Commanders J. Waugh, R. Corbett, J. Dick, G. Kecke Ogilvie, and E. G. Fanshawe; Captains James J. Stopford, Richard Meredith, and Robert Fitzroy, R. N.'s; John Hodder, Esq., of Cowes, and T. Yeats Brown, Esq., her Majesty's Consul at Genoa. W. C. Hoffmeister, Esq., M. D., was elected surgeon to the squadron. The following arrangements were made for the season : Her Majesty's Cup to be sailed for on Wednesday, the 17th August, by yachts of the seventh class-viz., above 115 tons. The Royal Squadron Ball to take place on the 16th of August, and the Annual Dinner on the 18th. Three cups, of £50 each, to be sailed for. The particulars to be decided at the meeting at Cowes, on the 8th of July. ROYAL THAMES YACHT CLUB.-No club, perhaps, has risen more |