Aussies take the Ashes

Those chipper lads from the Antipodes have hit the Mother country for a 6, taking out the current Ashes series in strait matches.
Champion effort gentlemen - a well earned libation or two this evening no doubt!

A Cracker Day on the Field

My lad Reilly captained his Cricket team for this week's U/12s match. A great game on a hot day, here is the match report, posted by a proud Dad (BTW Reilly also got a wicket, bowling out the opposing Captain):

Match Scores:
Grammar (Navy) 5-75 (Reilly 12no, Ethan 7, Jack 7, Angus 2-3) defeated Grammar (Sky) 5-57 (Angus 13, Justin 10no, Bailey 9no, Tom 3-8)

Match Report:
This was another closely fought contest between these two evenly matched teams. Navy batted first and posted a respectable score of 75 from their 20 overs. When Sky batted they lost some early wickets which put them behind the required run-rate and although they recovered their final score of 57 was not quite enough. There were some good performances on both sides with bat and ball but perhaps the difference was the excellent fielding of Reilly O’Grady for Navy who stopped many possible boundaries fielding at mid-wicket. Both teams have displayed excellent improvement throughout the season and will look to continue this in their final two games.

Player Awards:
Navy – Reilly, Sky - Angus

Top Of The World!

A rounding huzzah from all stout fellas for the indomitable Mister Strauss and his brave Englishmen who by thrashing the bally Indians at Edgbaston yesterday are now officially recognised as the best test side in the world! Must mention Cookie's 294 career best, jolly good show. Off to the Oval now to see if we can whitewash the blighters 4 to nil. What ho?!

A Jolly Good Show!

Huzzah chaps! Jolly good news from the colonies down under! Our chaps have retained the Ashes, wrapping up the Aussies before lunch on day four. Watched it all on one of those new chronophotographic players with a bit of game pie and a bottle of brandy whilst the Memsahib was abed. Three cheers to Messrs Strauss and co. Bring on the bally Hindustanis next, eh what?

Cricket scores update!

[Though this reads very much like the results from last week's 4th Ashes Test Match in Melbourne (where England was crushed by an innings and 100+ runs in 3 days!), it is in fact from The Illustrated London News, July 1, 1882, p.10 - sound familiar chaps?]

As the match between the Australians and the Gentlemen of England excited such universal interest, some 50,000 spectators being present at the Oval during the three days of play, we append the full score:—

It cannot be denied that the result was a sad disappointment to all partisans of the English team, for though the unaccountable error had been committed of making up the eleven without a single fast bowler, such a group of batsmen looked like making at least 300 per innings against any bowling that could be brought against them.

As it turned out, only Grace, Patterson, and Leslie, played anything like good cricket in the first innings, and the follow-on was even weaker. Let us hope that the combined eleven of Gentlemen and Players will make some amends for this crushing single innings defeat.

In the match between Kent and Sussex the former eleven ran up 521 at their first attempt. Lord Harris (176), Lord Throwley (82), G. G. Hearne (64), and Mr. C. Wilson (not out, 62) were the chief contributors to this gigantic total, and, though the Rev. F.J. Greenfield (107) batted exceedingly well, he had little assistance from the other Sussex men, who were eventually defeated in a single innings with 175 runs to spare. This week, Lancashire has beaten Derbyshire by an innings and 47 runs. Mr. Hornby (79) was the only large scorer for the winners, and Mr. Foster (52) did most for Derbyshire. Cambridge has won the Inter-University match by seven wickets.