a

ful at this Mecting, not one of his team of five losing a course. The Ridgway October Meeting was greatly affected by the unseasonably fine weather, for, although a break occurred before the proceedings commenced, and violent storm was raging on the first day, the acceptances were meagre in the extreme. As in the previous year, Sir Thomas Brocklebank was successful in the North Lancashire Stakes, his dog Bière dividing with Mr. M. Fletcher's Five by Tricks. He also shared the South Lancashire Stakes (for bitch puppies) by means of Bierria, Messrs. Fletcher's Fair Florette being the joint winner. In the Clifton Cup Mr. Fletcher's Free Kick ran most brilliantly, and proved herself a stayer of the first water, her victories over Black Marauder, Grey Morn, and Britannicus being notable examples of endurance and cleverness. Entries were small at the South of England's once flourishing Amesbury Meeting, where Mr. E. M. Crosse won the Craven Challenge Cup with Coca Leaf, beating Count Stroganolf's Scandia in the final. Postponed by frost from October 29 to October 31, the Border Union Meeting proved highly successful, the Netherley Cup obtaining 60 subscriptions, and the Border Union Stakes as many, the entry fee for the former having been reduced from £1 10s. to £6 10S. Quality was well represented in the Cup, in which High Dappley Mcor easily defeated Free Kick, and Fortune's Favourite somewhat tamely succumbed to Gallant. In the meantime, Mr. M. Fletcher's Falconer, after a poor beginning, gained capital victories over Hurlbert, Kilrosa, and Café Noir. Real Point (Mr. J. Russel), though dislocating a toe on the first day, ran gamely, and, after profiting by two byes, disposed of Gallant, the stake being ultimately divided with Falconer. The stakes in the puppy event were divided between Mr. John Coke's splendid red bitch Charming Day and Capt. Ellis's Elphin. The Southport Meeting, on November 5 and 6, showed an excellent card and produced good sport. In the Scarisbrick Cup, Free Kick, having quite recovered her lost form, gained a desperate course with Hurlbert, and easily won the final from Crowfort II. Remarkable success attended the entries of the Messrs. Fletcher, which included seven winners at Altcar on Nov. 13-15, their success at the previous Spring Meeting of the Club being thus precisely repeated. In the Sefton Stakes they had both the dividers, Faber Fortunae and False Flatterer, while Firm Friend, Fortune's Favourite, and FitzFast were the last three standing in the Molyneux Stakes. The Croxteth Stakes (for bitch puppies) fell to Mr. L. Pilkington's Pushka. At the Corrie (Dumfriesshire) Meeting, commencing on Dec. 3, quality was well represented in the entries for the Corrie Cup. Hurlbert, running well in the early trials, soon gained a good position, but after a lucky victory over Fair Floralie was somewhat unluckily beaten by Fife and Fiddle, also belonging to the Messrs. Fletcher, in the final, the Cup for the third consecutive time thus falling into the same hands. On the same date began the Newmarket (Champion Puppy) Meeting, at which the leading event closed with 52 subscribers, many of whom had already been stake-winners. However, the coveted distinction fell to none of these but to Mr. Martin's Missus (late Soham Flirt) by Boss o' the Shanty-Belle of Soham, an undeniably game though somewhat small bitch. Thoughtless Beauty and Pursuer were among the asProverb-Most

pirants to the Antrim Stakes at the North Union Club Meeting on Dec. 5 and 6, but the latter was drawn after a few rounds, and Mr. Pilkington's bitch was left to easily defe t Whipthong. Dec. 20 and 21 saw the popular Yorkshire Club Studley Royal Meeting. Here Mr. Pilkington was decidedly fortunate to win the President's Cup with Poverina, Messrs. Fawcett's Firm Friend being drawn after falling lame in the second round, Townfield sustaining a heavy fall, and Ganger making a mistake in the final. The first important gathering of the New Year, the Altcar Club Spring Meeting found a representative all-age entry assembled for the Members' Cup. The winner turned up in the Messrs. Fletcher's Fortuna Favente, whose victory was remarkable from his being comparatively untrained, as he was put in to fill the place of Fair Floralic. This made the third successive win for his owners in this competition. Among those beaten by him were Bessie Cartwright, All About It, and (in the final) Forum. The Messrs. Fawcett also took the Molyneux Stakes with Farther and Farther and Fly Fast, and divided the Croxteth Stake with Fortune's Favourite. Next in the list of big fixtures comes the Ridgway Spring Meeting at Lytham, in the last week of January. Here again Fortune's Favourite was to the fore, dividing the Clifton Cup with Fife and Fiddle. Forgive and Forget, Faber Fortunae, and Frou Frou, all belonging to the same owners were left in and divided the Puppy Stakes with Mr. Gladstone's Green Apricot. At the South Lancashire Second Meeting at Southport on Feb. 4 and 5, the Scarisbrick Cup was won in fine style by Mr. T. H. Lamb's Green Stick beating the Studley Royal victor, Poverina, in the final. The sixtieth anniversary of the Waterloo Cup, the g eat coursing fixture of th year, came round on Feb. 19, 20, and 21, in cold but otherwise favourable weather, and in presence of an enormous crowd. Owing to the death of Mr. M. Fletcher, the nomination of Falconer was void, and the favourites were Thoughtless Beauty (9 to 2) and Fabulcus Fortune (5 to 1). Next to these came Gallant and Fortuna Favente at about 10 to 1, and Reception, Hurlbert and High Dappley Mcor found plenty of supporters. Hurlbert, however, was easily disposed of in the first round by Perfect Rest. Fabulous Fortune, after finally beating Stibblefield, the Scarisbrick Cup winner, accounted for Reception in spite of having the worst of the luck, and Boss of Soham having put out Black Marauder, succumbed to What's the Odds. Wolf Hill running cleverly upset Real Point and Gallant, while Juggernaut also ran well on the first day. Then Fabulous Fortune just came through against High Dappley Moor, and Thoughtless Beauty improving on her pre vious display, had the better of Maure n. Fortuna Favente, on the other hand, failed surp: isingly against Weatherwise, who was brilliantly beaten in turn by Thoughtless Beauty. The last four were Fabulous Fortune, Utopia, Thoughtless Beauty, and Wolf Hill. Of the latter pair, Thoughtless Beauty, though the favourite at long odds for the course, was handicapped by a throat affection, and was decisively beaten, while Utopia could not stand against Fabulous Fortune." In the final the last-mentioned beat Wolf Hill brilliantly, and SO Won the Cup for the Messrs. Fawcett. Fabulous Fortune was a second season red dog, by Herschel-Fair Future. The Purse was won, by Sir T. Brocklebank's fawn dog-puppy Bière, by Branston-Barbon, and the Plate by Mr. J. felt, least said, X

Russel's black bitch, Reception, by RestorerReal Lace. At the Carmichael Meeting on March 10, 11, and 12, the Carmichael Cup was carried off by Mr. T. Graham's Under the Globe.

The obituary list for the past winter includes several prominent supporters of the sport of Coursing, of whom the late Colonel North possessed the widest celebrity. Though not altogether a fortunate owner of greyhounds, he was compensated for many failures by the unrivalled running of Fullerton, purchased by him for the extraordinary price of 850 guineas from the kennel of Mr. Edward Dent. It will be remembered that within a month or two of his acquisition Fullerton divided the Waterloo Cup, of which, in the three following seasons, he was the sole winner, a feat absolutely un

equalled in the annals of Coursing. Another enthusiastic and successful sportsman, Mr. Matthew Fletcher, passed away at the early age of 45, just before the Waterloo Meeting, for which at least three of his greyhounds were to have filled nominations, among them Falconer, the runner-up to Texture in 1894. Within a few days of Mr. Fletcher's death there passed away, at the age of 86, Mr. W. G. Borron, whose connection with Coursing had lasted nearly some 70 years. Captain Archdale, another veteran and well-known courser, Mr. C. Robson, a prominent member of the North of England Club, and Mr. James Briggs, the owner of the famous Bed of Stone, were also among those whose deaths were deplored by their friends and fellow-sportsmen.

Sunbeam. Deacon.

Selby.
Sample.
Sea Rock.
Bowfell.
Hebe.
Hebe.

King Tom.
Fullfare.
Royal Seal.
Cock Robin.
Bab at Bowster.
Bendeneer.
Pretender.
Peasant Boy.
Peasant Boy.
Surprise.
Corby Castle.
Lord Glendyne.
Braw Lass.
Lazel.
Commune.
Plunger.
Bishop.
Hornpipe.
Snowflight.
Green-tick.
Miss Glendyne.
Penelope II.
Greater Scott.
Duke Macpherson.
Troughend.

Downpour.

Faster and Faster.

Fitz-Fife.

Bulton Park.

Falconer.

Fortuna Favente.

Wolf Hill.

FOR week after week, and month after month, the weather was so fine during the season of 1896 that even batsmen of moderate abilities managed to score their thousand runs. At the same time several bowlers, as is usual in a season of drought, had good analyses; for it frequently happened that after one side had made a very large total the wicket crumbled so much that the fortunate bowlers on the other side could get wickets easily. In addition to this the wickets at a few grounds, notably Lord's and the Essex County Ground at Leyton, were at times undeniably fiery. On the whole, however, wickets were so good that large aggregate and individual scores were numerous; it was seldom that a week went by in which at least eight or nine men did not make a hundred.

So close had been the struggle for supremacy in the five test matches played in Australia in 1894-5 by Mr. Stoddart's team, that a vast amount of interest was attached to the visit of the ninth Australian team this year. Long before any of its members had arrived in England the merits and demerits of each man, together with his past performances and his averages, had been discussed with such elaboration in the newspapers that it would not have been surprising if the public had become weary of the tour and the men before a match had been played. But the interest was sustained right through the season, and although the Australian batting was often too methodical to be quite attractive, large crowds attended the matches, and the success of the tour was soon assured. Only on two days was play quite impossible, and it was very rarely indeed, until late in the summer, that rain interrupted a game even for a few hours. Early in the year, Jones, the new fast bowler of the team, established a reputation, mainly owing to his very fast and short pitched ball, which terrified many batsmen. For a time the Australians carried everything before them, and, although McKibbin, a slow bowler with a break both ways, who was expected to be another Turner, was for a month or two a complete failure, Trumble and Giffen bowled as they had never bowled before. Until the middle of August, Trott, the captain, met with astonishing luck in tossing, and, thanks

to this, his team was continually able to make very large scores, and to dispose cheaply of the opposing side on a crumbling wicket. The slowness of their scoring sometimes enabled the Australians to make a draw, and sometimes it saved English teams from being beaten. Against the counties the Australians were almost invariably successful; they were never beaten and only twice made an unfavourable draw. In representative matches they were disappointing. They beat England at Manchester, but lost at Lord's and the Oval; they were beaten by the M.C.C., the Midland Counties, and Mr. Thornton's XI. at Scarborough; and were only saved by time from defeat from Lord Sheffield's XI., the M.C.C. (return), and the South of England at Hastings. The Players and the North of England, who lost to them, were by no means representative. The most remarkable features of the tour were the collapse of the Crystal Palace team on a fiery wicket for 39, Gloucestershire for 17, and Lancashire for 23, on dead wickets; the collapse of the Australians for 18 in the first M.C.C. match on a very difficult wicket, Pougher taking 5 wickets without a run being scored off him, and J. T. Hearne 4 for 4; the failure of the Australians on a perfect wicket in the first England match at Lord's, when they made 53, and the magnificent stand made by Gregory and Trott, who each scored a hundred in the second innings; the extraordinary bowling of Richardson in the second England match at Manchester when no other English bowler could do anything at all; and the equally extraordinary bowling of Hearne, Peel, and Trumble in the third test match at the Oval. On the whole it may be said that the Australian team was exceedingly strong in batting on hard wickets, that the fielding was good, and that the bowling was up to the average. Trumble vastly increased his reputation, and although he so frequently had to bowl on perfect wickets, he showed himself to be worthy to be classed with Spofforth and Turner. McKibbin did well at the end of the tour, but Jones, Giffen, and Trott fell off. The great batsmen in the team were Iredale, Darling, Gregory, and Trott, while Hill made a most promising first appearance in the team. X 2

The interest taken in the County Championship was, if possible, deeper than ever. Until the middle of July, Surrey seemed to be the strongest team, closely followed by Yorkshire, while Lancashire and Middlesex also had reasonable chances of coming out first. A series of mishaps befell Surrey in July and August, and as Lancashire and Middlesex were placed out of the running, everything pointed to the success of Yorkshire. But a drawn game or two again gave Surrey a chance and the excitement was sustained to the last, when Yorkshire proved to be the victors. The matches between Gentlemen and Players attracted no attention, for the sides were almost ridiculously unrepresentative, and the mistake was made of including hardly any University Players in the Gentlemen's team. Oxford beat Cambridge in a grandly played up-hill game, and Harrow did well to draw with Eton after a bad start.

Of individual players, K. S. Ranjitsinhji was by far the best bat of the year; he made ten hundreds, and had an average of 57'91. His batting was almost perfect; it was moreover attractive to watch. Although he hit beautifully all round the wicket, his p'acing to leg was his most famous stroke. For Sussex and Yorkshire at Brighton he made 100 and 125 not out. Dr. W. G. Grace, while hardly as good as he was in 1895, held his own wonderfully well. Occasionally his batting was almost as good as it was when he was in his prime, and it was but seldom that he failed to make a good score. In the two matches between Gloucestershire and Sussex he made 243 and 301, the latter innings having only been exceeded five times-twice by W. G. himself. Captain Wynyard ran K. S. Ranjitsinhji very close in the averages, but played in less than half as many innings as the Prince; he was deservedly selected to play for England against Australia. In the early part of the season Abel and Hayward did great things for Surrey, being very consistent, as well as making large scores. Afterwards they both fell off a little, although they still did well. Abel was good on all sorts of wickets, but Hayward was seldom seen to advantage except on good ones. The unusual feat of making a hundred in each of three successive matches was performed by Storer, who must be considered as one of the great bats of the year, as well as one of the two most accomplished wicket-keepers. He was not chosen to keep wicket for England, the claims of Lilley, who also did well with the bat, being thought superior. Mr. Jackson was, as usual, a most consistent scorer; his average by no means represents his value to his side, inasmuch as he nearly always made runs, whatsoever might be the condition of the wicket. He is still about the best all-round cricketer in the world, his only rivals being Giffen, Hayward, and Abel. There are generally a few batsmen in every season who make an unlooked-for reputation, and the surprises of 1896 were given by Mr. Burnup, who, after doing well for Cambridge, was very successful for Kent; Killick, a young Sussex professional, who, originally tried as a bowler, distinguished himself greatly as a bat; Mr. Hayman, who came quite to the front rank in the first half of the season, but owing to an accident was unable to play after July; and Captain Quinton, the Hampshire amateur. Among the batsmen who, having in previous years established their reputation, still held their own, were Mr. L. C. H. Palairet, Gunn, Shrewsbury, Chatterton, J. T. Brown, Mr.

Newham, Sir T. C. O'Brien, Mr. Key (who frequently made runs for Surrey when a rot had set in), Mr. Mason, Frank Sugg, Mr. Owen, Davidson, and Mr. Murdoch, who, although his average was not great, was almost always consistent. Mr. Stoddart, Mr. S. M. J. Woods, Mr. Bainbridge, Mr. de Trafford, Carpenter, Ward (A.), and Mr. W. W. Read, were not as successful as usual. At the end of the season Lord Harris reappeared in the Kent team, making a hundred in his second match; he had not played for Kent since 1889.

Of the bowlers, J. T. Hearne holds the pride of place. He was fortunate in having to bowl at Lord's in most of his matches, but, except for a period of about three weeks in the middle of the season, he was nearly always successful on whatever ground he played. He varied his pace with more subtlety than before. Richardson again did many wonderful feats, though he very frequently met with little or no assistance from the other bowlers on his side. Both he and Hearne took over 2c0 wickets. Haigh, a fast right-hand bowler, made a most successful début for Yorkshire. Another fast bowler, Mr. F. H. E. Cunliffe, did so well for Oxford University that he ought to have been given a place in Gentlemen v. Players. Jones, the Australian fast bowler, was also high up in the averages. The season was not favourable for slow bowlers, which makes the great success of Trumble and McKibbin, the Australians, and Attewell, the more noticeable. Mr. Bull and Abel had good analyses, but did not bowl much. Peel, except on a few important occasions, did not shine, nor can Briggs be considered altogether successful. Among bowlers who did moderately well were Lohmann, Hayward, Martin, Alec Hearne and Mold; and many others, notably Pougher, Mr. Townsend, Hulme and Wainwright, were irresistible occasionally.

The question of the eligibility of K. S. Ranjitsinhji to play for England was much discussed before the test matches, but the argument that, as Charles Bannerman, Midwinter, and several other Australians, who had played against England, played because they had acquired their skill in Australia although they were Englishmen, the Prince was perfectly qualified to play, having learned all his cricket in England, ultimately prevailed, after he had been left out of the first match at Lord's. Another question which was raised just before the third test match aroused an amount of attention quite beyond its merits- the question of the payment of certain gentlemen, and the inadequacy of the amount paid to professionals. The demand made by Abel, Richardson, Hayward, Lohmann and Gunn, for a fee of £20 instead of the £10 offered them, caused the Surrey Committee to strike their names from the list, but the first three hastened to withdraw and explain their letters, and they were reinstated before the match. In a match at Lord's between M.C.C. and Cambridge University, Mr. Perkins, the M.C.C. Secretary, went on to the playing area and ordered A. E. Trott to be taken off. This re-opened the question of whether a fast bowler ought to be allowed to bowl deliberately short on a fiery wicket; but nothing further came of it. The subject of throwing by bowlers was hardly touched upon during the season. Another episode which provoked discussion was the deliberate bowling of no-balls and wides by Mr. E. B. Shine in the Oxford and Cambridge match, in order to prevent the Oxonians from following their innings.