CHELTENHAM COLLEGE v. M.C.C. AND GROUND.

This match was played on Friday and Saturday, June 25th and 26th, and we made no departure from the run of misfortune which has throughout the half attended our highest enterprises. The ground played very fast indeed, it may be premised, and not particularly true. Grundy's very straightforward and ordinary bowling became difficult through the frequency of shooters of a fatal description, and there were found few to fill up the gap when once the havoc was begun.

Wise of course won the toss, and sent Bradley and Hare to the wickets. The last ball of the first over got up fast and took Hare's off stump. Wise began with a grand off-drive from Mumford for six, but directly after Bradley hit late at an off-ball and was caught at the wicket. A shooter was too quick for Strachan, but Mellor who came next made a capital stand and things looked better while he and Wise stayed, but when Mellor got 15 he too touched one which was instantly secured. Myers and Carter came and went, but Guthrie struck a little, until a queer piece of running disposed of Wise. Our captain played a good steady innings of 25, which included, besides the six above mentioned, a cut for five and a good off-drive for four. Then Guthrie followed suit in running out, and Wood, having hit a bit, was too late at a leg ball and was taken by the long-stop. So the innings was over for 64, Wyatt being absent ill and there being no substitute.

The M.C.C. lost two wickets for 12, but Messrs. Bell and Turner made the first stand, until Mr. Bell was very well caught at short-leg by Carter off a hard hit. Messrs. Turner and Price proved invincible for some time but at last the former was bowled off his leg for 20, and Mr. Round off his body directly after. But

Messrs. Price and Coote were very tiresome and demoralised the bowling and fielding considerably. At last Mr. Price went, but not before he had got 55, which included several very good cuts. The last wicket Mumford and Mr. Coote made a stubborn stand and were not out when time was called. Next day too they persevered until Strachan bowled the professional for 35, leaving Mr. Coote not out with 105, a very good and carefully played innings, though not without chances.

Then the College went in to get 220 to save the innings, and got 50. The first four wickets were bowled, Wise and Bradley by shooters, Myers played in wrong time, Carter the wrong way, and nothing was done except by Mellor, who played a thoroughly praiseworthy innings of 23, nearly half the total.

Annexed is the score:

On Monday, June 28th, the Eleven assembled at Kennington Oval, and, of course, won the toss. The day was fine and the ground perfect and very fast. The Eleven went in at about 11.30, and enjoyed themselves all day at the wickets. Bradley and Hare went in

first, as usual, and were not parted till 35 was up, when Hare's offstump was bowled by Calvert; Wise followed, and, for the first few overs, seemed playing rather carelessly; Bradley had steadied into excellent form, and runs came steadily until 115, when Bradley was bowled by a shooter for a good 50, including several fine hits, notably one to leg for 5. Strachan went in, and soon showed that he was in form. Wise also, now that he had got over his first fatal quarter of an hour, was playing like himself, and the bowlers' changes were of no avail : Strachan's cuts and Wise's drives elicited much applause, and when time was called for lunch, the score stood at 230, of which Wise had made 65, Strachan, 67. After lunch, the field had another hour's leather-hunting without seeing another wicket fall, and the cheering was great when 300 for two wickets appeared on the telegraph, and it was known that both the batsmen had got into treble figures: at 335, Strachan was caught at point, after a brilliant innings of 107, with only one chance, and that a very hard one, at the wicket: Mellor and Myers, who followed, kept up the double figures, but not the treble. The score now stood at 400, for four wickets; and if we had only not had such a tail as we were proved to have had, we might have reached a total of 500, a score rarely equalled. At 415, Wise at length was caught short leg, being cut short of his 150 by only six runs; he had gone in when the score was at 27, and had consequently run 380 runs-a distance of about 44 miles his innings had been really faultless, not a chance being given anywhere at any time. Such innings as those of Wise and Strachan ought to show conclusively that there is something in our Eleven, little as some of our matches would seem to show it. Both the heroes of the day were presented with bats by the Surrey Club as well as by their own Eleven. After the Captain had gone, the rest of the Eleven did not seem to consider it etiquette to stay, and nine wickets were down for 438, when time was called. On the following day, F. Strachan (who was playing for Wyatt) and Loudon resumed the wickets, and brought up the score to 460; F. Strachan was then bowled after a nicely played II; Loudon had, meantime, put together 21.

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No time was lost, and the two Surrey professionals were at the wickets before 12. They were both missed before they had made 10, and, indeed, six catches were missed before 100 was up. Guthrie began by taking the wicket, but he was hit on the face, and Wise succeeded to his place, which he filled well, catching two men and stumping one. When time was called, 210 was up for three wickets, and it seemed as if Surrey was going to repeat our score. So long as Calvert and Mayo were in, the runs came apace; Calvert made a

point of making three at least from every ball on the off-side; with the score at 270, Calvert was caught at the wicket, and Mayo soon after followed, splendidly caught by Strachan; after these had gone, the wickets came fast, as they had done the day before, and Surrey were all out for 336, and, being 124 behind, followed their innings, putting in those who had had least play before five wickets went down for 71, without any particular incident Hare, who had been bowling well throughout, got two wickets: Strachan had been singularly unlucky, having many catches missed off him.

The Marlborough Match for 1869 is over, and we have received an unprecedented defeat. We have been defeated by Marlborough before in one innings: but never by so small a number of runs. Had victory been ours we might perhaps have given a longer

account of the match than that which we now present to our readers. Suffice it to say that our batting, which before the match we thought our strongest point, was as tame as it could well be, and was by no means up to public school form. The best bats did not come off," and the second half of our fellows were nervous and seemed determined to get out as soon as possible.

Cheltenham won the toss, and, as the ground was in good condition, took innings, sending in Hare and Bradley to defend their wickets against the attacks of Kempe and W. Leach. Both batsmen played nervously and failed to arrive at double figures. Wise then took the first vacant place at the wickets, but neither he or Strachan who followed made much head against the tide that had already begun to flow so strong against us. Strachan was well caught at square leg off W. Leach's slows by Woolcombe, and Wise after playing a lucky innings of 18 fell a victim to his own rashness and R. Leach's activity. Little else can be said about the rest of the innings, as no one made anything like a stand; and with the help of nine wides our total amounted to sixty-eight. Without loss of time Leach sent in his brother and Woolcombe to see what could be done with the bowling of Strachan and Carter. Leach put five together, and was well taken at point by Carter off Strachan. Immediately after Guthrie caught Woolcombe round his legs in a manner to be envied by any wicket-keeper of the first water. Leach, the captain, was even more unfortunate than his predecessors, as he was finely caught by Loudon at short leg from a hard hit over his head before he had scored. Things now looked as gloomy for Marlborough as they had done for us; but the next three men altered the whole match by putting on a century to the Carter who had been tossing her up to the delight of our antagonists, now gave up the ball to Loudon, who at last secured Kingsford. Wood now took the place of Strachan, and Wyatt relieved Loudon, and each secured his man. Harvey was caught off Wood after a finely-played innings of forty-six. This was by far the best innings of the match. Carlyon, who was let off at the commencement of his innings, was bowled by Wyatt for a hard-hit innings of thirty-eight. Guthrie now tried a few overs but without any result. Loudon took his place, and succeeded in getting Inchbald, who was playing steadily. Our fast bowling was never so loose as it was all through this innings: but our fielding, we are glad to say, could not have been better. We now entered on our second innings with a bad light and late in the afternoon; and when the stumps were drawn for the day, the tale of the morning had been told again. Strachan looked as though he was well in,

score.