1868/69 Match 3 - 22/5/1869 : Dapto vs Australian Club (Kiama)

Report

DAPTO C.C. V AUSTRALIAN C.C
Pursuant to promise, the return match to Dapto was played at that place on Saturday last. The Kiama team - at least eight of them - left here at an early hour in the morning; they reached Dapto at 10 o'clock, and proceeded soon after to the cricket ground, about two and a half miles to the west of the township, at the foot of the mountain range.
Owing to some delay on the part of the Dapto team, the match did not commence till 12 o'clock, although their opponents were on the ground before 11. The game was a very lame one indeed; and we need not further remark upon it - suffice it to say, that the Kiama representatives were easily defeated - as one of the players gives an account in the present issue of the proceedings. we merely append the scores:-

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE
THE CRICKETERS' JAUNT TO DAPTO AND THEIR ENTERTAINMENT
TO THE EDITOR OF THE KIAMA INDEPENDENT
Sir - I regret very much that I should have occasion to complain of the treatment we received at the hands of the Dapto cricketers on Saturday last; and you would oblige me, as well as my companions in this pleasant excursion on whose behalf I am acting, by publishing the following account of our visit to Dapto to engage in a friendly game of cricket, as a warning to any other respectable lovers of the innocent sport. To do this effectually, I must give the whole account of our trip:-

At the match played in Kiama on Saturday, the 15th instant, by the above teams, a request was made that a return match should be played on the following Saturday in Dapto which we accordingly promised; hence our engagement with them. To get there as early as possible we rose very early on the morning of Saturday - some starting from Kiama before day-break; but the latest party - as we did not all travel together - started at about half-past 7 o'clock. We reached Moon's Hotel simultaneously at 10 o'clock; but not one of those who invited us were there to escort us to the grounds. The worthy host of the inn informed us that we had to travel fully two miles further - to West Dapto. We waited some considerable time at the inn, when one of the cricketers came to escort us to West Dapto, and we arrived on the cricket ground at about 11 o'clock. A vehicle passed us on the road, which, we were told, was going to Wollongong to bring the promised luncheon. We did not detect any scheme at this time; but the circumstances following proved clearly what the vehicle was dispatched to Wollongong for - not the luncheon, for it seemed so absurd for them to be sending for it at that time, and to Wollongong, too - a distance of eight miles from Dapto. Verily, the vehicle returned, bringing with it some "bottled stout" and other liquid luxuries, to which, after first helping themselves freely, they invited our men to partake of. Those who were not teetotallers were glad to partake of the "refreshment" offered, though their internal regions began to cry out for something more substantial. But what did the vehicle really go to Wollongong for? In the report of the match in another column, it will be noticed a Mr. Maher as a bowler, for whom the vehicle was sent. He resides in the suburbs of Wollongong, and is considered to be about the best bowler of that locality; he is noted as such, for in the Great Match (eleven of the Alberts, in which were included Caffyn and Lawrence, against sixteen of Wollongong) Caffyn's wicket was taken by Maher, the second time it was taken in the colony. I find no fault whatsoever with his conduct in the present match; but, on the contrary, he behaved himself very gentlemanly, and appeared disgusted with the conduct of the Dapto men - who seemed to treat us not only as their opponents in a friendly game, but as their enemies - as though we had gone there for the express purpose of robbing them of their "good name", which they were determined not to lose, even if they had to "fight" for it.

In our innings we scored 44 runs; and they seemed well pleased with this, as they were sanguine of making at least a score more. I must here give Mr. Thos. Campbell great credit for his batting; although he only scored seven runs, he had some terrific bowling to play to - both from Maher and Johnson, an aborigine, whoc they termed "Mickey".

The Dapto men went to the wickets in good spirits; T.Campbell and W.C. King being the bowlers. From the former a great many runs were obtained in a very short time; and from the latter a large addition of wides. T.Campbell retired, and D.King was substitiuted; and shortly after T.King relieved his cousin. The scoring now ceased; and the wickets bgan to fall in quick succession. D.King bowled three wickets down, two were thrown out by him, and one was caught by the wicket-keeper off his bowling; in all six. His bowling was true and fast throughout. There were only eight men in our party from Kiama, and therefore we had to borrow a couple of fieldsmen from our opponents, which, with a volunteer, made up the number. One of them behaved more like a maniac in the field than a human being - capering about, and cutting various antics to the delight of his companions; and, during this amusing performance, he made a practice of uttering low slang expressions, such as I would not like to repeat, to annoy as much as possible the Kiama men, although he was acting as fieldsman for them. A ball was skyed in the direction of this interesting specimen of humanity, and he stood looking at it until it fell to the ground, a couple of yards from him, when he caught it off the "first hop" and, after spreading his arms out and asking his companions their opinion of his performance, he threw the ball he ought to have caught to the wicket-keeper. We played very cheerfully throughout the game, and when it was finished paid them the price of a ball with with a good grace. We had had nothing to eat, and some of us had not even had a drink of water; asking them for water when in the field, they pointed to a creek about three or four hundred yards distant, but no one attempted to go for any. Our horses, after travelling twenty-three miles, had to be tied up to the fence in a stone stockyard, without as much as a blade of grass to eat, nor any water to drink; for the reception we met with when we first entered upon the ground was, "You mustn't turn your horses loose - this is private property; you must tie them up to the fence". This was not said in an apologetic strain, but, on the contrary, in the most bullying manner possible. At the close of the match, they were brazen-faced enough to ask us to play a single-wicket match, as they did in Kiama. We declined; and after expressing our opinion of their conduct, we saddled our horses, came on to the ground to give them a cheer, which they returned, and turned our horses heads homeward. We reached Kiama, very fatigued, at 7 o'clock in the evening, having ridden in all forty-six miles, and had nothing to eat, or our horses either, since we left.

Hoping, Mr. Editor, this will be a warning to others, and that you will grant my request to publish the above, I am, &c.,
F.P.
Kiama Independent and Shoalhaven Advertiser. Thursday 27 May, 1869.

Dapto Vs Australian Club (Kiama)

2-Innings Match Played At West Dapto, 22-May-1869, Inter-Club

Dapto Win 1st Innings by 47 runs

Round	3
Home Side	Dapto

Australian Club (Kiama) 1st Innings 44/10 All Out (Overs 11.5)

Batsman	Fieldsman	Bowler	Runs
A McAndrew		b Mickey Johnson	0
James King		b Mickey Johnson	2
Thomas King		b J Maher	0
William King		b J Maher	4
Thomas Campbell		b Mickey Johnson	7
Dixon King*		b Mickey Johnson	6
F Pinkstone+	c E Maher	b Mickey Johnson	3
J C Vote		b J Maher	0
W Brown		b Mickey Johnson	0
F Float		b J Maher	1
J Finis	not out		0
extras		(b15 lb0 w6 nb0)	21
TOTAL		10 wickets for	44

Bowler	O	M	R	W
Mickey Johnson	6	1	13	6
J Maher	5.5	2	10	4

Dapto 1st Innings 91/10 All Out (Overs 23)

Batsman	Fieldsman	Bowler	Runs
J Quinn	run out		17
W Moon		b William King	12
M Crowley		b Dixon King	7
W Abbott		b William King	1
J Maher	c F Pinkstone	b Dixon King	0
F Thompson		b Dixon King	2
Mickey Johnson		b Dixon King	4
E Maher	run out		0
C Hoar		b Thomas King	9
T Quinn	c F Pinkstone	b Thomas King	10
G Thompson	not out		1
extras		(b12 lb0 w12 nb4)	28
TOTAL		10 wickets for	91

Bowler	O	M	R	W
Dixon King	10	0	23	4
William King	8	0	27	2
Thomas King	5	0	13	2

Compiled by Bill Peters for the Kiama Cricket Club. Not to be used without permission. Last updated 02-Apr-2016. Send comments to Bill Peters about this web page.