Page:The international cricket match.djvu/16

viii affair should come off this season, the St. George's Club at once gave the requisite guarantee, without asking or requiring any explanation as to cost, but paid the sum asked, and in turn corresponded with Philadelphia, which city as promptly responded, agreeing to pay one-half the sum, whatever it might be, guaranteed by the St. George's Club.

The agreement made with Mr. Pickering was for two matches, for each of which one week was to be allotted, to allow for any contingencies of bad weather; and a guarantee was given that no other match should be played in the States except under the control or by the consent of the St. George's Club; Mr. Pickering being authorized to give this, as he held a memorandum signed by Messrs. Parr and Wisden, who engaged and made all the arrangements for the players, that they would not play any match but where he advised. The necessity for this guarantee is obvious, for if any Club could obtain the services of the Eleven after their arrival, who could be found to pay their travelling expenses ard passage across the Atlantic?

The four matches were accepted by the Montreal Club, the St. George's Club for the States, and sub-let to Philadelphia and the Hamilton Club, and they were to have been commenced September 21st, 26th, October 3d and 10th; but owing to the long passage of the Nova Scotian, the Montreal match was not commenced till the 24th September; bad weather also prevailing, Mr. Pickering requested the St. George's Club to defer their match to the 28th, and then to the 29th; but the heavy rains had so injured the new ground that the latter Club insisted on a further delay, and ultimately the matches were fixed—New York October 3d, Philadelphia October 10th, Hamilton October 17th. This was a gain for the players, as it enabled a new series of matches to