Page:Twentieth Century Impressions of Hongkong, Shanghai, and other Treaty Ports of China.djvu/261

Rh was composed of members of the Victoria Recreation Ckib. The present Governor of the Colony (Sir Frederick Lugard) is president of the Club, Mr. A, Rodj^er is chairman, and the committee is composed of Messrs. W. Logan, H. A. Lammert, E. M. Hazeland, R. W. Pearson, J. W. Bains, T. C. Gray, T. Meek, M. Mclver, J. Rodger ; R. Henderson (hon. treasurer), and F. Lammert (hon. secretary). The Club is a cosmopolitan club and has a membership of over three hundred.

CRICKET. Exgi.axd's "national pastime," to use a time-honoured phrase, is very popular in Hongkong. The game is played for a full seating accommodation for about one hundred spectators. The earliest records of the Club date from 1863, when six matches were played in the season. The most important events arranged by the Club are the inter-port matches between Hongkong, Shanghai, and Singapore. There is great rivalrv between the three ports, and the meeting of the cricket elevens arouses great interest. The matches are played, as opportunity affords, either at Hongkong or Shanghai, for, up to date, no inter-port match with Singapore has taken place at the southern port. The first inter-port match was plaved in Hongkong against Shanghai in P'ebruarv, 1866, when the local eleven compiled 430 runs— the highest score in the series — against Shanghai's 107 and 59. In the following year two matches were plaved, both at Year. HOXGKONO. Shaxghai. Won by ^o, 157 ..., 152 for 3 Shanghai. .1.36, 191 ... Hongkong. , 109 for 6 . 151 i<;o6 , 66, 121 ... Shanghai. , 137 for 6 , 185 ... Hongkong. Three times in the history of inter-port cricket has a team from the Straits Settlements visited Hongkong, and on each occasion a Shanghai team also journeyed to Hongkong and a triangular contest took place, the Straits being successful in winnmg the rubber twice and once (in 1902) earning the wooden spoon The results of the matches were :— Year. Hoxgkoxg. Straits. Won by 216, ii8 ... 413 ... Straits. 192, 296 ... 253, 106 ... Hongkong. 1904 155. no ... 128, 232 ... Straits. six months of the year — that is to say, from October to March — and weekly matches take place on the Valley, and on the Hongkong Club's ground, as well as at Kowloon. The Hongkong Cricket Club dates back to 1851, and has always maintained its position as premier club, though to-day it does not supply the most interesting cricket of the year, for the League Competition has usurped that distinction. The Cricket Club is extremely conservative with respect to its ground, and it is seldom indeed that other than members of the Club have an opportunity of using it. Matches are played weekly, and the Club is in a prosperous financial condition. The Club pavilion is a neat little building situated in the south-western corner of the ground, containing a large dressing room, general room, bar, and committee room, and affording HONGKONG CBICKET GROUP. Shanghai, and the northern team won both, making the creditable score of 340 in the first match against Hongkong's 121 and 82. F"or twenty-two years there was a " truce " be- tween the two ports, but the contests were revived in 1889, since which year eleven matches have been played, Hongkong being successful in six. The complete list of matches and the results are as follow : — Year. HoNGKOXG. Shanghai. Won by 430 ... 107, 59 ... Hongkong.  ... Shanghai.  ... „, 55 for 7 , 300 ... Drawn. , 134 112, 202 Year. Shanghai. Straits. Won by , , .. . Straits. , no for ,  .. . Shanghai. , .. .  .. . Straits. , 82 109 , 80 , 72 for 3 1892 429 «. 79 -  162, 201 for 9 173, 189  J79, 126 ... 203, 74 I 1891 Hongkong. Shanghai. Hongkong. On the first occasion that the Straits team visited Hongkong and defeated both Shanghai and Hongkong, a match was played between the Straits eleven and a combined Hongkong- Shanghai team, the Straits winning by an innings and 231 runs. The scores were : — The Straits, 381 ; Hongkong-Shanghai, 86 and 64. In addition to these inter-port matches the Hongkong Club has sent teams to Swatow, Amoy, and Foochow, but these trips are looked upon more as pleasure trips than cricket contests. Any reference to the Hong- kong Club and inter-port cricket would not be