Page:Twentieth Century Impressions of Hongkong, Shanghai, and other Treaty Ports of China.djvu/511

Rh Cricket Club was levelled and turfed for cricket in 1865. In the 'seventies and 'eighties the game suffered from the scarcity of competing teams. The weekly matches were practically limited to such games as Married v. Single, Bankers v. Brokers, England v. Scotland, or the World, &amp;c., varied by an occasional inter-port match against Hongkong. In 1900. however, the present Shanghai Recreation Club, which had been formed two years previously, became strong enough to challenge the premier Club. Since that year the two Clubs have opposed each other two or three times annually, with varying success. During the past fifteen years the Golf Club and Race Club have put cricket teams into the field, while in 1894 the past and present boys of the Shanghai Public School formed a club, and managed to get together a team which was able at times to defeat both the Cricket and Recreation Clubs. In recent years several companies of the Shanghai Volunteer Corps have formed cricket clubs, as well as the Shanghai Municipal Police, and several junior organisations, such as the Parsees, St. Andrew's and Customs Cricket Clubs, have sprung into existence. In short, the number of cricket clubs now is so great that there is little difficulty in completing fixture lists, and the only trouble is the lack of accommodation in the way of suitable grounds. In May, 1908, at a specially convened meeting of representatives of the local clubs, a sub-committee was appointed to formulate a scheme for a Cricket League in Shanghai, but there the matter rests for the present.

Inter-port cricket matches between Shanghai and Hongkong have been referred to in detail in the "Hongkong" section of this volume, but mention must be made here of the encounters between Shanghai and Kobe, Yokohama, and Weihaiwei. In 1893 a Shanghai team visited Japan to try conclusions with Kobe, but suffered defeat by an innings. In 1895 Kobe returned the call, and were defeated on this occasion by an innings and 149 runs, Farbridge scoring 111 runs for Shanghai, and St. Croix 81. In 1900 Shanghai again went over to Japan and won a match against Yokohama by four wickets, and against Kobe by 132 runs. In 1899 a Shanghai team of moderate strength visited Weihaiwei, but were badly beaten by 311 and 26 for two wickets, to 220 and 116. Inter-port matches have been arranged for the current year (1908) at Shanghai against Hongkong and Tientsin.



{{small-caps|There are innumerable Lawn Tennis Clubs in Shanghai, but it is only at the Cricket Club, Country Club, and Recreation Club that any really high-class play is witnessed. Other clubs by which the game is patronised include the German Country Club, the "Fifty" Tennis Club, St. Andrew's, Customs, and Police Recreation Clubs, while "A" and "B" Companies of the Shanghai Volunteer Corps are able to produce fairly strong teams. The majority of these clubs hold singles and and doubles handicap competitions each season, but the most interesting events in the Settlement are the annual matches between the Country Club and the Cricket Club, and the annual competitions for the Lawn Tennis Singles Championship Cup and the "Lester" Hong Doubles Championship Cup.

In 1901 subscriptions were raised for the purchase of a valuable cup for the singles championship, the conditions being that the cup was to be won by the same player three times in succession or five times in all to become his absolute property. As Mr. N. B. Ramsay was champion in 1901–2–3, a second cup was offered in 1905, and in that and the two following years Mr. Ramsay did not compete. This trophy was won in 1905 by Mr. W. C. E. Gibson, in 1906 by Mr. G. M. Wheelock, in 1907 by Mr. H. de Voss, and in 1908 by Mr. Ramsay.

The "Lester" Hong Doubles Cup was presented in 1905 by Mr. Henry Lester for competition between pairs from local hongs. To be won outright the trophy was to be held three times in succession by members of the same hong. In 1905 the cup was secured by Messrs. Butterfield &amp; Swire; and in 1906 and 1907 by the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank.

Several inter-port lawn tennis games have taken place, but not between the best teams from each port. The custom has usually