Cricket 1891

M AY 7, 1891 CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 99 HOW I GOT OUT. W hen you get in April, as you sometimes do, a fine day breathing unmistakably the true cricket air, it is impossible not to feel elated at the prospect of a whole season of the game. Before September falls you will, you feel confident, have played many a good innings, or have done something with the ball worth re­ membering. A batting average of forty and a bowling average of two seem quite attainable. Yet just now, when after inspecting my bats and getting out my flannels, I turned over my scores of last season, I felt a strange depression. No cricketer was ever, I think, so unfortunate as I. Through the whole of last year I was only once out in what you can call a legitimate w ay! I call a batsman legitimately out when he is clean bowled, or caught from a skyer, or unmistakably ran out. When you consider how often good batsmen are dismissed in those ways, it is strange how seldom I am. One day last August, at Dorking, I confess I was clean bowled; that ball of Jennings’ was too much for me—though, to be sure, I have often hit Jennings all over the field, and tl'e ball may have been a fluke. But what is once in a whole season ? On our heath the wickets often kick badly in dry weather, and in our very first match a ball bumped, touched the shoulder of my bat, and point caught it. Of course, that was no credit to the bowler ; it was a mere accident which might have happened to anyone. Thrice I was given out “ caught at the wicket ” before I got set; and twice, at least, a loose, unbuttoned batting glove was the cause of an erroneous decision. It was stupid of me, no doubt, not to have the glove mended, but then to be snapped at the wicket is always .bad luck. And umpires are generally wrong about catches of that sort, and about leg-before- wicket, too. At Peaslake, I remember, I was given out 1-b-w with a ball that pitched six inches at least outside the leg stump ! When I was a boy, now, we used to avenge ourselves on the umpire in a case of that sort, by altering the score sheet (when no one was looking) to “ umpired out,” or even “ cheated out ” if it was a very bad case. But that is a poor consolation. You are out just the same and down goes your average. Not that I care for averages, you understand; I only want my side to win. But these mistakes destroy the harmony of the game and rankle in your mind. Then when I was put down “ bowled ” at Fellday, it was a mere accident. It was a showery day, and just as they put on their first bowler a cloud passed over ; the change of light balked me and I played too late. Or take the case of our match against Albury. Everybody knows that on Albury Heath, which lies very high, you get a most dazzling light. In the first over, before I had got accustomed to the glare, my wicket fell. Dr. Grace tells a similar story of a Gentlemen and Players match at Brighton, when owing to the shifting light of the sea J. 0. Shaw beat him in the first over. And of course I don’t pretend to be equal to Dr. Grace; Then at Betchworth there was a move­ ment of the spectators just behind the bowler’s arm which deceived me. That was unlucky, because on our grounds they would think you fussy if you drew back and refused to play the ball, as they do at the Oval. To be sure I don’t complain of the Bramley match, when we had 40 runs to get to win in 15 minutes. It was any one’s duty to force the game and hit out as I did on the chance of winning, even though one knew it would result in a skyer sooner or later. And again at Guildford in July, when I was out of practice, I don’t complain of being run out. Johnson and I were botn at one wicket when the ball was in the wicket­ keeper’s hand. It was entirely Johnson’s fault; but he had got more runs than I, and I felt I ought to step out of my ground, as I did, rather than let him be out. I never grumbled at giving up my innings in that way, though certainly Johnson was out soon after, and Mullens said he never saw me batting better. Bnt you can’t call a self-sacrifice of that sort being legitimately out. But my worst luck of all was in playing on so often. When you have played a good ball and it just rolls on to your wicket hard enough to dislodge a bail, or the ball falls on to your foot and then against the wicket, it is ridiculous to enter you in the score sheet “ bowled.” O. o. t. m. (out owing to misunderstand­ ing) would be more correct. As school­ boys we always altered “ bowled” to “ played on.” “ Played o n ” seemed much less humiliating as well as more accurate. Last season I played on no less than five times. I should like to know who can contend against s’ich luck as that. Mullens indeed said it served me right for not playing hard enough on the ba ll; but we all know Mullens is only a slogger. No, the simple fact is I was unlucky. The lawyers, I am told, describe cricket as a game of “ mere skill ”—mere skill !— but every cricketer understands that luck has a great deal to do with it. Why, the Hon. E. Lyttelton points out that in 6 consecutive innings Dr. Grace scored only 37 altogether, and, as I said, I can’t expect to do better than Dr. Grace; and I hate your querelous cricketer who is always explaining how it happened when he comes back to the tent. But really if 1801 is no better for me than 1890,1 shall have to consider my positon. Perhaps I may even have to take to golf. E.B.Y.C. HARROW SCHOOL. May 16—Eleven v. Eighteen May 23—School, v. E. E. Bowen’s Eleven May 28—School, v. Household Brigade June 2—School, v. Harrow Town June 6—School, v. Harlequins June 13—School, v. M.C.C. and Ground June 18—School, v. Quid Nunes June 20—School, v. I Zingari Juno 27 —School, v. Lord Bessborough’s Twelve July 4—School, v. Old Harrovians July 10—Lord’s, v. Eton CRICKETERS— B est G oods City Agents — bear this M ark .—Advt. P arton <fc L etter , 94, Q ueen St., C heapsid *;. T H E N O T T S COLTS’ MATCH . I t has usually been the custom for the executive of the N otts County Club to have its annual trial of young players on the first two day3 of E aster week. This year, how ­ ever, a departure has been m ade, and we chink wisely, in deferring the m atch until the youngsters _have, at least, had a chance of a little practice. T hough some fair form was shown it can hardly be said that there was any exceptional prom ise among the twenty- tw o who opposed the County eleven, at Trent Bridge Ground, on Thursday and F riday last. As usual the Colts went in first, and the score was 116 when the last wicket fell. Of the 106 got from the bat more than one-half w ere contributed by H ooton, of O ldB asford. M r. J.C .W ood, Captain of the St. Peter’ s Col lege,Peterborough, eleven and|W alterAttewell, younger brother of the celebrated bowler. E leven of the Colts failed to make a run, and most of them found the bowling o f Attewell, who took twelve wickets for 37 runs, too difficult. W hen the Eleven went in eigh£ bowlers were tried, and of these Terry, W harm by, H orton, W alter Attewell and Dabell were the m ost successful. Mr. D ixon, who retired after m aking 38, Gunn and Shrewsbury alone got double figures, and eight of the team were only accountable between them for 73. In the second innings of the Colts W alter Attewell again batted in prom ising style, and his all-round cricket seems to have been the best on the side. Play was considerably interfered with by rain dur­ ing the two days, and the game had to be left unfinished w ith the Colts 79 runs on and one wicket to fall. Attew ell the elder did not bowl for the eleven on the second day, and Low e, a fast bowler, engaged in Sussex, and Shacklock divided the honours, both as will be seen having excellent figures. T he T wenty -T wo . First Innings. Second Innings. Mr. J. C.Wood (Bingham), c Wright, b Attewell ...19 bLow o .......... 0 T. Attewell (Keyworth), c Shrewsbury, b Attewell 7 b Lowe .......... 0 T. Fewster (Bulwell), b L o w e ............................... 0 lbw,b Shacklock 1 Walter Attewell (Key- worth), b Attewell ... 16 b Shacklock ... 16 T. H. Dabell (Owthorpe), c and b Flowers .......... 1 c an .1b Dixon... 0 W. Godfrey (Carlton), c Dixon, b Flowers .......... 0 c Dixon, b Lowe 8 R. Baggaley (Ruddington), b Shacklock ................. 8 c Lowe.bFlowers 2 G. Scrimshaw (Hucknall Torkard), c Shrewsbury, b Flow ers........................ 4 c Dixon, b Lowe 3 W. Ford (Eastwood), b Flowers ........................ 0 b Dixon ... ... 0 W. J. Hibbert (Notting­ ham), c Riley, bAttewell 7 b Dixon .......... 1 J. Horton (Bulwell), run out ............................... 0 c Shrewsbury, b Lowo .......... 0 A. E. Scott(Hyson Green), lbw, b Attewell ......... 0 b Lowe .......... 3 G. E. Wharmby (Sutton in Ashfield), b Attewell 0 c Shacklock, b Lowo .......10 W. H. Biddulph (Notting­ ham), ru n o u t................ 0 notout .......... 4 A. Cragg (Burton Joyce), c Sherwin, b Attewell... 2 bR llty................. 1 F.*A. Crossland (Notting­ ham), b L ow e.................. 0 : ttherwin, b Si..cKiock ... 0 S. Hooton (Old BasforJ), not out ........................ ,.2 c Wright, b Lowe ......... 1 H. Morley (Gediing) c Wright, b Attewell ... 0 ruu out ........... 1 B. Rowley (Eastwool), b Attewell ......................... 0 c V' .ight, b Fl:>vers......... 3 G. Terry (Arnold), b Atte­ well .............................. 7 c C a r l i n , b Bhacklock ... 0 G. Straw (Hucknall Tor­ kard), b Attewell ......... 0 c Lowe.b Shack­ lock ................ 0 Mr. W. Marshall (captain), b Attewell........................ 13 Extras...........................10 B 10, lb 1...........11 Tqtal ..................116 T o t a l.............. 65