Cricket 1893

JUNE 15, 1898 CRICKET: A W E E K L Y RECOKD OF THE GAME; 205 runs for thirty-five wiokets, or an average of nearly thirty runs for eaoh. 1st Inn. 2nd Inn. Total. May v. Bedfordshire 206 ... *94 (5 w kts.)... 800 June 9 v. Lancashire (-2) 379 .......... — .......... 379 June 13 v. Yorkshire (2) 315 . ... — ..........345 1C21 I t is curious that while Surrey’s first team should this year have won whatever suooess they have had mainly by their bowling, the second should have been sooring so consis­ tently. The moral would appear to b e --------- But no matter! Still, the Man in the Street is already hinting at the possibility of a challenge to the first eleven from the seoond. T he sketch of Richardson in last week’ s Westminster Budget was spoiled by the exuberanoe of some of the more playful comrades of “ Surrey’s crack bowler,” as the W .B. rightly designates Richardson. The facts as far as I can learn, are as follow : While he was posing himself for the artist, just after the conclusion of the Gloucestershire matoh, one of the team suggested that it would hardly be a characteristic sketch without his pipe, to whioh he is partial, in his mouth. “ D o you usually bowl with your pipe in your mouth? ” was the enquiry of the artist. “ Certainly” was the reply of—somebody. And that will ex­ plain the appearance of the briar-root. But after all there ought to be a limit to practical joking. In the present instance the only effect has been to spoil what would have been an interesting picture. I t is not often that a week’s cricket produces two instances of three hundreds in the same innings. This feat has been performed twice sinoethe last number of C rick et saw the light The honours of the first achievement, it goes without saying, belong to Shrewsbury, Gunn, aud Barnes, who scored 164, 156, and 102 respectively in the first innings of Notts y. Sussex at Brighton at the end of last week. The ciedit of the second record belongs to Uppingham School. In their matoh against an eleven captained by G. Bird, the old Middlesex crioketer, at Uppingham on Mon­ day and Tuesday, the school made the big soore of 538 for nine wickets. The three hundreds were as follows—C. E. M. Wilson, b B. N. Douglas 117, E. Cowan, st Carey, b J. Douglas 128, G. S. Clover, o Cowan, b Peachey 118. K. N. Douglas, who was playing for Mr. Bird’s eleven, is now a master at Uppingham School. M ention of the triple hundred by Notts at Brighton last week reminds me that history was repeating itEelf again in this case, and with particular force. It is just six years ago, in fact, that Shrewsbury, Gunn, and Barnes were the heroes of a precisely similar feat and against the same county. The inoident in question occurred in the match betweenNotts and Sussex on August 25, 26, and 27, 1887. On that oocasion Shrewsbury scored 135; Gunn, 205 (not out); and Barnes, 120. The only difference in the two cases was that the scores in the last named were made on the Trent Bridge Ground at Nottingham. A cu riou s incident occurred during the oourse of the one innings of Surrey’s second eleven against the second team of Yorkshire at the Oval on Monday afternoon. Sharpe, who was playing the bowling of either Bed­ ford or Foster, in driving a ball past extra cover point knocked over a sparrow which had been flitting over the ground. Just for a time it was stunned by the hit, a hard- ish one, which sent the ball to the boundary. Under the care of the ground superintendent, S Apted, who removed it to the pavilion, the little bird quickly reoovered. After a time it was set free, and away it flew as chirpy as ever. T he news of George Lohmann’ s re turn to England will be received with unmixed gratification. He reached Southampton on the “ Athenian” on Tuesday morning, and after a brief rest proceeded to Andover, where he is likely to remain some days with Mr. Best, a great friend of his. As yet, nothing is known as to the ohances of his taking part in cricket of any kind this summer. This will depend on the advice of Dr. Sainsbury “ W .G." Reproduced by permission from Mr. Harry Furniss’ London letter appearing in the St. James' Budget. when he oomes to London. In any case it seems certain that he will return to South Afrioa in the autumn to secure the benefit of another winter there. He has a pleasant reminiscence of his voyage home in the shape of a bat out out of teak, with the following inscription signed on the blade by the passengers and officers “ Presented to George Lohmann by the passengers and officers of the ‘ Athenian.’ ” As far as one can judge from the prelimi­ nary announcements, the Tonbridge Week, whioh is to commence on the 26th inst., should be productive of plenty of amusement, not only as a cricketal but also as a social function. In addition to the two matches in which Kent will oppose Lancashire and Somersetshire in turn, there will be plenty of outside attractions in the Bhape of theatrioals, concerts, Venetian fete, water-polo match, and swimming races. T h e news that Lord Sheffield contemplates taking another team to Australia next winter is, like somebody’s cocoa, “ grateful and com­ forting.” And if it is true, as I hear on the best authority it is, that Shrewsbury and Gunn have already so far fallen in with the arrange, ments proposed as to promise to go, there is every chance of the team being representative, T he statistics which follow will show at a glance the form of the respective counties in this year’s competition for the County Cham- ionship up to date. What will strike C ricket readers most is the fact that Surrey, who were the first last year, are, so far at all events, absolutely last in the batting. BUNS FOR Kans. Extras. Total Wkts.Aver. Nottinghamshire 2326 ... 98 ... 2421 ... 80...30.30 Middlesex ...........2046 ... 96 ... 2142 ... 86...24.90 Sussex ...................2233 ...102 ... 2335 ... 97...24,7 Lancashire ...........1132 ... 81 ... 1213 ... 60...20 21 Gloucestershire ...2132 ... 70 ... 2202 ... 111...19.83 Yorkshire ...........1170 ... 43 ... 1213 ... 64...18.95 Kent .......................... 855 ... 52 ... 907 ... 49...18.51 Somersetshire ...1016 ... 31 ... 1047 ... 60...17.45 Surrey .................. 1273 ... 71 ... 1344 ... 79...17.01 11183 614 14827 686 21.61 BUNS AGAINST. Buns. Extras. Total. Wkts. Aver. Yorkshire ...........1078 ... 74 ... 1152 ... 80...14.40 Surrey ..................1329 ... 67 ... 1396 ... 93...15.01 Kent...........................9i8 ... 41 ... 969 ... 51...19 Gloucestershire ...1878 ... 73 ... 1951 ... 93...20.97 Nottinghamshire.,.1912 ... 89 ... 2001 ... 89...22.4S Middlesex ...........2116 ... 83 ... 2199 ... 97...22.67 Lancashire ...........1099 ... 62 ... 1161 ... 43...E7 Sussex ..................2620 ... 102 ... 2722 ... 96,..28.35 Somersetshire ...12'3 ... 53 ... 1276 ... 44.. 29 14.183 644 14.827 686...21.61 The aotual positions of the nine Counties at the present time will be gathered from the appended table: Yorkshire .......... 1 ... 1 ... o ... o ... 4 Surrey................... 5 ... 3 ... 2 ... 0 ... 1 Middlesex .......... 5 ... 3 ... 2 ... 0 ... 1 Kent ................. 3 ... 1 ... 1 ... 1 ... o Notts ................. 5 ... 2 ... 2 ... 1 ... 0 Sussex................. 6 ... 2 ... 2 ... 2 ... 0 Gloucestershire 6 ... 2 ... 3 ... 1 ... —l Lancashire.......... 3 ... 0 ... 2 ... 1 ... _________ 2 Somersetshire ... 3 ... 0 ... 3 ... 0 ... —3 I n last Thurday’s C r ic k e t , sad to relate, I was guilty of not only a sin of omission but also of one of commission. The latter was a heinous one, for I actually blundered to the unpardonable extent of naming Canterbury instead of Clifton as the soene of W. G.’s double century for Gloucestershire against Kent in 1887. The other offence consisted in the omission of the reservation of County matches in referring to Shacklook’s four wickets in four balls for Notts against Somer­ set at Trent Bridge a fortnight ago. As a matter of fact I had Jesse Hide's performance for Sussex against M .C .C . and G . in 1890 *•in my mind’s eye, Horatio,” at the time. My reference to Shacklock’s feat was meant to convey the impression that it was the only one of the kind in inter-county matches which come strictly under the category of first-clasa of recent'years. PBINCIPAL MATCHES FOR NEXT WEEK. June 15—Oval, AUSTRALIANS v. SOUTH OF ENGLAND. June 15—Lord’s, M.C.C. & G. v. Derbyshire June 15—Brighton, Sussex v. Middlesex June 15—Stoke, Staffordshire v. Warwickshire. June 15—Taunton, Somersetshire v. Yorkshire June 19—Lord’s, AUSTBALIANS v. PLAYERS June 19—Gravesend, Kent v. Middlesex June 19—Leeds, Yorkshire v. Lancashire June 19—Stoke, Staffordshire v. Warwickshire