Cricket 1893

214 CRICKET : A WEEKLY BECOKD OE THE GAME. J u n e 22,1893 be certain to give offence to our County authorities', but as to the accuracy of w lich and the justice of which, I am as convinced as I ever was about any­ thing that could be personally in­ vestigated. “ Bramall Lane is wholly uufifc for cricket of auy description; it is a shame any county match should be played there.” The Sheffield contingent of the Committee deny this, one expected they would; “‘there is nothin? exceptionally bad about it,” report they after last week’s match. But let’s to facts. Two first-class matches have been played there, one against the Australians, the other against Surrey ; one at Whitsuntide ou a soft and sticky wicket, the other a week since on a wicket as hard as nails. So it has experienced both extremes of weather. Now, these matches have both been finished, and eight completed innings registered, only one of which has passed the century. Here they are : 137, 71, 84, 60, 93, 91, 72, 58. Now those eight innings total up just three runs less than Notts’ single innings against Sussex ten days ago; in their two innings the Australians reached 114—as against 470 in their only venture at Bradford. Yorkshire in their four innings have scored 397, at Taunton last week they were good for 462 in only one innings. After the most careful inspection I do not hesitate to say that Bramall Lane this year is the worst county ground I ever saw. There are not two square yards of good sound turf on any part of it. No amount of rolling or watering will remedy the evil. The new turf may be the very best, but the long drought of the spring has made it quite incapable of binding properly. On the Tuesday morning I spoke to the Surrey captain about the uncer­ tain fielding of his men the day before. At his request I acoompanied him on to the ground, examined the outfielding portion all over. It is so rotten that against such bowl­ ing as Richardson’s accurate fielding is out of the question at cover-slip, third man or cover- point, whilst on the boundary facing the pavilion ic is about four times rougher than the turf in front of the old skating rink at the Oval. Let it not be imagined that I write with any animus ; I love the old Sheffield ground too well, and never enjoyed myself more than when watching cricket there on sound wickets. The Sheffield crowd is just the genuine, generous sporting crowd one glories in. But I do hope, for the sake of the best interests of cricket, that the Committee will do a graceful act and transfer <he matches against Essex, Somersetshire, and Kent else­ where. I know this is a delicate thing to do in the face of local enthusiasm andtsupport, bu tit seem 3 to me demanded by the present situation. There may come a day when the old enclosure will be unfit for cricket; the wonder is that the turf there has survived the clouds of blackest smoke continually deposited on it by countless factory chimneys. The old Hyde Park ground had to be abandoned, being spoiled for cricket by running and other amusements. Will Bramall Lane share a like fate ? Yet after all said, Yorkshire certainly deserved to win. I don’ t like my old favourite county to be beaten, though I had rather this distinction fell to Yorkshire than to another. The best batting of the match was shown by Moorhouse, end in a lesser degree by Moun­ sey; whilst the Northerners’ fielding was smarter, cleaner, more reliable every way. It is certain we have no bowlers of the stamp of Richardson and Lockwood, though in this match, Wardail’ s “ donkey-drops " got nine wickets for only 19 runs. No small share of the victorv must go to the credit of Ulyett, who, on Tuesday morning, just when Abel and young Hayward were playing so well that the “ rin g ” settle 1 down to silent despair, pu, Wardall on in the stead of Wainwrijjht, and in five minuf.e3 it was all over but shouting. Richardson was the popular idol, however. When on the Monday morning he had sent seven men to the right about, and but 23 runs were on the board, not a sound was heard. When Mounsey played a maiden over, loud cheers were raised, which, intended as a compliment to the batsman, were a more marked tribute to the bowler. And then hands arms, thighs, ribs, and chest were in­ discriminately punished by his expresses, and the crowd became merry. “ Take him off.” “ Where’s a doctor ?” “ Fetch the ambu­ lance,’ ’ were heard repeatelly, varied only by resouant cheers that greeted sundry boundary hits. When Richardson came out to bat, he received quite an ovation ; the crowd humor­ ously called out, “ put Hirst o n ; ” Ulyett was not slow to take the hint, and when Hirst’s third ball hit Richardson on the thigh, there was a roar such as only Sheffield can raise. One thing this match has shown, and that is, the unimpeachable fairness of Richardson’s delivery. Mr. Shuter told me he was most anxious for the Sheffielders to see Surrey’s fast bowler. There is no keener cricket crowd, and none more realy to voice its opinions. Whilst he was bowling, scattering the wickets like ninepins, I strolled round to a group of ardent grinders, and said to them, “ does that fellow bowl or throw ? ” Here’s the answer I gob in chorus; “ We wish the—(word omitted, though common enough up here, means no­ thing coarse or disrespectful, though it shocks public ears) we wish the------did throw, he wouldn’t be th e------(same word) he is.” It his been wisely decided not to alter the County eleven at present. Lord Hawke is far too grand a sportsman to wish to play. Did he not beg to be dropped two years ago be­ cause of his repeated batting failures ? I hear he refused to oust Ulyett. If I might venture to offer a suggestion, it would be to this effect: choose F. S. Jackson alono. Ernest Smith, being out of first-class cricket, is somewhat of an experiment. Leave well alone, and by all means entrust the captaincy to Ulyett, who knows far more about his men, and has had a deal more experience, than the Light B\ue skipper, good general though he is. The Yorkshire match with Somersetshire was a very one-sided affair. One rem em bered that first wicket stand of 346 runs in the same match last year; the Oxford captain was absent this time, and Hewett is not the terror he was. I refer to this match for one reason only, that it seems to me to indicate where lies the present strength of Yorkshire cricket. When Notts and Lancashire each just top the third hundred, it w as owing to the skill of S hrew sbury (148) and Sugg (127). When Yorkshire run up a score of 469 against Somersetshire, there is no ceDtury scorer, but, in his place, six batsm en scored 50 runs and upwards apiece. The same at Leyton the week before; Ulyett’s 47 (not out) was the leger in an innings of 303. It is not one man’s work either with bat or ball; for instance last week Peel didn’ t get a wicket, whilst at Shef­ field he shared with Maurice Read the dis­ tinction of the “ spectacles.” No, the level­ ness of the Yorkshire eleven is its remarkable characteristic. They all are scoring well, Hirst generally rearing up bravely. They have not one batting average above 27. After Lancashire’s surprising victory over Notts, when a draw seemed certain, to-day’s match at Leeds ought to be very keen. Other noteworthy matches cannot be noticed. I should like Southern cricketers to bear in mind that these Notches were original­ ly intended to represent cricket up North, though one tries to be fairly impartial. Australia’s double defeat by M.C.C. and the South of England ought to make us restfully anticipate the Eugland ccmtests. One is glad to read of a match of large scores in which two innings show no extras, a^was the case at Lord’s, thanks to Jarvis and Storer, the “ men behind.” Runs saved are perhaps more useful than runs scored. W .G. had a grand week at our visitors’ expense, notching 186 in three innings ; Stoddart sustained hi3 brilliant form bo ;h at Lord’s and at Brighton, and has taken Gu in down a peg. I was delighted to see that Attewell had found a spot again, witness his seven wickets against Lancashire; and that the Essex amateur did well enough (eight wickets) in his first essay ir. best cricket to give him the chance of a place in the Gentlemen’ s ranks this year, especially as bam Woods and Ferris seem, like Martin, to have lost all their old skill. It has often happened that great University bowlers fit for any match, “ go off ” as soon as their ’Varsity career ends, even though they have ample opportunities for good cricket. When Woods was in America, he was reported as saying that, owing to the excessive physical strain, he would soon give up cricket. I hope Richardson won’t be over-bowled; he is a fine, athletic young fellow, but so were others I could name, who wore themseives out through continuous bowling. W ith Lohmann all right again soon (as we all devoutly wish) there will be no danger of a break-down on the part of either of Surrey’s fast trundlers. Tnis tropical weather—suggesting, as it does, Mr. Jingle’s famous cricket match out in the Indies, when “ natives all fainted, and bat was in blisters ’’—makes one feel sympathetic towards men who have practically to keep up an end through an innings. RICHMOND v. U PPER TOO T IN G .-P layed at Richm ond on June 17. U pper T ooting . A. R. Smdilands, c Ha’e, b Koight ... II T. W. Hemerde, b G u n n ery.................. 26 C. T. Hall, c Hale, b Castleden.................. 39 E.L. b’ox, c Castleden, b Bincks .................. 10 J. S. M itchell, c Van Neck, b H incks ... 0 H. S. Urwick, run out 7 R. C. Franks, c Van Neck, b Hincks ... 0 E.T. Powell, c Rigby, b H in k s...................10 T. Goldie, run out ... 2 J. S. Lyon, b Knight 1 Major Christie, c Wrigley, b Knight 0 L. Scott, not out ... 1 B 12, lb 2, w 1, Jb 1 16 R ichmond . Total .. 123 L. H. Gunnery, b Ur- w i'k ..........................22 A. P. Van Neck, c Sandilands, b H em ­ erde .......................... 17 E. Evershed, st Franks, b Hemerde 20 W. L. Cast’eden, c Urwick, b Hemerde 18 P. T. W rigley, b Hem­ erde ..........................17 E. E. Head, J. H. Ashtoa, and A. W. K night did not bat. P. N. Hincks, b U r­ w ick.......................... 0 Ham pton Hale, run out ...........................11 H. Rigby, not out ... 12 W. F. Davis, not out 0 B 5, lb 2 ........... 7 Total ...121 CLAPTON v. W ILLESDEN.—Played at Clapton on June 17. W ille sd en . A. F. Denniston, b Nelson ................... H. Maxwell, b Crofts A. O. Breeds, c and b Thorogood ........... W. Levick, c H ood, b Crofts ................... F. J. Potter, b Thorogood ........... J. M. Pugh, b Thorogood ........... E. W . Bennett, b Robinson ........... A. R. Burch, b Robinson ........... H. N. Hunt, run out F.J.Cochrane,absent H. Bro*n. absent ... B 39,lb 5 ........... Total ..........1 C lapton . J. H. Robinson,bPugh 31W . R. H ood,bPugh 0 E. C. Palmer, not out 35 | B ........................... 7 J.W .;M’Ewen, b Pugh 5| — C. H. Neleon, lbw, b | T o ta l............. 50 P u g h .......................... 0 | F. G. Woods, A, Dodson. G. R. Crofts, F. A. Boys, C. W. Macbeth, and W. W . Thorogood did not bat. CLAPTON v. M IDD LESEX H O SP ITA L .-Played at Clapton on June 14. C lapton . J. H. Dtmglas, c Beechcroft, b Lucina ................92 H. J. M oore,cLucina, b Mornement ... 0 G.Bromley, b Morne­ m ent 4 G. R. Crofts, c Lucina, b Beach • c r o ft........................23 A. J. East, b Lucina 27 F. A. Bishop, b Lucina .................... 0 G. Stanley, b Lucina 21 C. McGahey, lbw , b M orn em en t........... 8 Cooper, b M orne­ m ent........................... 0 A. E. M erton, not out ........................... 0 Dr. Ladell, b Lucina 0 B ........................... 9 Total 181 M id d lesex H ospital. First Innings. E. Benidge, b Bishop 10 R. |H. Mornement, c McGahey, b Cooper 18 N. Thomas, b Bishop 2 M Raper, b Bishop... 4 S. L. Lucina, not out 28 E. Hening. b Cooper 1 F. Beachcroft, b Cooper A. Mills, c East, b Bishop ................... T. H. Morris, b Bishop ................... H. De Saram, b Bishop ................... B 4, lb 1, nb 1 ... Total In the Second Innings Berridge scored, b Cooper. 8, M ornement, b Cooper, 31, Thomap, (notout), 0, Lucina, b Cooper, £6, Hening (not out), 7; b3, lb 2.—Total 97.