Cricket 1893

374 CRICKET s A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. AUG. 31, 1393 possession, upon which I may be tempted to draw when my bat can score no more notches. It contains lengthened accounts of nearly all first-class and other matches played between 1826 and 1849, and it is to me a veritable treasury, though it stood me in only a couple of shilliugs. But that was in the days when I was almost alone in the hunt for cricket literature; such bargains oan’t be picked up to-day. Quite the most conspicuous feature of last week’s crioket was Yorkshire’s brilliant finish in the county contest; when within sight of the post all their rivals were run to a stand­ still. This is not the time or place for a review of the county season, but one may at this juncture congratulate with ungrudging hearti­ ness the White Rose representatives on their splendidly successful work. Since the laws regulating county cricket were drawn up in 1873, Yorkshire have not onoe been at the top. Yet the papers, one a n d all, declared that this honour fell to Yorkshire in 1883. That they had the best record in that year nobody can deny, but according to the plan then in vogue (and we must abide by that), Yorkshire were S9C ond to Notts. In 1883 Yorkshire stood thus -9 wins, 2 losses, 5 draws; Notts, 4 wins, 1 loss, 7 draws. Why then were Yorkshire i jrced into the second place? Because at t lattime a county’s position was determined b / the number of losses on ly ; wins were i snored, as draws now are. A prettier finish c >uld not be imagined : ten days since it was a toss-up between the rival Roses, now there w^il be a difference of 3 or 5 points between t iem, according to the result of the match n w i n progress at Old Trafford. Of course u >here we are all off our head, that is, such he ids as most of us can boast; but outside the big county there will be much honest re- jo cing, for ihe Tykes are such thoroughly likeable fellows, and they are all natives. Yes, they were glorious victories both at Bramall Lane and at Brighton, and there was much in common between them. Thus, tos3 was lost both times; both Kent and Sussex did well, especially Sussex toward the fag- end of their second venture; in each case an eight-wickets’ win- was recorded; and in Yorkshire’s penultimate the first pair of batsmen who placed the issue beyond a doubt, left at exactly the same total. Thus, in the second innings against Kent, A. Sellers and F. S. Jackson left at 67, against Sussex, Sellers and Brown at 94. As the critics said nothing about it, one may conclude that the Sheffield ground is quickly recovering its good old condition, as the Oval seems to have done ; not before it ought to. There was but one innings (by Sellers) that reached 50 in the whole match, though for Kent, Martin (41 not out) and J. Le Fleming (46) did good work ; so also Hirst (43) when runs were much wanted, Moorhouse (35, and as useful as Hirst’s), and Sellers once more (42 this time). If Hurst had not gone lame after taking four wickets for 29 runs, it is quite on the cards that Kent would have stopped far short of their second total (127). As note­ worthy an effort as any was Peel’s bowling in the first hands, seven for 60. As virtually the same Kent eleven the day after at Lord’s ran home first—though with only 12 runs in hand —before Middlesex, who up to the last have been strong runners, Yorkshire’s defeat of the Hop*men was no ordinary performance. The Brighton match was even more bril­ liant. Yorkshire have often, in their most dashing years, done so execrably at times that one is always prepared for the unex­ pected. Besides, Sussex have not for years been fighting so gamely. By-the-bye, Tom Emmett on Saturday last came into my den here and smoked a cigar with me (about which more anon) and he assured me that Humphreys is out-and away the best lobber he has ever seen, better even than V. E. Walker or Cris. Tinley ; and “ Old T om ” knows a thing or two. One hundred and ninety-two was a satisfactory start for Sussex partisans, thanks largely to Marlow the re­ jected (83) ; and their second (194) was even better, thanks to the “ tail,” Love (30), Butt (67), and Lowe (34 not out), each of whom went home £3 better men, deservedly so— “ which nobody can deny.” Yorkshire’s first of 203 was not quite large enough to make us altogether easy on Friday night last, though Emmett confidentially tipped me that “ on the Brighton wicket our boys will win by at least four wickets.” Eight was nearer the mark, friend Tom—185 runs and only two dead men, was a marvellous piece of work. The honours go to Brown (62 aud 57), one of the soundest bats I know, though A. Sellers (26 and 37), Wainwright (43), and at the finish Tunnicliffe (54 not out), F. S. Jackson (36 not out), played like Trojans, and in just over two hours the necessary work was put in. The Cambridge captain has been so dead out of luck when helping his county that this score was con­ spicuously welcome. Two bowlers were to the front once—Wainwright, six for 23, Hum­ phreys, eight for t98, though the lobs got a terrible gruelling at the finish; but the old-un could derive sweet solace from the talent-money and something extra (£3 in all). Few of us would object to having our lobs banged all over the place at the same rate. I am glad my wish was fulfilled, and that Australia won the toss in the last great match, as I am no less delighted that the Old Country did not go under. There was not a lot to choose at the finish, the last ten minutes proving that it was anybody’s match. England was strong enough, thcugh Lanca­ shire might well have giveu Mold the go-by, and have substituted Walter Humphreys. Mold has tiken altogether seven wickets in the three big matches, and they have cost 33 runs apiece! As Lockwood’s sub., Richardson could scarcely have done better; in his only England match his record is ten wickets for 15 runs each. F. S. Jackson’s revolt took all by surprise, especially in view’ of his splendid double at Lord’s and the Oval. Et tu , Brute ! The scoring throughout was level—good, the fielding level also, but bad. One cares not to reckonup how many chances were missed ; Mold has good cause for dissatisfaction here. In bowling, Trumble (four for 58) ranks second after Richardson, Briggs, Turner, and Giffen proving very expensive. In Australia’ s two efforts—201 and 236—Bruce (68 and 36) was their sheet-anchor; Briggs won’t easily for­ get that one over of five balls which was punished by the slim but brilliant left hander to the tune :>f 18 run?. Bannerman (19 and 60) showed that he is no less useful than he was when he first stone-walled over here in 1878. For England there were only two batsmen. W. G. (40 and 45) and Gunn (102 not out and 11). Our champion is always where we hope to see him for many years yet; he was past his prime when the Australians first visited the old country, yet here he is 15 years later on as good as the best. Gunn sadly wanted a lift, his four previous innings being 7, 8, 0, 13. It is quite fitting that he should at last enter the ranks of the Immortals, where W.G-, Shrewsbury, Walter Read, and F. S. Jackson already were. Stoddart, too, would find a century o? two useful; last week knocked an ugly hole into his average, yielding 12, 0, 0, 42 ; Shrewsbury (29,12, 13,19 not out) did but little better, and F. S. Jackson (0, 25,1) no better. But Scar­ borough is here at last, and given evenings of tempered pleasure, runs should come in abundance on the fastest ground I have seen this year. Spaoe gone. Just a passing note of con­ gratulation to Middlesex, Somersetshire, Gloucestershire, and Kent for their respective defeats of Lancashire, Notts, Surrey, and Middlesex. The surprise came from the County of the Graces. Notts went down last year in most unaccountable fashion before the youngest of the counties, and so let Surrey pass them for th* first time that year. This year they haven’ t the pluck of a mouse ; it is either Shrewsbury and Gunn, or nothing. H. Hewetl’s first century (120) deserves honour­ able mention ; so do Tylers nine wickets for 73 runs. But spite of that spill at Lord's, when Middlesex touched grass, J. T. Hearne put in another wonderful week, taking 22 wickets in two matches, and thus bringing up his year’ s balance to 201 wickets—a result that in English first-class cricket has been achieved only by Peate and Lohmann, by the latter three limes. MR . C. J. K O R T R IG H T . Mr. Charles Jesse Kortright, who has just taken front rank as one of the fastest, if not the fastest bowler of the day, is an Es3ex man by the one qualification for County Cricket which is unalterable. That is to say he has the right of birth. Born at Ingatestone, on June 9, 1871, he began his cricket education in the County, too, as a member of the Brentwood School eleven in 1884, Still, it was at Ton­ bridge School that he received the finishing touches 8S a young cricketer. As a member of the Tonbridge elevens of 1887 and 1883 his record as an all-round cricketer was in every way creditable. His best performances were in his last season in the matches against Brighton and Lancing. The finish of the former was sensational, for Brighton, who had 86 to win, after making 80 with just half the side out, were after all beaten, the last five wickets only adding three runs. His 45 against Lancing that year was his best score for Tonbridge. In the same match he com­ menced the bowling in fine style by taking four wiokets for no runs. There, though, his successes began and ended, for he could not get another batsman although twenty runs were made off him. Even before he had left school the Essex authorities were evidently impressed with his promise. At all events, they elected him as one of thePublicSchool eleven to oppose the Parsees in 1988. His first appearance at Leyton was not a success, for he got one wicket and had to be content with a score of 7 runs. That this was not his correct form was shown by the marked success which attended him as an all-round cricketer for the Brentwood Club in the following year. Both in batting and bowling he had a splendid record, an average of 36 for fourteen innings with the bat, and with the ball, one of six runs for b9 wickets. Though his connection with Essex cricket began in 1891, it was not until last year that he really got much of a chance as a bowler. Curiously, his earliest success for the county was as a bat. In his first year he punished the Hampshire bowling to a rare tune at Southampton, and his 158, the highest score he has yet made, inoluded foiir sixes (all out of the ground), two fives, and twenty-two fours. The Surrey match at the Oval, in the early part of 1892, gave him his first real opportunity as a bowler. On that occasion, he made his mark effectually, getting K. J. Key, Brockwell, and Wood in the course of four balls. It was in the Derby­ shire match at Leyton, on the following Mon­ day, that he first started the bowling for Essex. Here, too, he met with immediate success, and indeed, he took eight wickets in Derbyshire’ s opening innings for 58 runs. Twice, too, in August that year, against Derbyshire and Leicestershire respectively, he again got eight wickets in an innings. This year his advance has been very marked. That the committee of the Marylebone Club estimated him very highly, was shown by the compliment they paid him in electing him so as to qualify him for the match M.C.C. and Ground and Australians. This was followed by a still higher distinc­ tion—his selection for the Gentlemen, which he fully justified by taking seven Players’ wickets in the first innings for 73 runs. As a matter of fact he was elected to represent the Gentlemen in both matches, though unable to play at the Oval. Among his many good records of the year, the best was that of last week at Leyton, when he got thirteen Surrey wickets for 64 (runs. As a bowler he is perhaps the fastest of all the fast bowlers now to the fore. Taking an exceptionally long ran of nearly fifteen yards, he gets the greatest amount of momentum on the ball, just six feet iu height, his delivery is high, as well, and when h^? is on the sp it, his extreme pace makes him at times almost unplayable. How accurate he can be on oocasions, was shown in the recent Surrey match ; when he hit the wicket no less than twelve times. A free bat, he oan get runs in an emergency and is besides by no means a bad field. At the present time he is studying brewing at Hythe.