Cricket 1893

SEPT. 14, 1893 CRICKET g A WEEKLY EECORD THE GAMfii 409 th e n ext field, and len gth balls to search for Saturn in th e skies. T h is w ill n ot d o ; the captain tries a change o f bow lin g, pu ttin g on y ou n g H ercules, w h o bow ls fast rou n d-h an d (rignt). H is first ball pitch es at his feet and n a rro w ly m isses p oin t’ s h e a d ; from the se co n d th e um pire on ly ju st saves h im ­ self b y a tim ely b o w ; the th ird soars over th e w icket-keeper’s head, and the field grow w e a k from laughiDg. T h e fourth, how ever, is stra ig h t, a result so unexpected that young S crog g s, th e farm er, is taken by surprise ; his m id die stum p is out o f th e ground in a trice, and he w alks aw ay w ith tw en ty -six “ notches” to h is credit. T h e next m an in is a gam ekeeper, w h o is prom ptly run o u t-th a n k s to his h ot­ headed partner, w ho h im self shares th e sam e fate a m om en t later, for the new batsm an stolid ly refuses to m ove w hen called on to run. T h e n ext com er, a you n g labourer, tries to im itate his predecessor’s tactics. H e hits a ball to m id-on and runs w ildly w ith ou t calling. H is partner w ill n ot m ove, so haviDg reach ed th e opposite crease he has to beat a retreat. B u t m id -o n is in difficu lties; in stoopin g for th e ball h is hat has com e oil and h e has stepped on i t ; he has to ascertain the dam age before he can p ick the ball up. T h e oth er batsm an, seeing this, pursues his flying partn er dow n th e p itch , and th ey are both togeth er at th e other end. T h en he too retreats, but starts again on discoverin g that th e fieldsm an in “ w inding up ” for a throw has flun g the ball ten yards beh in d him . T h is tim e both batsm en run dow n the centre o f th e p itch and collide h e a v ily ; bnt the ball, hurled w ith m ore zeal than discretion over, tb e w ick et-k eeper’ s head, travels to a safe distance on the other side. S o no run is scored n o w ick et falls, and everyone is dissatisfied. A fter this the gam e sobers dow n. M an after m an o f the C laydon team com es in, brings off his “ deep sea stroke ” on ce, tw ice, or th rice —sw eeping round at the ball as it rises and despatching it to square leg. T h en there is a row ia his tim ber yard,” he staren disconsolately at the disarranged sticks, drops his bat for th e n ext com er, and retires to be roasted or consoled by his friends. A s the last w icket falls the total is ann ounced to be upw ards of seventy— m ore, it is th ou gh t, than M ud ford is good for. T h e M udford crack is o f a different opinion. H s looks on the C laydon team like A stu r of old, and “ scorn is in his eye.” H e know s his ow n prow ess, and values h im self at a price at w h ich probably he w ould have to bu y him self in. R are old “ L i l ly ” used} to say, “ Fuller P ilch a-battin’, B ox at the w icket, and m e a- bow lin*— that war c r ic k e t! ” O ur crack has as firm a belief in his ow n in vin cibility. T o do h im justice, h e goes som e w ay tow ards fu l­ fillin g the expectations he has form ed of h im self by con tribu tin g th irty “ notches.” A n d now the sun ia w estering apace, the urns are hissin g in the tent, and the crisis is at hand. M udford, w ith tw o w ickets to fall, w ants three runs to tie, fou r to win. T h e bats­ m an— last rem ain ing hope o f his side— hits a tw o ; n ext ball he uses his leg instead of his bat to guard his w icket. H ow ’ s that ? ” ‘ O ut,” says the um pire— a strong local um pire. I b ’aint g o in ’ .” says th e batsm an. “ I says y ou be ou t fair en ou gh ,” retorts th e um pire, and a heated discussion ensues u ntil the m is­ dem eanant, w orsted in argum ent, appeals to force ; “ I be the biggest m an on th e ground, and here I stops,” quotha, and looks around h im w ith a noli m e tangere air. A t this the M u dford captain thipks it tim e to interfere and carry off his recalcitrant lam b. O ne to tie, tw o to w in. T h e last m an is com in g in ! Can he do it ? If the fates are kind, p erch a n ce! B u t everyone know s that the first straight ball is fatal. T h e king of gods and m en brings ou t his scales, tested and stam ped b y the heavenly C ounty Council. In one he put s a bat, in the other a ball, but neither scale w ill kick th e beam . T o return to things sub- u n a r y : the little m an com es in — he is the re cto r's gardener, and plays as part of his d a y ’s w ork. T h e fates are k in d ; th e first ball is n ot straigh t, and by dint of shutting his eyes and sw inging h is bat w hen he thinks it is tim e, he m anages to despatch it ju st over long- stop ’s head. T h e run is accom plished in safety, and M udford roars applause. T h e m atch is a tie—th e little m an a hero ! A lack fo r vau ltin g a m b itio n ! E la te w ith his prow ess, intoxicated w ith success, he starts for another run ju st as th e ball reaches the bow ler’s hand. H e is out, h opelessly and ’ irretrievably out, and retires a m ouse rather than a m an. Then th irsty souls apply th em ­ selves t to kegs of cid er— cid er so hard that a “ foreigner ” describes it as “ like sw allow ing fixed bayonets.” B u t w hat m a tte r? It quenches thirst, and is w h o le so m e ; fo r the rest, one feels in clin ed to endorse th e verdict of N ebuchadnezzar w hen turned ou t to grass, w h o— Raid as he chewed the unaccustom ed food, *•It may be wholesom e, but it isn’t good.” N o one can be dissatisfied w ith a “ tie everyone is pleased except th e m an w ho was out leg before w icket, w ho grum bles, “ D urn th ey u m p ire s ! I ’d a w on the m atch var’ee, I do tellee, if it ’ad nobbut bin var th ic there um pire. W h at do us w ant um pires var ! W h y can’ t us zettle things var ourzelves ? ” A s touching um pires, the captain of a village team should pay m ore attention to obtaining a m an w ith strong p atriotic sense and weak conscien ce than even to providing an efficient bow ler or a scorer of proper a rith ­ m etical discretion. N o village team is co m ­ plete w ithout a stron g local u m pire ; th ey are the ‘ ‘ chartered libertines ’* o f cricket. T h e hero w ho, on being appealed to for a decision o n a doubtful run ou t at the close o f an e x cit­ in g m atch , said “ H o u t ! and I w ins m y five bob ,” is probably apocryphal, bu t m ost people w ho have played in village m atches have m et his cou n terp a rt. O ne I m et w h o w as a firm believer in freed om of debate, and if uncertain of his decision, w hen appealed to w ould reply, “ O u t!— subject to discussion.” D iscussion under the circum stances is apt to bscom e heated. A n oth er, u footm an pressed into the service, was m ore accustom ed to polite lyin g than to cricket, and w hen appealed to fo r a run out, replied, parrot-w ise, “ N ot at h o m e .” T h eir view s on le g -b efore-w ick et are apt to be erratic. I w as once appealed against on the clearest case. T o m y joy , th e um pire gave m e •*not out,” and then proceeded to explain , “ B all ’it ’ is v o o t.,> T ru th to tell, it is a com m on idea that all that is required is a lay figure w h o w ill call 07er ” w hen n ot m ore than a dozen balls have been bow led, and then retire w ith stately graos to square leg. It w as one such w ho took the bow ler aside and asked him p riv ily , “ W h a t be I to d o ? ” “ O h ,” paid the w ily bow ler, “ it’ s very sim ple ; w hen I says ‘ H ow ’ s that ? ’ you be to say ‘ H o u t !’ ’’ T h e um pire follow ed this advice to the letter—very greatly to th e a d ­ vantage of that bow ler’s analysis. T h e counsel given was at least m ore ex p licit and practical than that of the stew ard of a certain m anor, w ho, when besieged w ith in quiries b y his new ly appointed cheese-tasters and m utton-seers as to w h at thev w ere to do, replied loftily, “ D o you r du ty !” T h ^fe are, of course,degrees in the excellence of th e cricket played by ru stic team s. T h at w hich I have attem pted to describ le is cricket in its rudest form . Y e t w hat an am ount of fun and good fellow sh ip springs from such a m atch ! M any village team s boast cricketers good enough to play in the “ colts ” m atch, and perhaps to take their p lace in the county team itself. B u t w hether th e play be good or bad, a love of crick et in the village is one of the healthiest si^ns of the w ell being o f that place. T h e cricketer is y ou r true d e m o cra t; in th e field no class-privilege is recogn ised . If B u ll the butcher is pun ishingL ord T om n od d y’s long-hops severely, N ye th e chim n ey-sw eep w ill take L ord T om n od d y off and try W h ip , his lordship’s coachm an. Y o u n g T iptoff, cap ­ tain o f the O xford eleven, w h o has resisted the attacks of W .G ., and despatched B riggs to the boundary, is like enough to succum b to the sinuous “ ram rods ” of Ju ggin s, w ho farm s tw en ty acres of hia father’s land. T h ere are som e w ho deny that all m en are equal in ch u rch th e ; u tm ost a fastidu ous frien d of m ine w ill adm it is that there are are o n ly tw o classes — th e w ashed and th e unw ashed. Storied urns and anim ated busts tow erin g over the sim ple green m ounds of th e rude forefathers o f th e h am let seem to deny the equality o f m an even in the ch u rch yard. B u t to assert in the cricket field that there is any lin e o f d em arcation— except th at betw een cracks and duffers— w ou ld be to argue oneself no cricketer. G ood tem per under d iscom ­ fiture ; good fe llow sh ip ; healthy r iv a lr y ; bu ll­ dog ten acity w hen things go w ron g— these are som e of the qualities w h ich E n glish m en derive from th eir national gam e. T h ere is tru th in w h at th e Iron D uke did n o t say— that the battle o f W aterloo w as w on in the play­ ing fields of E ton . H ow m uch o f T om m y AUrins’ faith in his officer w hen F u zzy is ru sn in g the square is due to th e feelin g of camaraderie fostered bv th e com m on sharing o f m anly sp ort ? W h o can tell w ith w hat force the fa ct th at the parson and Scroggs together laid on fifty n otch es on Saturday aftern oon drives the reverend gentlem an’s serm on h om e to the ears o f the said Scroggs on S un­ d ay m orning. F o r m an to love his brother he m ust first con vin ce him self that his brother is also m an. T h e lives of rich and poor lie all too w ide asu n d er; h en ce th ey m isu nderstand each other. T h e rich m an looks on the p o or m an as th e G ehazi w ho is eager to “ take som ew hat of h im ,” even to th e last clod o f his paternal acres; the poor m an regards the rich m an as one w hose eyes sw ell w ith fatness, and w hose ears are closed, by reason of his m u ch lu x u ry, to the exceeding b itter cry of Lazarus at the gate. T h ey are both w ron g : if they understood each other they w ould see it. B u t to understand th ey m ust m eet, and to m eet th ev m ust h ave som e com m on ground on w h ich th ey can stand together as m an and m an. W h ere better than on the sm ooth green tu rf under G od ’ s equal heaven ? G b iia r d F ie n n e s . SURREY (ALL MATCHES;. Matches playad 27—W on 16, lost 10, drawn 1. B A T1IN G AVERAGES. Times M ost in Inns, not out. Runs, an Innp. Aver. Mr. W . W. Read 39 . . 4 .. 1126 .. 147*.. 32,17 Mr. K. J. Key .. 96 . . 4 .. eG? .. 100 .. 27.58 Biockw ell............ 39 . . 5 .. 878 .. 72 .. 25.81 M. Read ... ... 33 . 4 .. r<3* .. 108 .. 25.*c7 Baldwia ......... 37 . . 6 .. 707 .. 66*.. 22.8'i Hayward .......... 35 . . 2 .. 637 .. 112 .. 19.30 Henderson ... . . 34 . . 4 .. 561 .. 63 .. 18.70 Abel ................ . 39 . . 4 ... 6*4 .. 65 .. 18.11 Street ................ . 15 . . 0 .. 234 .. 80 .. 15.60 Mr. J. Shuter . . 3G . . 2 . . 5 •1 .. 60 .. 15.02 A y r e s ................ . 15 . . 4 .. 164 .. 67*.. 14.7*i Lockw ood ... . . 28 . . 4 .. 320 .. 63 .. 13.T* W o o d ................ . 23 . . 5 . . 223 .. 81*.. 12.94 Richardson . 33 . . 8 .. 278 .. 63 .. 11.12 Sharpe................. 14 .. 2 .. 91 .. 20 ... 7.83 Mr. u. M. Wells 6 . . 0 .. 46 .. 20 .. 7 63 F. Smith ... . . 8 . . 2 .. 31 .. 23 .. 5.6 i Marshall ......... . 37 . . 3 .. 73 .. 19 .. 5.21 Mi Is (0 and 8) batted in two innings only. BOW LING AVERAGES Overs. Mdns. Runs. W kts. Aver. F. Smi h ........... 144.1 ... 59 ... 198 ... 21 .. 9.42 Richardson ... 911.1 ... 295 ..2149 .. 184 .. 13 33 Street ........... 35.4 ... 10 .. 96 .. 7 .. 13.71 Brockwell 541.3 ... 204 ..1123 .. 83 .. 14.03 M r.C. M. W ells 96.1 ... 27 ... 212 . . 15 .. 14.13 Henderson ... 6".4 ... 20 ... 106 . . 7 .. . 15.14 Lockw ood ... 7i 0.2 ... 196 ...1819 . . 113 .. 16 50 Sharpe ........... 35‘M ... 124 ... 769 . . £6 ... 21.36 Abel ................... IPG ... 34 ... 330 . . 35 . . 22.00 H ayw ard........... 194 ... 58 ... 458 . . 19 . . 24.10 M. Read ........... 22 4 ... 54 . . 3 . . 54.01 Mr. W .W .R ead 48 ... 8 ... 178 . . 2 . . 89.00 Ba’dw in 15—4—37—0, and Ayres 9—4—27—1 bow led in three innings only, and Mills 1 1 -8 -1 7 —0 but one?. Lockw ood delivered 14 no-balls and 5 wides- Brockwell and Richardson, 2 wides apiece, Sharpe 1 wide, and Hayward 1 no-ball. CEN TU RIES FOR Mr. W. Read. v. Lancashire, June 8 ...............*147 Haj ward, v. Kent. August 3 ...............................312 Mr. K. J. Key, v. Yorkshire, June 29 ............... 100 M. Read. v. D erbyshire. August 28 ............... 108 Hayward, v. Leicestershire, May 11 ............... 103