Cricket 1894

114 P IC K E T ’S A WEEKL1 RECORD OP THE GAME, MAY 10, 1894 state where they agree with me, and where and why they do not. I am agreeably sur­ prised to find how closely their opinions coincide withmy own. Wherein they differ, they have furnished me with matter for farther reflection. Two of them are amateurs, personally unknown to m e; the third thus summarizes his comments— I am delighted with vour laws. They are much more easy to understand than the old ones—more definite.” So, dear “ Old Buffer,” your handonce again ; and should we meet down at the Oval this summer, we will, by your leave, compa e notes. Neither Mr. Burnside nor myself want the draft to be accepted en bloc : our desire was to serve cricket and cricketers by starting ail earnest investigation of the laws of the game. Laws are for the law­ less, and for the uninformed as well; and like the multiplication table, cannot be too accurate, or two comprehensive. Surrey Statistics.—Only two omissions have been brought under my notice, for both of which I beg to acknowledge my indebtedness. Show me where I am wrong, and I will be ready at once to own up. Jupp’s splendid double not-out, 43 and 109, in 1874 v. Yorkshire, must be inserted in its right column. It will be found allright in the Yorkshire statistics. Whilst F. W. Marlow, for Sussex, went all through the innings (43) against Surrey in 1891, and scored a century (128), also against Surrey, in 1893. As there are so many devotees of Surrey cricket, I ex­ pected to have more inaccuracies pointed out. In Yorkshire they would not be noticed. It was the dread of this that made me take special care in_the last four articles. Another correspondent, who does “ not wish to be over-critical,” has pulled me up for giving Iddison’s 106 against Surrey in 1866 as scored for Lancashire; he thinks it was made for Yorkshire. No, I am right. Iddison was a Yorkshireman, and played chiefly for the County of his birth ; but from 1865 to 1870 (inclusive) he played for Lancashire, though York­ shire had prior claim on his services in the “ Wars of the Boses.” I remember his cricket-outfitting shop in Manchester well, though he was a butcher by trade (he looked it), but after he left Manchester, he was a commission agent in York. I fancy his qualification for Lancashire was owing to his three seasons’ engagement with the famous Broughton Club, of which J. Makinson, the present Stipen­ diary for Salford, was the particular star. That was about the only club in England that used to play the A.E.E. and the U .A.E.E. without the help of “ given” players. It may be worth noting here that Mr. Makinson scoredthe first century (104) ever notched against the A .E .E ., and Tarrant, Jackson, and Willsher were the bowlers he met. Later on, Iddison was engaged by the Sefton Club, Liver­ pool, which a few years since was almost as strong as the Broughton Club of the past, when E. Roper was the Captain of the former. The visit of the South African Team will be interesting to many a veteran beside myself from the fact that it con­ tains the sons of two old Middlesex cricketers, whom I remember over here. And both are examples of “ hereditary genius ” in sport, the one as batsman, the other as stumper. What a pity Mr. Galton in his most valuable and interest­ ing buok on the above subject does not include cricketers as well as oarsmen and wrestlers. R. Bissett —I did not know until last week that his proper name was R. B. Halliwell ; he played now and again, if my memory doesn’t trick me, under the title of B. Richards—him I shall ever recall from watching him at practice one day some 30 yeais ago down at the Oval. George Howitt, a cast-off from Notts, who had then a plethora of great bowlers, some of whom would prove very handy just now—Howitt, who was about the worse-built cricketer ever seen, narrow- chested, high shouldered, and with a body set upon the slenderest of legs, accom­ panied R. B.—no nets, only a single stump set up, with half-a-crown on the top of it, which was brought down with startling frequency. Yet the batsman was a model of a cricketer in point of build, much on the lines of Ulyett, only a trifle bulkier, and with auburn hair and whiskers, and complexion to match. J. J. Sewel — the old Marlburian—will never fade out of memory, if only by reason of his splendid innings (166) against Surrey in 1866. I believe he played without headgear. But an amus­ ing incident fixed that innings for us boys. We were sitting right in front of the bar, so as to get a good view of the “ pros,” as they passed to and from the players’ dress­ ing room up the flight of steps still stand­ ing, ages before their present snug quarters were built. It was a piping, hot day. J.J.S. was in nearly the whole day. In front of us, on the grass, lay an indivi­ dual fa t asleep, owing doubtless to the sunshine, or the famous Surrey beverage “ Hatfield,” or both. At last J.J.S. landed a huge on drive which let within six inches of this worthy’s head. The thud of the ball woke him up with a start. “ What’s that ? ” “ Thunder or gun­ powder,” answered a wag. He moved off in solemn silence and was seen no more. Perhaps the greatest innings J. J. Sewell played in England was one of 62 for 22 of Cirencester against U.A.E.E. when he was only 18 years old. E. M. Grace went in first with him and scored five runs only, and he was then the most- talked-of batsman of the day. I have simply to express my intense satisfaction that Derbyshire, Essex, Leicestershire, and Warwickshire have been moved up, and to indulge an earnest hope that the example set by Warwick­ shire against Not s will be followed by all the others, but not at the expense of Notts should they be met. One does not like to iee a great County down on its luck. What if Shrewsbury and Gunn had been playing? Is Barnes shelved for good? I heard that 1893 would probably witness his exodus from County cricket; but he may have to be called up again. There seems something wrong somewhere in Sharpe’s return to his county ; what it is, I can’t very well say ; but it goes a little against the grain. Anyhow Warwickshire came oft with all the honors in batting, J. E. Hill (139 not out) conspicuously so. Football discipline seems to have done ET. B. Dafc (54 and 66) all good imaginable : whilst Flowers is the same old yeoman. The M.C.C. v. Sussex match came as a surprise. Last year both G. Brann and Gunn knocked up a century in the same match, played a fortnight later on. Had the day—Wednesday— anything to do with it ; Friday is popularly regarded as an unlucky day for many important functions; may not Wednesday be equally so for the start of a first-class match ? Here’s a list of F ir s t - class M atches C om pleted in ONE DAY. 1851 No th v. South at Lord’s 1872 M.C.O. v. Surrey at Lord’s 1874 Middlesex v. Oxford at Prince’s 1875 North v. South at Lord’s 1877 M.C.C. v. Oxfoid Univ. at Oxford 18 8 M.C.C. v. Australians at Lord’s 1834 hneland XI. v. Australians at Birmingham 18% M.C.C. v. Lancashire at Lord’s 1887 North v. South at Lord’s ]888 Lancashire v. Surrey at Manchester 1891 M.O.C. v. Notts at Lord’s J894 M.C.C. v. Sussex at Lord s Note.—Eight of these matches were played at Lord’s, and eight took place in the month of May. Now, as a rule May is not the finest month of the year, and L ird’s is a clayey soil; which accounts for much. The first match on this list is historic that for the first and only time in the history of firs"-class cricket did a bowler hit the sticks ten times in a single innings. Little John Wisden was that bowler. A correspondent writes : “ Watch for a young colt named Killick in the Sussex ranks, and follow him up.” I wilj. W.G. has surely recovered from his initial duck by the success of his son at Cambridge. At such times one’s con­ gratulations are naturally offered to the father. And R. H . Mitchell bids fair at Oxford to keep an honoured name ever­ green. But I dare not trust myself to say a word here about his father, one of the heroes of my early manhood. A word to the wise. Look out for, buy, and read “ At the Sign of the Wicket,” by E. B. V. Christian, an advance copy of which the author has sent me to day. Though one had seen parts of it in print before, yet it was as fresh as a breath of spring. I have read it right through this afternoon, and can gratefully testify that for breadth of humour and felicity of ex­ pression it might have come from the pen either of Mr. Andrew Lang or the “ Old Buffer ” ; prose and poetry alike delight­ ful ; whilst for intimate knowledge of the game, and mastery of a large poriion of its literature, it would do credit to such writers as Charles Box and Mr. Pycroft It’s a book to be read over and over again I hope it will have many successors Other books shall be noticed next week. C b ic k e t C h a t fo b 1892.—(Eighth Year o Issue), enlarged and improved edition, post free 7id Containing in addition to Portraits and Biographies, Gronps of Cricket, and Cricket Anecdotes and Oddities. To be had at the Office of this paper, of all Booksellers, or W. H. Smith 4 Boris stalls