Cricket 1894

132 ORKJKETg k WEEKLY BECOilD OF GAME. MAY 17, 1894 THE PENNY CRICKETER. CRICKET AS SHE 13 TAUGHT. B y E d m u n d B . Y . C h ristian -. The whole art of cricket is surely cheap at fvpenpy. Many men have vainly sought to acquire it at much greater cost. But it was recently my good fortune to see in a shop window in a back street, among ball room guides and last year’s valentines, a brochure giving the desired counsel. There for a penny jo u could learn “ the laws of single wicket, rule3 as to bets, and every­ thing a learner w ill requ ire to know to make him A P erfect C r ic k e t e r .’’ N ow I had long wished to be a perfect cri. keter, but my attempt < had not resulted in p rfection ; indeed, quite the contrary. Evidently this was just ih e book for m e. We begin at the beginning. ‘ The stock in trade of a cricket club consists of a ball, bats, and wickets.” I should have thought one ba’l insufficient, but it seems n o t; the same ball ia vsed by both sides indis­ criminately. However, this is the secretary’s business. It ia the directions as to play that concern me. But I noted in passing that batting gloves “ are rejected by many as savouring of effeminacy,” and that “ many well contested matches have been declared null and void by reason of the measurements being found on sub equent examination to be defective.” This was new and curious information. Bowling is the first branch of the art of which Ihe anonymous author treats. After explaining what bowling and popping creases are, he says “ the bowler in delive ing the ball must stand between these two lines ” This was novel doctrine to m e; one falls into so m iny mistakes for want of tuition. The ball should be grasped “ firmly yet gently.” The best way to practise bowling “ is to set up a mark ; and bowl at it until an accurate aim is obtained, as well as a quickness and steadiness of eye wherewith to detect the weak points of the opposing batsman.” How will bowling at a mark teach this ? It is disappointing after a few perfunctory direct­ ions to find beginners merely told to pay “ watchful attention to the best bowlers in their respective localities.” I had not paid a penny to be told that. “ There are many kinds of bowling,” proceeds the Guide, “ all o f tchich should be studied and practis.d assiduously.” W e turn to batting. First, it seems, when you go in, you ask the ump’re at your oivn end for block. “ This the umpire proceeds to give, by measuring a distance rather more than the length of the bat from the middle stump of the wicket, in front of and in a direct line with the latter.” The bat should be clutched with both hands by the middle of tfce handle.” Then coims a very valuable caution to beginners: “ the striker should sedulously guard against the tempta­ tion to obtain too many runs. He ought to try to block every ball except wide and favourable ones.” “ A ball that lunsw ideof the wicket may be dealt with anyhow.” But I wanted to know which way is best! How­ ever, there is good advice as to the batsman’s defence. “ Blocking requires great caution.” It is p rformed by “ chopping with a firm downward cut.” This section contains a description of that deadly ball, the shooter, “ shooter, /. e. a ball th .tgoes straight for the wicket without touching the ground in front ” This seems to me a very fresh and original definition. As to fielding there can be no mistake ; the Guide gives a diagram of the field (headed “ Cricket Field Arrangements” ) showinglong- off and long-on about thirty yards from tbe batsman, and the scorers close by one umpire. The diagram has these maxims appended: “ Note.—In fast bowling extend your men. Note — In slow bowling you draw them nearer to the wicket.” F crm y slow bowling you have to do just the reverse. The letterpress is scarcely in accord with the plan, for short slip is told to stand five feet from the wicket keeper, but is depicted as standing fifteen feet away. Ih e duties of the vaiious fieldsmen are carefully detailed, and here the Guide is really useful. Point’s ‘ ’ province is to watch the order of the bowling and keep a look out for favourable balls.” What he is to do when he sees them is not explained. Cover point and middle-wicket should “ cross to the side to which the batsman hits most frequently.” Long leg’s duties are even more arduous. He is to stand behind square-leg, and to “ support cover-point,” and cover-point is to stand “ adjacent to the border.” When I reached this section, I despaired of ever being a perfect ct icketer. It was almost a relief to read that “ there is usually no second innings when one side has in the first been beaten beyond hope of recovery.” I regret that my penny is beyond hope of recovery, too. B A N ST K A D (-2). V. SU TTO N (2 ).-P L y e d ac B an stead on M ay 15. B an stead . H. A lston, b M artyr 3 W . T easley, b M artyr 5 L . Ferridge, ran out 11 T, R ow ell, run ont 2 N. Alston, b M artyr 5 A . C hilds, c Blades, b Stew ard .................... 17 J , Branch, b M artyr... 0 H . M udford, run ou t 0 W . H aycroft, b M ar­ tyr .............................. 7 J. W righ t, b M artyr 11 H . Freem an, n ot out 6 B4, lb l ............ 5 T o ta l ... 72 B utton (2). J.W .M artyr, n ot out 21 C. M ercer, n ot ou t 2 B ..................... 4 T otal ... 61 E. C. Stew ard, lbw , b C h ild s ................... 2 G. R . B lades, run ou t 4 F. J. N ightingale, c Alston, b Childs .. 11 G.M . T o p p .c Feriidge, b C hilds .....................17 w . P ool, J. S Jlar, V . L. Straker, and V. B rom age did n ot bat. SU C TO N (2) v. T OW N L'LY PARK (2\—P ayed at button on M ay 12. S u tto n (2). W . M artyr, b A. E . C ooper ..................... 18 G. R. T opp, run ou t 11 J. N ightingale, run ou t .............................. 1 . M. te ll, b A. E. C ooper .................... 0 D, Jackson, run o u t ... 9 W . DalzelJ, c Clark, b A. J. C ooper ............16 G. R. B 'ades, c sub., b A. J. Cooper ............ 2 T o w n le y B oyle, lbw , b B ell A. if. C ooper,b M artyr C. C hurch, b M artyr... Palm er, b B ell ............ J. C ooper, c Bell b M artyr ..................... H addon, b B e l l............ Clark, b M a rty r............ B lanchard, c and b Bell ............................. E. C. Stew ard, lbw, b P alm or............ ... L. V .^traker, c Clark, b A. E. C ooper H . F arley, n ot o u t ... V . Brom age, c Allan, b A. E. C ooper B ................................ T o ta l........... P a r k (2). Allan, run o u t ... H e w itt,b B a ll ... B . C h u rch ............ B ... ... T otal 31 Mr. A. E. Stoddart’s X I . for Australia are to leave London in the “ Ophir ” on Sept. 21. T h r e e D o z e n O r d e r o f G o in g -in C a rd s with latest im provem ents, together w ith W ooden Case for hanging up in P avilion or tent, sent on receipt o f 2/9 by the M anager o f th is Paper, 41, St. A ndrew ’s Hill, D octorb’ C om m ons, E.O . U N IV E R S IT Y C O L L E G E SCH OO L v. M ID D L E ­ SE X H O S P IT A L .— P layed at W illesden on May 9. U n iv e r sity C ollege B chool . J. S. G rif Jones, c H erring, b Baker ... 8 A. H. Schindler, c T en ch , b B aker ... 11 O. S. H ickson, c Baker,bM ornem ent 1 W . G. L ip scom b e, c L an gd on , b Baker 1 G. 8. H ickson,b K eats 4 J. P. K ennedy, b B aker ..................... 5 H. Fraser, n ot ou t 13 P . Stone, b B aker ... 0 E. Bay ley, b T ench 15 P . M . Shanks, b B aker ..................... 0 M. C. C arpenter, b B aker ..................... 0 B 8, lb 1, w 1 ... 10 T otal ............67 M id d le se x H ospital . E. K H erriE g,retired 5) E. A . B aker, b O. S. H ickson .................... 0 R. H. M ornem ent, b K ennedy......................80 E. H. B erridge, c B ayley, bCarpenter 22 P. E . Tench, c L ip s­ com be, b K ennedy 0 F. 1. Keats, cH ickson, b O. S. H ickson ... 10 H. S. L an gd on , c Shanks, b Schindler 5 H. G E llery, ru n o u t 7 H. C. C lu tterbu ck, b Stone ..................... 0 H. J. Jones, n ot ou t 1 F. Faw cett, b 8tone 2 B 7, lb 1, w 1 ... 9 T otal... ...136 LON DON AN D W E ST M IN STE R BAN K (2) v. GRECIAN S (2).—P layed at W est N orw ood on M ay 14. G r e c ia n s (2). First Innings. Coles, b F ry e r................... W ilson, b F ryer ... ., R ogers, b F ryer .......... Bensley, b F ryer ... . Curra, c and b Fryer R . G ill, b F ryer M aw son, b Saunders ., O akley, run ou t ... . F letch er, b F r y e r .......... K eighley, n ot o u t ........... T . G i l, c R oterts, b t: ders .. S econd Innings. ... 3 c Saunders, b S top ford ... 0 ... 0 b F ryer ............ 4 ... 0 b S top ford ... 1 ... 7 run o u t ............ 16 ... 13 b P ritch a rd ... 13 ... 0 b F ryer ... ... 4 ... 12 c and b Stop­ ford ... ... 2 ... 2 c H erbert, b F ryer ............ 3 ... 2 c and b Fryer 1 ... 0 b F r y e r ............ 0 n- ... 3 not ou t ............ 0 ... 4 B .................... 2 ... 46 T ota l ... 46 B 1, lb 2, w 1 T otal ... L ondon and W e stm in ste r B ank (2). S econd Innings. F irst Innings. T . E . TapsoD , c Bensley, b O akley ...................................... G. N. S topford, c W ilson, b Oakley ...................................... A . T. M aingay, c G il1, b Oakley ...................................... T. H. P ritchard, c Curra, b O akley ...................................... B. NewmaD, b O ak ley............ W . H. Fryer, b O ak ley ............ E. 8. Saunders, b G ill ........... E . B loxham , b O akley............ F. R obarts, c C urra, b G ill... H . T . Chum bley, b G ill ... E. H erbert, n ot out ............ B 1, w 1 ..................... 5 b O akley... 2 c 0 5 2 2 R ogers, b M aw son ... b M aw son ... n ot ou t ............ b O akley c Gill, b M aw- son ............ b G ill ............ not ou t ............ B 9, lb 3 12 T ota l ... ... 24 T otal ... 71 LON D O N AND W E S T M IN S T E R B A N K V. G R E C IA N S.— Played at N orw ood on M ay 1’ . L ondon and W e st m in st e r B a n k . C. A. Snell, b H olm an 0 A . T . Me in gay, c and 10 H. 0 . M anfield, c b W ells ................... M aw son, b H olm an 4 A . P odm ore, c G i 1, W . B rad tery, b H o'- b W ells ............ 8 m * ln ........................... 6 E. Raby, b W ells ... 0 C. C. Sim pson, b G ill 2 B. M usson, b W ells 0 L . P itt B rook,c M aw- C, G oodchild. n o t out 5 eon, b H olm an 5 B 4, lb 2, w 1 ... 7 E. B . Mar.field, c Gill, — b B a x te r..................... 18 T otal ............ 65 G r ic ia n s . F. D . C olt, b P od- m ore ............................. M. H olm an, b P od- m ore ............................. H . O. W ells, c and b P o d m o r e ................... C ol. Cam pbell, c and b P odm ore ............ J. H. Baxter, n ot out W . W . GiU, c R aby, b P odm ore ............ A. B. M aw son, b 1 S im p so n ....................... 0 ■ W . H. Lilley, c B rook, 0 b S im pson ... ... 1 A. H . 8. B row ne, st 7 Brook, b M an field 6 C. B ank°, b P odm ore 1 0 | C. K otze, n ot ou t ... 0 6 : B 9 , l b l . n b l ... 11 5 1 T otal ... 88