Cricket 1894

SEPT. 6 , 1894 CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OE THE GAME. 379 silver three-handled loving cup with tripod feet. It exhibits three medallions, one of whioh is chased in bas-relief with a cricket subject representing the Scarborough Ground, and Mr. Thornton at the wioket. Another panel is engraved as f o l l o w s “ Presented by the members of the Scarborough Cricket Club to Charles Inglis Thornton, E sq , in testimony of their high appreciation of his valuable and long continued services in connection with the Scarborough Cricket Festival, and in the prom otion and advance of orioket generally, 1894." The third medallion contains the names of the president, vice-presidents, treasurer, secretary, and members of the oommittee. T h a t it should have occurred to some­ body to immortalise the recent tie-match between Surrey and Lancashire in verse will not surprise any one who experienced the thrill of the last moments of that memorable game. The Poet Laureate in this case is none other than Mr. John Trew-Hay, whose style will be familiar to C r ic k e t readers from the verses on the Surrey and Notts match which appeared in the “ Gossip ” columns of C r ic k e t of August the sixteenth. The “ pome,” which extends over twenty-six pages, will not only repay perusal for its own merit, but will be of permanent interest as a souvenir of a remarkable contest. Its value is increased by the reproduction of the official card giving a full score of the game. “ The Match of the Season—A Lay of the Oval,” is published, I may add, by Messrs. Wright and C o . at the publishing office of C r ic k e t . T h e grandest of grand old men, Charles Absolon to wit, is still able, if not to hurl, at all events to guide the pillule to some effect, although he is within measurable distance of his fourth score— of years. The veteran who has passed his seventy-eighth birthdaj, C r ic k e t readers will be delighted to see, was on the job again as iate as Tuesday last. Playing for the Smithfield Eovers, his old club, against the Idlers at Finsbury Park, he took three wickets at a cost of 10 runs apiece. G. of G. M., I doff m y hat. C r ic k e t e r s of all classes will hear with sincere regret of the death of Walter Price. His long and active connection with Lord's for nearly a quarter of a century had brought him within the knowledge of most of the leading players. Upright and straightforward as well as thoroughly conscientious in his work, he gained, too, the universal respect of all with whom he was brought into contact, and it is not too much to say he will be very greatly missed. Though he only played for two years (1869 and 1870) for Notts, he was a fairly good all-round cricSeter. He repre­ sented the Players against the Gentlemen both at Lord’s and the Oval in 1870, though in the latter he only played as a substitute. I n addition to his engagement at Lord's, which was only interrupted during the time he acted as coach at Kugby School, he had also acted as cricket in ­ structor at Winchester College, as well as at Cambridge, and other places. The Committee o f the Marylebone Club gave him a benefit match (North v. South) in 1887, but it was not a success, being completed in one day. Price had acted as umpire in many of the chief matches at Lord’s for many years, and with the greatest satisfaction to all parties. He died on Tuesday last, at Euddington, in Notts, his native place. I n referring last week to Mr. G. S Patterson in connection with some high scoring in Philadelphia, I had little idea that only a few days would elapse before I should have to find space for particulars of a record for American record as the outcome of his cricket. The run getting in Philadelphia during August was generally very considerably above the average. All the best performances, however, were outdone in the match between Mr. G. S. Patterson's X I. and Mr. A. M. Wood's X I., played at Elmwood on the 21st and 22nd of August. T h o u g h Mr. Wood had on his side three professional bowlers of the use­ ful stamp of G. Lane, Pacey, and Atte­ well, Mr, Patterson’s eleven were at the wicket the whole of the two days. Their total of 689, too, is no less than 55 in excess of the previous best in America, the 631 made bv the Germantown Club of Philadelphia, against the Bosedale Club of Toronto, on the Germantown ground in 1891. Besides this, Mr. Patterson’s 271 is by seventy runs the best on record for a batsman in important matches in America. As it was, Mr. Patterson not only beat Mr. A. M. Wood’s 201 at Baltimore two years ago, but was only eight short of the biggest innings as yet made in America, Mr. W ood’s 278 for the Pennsylvania Boad, of which mention has already been made. As the match is by far the best thing yet done in the way of scoring on the American Continent, and consequently possesses a certain historic interest.it will be of use to give the score in full. G. S. P a t t e r s o n 's E le v e n . G.S.Patterson,cW ocd, b Guest ...................271 F. H. Boh'en, c Grsff, b G. Lane.....................27 W. W . Noble, b Alte- mus ........................... I p. w. Ra'ston, run out 37 E.W . Clark, fct Tiiayer, b Wood ...................147 W .Brockie, st Thayer, b Altemus ......... 132 E. Norris, j ir., b Ali-.emus ........... 0 J. B. King, c Alte- mus, b M. Lane ... 32 S. Goodm an, b Alte mua .................. 0 A.H. Brock if, not out 18 L. A. Biddle,b Guesfi 0 b 11, lb 8, w 4, ub 1 24 Total ..68) F. L . Altemus bowled 252 balls for 132 runs and four wickets ; Guest eight balls for no runs and two w ickets; G. Lane, A. M. Wood, and M. Lane, each took one wicket for 93, 110, and 52 runs respec­ tively. I n commenting on this particular match, the American Cricketer points out that this big innings of Mr. Patterson's was only the latest of a succession of heavy scores from his bat. In the fort­ night commencing on August 7 he had played five innings for an aggregate of 667 runs. As he twice carried out his bat, his average for the two weeks reached the extraordinary figure o f a trifle over 222 runs. H is performance, according to the Criclceter, during the three days of the week commencing on August 20 was remarkable. On Monday he carried his bat through one match for 179; on Tuesday, the beginning of another match, he was in all day for 120, and on Wednesday he added 151 before getting out— a total of 271 for the match, and a grand total of 450 runs for once out in three days. I f Mr. Patterson’s claim to the title of America’s premier batsman was ever in dispute [the Cricketer pertinently adds] it has been vindicated with a vengeance. A c o r r e sp o n d e n t has been at the trouble to write to Lord Hawke on the subject of the County Championship. The Yorkshire captain’s reply, which has gone the round of the papers, is just what one might have expected from a practical cricketer. But surely neither he nor anyone else took seriously the suggestion to give half a point for a tie, which is really an undecided match. W ighill Park, Tadcaster, September 3, 1894. S ir , — I am m u d obliged for your letter of the 29th ult. All I can say in answer to your question about the cricket championship is that Yorkshiremen must be good sportsmen and bow to the element of bad luck that has attended them through the race for the pre­ miership during 1894. Personally, I am quite satisfied with the work done by the team, and certainly I have never had the honour of captaining a better all-round eleven for Yorkshire. I am afraid I cannot hold with you that another date ought to have been given for the abandoned match at Bradford. Suppose only an hour’s play had taken place ; I do not think anyone would have thought of proposing another m atch. If a game oannot be commenced it must count as a draw, in the same way that a tie is a draw—no half point to be reoorded for the sake of giving Surrey the prem iership if she had scored an equal number of wins with Yorkshire—Yours faith­ fully. T h e following detailed statistics in con­ nection with the championship matches will, no doubt, be read with interest. In the 71 matches 38.940 runs were scored, and 2,353 wickets fell, giving an average per wickofc of 16—1292:— T otal Runs Total Wktf*. For. Lost. Aver. Surrey......... ... 4882 .. ... 220 ... .. 22.42 Yorkshire .. ... 39 3 .. ... 215 ... .. 18.23 Middlesex .. ... 4581 .. ... 25? ... .. 12.45 Kent ......... ... 4544 .. ... 269 ... .. 16.240 Lancashire ... 4721 .. ... 247 ... .. 39.28 SomerEet .. ... 4267 .. ... 282 ... .. 15.37 Notts ......... ... 4236 .. ... 275 ... .. 15.111 Sussex ... .. ... 4195 .. ... 283 ... .. 14.238 Gloucestershire 3611 .. ... 310 ... .. 11.201 Total Runs Total Wkts. Against Taken Aver. Surrey .......... ... 4419 .. ... 314 ... .. 14.23 Yorkshire .. ... 3433 .. ... 277 ... .. 12.1C9 Middlesex .. ... 4545 .. ... 2:8 ... .. 36.97 Kent .......... ... 39(5 .. ... 241 ... .. 16.49 Lancashire ... 4277 .. ... 279 ... .. 35.92 Somerset .. ... 4342 .. ... 225 ... .. 18.112 Notts .......... ... 4667 .. ... 261 ... .. 17.230 S ussex......... ... 4542 .. ... 213 ... .. 38.168 Gloucestershire 48 0 .. ... 225 ... .. 21.85