Cricket 1895

190 CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF TILE GAME. J une 13, 1895. supporters of Notts. But luck or 110 -luck, and still thinking Gunn, when in form as he was last week, the finest batsman we have, I am compelled to express my unqualified admiration of Surrey. As they tripped on to the field on Monday, there was a something about them which told you they were ‘ all there.’ Their fielding was immense even down to their Captain; there was an over­ powering force about their bowling; and when they went in to bat I felt it was all up with my County’ s first innings if 162. The barometer rose a bit when the score board showed 88 for 5. And then old Key came in, and struck, and cut, and drove, and snicked, and placed in the most masterly fashion; there was no holding him. I felt a sneaking fondness for a man who backed up so splendidly when his forwards had gone to pieces, and for two-and-a-half hours I forgot all about my partisans hip whilst he was playing perfect cricket. And didn’t Richard­ son lay the wood on—not slogging, but fair and square hard hitting, which increased Surrey’s total by 79 in 25 minutes. My dear sir, Surrey possess genius. Look at Hay­ ward, he didn’t score many, but he played too rising balls with an absolutely vertical bat, the top of which was just about on the level with his nose—a perfect stroke. Brockwell’s fielding you have written disrespectfully of, but you would have fallen into another key after visiting Trent Bridge. If Lohmann comes back fit, and it seems likely, Surrey had better be made a present of the Champion­ ship for this year. I was never so impressed with the force of any County team.” I give my friend’s comments in extenso without adding one word of my own. It is well to know what a capable critic, who has a bias, thinks of you. Gloucestershirehavecome downwith a rush; but what could you expect with their crack bowler, Painter, away ? Ought not schools and clubs to make any and every sacrifice when a county match is on ? I think so. And where’s Murch P Has he flitted for good? His sudden disappearance from Gravesend was suspicious, and now last week there was a player of that name doing battle for Wiltshire v.. M .C .C .? Gloucestershire do have cruel luck ; it’ s sheer pluck that has kept them in first-class cricket so long. Ferris and Townsend are wanted. But those mulls in the field, which gave Marlow (75) and Brann (44), a life each, went a long way towards the final result. Why didn’t Wilson drop W. G.’s hit in the second innings—a desperately finej catch ? Oh, the luck in cricket! When I play against W. G. in county cricket, I will drop every catch that comes my way, especially after he has got into the nineties, as at Brighton last week. And no better luck at the Oval; everything against them there - scratch team, toss, and state of wicket. Surrey ought to be com­ pelled to have second go against the weaker counties. Here’ s another of them piling up a hundred—Hayward his name—the fifth only so far of the Surrey batsmen this year. And there are the two Reads and Brockwell to come yet, not to speak of Richardson. Jessop will not forget that match; three hours’ bowling clean off the reel is beyond a joke in the present weather; no wonder he got six wickets. W. W. (54) and Brockwell (37 not out) scored their highest innings so far. Yorkshire Brown last week got 41 in four innings, Alec Hearne 22, and Jackson, almost our greatest batsmen two years ago, takes the wooden spoon for his county with an average of six ! Somersetshire’s two matches must just be noticed; both were unfinished owing to the excellence of the wicket. They might have beaten Middlesex, but nobody can say. Were not Nepean and Thornton, whose partnership for the ninth wicket in the first hands had yielded 94 runs, well set when their side was 100 behind, and had only two sound men to come ? The match had no less than four centuries: Stoddart (150 and 56) at last delighted his countless admirers; it was bound to come, and probably many more of the same quality. The Palairets were in this quartette, the younger brother scoring his first county hundred. Whilst Sam Woods started the best week he has ever had with a rollicking 109. There was one notable bowl­ ing performance-in such a batsman’s match, viz., Hearne’s seven for 80 in the second innings ; and Palairet the elder’ s recent form with the ball suggests that he might be utilized more frequently. But Woods at Brighton covered himself with glory ; after Marlow (155), Ranjitsinhji (95), Murdoch (94), and a few others had kept possession of the sticks more than a day 1 forget when he went in, third or fourth, and what wasthe total; nothing very encouraging. Nevermind, he stopped just two and a half hours and actually put on 215 out of 282 in that brief space. And he gave no fair chance. The record-hunters may be at me again, so I will steal a march on them by stating, that never before was an innings of similar dimen­ sions scored at such a pace. Eighty-six runs an hour exactly. Lyons, whilst he was in, scored faster v. M.C.C. in 1893—viz: 94 runs an hour, but then he was done for in If hours ; Massie’s 206 v. Oxford in 1882 occupied 2hours 49minutes. And Ernest Smith against the South of Hastings scored 154 in five min­ utes beyond a couple of hours. Hewett’s 201 against Yorkshire in 1892 must now take a back seat in the chronicles of Somer­ setshire. Personally I am delighted with “ Sammy’s ” success ; after W.G. he is to me the most fascinating figure on the cricket field; a veritable glutton for work, never tired. Watch him bowl, or better still field, when his county are having a sorry time of it. There’s a sculptor’s model of grace, energy, and power. As Lord Charles Russell said of W . G. sixteen years ago : “ He is heart and soul in the game, he plays the ball, putting every muscle into it, from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. I have never been able to tell whether he was playing a winning or a losing game.” The younger Druce’s magnificent score — 199 not out—against Attewell, Davidson, and Rawlin — stamps him. And he has the effrontery to pass our champion in the aver­ ages. There’s no reverence in the modern young man, nohero worship. The Yorkshire- men have pronounced him the best bat at either ’Varsity, and they may well give him this place of honour. I can recall only one larger innings in a good match at Cambridge ; that was 205 not outby Gilbert, a cousin of the Grace’s, against the Light Bluesin 1876. In stopping short at 199 Druce may have some consolation in the fact that TJlyett in 1877 carried his bat through the innings against Derbyshire for the same number, when Derbyshire was reckoned amongst the first- class counties. Tom Mycroft’s benefit suggests a paragraph on luck in cricket. I take it he will have reaped more from it than ever fell to the lot of any cricketer who was similarly honoured at Lord’s. I congratulate him on his good fortune. Yet I wish others had got their deserts in this respect. A benefit is given for distinction in cricket, either with bat or ball or both. Well, compare Mycroft’s services to the M.C.C. with Barnes’ . I don’t say for one moment that “ Barney” should have a second benefit, but I do feel very strongly indeed that, after twenty years’ service for his. county, the Players, M.C.C., and England (at home and abroad) one of the very greatest cricketers we have ever had should receive a paltry £300, and only that sum after a special whip. I fancy Shrewsbury’s benefit would fall behind Mycroft’s ! Don’t misunderstand me ; faithful service as ground bowler for eighteen years deserves all it receives. I want no cricketer to have less, all I suggest is that some should have infinitely more. P.S.—As Lowe had Gunn’s wicket both times in the Cambridge v. M.C.C. (Druce’.s) match, and withal took nine wickets for 124, Shine proving something more than useful, it looks as if Oxford would not run away from their rivals on July 4 at Lord’s after all. DULW ICH v. ST. THOMAS’S HOSPITAL.— Played at Burbage-road, Dulwich, on June 3. S t . T homas ’ s H ospital . F. N. Bingham, b Robertson .......... 40 E. Elliott, b Pearse ... 1 W . Hodges, c E. J. Heasman, b Morris 7 W . Watkins, c Massey, b Huish ...................50 C. B. Moggridge, b Huish ................... 8 A. Atherton, c Pearse, b Robertson ........... 8 H. Clarke, b Pearse ... 6 W . Ashford, c L. J. Heasman, b Huish O T. C. Oxley, b Huish 0 H. T. Edwards, b Pearse ........... A. N. Other, not out B 8, lb 3, w 1 Total 2 0 12: D ulwich . B. Heasman, c Elliott, fc Bingham ...........54 W . L. Robertson, c Elliott, b Bingham 51 F. E. Huish, c sub., b Atherton................... 1 W . Morris, c Clarke, b A therton...................17 T.R. Pearse,bBinghaml05 H Massey, b Bingham 3 E. J. Heasman, b Ashford ................... 6 W . H. Hutchinson, b Bingham .................. 1 Dr. Reinhardt, b Ash­ ford .......................... 4 O. Jones, not out ... 58 H. C. Bateman, c and b Bingham ........... 0 B 5, lb 6 ...........11 Total ...311 DULW ICH v. ERRATICS.—Played at Burbage- road, Dulwich, on June 4. E rratics . A . M. Latham, c J. H. Darby, b Huish ... 51 H. E. Hockley, c Jones b Pearse ................... 5 A . Q,. Tuiss, h w t, b Huish ................... 4 E. L. Dunster,b Huish 0 H.L.Dawson, b Pearse 9 A. J. Clarke, b J. H. Darby ...................16 H.Thompson,b Clarke 48 C.P.Tregellas,b Keene 3 H. Darby, run out ... 24 T. R. Pearse, b Keene 66 J.H. Darby, b Norman 33 F. E. Huish, b Keene 0 O. Jones, c Latham, b Keene .................. 3 S.E. Huntley, b Keene 0 Keene, b Pearse.......... H. C. Noad, b Huish Dr.Reinhardt,b Huish R. E. Mavo, b Huish N. V. Norman, not out Byes, &c............... Total ...102 B. W . Heasman, b Dunster .................. E. J. Heasman, c Lat­ ham, b Keene........... F. Huntley, not ou t... Byes, &c............... Total ...........5 CROYDON v. ADDISCOMBE.—Played at Croydon on June 3. A ddiscombe . R. Martyr, c Ching, b Clarke ...................19 A. Hughes, b Ching .. 94 T.B.Marshall,b Clarke 0 J. L. Purser, b Paget 47 C. E. Davis, b Archer 0 P. F. Perrin, c Dent, b Paget ...................20 C. Wiltshire, b Ching 0 H. G. Roberts,b Ching 19 B. Mann, b Ching ... 27 M. Hughes, b Ching... 4 H. W . Sharpe, not out 2 B 11,1-b 4, w 1, n-b 2 18 Total ...245 C roydon . H .R . Groom, b Sharpe 22 T. J. Ching, c and b Sharpe ................... A . E. Clarke, c Davis, b Sharpe................... 4 E. R. Wilkinson, c Wiltshire, b Sharpe 0 E. W . Smith, b Sharpe 0 C. W . M. Feist, b Sharpe ...................10 In the second innings Hughes, b Perrin 7 ; E. b Perrin 8 ; J. Whitcomb, not out 1. B 5, lb 1, w 4, 16 A. C. Dent, b Sharpe 1 J. A . Archer, c Mar­ tyr, b Perrin ...........14 J. Whitcomb, not out 38 C. G. Paget, b Sharpe 19 L. K . Watson, b W ilt­ shire ....................... 8 B 12, lb 5, n-b 3... 20 Total ...152 A. E. Clarke scored c A. R. Wilkinson, c Martyr, , not out 13 ; C. G. Paget, 10. Total (2 wickets) 39.