Cricket 1895

J uly 25, 1895. CRICKET A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 291 CRICKET NOTCHES. B y t h e R e v . R . S. H o l m e s . “ It is worth a mention that Armitstead complained that he could not see Atkinson’s hand against the body of the umpire; and that functionary was in consequence invested with a white garment—a thing which I, at least for one, had never seen before.” Can anybody guess when that happened? One was under the impression that the umpire’s white overcoat was quite a modern invention ; its general usage is entirely a thing of recent times only. But so long ago as 1861 we find it. At least the above quotation refers to a match played in that year between theUnited All England and sixteen of the Free Foresters, and said quotation is taken from abook which reachedme on Saturday last, entitled “ Annals of the Free Foresters, 1856-1894.” A noble octavo volume of 401 pages, embellished with some 120 illustrations, photographs all of them, many very primitive and taken in the early days of photography, when the subject had to lean against a pillar or stand by the side of a chair, holding his pot-hat; the days of mutton-chop whiskers and no moustachios. Such is the work which the founder and father of the club—the Rev. W. K. R. Bedford—has ju.^t issued to members only. It is not the only book chronicling the doings of the Foresters, as I happen to possess a small work issued in 1867, which treats of all their matches between 1863 and 1866. A club with a history then, which in 1861 was strong enough to beat the A. E. E. and the U. A. E. E. ; and in 1863 not only thrashed Surrey, but also played the only drawn match Notts had ever taken part in. Like the I Zingari, this club has played amateurs only. Membership is free from entrance and annual subscription. It started in 1851, and “ Ordinary candidates must be members by birth, or one year’s bond fide residence, of central county, viz. : Bedford, Bucks, Cam­ bridgeshire, Cheshire, Derby, Hereford, Huntingdon, Leicester, Oxford, Northamp­ ton, Nottingham, Rutland, Shropshire, Stafford, Warwick, Worcester, Yorkshire and Lancashire, South of a line drawn from Preston to the Humber.” Times have changed since 1861 and 1863. The Foresters no longer tackle the leading Counties, butthey are asvigorous as ever. Most of our greatest amateur cricketers have been Foresters, Without being invidious, it may be frankly stated that for many, many years, their successes were very largely owing to the skill of the finest left-hand gentleman bowler of this generation, David Buchanan, who rarely missed a match. He no longer takes an active part in the game, but only a few months since there came from his pen a capital little book on the Rugby Cricket Club, with which he had been connected ab anitio. The Hon. Edward Lyttleton contributes a very delightful chapter on “ Free Forester Music” ; another old cricketer, also of Middlesex fame, E. Rutter, a chapter on “ The Forester Ball” ; whilst W. E. W. Collins, who, I fancy, must be the cricketer thatplayed for Lord Londesborough’ sEngland Eleven against the Australians at Scarborough in 18S6, is responsible for another section of the book. Altogether a noble memorial of a famous club that has helped to keep the game alive for more than 40 years. Io*geJloreat . I don’t imagine that any lasting good would come from an enlargement of the wickets, much as I sympathize with every endeavour to put an end to abnormal scores. The experiment has beea tried twice:—in 1837, at the suggestion of William Ward, when, in the annual contest between the Gentlemen and the Players, the latter had to defend four stumps, measuring 36 inches by 12 ; and again in 1892, in a match between the M.C.C. and the next Twenty of the Club, when the stumps—made rather thicker than usual—measured 28 by 9, instead of 27 by 8. W. G. (41) was not at all affected by the alteration. As the match was played as early as May 9, before most of the Players had got into form, and the weather was intensely cold, it yielded no practical test. Anyhow it was abandoned after one day’s play, and nothing more was heard of the experiment. We don’t want any radical change that will be temporary only: one cannot legislate for an abnormally fine season like the present. Next year the present wickets may prove a deal too large for most batsmen. At the same time I have long been of opinion that whilst so much has been done to favour batting—perfect wickets, sight-boards, and I know not what else—it is high time that bowling was given a chance. We have heard constantly of unfair bowling; what about unfair batting ? As I have said again and again—and I shall harp upon the same string whenever opportunity offers— alter the l.b.w. law, and batting and bowling, even in the driest season, will be brought down to the same level. But then there will arise a chorus of complaints from the “ ring,” when century innings come at rare intervals. The re-appearance of MacLaren for Lan­ cashire tempts me to make a remark on the captaincy of county and other teams. Apart altogether from his batting skill - about which more anon—his county will be glad of his ser­ vices as skipper. I have seen it remarked, and sundry Lancashire friends have written in confirmation, that the Red Rose Eleven has been badly handled of late. And why? Because an amateur is always chosen before a professional as captain. Don’t misunderstand me. I hold that wherever practicable, the reins of government should always be entrusted to an amateur. History tells us that this is not only desirable but necessary in the long run. For proof, take Surrey and Yorkshire, both having at different periods been captained by amateurs and professionals. But where you have no capable amateur, and you have one or more most trustworthy and experienced professionals, it is to me inexplic­ able that the former should be chosen for this responsible duty. Is it not because we are snobbish even in our sports ? In the olden times amateurs served under pros. Take the A. E. E., when George Parr was supreme, E. M. Grace did not refuse to play under him, nor even to accept a place in the second Aus­ tralian team which the old Notts man com­ manded. Nor again, when Richard Daft led the Notts county team, did I ever h ar of an amateur declining to play unless Daft stepped aside from the seat of authority. It is a reflection on the good sense of the county executives that, when their usual captains cannot play, some inexperienced club amateur is elected to their post, when the team boasts of professionals of known ability and proven character. In these big-scoring days it is refreshing to learn that the youngsters can hold their own. The other day I saw an accouut of a school match played at Cambridge between the Higher Grade School and the New Ches­ terton Juniors. You may depend upon it, every hit wras run out, barring those that went out of the ground. Well, for the first- named club a boy named Stanley Steam, aged fifteen, scored no fower than 204 out of 250 in just a hundred minutes, hitting two 6’s, three 5’s, and twenty-one 4’s. I should like to have seen it. I know no cricket quite so enjoyable as school-boys play. After a very considerable experience as umpire in these matches, I prefer them to county matches. Pity my want of taste if you like; I can’t help my partiality. Where else do you see such enthusiasm, such love of the game for the game’s sake? I know that umpire’s decisions never give satisfac ion in these matches; for all that I love to ‘ ’ stand” in them. And one enjoys the presence of young lads at county matcnes. How they do cha'ter ! But they kn^w all the points of the game, and the names and doings of every player. When Gloucestershire lost at Leeds, some three or four bright-faced boys patted E. M. on the back as he was leaving the pavilion, shouting “ Go it, Teddy.” E. M. enjoyed their cheek immensely. And what of the ladies who follow the game ? Time was when on a southern county ground a lady was never to be se?n. A parson friend of mine used to take his wife to the county matches, until he was requested by an official not to do so. Now-a-days most grounds have ladies’ enclosures. I have got to know by sight several ladies who never miss a match. It may suit the purpose of Mister Punch to put all sorts of ridiculous comments into the mouths of the fair sex so strongly represented at the ’Varsity or School’s match at Lord’s, but some of us know bet er. 1 don’t want Ladies’ cricket, but I hope to have them at cricket so long as I can crawl to a match. Will somebody be good enough to tell me what this announcement means; I saw it in Saturday’8 paper: “ Matches for Monday next, Kent v. Surrey, reduced; Hants v. Essex, reduced? It may mean so many different things. I have had three or four interesting letters lately from an old Surrey cricketer, Tom Sherman, whom the older men amongst us will remember as playing for the county from 1847 onwards, and as a rare good bowler— witness his seven wickets in the second innings against Notts in 1851. He is thinking of writing his reminiscences, and would be glad of an appointment as coach, umpire, &c., to a school, ior which Earl Cadogan has promised him a testimonial. I am in hopes of persuading him to let me take a valuable MS. book at his price. As Surrey have always been so thoughtful of their old cricketers, I have little doubt lhat Sherman will not be overlooked. But as he is silent on this score, I have no means of knowing what are his present circumstances. They are seldom too flourishing in the case of professional cricketers in their old age. It is to be hoped that the Drily Telegraph shilling testimonial will not act as a check on the generosity of the great cricketing com­ munity. There is this danger in a money limit subscription. I have noticed many names down for a shilling who might j ust as easily have subscribed ten or twenty. But perhaps nearly all these subscribers will appear on a second list—their own club or county. I trust that the testimonial w.JI be given in one amount; and not at a banquet, but on Lord’s ground, thrown open to the' public. No place could so fittingly witness such a presentation. Recent cricket requires looking into. Lancashire’smammoth scoring against Somer­ setshire has already been written and talked about with sufficient frequency and fullness. Strange that they should be the last of the older first-class counties to got beyond 5 j 0, and not to stop until 801 were scored. MacLaren’s wonderful innings will be treasured as long as cricket is played. In point of merit it may rank secon/ to W. G.’s unfinished 318 against Yorkshir