Cricket 1895

292 CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. J uly 25, 1805. in 1876. Yorkshire bowling in those days wanted playing. Spite of the opinion recently expressed by C. B. Fry respecting Sara Woods and Tyler as bowlers, MacLaren will not be likely to hold them in awe. I have often said that I should not go to a cricketer for an estimate of a contemporary cricketer. Partiality or prejudice may obscure their vision and so warp their judgment. Out­ siders often are the safe judges. I remember some twenty years ago having a talk with a big batsman about another batsman and a bigger, but hailing from a county between which and his county there had always existed the keenest rivalry. To my astonish­ ment he extolled another batsman, belonging to a third county, who, excellent as were his parts, was manifestly leagues behind the other man. They are all three beyond the reach of jealously now. MacLaren was fortunate in finding Paul in his best scoring humor, and their partnership of 363 was just what the captain needed. W. G.’s 318 (not out) might have been increased indefinitely could any have been found to keep him company. And other great not-out innings might have been of larger dimensions under similar con­ ditions. Still, after all said, MacLaren has made his way. I am glad his score was so far ahead of W. G.’s 344 as to stand out conspicuous. Is it too much to ask the champion to go in and beat it ? Twenty years ago he would have done so. I don’t see why we should shed tears over W. G.’s di&comfiture; he will be the first to rejoice. He has enough records. I remember 1876, and W. G.’s 400 (not out) against Grimsby, and a friend asking me next day, “ How would you have felt had you been one of the 22?” “ Bad,” was my answer, “ so bad that I am afraid I should not have been able to turn up after lunch on the second day. ” (That innings took two days and a half to complete.) I want at the earliestTopportunity to learnby enquiry from the parties concerned whether, in an individual innings of 400, it is harder work for the batsman, the fielders, the scorers, or the spectators. I can honestly say I would not have been in the place of any of them at Taunton last week. Tyler has the satisfaction of knowing that he is the only bowler in the entire history of county cricket off whom more than 200 runs have been scored in one innings; and this has been his late in Somersetshire’s last two matches. One is thankful that the rain has come at last all over the country. There will be no centuries to-day at Lord’s or anywhere else ; at least, the wish is father to the thought with me. Notts are going very badly, although their luck is decidedly hard. They lost the match against Kent partly by losing the toss. The same against Middlesex. But then look at Surrey ; they never win the toss now. John Shuter should have transmitted his lucky penny. In both their matches Notts’ deficit was so heavy as to lead to the conclusion that their cricket was largely at fault. Anyhow, one is delighted that Kent have at last checked their unbroken line of reverses. Exactly twenty years ago they lost every match, but then the list was much shorter. When will this happen again to a first-class county ? Not this year certainly. And will a county ever go through a season without one defeat ? Notts did in 1886 ; that was the last occasion; but Gloucestershire, Lancashire, and Middlesex can make a similar boast. Shrewsbury seems to be as great as ever, with two centuries in successive matches, but he must be supported. Gunn (60 against Kent) fails more frequently than I like. And where was Attewell’s bowling skill ? He lost it against the hop men, whose total—468—was imposing; though he recovered it imme­ diately after against Middlesex. One for 100, and five for 59 form a curious contrast. It was rough on Notts that their old renegade, Walter Wright, should account for thirteen of their wickets at a cost of only 150, And it is funny reading which tells us that Daft was the best of the Notts’ men with the ball. Flowers must repsnt of his absence, as since his return he has done little or nothing. Surrey had a moderate week, beating Hampshire by 7 wickets, and then making a lucky draw with Derbyshire. The latter had just before gone down before Essex, thanks to Kortright’s double first—a not out innings of 55, and no less than 13 wickets at a cost of less than eight runs apiece. Scores of 106 and 75 by the Midlanders must have made Surrey confident, even though Leyton has all the year produced poor scores. At the Oval they changed all that, piling up 252 and 239 for six wickets against Surrey’s 145. Rarely have three men brought off a prettier double than Bagshaw (70 and 76), Davidson (67 and 62), and Chatterton (44 and 76). Sugg got the spectacles, but let that pass. There can be no hesitation in saying that Surrey’s attack has lacked powder of late, though Richardson did get 10 Peakmen at a cost of 16 runs each. I am quite in ignorance of facts, and so may be all at sea in complaining that Hayward did not bowl a ball in this match. He has so often proved handy that I can only account for this on the ground that he was temporarily unwell. [He was suffer­ ing from a strained side. — E d .] Lohmann’ s assistance should be of the greatest service. Bother that sprain now' that the wickets are soft again—too soft perhaps for Richardson to get foothold. Abel (80) woke up at last, and proved that the Derby bowling could be played if you only knew how. I am anxious to see how Druce will shape to-day against Kent. It is probable that Surrey have an eye on him as the future Captain. If so— and this is simply a surmise of my own which may have no foundation in fact—no young player should complain of being shunted. The day is not very far distant when both Key and the two Reads will have got to the end of their tether. So patience, my young brethren of the bat and ball. Everything comes to him who waits. Of Yorkshire’s work last week there cannot be two opinions. Leicestershire and Sussex may not be giants, but they cannot be held cheaply. Better cricket all round than Yorkshire showed at Sheffield I do not want to see. In their single innings of 486—their highest in a first-class county match since 1887—the largest contribution was 75. Every man scored double figures but the stop-gap stumper, who was unfortunately run out. And scarcely a chance was missed by the Midland fielders, whose batting— 137 and 93—was o^ the feeblest. Peel and Hirst, as usual, bowled well; but Wain­ wright (6 for 26 in the second) took all the honors. I have seen him so often this year, and never once come off, that his success on this occasion came as a surprise, especially as the wicket gave him but little help. It was Yorkshire’s day in every respect, their fielding being cleaner and safer than in any previous match of the present year. Then to Huddersfield, and its delightful ground, to welcome Sussex after their great and successful fight against Middlesex. Everybody wanted to see the Eastern Prince bat—the man with a county average of 66, and only one innings under ten runs—with his wonderful leg play. So when the spin of the coin favoured his lordship, great was the disappointment. Never mind, we saw “ Ranji” field, and Yorkshire’s eyes were opened. Brown we admire at point, but it was universally admitted that he must take a back seat nowr. When the Indian went on to bowl, the applause might have been heard ten miles away. Bean too was brilliant, only it struck me that he knew it. But if we re­ gretted Sussex’ luck, we were more than gratified with Yorkshire’s batting. Brown (168, not out) was simply immense. True, he did give one chance—a lightning cut about six inches from the ground and rather wide, which even “ Ranji” could not stick to ; so you may be certain no one could have held it. It was a perfect innings, every ball watched, and scarcely a ball played at the pitch. And the curtain fell on Thursday evening and was not raised again. A rank swindle for all concerned. I wanted, among other things, a second lunch in the delightful marquee erected for the purpose ; the best value I ever had at a cricket match—four courses for eighteen- pence, and as many helpings as you liked— and perfectly served too. Just such a lunch as every ground should put on. Tate bowled very well at the start, but fell away. Fry’s action looked suspicious to a certain order of critics, but for the life of me I did not see him bowl a ball that was not absolutely fair. The finest bowling of the week was Rawlin’s against Notts—7 for 18. That innings of 40 —with Shrewsbury away—was a very modest affair. As Webbe was not out every time he went to the wickets last week, it looks as if he might with advantage move his name up several places in the order-of-going-in list. I am conservative enough to cling to the old custom of putting the not out man in first the next time. There may be nothing gained by it when everyman on the side can make runs, yet when an eleven has to follow on, and the not out man has not scored heavily enough to tire himself out, such a usage has its meaning. Both Hearne and Rawlin bowled very finely at the close of the match with Sussex, who owed their narrow victory entirely to Ranjit- sinhji’s splendid double—110 and 72 out of 285 and 148. But I must be moving off to Leeds. B L A C K H E A T H v. R O Y A L A R T I L L E R Y (W o ol­ w ich).— P layed a t W oo lw ich on J u ly 13. R oyal A rtillery . F irs t In n ing s. Second Innings. Capt. W yn n e, b Th orn ton 11 Capt. A d a ir, b T h orn ton ... 14 M a jo r Curteis, c sub, b Thornton ...........................11 n ot o u t..................... 8 Sergt. Bates, b Thornton ... 16 c H ickson, b Th orn ton ... 0 C. C. V a n Straubenzee, c H eath, b T h o rn to n ...........16 A . E . Perkin s, lbw , b Thornton ...........................18 c H eath , b T horn­ to n ................ 18 C. F . P a rry, c W e ig a ll, b Thornton ................. , ... 5 Capt. H an dley, b H ea th ... 5 Capt.Cram pton, st H ickson , b T h orn ton .......................... 1 B u tle r, c Fegan, b T h orn ton 0 N . Bellaires, not out ........... 1 h t w kt, b T h o rn ­ to n ................... 0 cTonge, b T h o rn ­ ton ...................14 cStew art,bThom - ton ................... 1 b H ea th ........... 1 c Christopherson, b T h orn ton ... 1 B 12, lb 4 ...........16 T o ta l ...114 T o ta l (7 w kts.) 43 B lackheath . S. Castle, b B u tle r ... 10 G . J . V . W e ig a ll, c W yn n e, b Cram pton 33 J . N . Tonge, b S tra u ­ benzee ...................79 J . H . C. Fegan, c A d a ir, b Cram pton 0 A . J. Thornton, b Cram pton ...........17 A . W . Stew art, c B e l­ laires, b C ram pton... 0 F . Escom be, c P a rry, b A d a ir ......................18 S.H ea th ,b Straubenzee 13 J . A . E . H ickson , b Cram pton ..............14 Rev. H . H . W ilfo rd , n o t o u t ......................12 S. Christopherson, b Cram pton ............ 7 B 13, lb 13 ...............26 Total ...........226