Cricket 1895

386 CRICKET A WEEKLY RECORD OP THE GAME. S ept . 5, 1895. twenty-five complete innings, an average of 18 68 , which is nearly the same as those of Bean and Marlow, who are played chiefly or alto­ gether for their hatting. The dry and fast wickets of the early part of this season, and the heavy scoring which has been so general have told Iht ir tale upon his bowling figures, which are much worse than last year, for whereas his county compet.tion average then was thirteen and a half it is now very nearly thirty. But for the improvement in Tape’s bowling it would be a matter of question as to whether Sussex would ever get their opponents’ out for a sufficiently small score to give them a chance of winning, and it is clear lhat Parris requires a treacherous wicket to enable him to bring his peculiar style into play. But upon a bad wicket he has but few, if any, superiors. He is as yet but twenty- eight ye*rs of age, and so bids fair to prove a very useful man to Sus-ex cricket. Our portrait is fruin a photograph by Messrs. Hawkins of Brighton. CLAPTON v. RICHMOND.—Played at Richmond on August 01. C lapton . W.H. Nolloth, b Bush 12 R'. Canby, b Denham 1 B-.R.Bruce, b Denham 9 H-. E. Trafford, b Denham ............... Greenlield (sub), run "out ........ ........ W. E. Hall, c and b. Greaves .............. W. F. Cambridge, run out ..................... A. W. Renals, c Williams, b Bush ... 11 A. J. Dyke, b Denham E. J. Richardson, b O. Lawrence.............. F. M. Harding, c Tanner, b Bush ... J. Attentoro, c Bull, b G. Lawrence H. C. Hood, not out... B 14, lb 3 w 1 ... Total ........ 10 R ichmond . R. N. Hincks, cHood, b Dyke .............. 3 8. Lawrence, not out 3 B 2, lb 1 .............. 3 A. 8. Bull, b Dyke... 14 E. W. Ball, c Dyke, b Canby .............. 1 H. S. Greaves, c Hall, bCanby .............. 11 E. A. Bush, b Canby 8 Total (5 wkts) 50 H.B. Denham, not out 7 S. D. Williams, A. L. Slnper, W. Furze, D. K Brown, C. H. Tanner, and J. B. Rabbidge did not bat. v. NORWOOD.—Played at E. Rymer Jones, b Roe ........ ........ 0 P. P. Lincoln, not out 37 Extras ........ 20 GRANVILLE (L«>e) Lee on August 31. G ranvill : C. J. M. Godfrey, c Ilenty, b Gillespie... 25 W. Morris, nutout ...102 L. R. Havers, b Roe... 33 J. Wilson, junr., b Boe ..................... 0 Total (4wkts) ...217 P. G. 8wann, W. Greer, J. Moore, L. R. Glover, and A. R. Layman did not bat. N orwood . 8. Hollands, b Havers 60 C. A. Checkland, b Havers .............. 0 A. Goodwin, b Moore 38 A. P. Roe, not out .. 0 Extras ........ 14 Total (3 wkts) ...112 J. R. Goold, W. Goodwin, H. A. Sheriff, L. Good­ win, J. D. Gillespie, H. P. Henty, and Last did not bat. HOUNSEY v. ISLINGTON ALBION.-Played at Hornsey on August 31. H ornsey . F. J. Nicholls.cC'oUet, b ^oventon ........32 L II. Bacmeister, bC. Bryer.....................61 D. Nimoio, b Collet... 0 S. L. Clarke, lbw, b Chaldecott ........ 9 E. F. King, b C. Bryer 8 b.S. Taylor, b C. Bryer 16 F. Talbot, b C. Bryer E. F. Nicholls, b C. 1 Bryer..................... 0 F. Bisiker, b C. Bryer 0 L. Orton, b C. Bryer 15 T. A. Nicholls,notout 4 B 18, lb 4, w 2 .. 24 Total I slington A lbion . R. F. Chaldecott, b B icmeister ........ A. \V. Sharp, b Clarke <). H. Beaumont, b Bacmeister ........ I C. Covernton, not out 55 7 H Collet, not out ... 15 9 | Byes .............. 8 4 1 Total ....... 93 C. Bryer, A. Eiloart, A. Wheeler. A. E. Flower, D. Bryer, and J. V. Nimmo did not bat. “ R. T.” RUMINATES. This day begins the Hastings and St. Leonard’s Cricket week, it being the ninth season of this now firmly fixed and most popular annual, which is looked forward to with so much interest. At this very time last year, when referring to the Hastings Cricket Week, my last words were to express all my best wishes to that genial, popular and repre­ sentative cricketer Mr. A. 14. Stoddart and his brother cricketers, then about to start forthwith to Australia—that they might have a pleasant voyage; land in “ full form ” to meet our talented Cricket Brethren over there, and again return safe and sound to the shores of dear Old England ” all of which events, happily came oft'; and here they will be found during the week, playing v. the Rest of England ; a match that was actually arranged with A. E. Stoddart, whilst on tour in Australia, through the foresight of Mr. Wm. Carless,-who, knowing the match would prove most attractive, settled it accordingly by telegrams. Hastings is indeed fortunate in having a Hon. Sec. of so much tact and in­ fluence located in the town; and he has shown it also by his bringing county cricket to Hastings, which proved a great success— in every way—and therefore there is little doubt that more county matches will again and again be seen here, and thus still farther add to the popularity of Hastings as a cricket centre. Thinking of the doings of this season, one can but wonder at the centuries—and centuries—and the beating of records, that have been “ brought off ” and been on view ever since the season first started. W ell! it is only the great batsmen, that from time to time occasionally get these centuries and sensational scores. And one could hardly have looked for and imagined that the Leviathan; the extra good Bigi-un ; our undoubted Champion (W. G.) could have been found in the wondrous form he has shown, after holding a supremcy of close on 30 years, as Head Smiter,” and that against all and everyone. It will be remembered, that at the close of last season, and on the very ground at Hastings, he scored 131 against the express and grand bowling of Arthur Mold, Jack Hearne, W ill Lockwood, and the genial Fred Martin, and the un­ assuming Alec Hearne; all trundlers that want not only a lot of looking at, but much more stopping ; and I must say, that I never saw him put on a better show of masterly batting. The wicket was very dead— from rain— and Mold wanted a deal of nursing; and therefore W .G . altered his style of usually going through at the ball, by putting on forcing back play to the expressers —a la A. P. Lucas—by which style the greater part of that score was made. It is now a matter of cricket history, that he began in 1895 as he left off in 1894 viz., century getting ; and his performance v. Kent at Gravesend—which I am pleased to remember I watched —will stand out as a record, for in this match he was on the field and went through the whole of the match for the three days. I have seen him get so many centuries, that I make no par­ ticular wonderment at that—and 3o0 for once out, as he did iu this match takes some doing; but to see him carry about that 17 stone and a half, for 3 long days, and field, and bat, and hit , and run his runs—and at last bring off an unlooked for win, was a feat I should fancy writh few parallels, and one that showed him up—to all of us—as a marvel of endurance. Some few weeks ago, 1 had the pleasure of sojourning—whilst engaged in a County match—with one of the best of the very best professional batsmen that England has produced. He learnt his cricket fiom onu of the most famous “ Kings of Cricket” ; and it is a great compliment to him, to state that the pupil so benefitted, that iu troubling the scorers he learnt how to surpass the master with larger totals. Let me repeat it, no more finished correct or brilliant timeist ever went to the sticks, and it was a pleasure for me to watch.him again top the century without an atom of blemish —and not until he had passeI the luO was he bagged, by trying to pop the ball into the boundary, when he was caught in the long field; not the first time I have seen him settled that way after a long stay. If there had been a telephone in the room— where wTe chatted our discussion on past and present cricketers -might have been heard, for it was open and candid, one to the other; and as his judgment and reckoning up are such as I value, I was much gratified to hear him agree with me, in an opinion that I have ventured to give forth, that Walter Read, as a batsman and brilliant hitter, and timeist, and run getter, stands forth as next to “ W. G. ” as a Number 2 Champion. When the doughty deeds of a cricketer are in print— and the “ i ” dotted and the “ t ” crossed—no breath of detraction can wipe them out, for facts speak plainly. In his best day, what a superb leg hitter and driver he was—and as a heavv spanker of the over tossed off ball—with brilliant timing—he may be ranked with Mr. I. I). Walker as two of the best we have had, on the offside. “ Time works wonders ” and cricketers will come and go, but as a run getter, and effective batsman for seasons and seasons, Surrey will find it difficult to unearth a batsman to excel Walter Read. But what about A . E. MacLaren, young Charles Townsend and the Prince (I need hardly mention his name) have they not been on the go. Y es ! and I sincerely hope thev will for untold seasons, for the welfare of the game. No one is more popular on the cricket field than “ Prince Ranji ” —not only for his talent as a batsman and field, but aWj f #r his affability and kindliness of manner. As a batsman and consistent run-getter, just now he stands in the very foremost rank ; and as a leg Kitter unrivalled, for since the days of B. B. Cooper, who seldom let a ball pass, I have not watched a batsman that can drop on to the leg ball, whether coming at any part of the body from his foot to his head, or that can shift it to the boundary like he can. And I will now close these ruminations for the present—for the bell will soon ring to make a start for the Cricket Festival; and will conclude with my best wishes—as heretofore —that we may be favoured with fine weather to render it a success in every way. TEDDINGTONv. MITCHAM.-Played at Tedding- ton on August 31. T eddington . E. H. Gunnery, b Keeue ............... l H. S. Goodwin, b Har­ vey .................... 72 A. S. Farnfleld, lbw, b Keene ...............13 G. J. V. Weigall, b Harvey ...............19 A. J. Crowder, lbw, b Keene .............. 38 J. W. Crawfurd, lbw, b Harvey.............. 22 F. Jeffery, c Pillinger, b Hussey.............. 23 W. M. Ratcliff, lbw, b Hussey .............. 42 B. J. T. Bosanquet, c Lee, b Keene........ 4 G. B. Crowder, notout 44 N. E. T. Bosanquet, c Keene, b Hama ... 8 Extras.............. 14 Total ..260 M itcham . H. Hazell, b Crawfurd 5 i M. Moorhouse, notout 6 t H. Pillinger, not out 48 Extras .. 6 T. P. Harvey, c Good- j ........ .... win, b Ciawi'urd ... 14 Total (-2wkts)139 T. D. Lee, A. F. Clarke, W. Jones, M. Hussey, F. Harris, W. Fry aud J. Keene did not bat. In the report of the match, Letherhead v. Dorking, in last week’s issue, A. J. Green is stated to have made 118not out. whereas the batsman making that scoie was H. a. Guodwiu.