Cricket 1895

3 4 " ~ CRICKET • A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE CAME. M arch 28, 1895. Crawford in the middle “ lifting the leather” with that strong right arm of his. A well-preserved man of forty-five, the Rev. J. C. Crawford was born in Robertsbridge, and has in his time repre­ sented the Gentlemen of Sussex, Hereford­ shire, Kent, and the Second Eleven of Surrey. “ I suppose yon will soon be thinking of giving up the game ? ” I enquired, incautiously. “ GiviDg it up ! ” roared the Chaplain, “ Why, my dear sir, I ’ve hardly started. True, last year was the first season I failed to get my thousand runs, but I was rather unlucky. I scored 800. Now, I have been playing here for about twelve years—How many do you think I ’ve scored in that time ? ” “ Six thousand ? ” I hazarded. “ No, not 6 ,000—over 12,000! And I hope to be good for as many more. It is a grand game, cricket, and every member of my family is in love with it. We can get seven players out of the house.” “ Then you don’t object to ladies play­ in g ? ” “ Not at all; my girls revel in it. In a match at Addiscombe one of them took nine wickets and scored 25. Then there is Frank here. In another couple of years I hope to see him given a chance in the Surrey Eleven, which he will certainly earn if he sustains his form.” It was not without difficulty I could get Mr. Frank Crawford to tell me about his performances, and they are certainly astonishing in their consistency. Bom in Leicestershire but sixteen years ago, young Crawford is still at Whitgift Grammar School, where last season he had the honour of creating one of the seven records for the eleven, his average of 35 being twelve runs in advance of the previous best. A tall, well-proportioned fellow, Frank Crawford is the son of his father in style, as a glance at some of his records will show. He opened his latest and most success­ ful season on April 28th last, when for Cane Hill against the Erratics he scored 37, and took four wickets for 35, following which came a few “ mixed ” efforts. A “ duck ” and three wickets for the Erratics v. Croydon; six runs and seven wickets for the Surrey Colts v. Honor Oak; a “ duck” for the S.C. v. Barnes; 45 against the Ground and Staff; 12 runs and three wickets for Cane Hill against King’s College ; 0 and one for 23 (Whit­ gift v. Croydon); 0 and seven for 50 (Whitgift v. Cane H ill; and six and four for 33 for Whitgift v. Merchant Taylors. Then young Crawford thought it time to make an effort, and in three school matches he (against the Whitgift Wan­ derers) scored 15 runs and bowled five for 32; hit up 68 , not out, in twenty minutes, and in two innings took 10 wickets for 12 runs (v. City of London School); and he made 38 and took four for six and five for 21 against Mill Hill School. Continuing these successes, he treated K ing’s College to a taste of his quality by making 31 and capturing 10 wickets for 57, following this up by carrjing his bat through an innings of 74 from the bat for 58, When his batt­ ing failed to come off he was certain to do something effective with the ball, successive feats of four for three (v. Crystal Palace), five for 20 (v. Caterham Depot), and six for 20 (v. Blackheath School), showing that Frank Crawford is a very useful man to have on your side. On June 30 he scored 101 out of 134 for the first wicket against Addis­ combe, and in the same match secured six wickets foi 58 runs. Space will not permit of enumeration of all the doughty deeds then performed by this champion in embryo, who during the season was responsible for an aggre­ gate of 1637 runs and 236 wickets. In scoring 93 against East Molesey he lifted one ball “ out of town,” and sent the next into the river; other notable per­ formances being 57 and eight (and eight wickets for 29) against the London County Council, 53 v. Peripatetics, and 17 wickets for 20 runs versus Col. Randall’s eleven (also scoring 23 and 27). Perhaps the best thing young Frank Crawford ever did, however, was when, against the M.C.C. and Ground, he rattled up 63, not out, out of 78 from the bat. Enough has been said to show what manner of cricketer is this who is growing up amongst us. Following an inspection of the Rev. Crawford’s collection of birds—he is an enthusiastic exhibitor at the Crystal Palace Shows—that gentleman, who is a delightful raconteur, entertained me to many interesting reminiscences. It appears that in the early days of the Cane Hill team the Surrey Club and Ground—who were never at a loss for good players to visit this charming village—were easy marks for the locals. On one occasion the captain, in passing the house, was overheard to declare that he would put Cane Hill in if he won the toss, and then Surrey could go on batting for the rest of the afternoon. It was a pretty arrangement as it happened, the Rev. Crawford took first innings, and started by scoring a century, the poor visitors being kept in the field all through a broiling summer’s day until half-past five. A series of reverses, however, spurred the Club and Ground into sending more powerful elevens in future, and as Cane Hill is not so strong now as it used to be the Asylum have not fared well in the latest engagements. I sounded the Rev. Crawford on various current questions agitating the cricket world. He is decidedly of the opinion that throwing is unpleasantly common, and was reminded of a certain young Surrey professional who checked abuddiug score by deliberately “ chucking” two balls, from the second of which he was easily caught at deep slip. Mr. Craw­ ford heartily agrees with the alteration in the follow-on rule, though I understand him to be in favour of giving the captain the option of going in himself. Questioned as to the tendency of counties to import “ foreign” talent, my host thought it scarcely possible for local players to be exclusively depended upon. Although Mr. Crawford went to Oxford he was not successful in gaining his Blue. “ Itis only the very best cricketers who are honoured with a place in the ’Varsity match,” he said. Football has also claimed a good deal of attention from the Chaplain of the Cane Hill Lunatic Asylum, but though he formed one of Mr. C. W. Alcock’s famous Wanderers’ Eleven, he still considers Rugby the better game of the two—a partiality anybody looking at his stalwart figure can readily comprehend, tie is every inch an ideal scrummager. “ Foot­ ball has altered a great deal since I played it thirty years ago,” said the Rev. Crawford, “ and there is no doubt pro­ fessionalism has had a lot to do with the transformation, though personally I do not agree with the payment of players. It makes for foul play, and foul play is not sport.” I was introduced to Miss Leslie Craw­ ford, a charming young lady, and, of course, another devotee of the summer game. Indeed, Miss Crawford takes infinite pride in the knowledge that she can often “ stick up ” her brother—a fact to be proud of looking at his astonishing record. Altogether the Crawfords, from the father downwards, are a thoroughly sporting family, and their cricket ability is not to be estimated lightly. The hopes of the house are of course concentrated in “ young Frank,” and it needs but con­ stant practice to place him in the front of English amateurs. He is only sixteen years of age. A season or two more, and who knows but he may develop into a second Grace! It will be to Surrey’s advantage to keep a watchful eye upon this young celebrity. S .D . B. THE TWELFTH ENGLISH TEAM IN AUSTRALIA . Continued from Cricket of Feb. 28th. FOURTEENTH MATCH—v. EIGHTEEN OF DANDENONG. One of the pleasantest off matches of the tour was played at Dandenong, a pretty place in the hills, twenty-five miles from Melbourne, on Jan. 25th and 26th. A special train took the English­ men to the hills, and after the usual formal welcome by the Mayor and Town Councillors, they were driven to the ground. Stoddart won the toss, and the Englishmen tossed to decide the order of going in. Briggs and Brown went in first, but the former’s luck in drawing the first number did not stick to him, as he was caught before a run had been made. Then the man who caught his, missed Stoddart when he only made 5, and again when the captain was 19 he was let off, this time by the member of the team for whom the substitute had been requisitioned. The captain returned due thanks by hitting splendidly, and before he was caught he made 81. He hit two 6 ’s, six 4’s, and seven 3’s. A hit to the chains counted 3, and one over 4 , and it was the effort to hit the ball over the chains, that many of the visitors came to grief. Ford hit splendidly, but Lockwood, who has not lately been