Cricket 1897

M a y 27, 1897. CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 169 NOT ICE ! The Editor guarantees the insertion of the Match Scores of Clubs only when arrangements are made for the publica­ tion of the whole of the season’s scores. The charge is One Shilling each match, with a minimum of One Guinea. Scores not thus arranged for are inserted at the rate of Two Shillings each match if space admits. “ C b ick e t ” is published on Thursday morning. Price 2d. Post free 2|d. Annual Subscription (Inland) 6s. Od. Summer Numbers (only) - - 5a. Od. Winter Numbers ,, - - Is. 3d. Payable in Advance. Cheques and P.O.O. to bemade payable to the Manager. All communications should be sent direct to the Offices: 168, Upper Thames Street, London, B.C. C ricket : A WEEKLY RECORD OF TEE GAME, 168, UPPER THAMES S TR EET, LONDON, E.C . THUR SDAY , M A Y 27 t h , 1897. $a\)tlton (ioss-tp* The abstract and brief chronicle of the time.— Hamlet. I t would be interesting to know how many captains of first-class county teams agree with the policy of Mr. Jackson in allowing the match with Essex to be finished on Friday night. Essex had still to make 17 runs at half-past six with three wickets to fall, two men, Mr. Kort- right and Mead, being well set at the time. It is, as even the novice knows well enough, a very different thing to begin an innings from continuing it when one is well set, and as the bowlers had the best of it on the whole throughout the match, Essex would have had a very anxious time if the game had been ad­ journed until the Saturday morning. It is necessary to refer in “ Gossip” to the action of the Yorkshire captain because it may be said to have created a prece­ dent. That it was sportsmanlike will not be denied by anybody. N .E. AND N. winds, light; fine, warmer in daytime. Such were the weather pros­ pects forthewholeof England onTuesday. Relying on this forecast the Daily Graphic weather lady ventured out without a hat or umbrella, in the lightest of rai­ ment, but she evidently deemed it wise to leave England behind her, for she seated herself by the seasideand watched Roman galleys pass by. It was fortunate for her that shedid not go to Nottingham, where there was a heavy thunder-storm, or to various other cricket grounds where play' was interrupted by rain. A C u r io s it y . In the first-class matches on Thursday and Friday last all the scores from 50 to 59 (except 54) were made by some batsman or other. The list is as follows:— Paul (Lancashire v. Hampshire) .................... 50 E. A. Stoddart (Mr. Webbe’s XI. v. Cambridge) 51 E. M. Barrett (Hampshire v. Lancashire) ........ 51 H, R. Bromley-Davenport (Mr. Webbe’s XI. v. Cambridge ................................................... 52 H. B. Chinnery, not out (Surrey v. Sussex)... 53& 53 K. S. Ranjitsinhji (Sussex v. Surrey) ...............I 55 Alec. Heame (Kent v. M.C.C.).................... ... 55 Lord Hawke (M.C.C. v. Kent)........................... 55 C. E. M. Wilson (Cambridge v. Mr. Webbe’s XI) 55 G. F. Vernon (Mr. Webbe’sXI. v. Cambridge ... 56 F. S. Jackson (Yorkshire v. Essex)..................... 57 Smith (Lancashire v. Hampshire) .................... 58 Chatterton (M.C.C. v. Kent) ........................... 59 It is apity that, for the sake of symmetry, nobody made 54, but Hirst, A. P. Lucas, Bland, K . J. Key, Barton, and Webb, all made 27, which is some little consolation. G o in g home from Leyton: First Essex Man : “ That Kortright, ’e do peg ’em down, and no error.” Second Essex Man : “ Aye. And that young Bull he do tie ’em up.” F. E. M. (doubtful as to whether he is being ‘ had’) : “ When I said ‘ peg ’em down ’ I meant the ball, not the batters.” S. E. M .: “ Nobody never said you didn’t, did they ?” (Discussion ends abruptly.) As a bowler, Storer is regarded with enthusiasm by the crowd. They know for a certainty that something out of the common will happen when he goes on. There will, for instance, be a full pitch or two which will be despatched to the boundary with great force; there will be one or two spasmodic jumps on the part of the batsman when the ball is an awk­ ward one; there will be a variation in length which opens up all sorts of possi­ bilities in the way of big hitting; and the odds are that a wicket will fall. B a k e r ’ s 153 for Lancashire against Notts was exactly one-half of the total of the runs made by Lancashire from the bat. I t is such an unusual thing for a Sussex bowler to have a better analysis than any other man who bowls in first-class cricket the same day, that Bland’s performance against Cambridge certainly ought to be recorded for the benefit of posterity. It was 22 overs, 7 maidens, 40 runs, 7 wickets, and 26-l overs, 15 maidens, 32 runs, 7 wickets. To take on Surrey and Yorkshire as the first two matches of the season would be a huge (ask for any county; for Leices­ tershirewithout the assistance ofPougher, it could only end in one way— two severe defeats. At the same time it must be a satisfaction to Leicestershire to feel that both the return matches take place at Leicester. T h e M.C.C. team against Essex only included five men who regularly play in first-class cricket. But it proved too fctrong for the conquerers of Yorkshire. How did Essex manage to beat York­ shire ? is a question which is being asked very generally. To this it might be repliedthat Mr. Bull’sbowling— especially his slow ball— was evidently not quite understood by the Yorkshiremen, who could not time him; that Mr. Kortright had all the luck that he could have wished for, and perhaps a little more ; and that the Yorkshiremen seemed for once to have made up their minds that they were, if not exactly playing a losing game, at least not a winning one. M r . B ra n n ’s last hundred (before his 126 against Cambridge University this week) was 115 for Sussex against Middle­ sex, in June, 1895. Last year he was only able to play in 17 innings, and his highest score was 49. His great year was 1893, when, until after one of his long innings he had a slight touch of sun­ stroke, he was one of the two or three most talked of men of the day. Since that time he has generally done fairly well, but this year he seems to have quite got back into his old form. O n Saturday Mr. E. Chapman, for Honor Oak v. Townley Park, took 4 wickets with successive balls, bowling his man each time. S. G. Nicholson, in a school match at Higher Broughton, Man­ chester, took 8 wickets for 3 runs, and did the hat trick. A FEW examples of consistent batting : W. L. Murdoch : -44 & 13, 51 & 12, 46 & 72,105. A b e l 144, 8&95, 250, 5 & 144, 64. K. J. Key 66, 37 & 27 not out, 110, 27 & 37 not out, 26. Wainw right1& 20, ICO, 47, 20& 3, 25. H. B. Chinnery 1, 25& 46, 32, 55& 53not out,50 P. S. Jackson 28& 4, 68, 124, 8 & 57, 31. K. 8. Ranjitsinhji:— 29& 22,260,7 & 157, 0& 55, 26 G. Brann 66& 0, 47 & 12. 126. F. W. Milligan :— 26& 9, 35,15,31not out & 26, 42. I t is suggested by the Yorkshire County Committee that the testimonial to Lord Hawke shall be presented at Leeds on July 27, during the return match with Somerset. As the result of an appeal to Essex men to reduce the debt of the county cricket club, Colonel Mark Lockwood, M.P., announces that the debt has been reduced from £1,200 to £350. He hopes that in a short time the county W l be altogether free from embarrassments. T he progress, as a batsman, of Martin this season is interesting. He began (tenth man) with 6 and 0; was promoted to ninth place and made 71; his next four innings (tenth man again) were 5 and 35, 7 and 0. The Kent captain in the M.C.C. match promoted him to fifth ; his scores were 8 and 40. Finally, as seventh man, he made 6 and 36 for M.C.C. v. Essex on a bowler’swicket. I t is quite a pleasant experience to watch Martin making runs. He seems to enjoy himself very much while he is in; and if he is only half as surprised at the effect of some of his strokes as are the spectators he must live in a state of en­ joyable bewilderment. Any man who