Cricket 1897

296 CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. J u ly 22, 1897. BUSSEY’S < C C f r « BATS. HIGHEST GRADE . BUSSEY’S BALLS. HIGHEST GRADE. BUSSEY’S GUARDS. H IGHEST GRADE . BUSSEY’S < c c & « GLOVES. HIGHEST GRADE BUSSEY’S < C Q t K C BAGS. HIGHEST GRADE . CRICKETERS’ < C C B ^ DIARY IS A GUM FOR 6d. CATALOGUES ON APPLICATION TO CITY DEPOT— 36 & 38, QUEEN VICTORIA STREET LONDON. OR DEALERS ALL OVER THE WORLD. MANUFACTORY— PECKHAM , LONDON . TIMBER M ILLS— ELMSWELL, SUFFOLK. BETWEEN THE INNINGS. A week of high scoring, indeed, was that which ended last Saturday, of such consis­ tently high scoring as has seldom been chronicled. In the eleven first-class matches played 10,472 runs were scored and 354 wickets fell—an average of close upon 30 per wicket. Only in one match did the aggregate scoring fall below 700, and in that one 697 runs were made. Four of the elevenmatches produced respectively 1,196, 1,150, 1,055 and 1,021 runs; in four others the aggregates were over 900. Totals of 681 (for 5 wickets), 489. 476, 472, 424, 421 and 420 were run up. Individual scores of 311, 183, 174, 162, 153, 147, 125, 115, 113, 111, 107, 107, 104*, 103, 101 and 100 (sixteen three-figure innings in all) were made. In writing of such doings as these one is puzzled where to begin. I did not refer to Tyldesley’s double century last week ; but the fact that he has followed it up with a score of 174 in his very next first- class match renders reference to it natural and fitting enough now. Almost at one bound the young Lancashire professional has done what Storer, by a very similar performance, accomplished last year—placed himself in the very front rank of professional batsmen. Tyldesley started the season fairly well with a score of 35, but did not shine in his county’s next three matches. Since May 27, however, he has only once been out underdouble figures (for a duck in the first innings v. Surrey at the Old Trafford), and his scores during that time have been: 45, 46, 13, 10, 25, 49*, 14,. 0, 34, 18, 19, 31, 26, 54, 53, 106, 100* and 174. Without the last three innings his reccrd would, of course, have seemed only that of a good, consistent useful man on a side, such a man as any county would be glad to have, but not a player of especial brilliance. But one looks at those 20’s and 30’s and 40’s in a different light when one regards them as the prelude to such innings as his last three ; they show that his form is no mere flash in the pan, and that the Red Rose supporters may safely look to him for many runs in the future. But of course the innings of the season thus far is Brown’s 311. Brown we knew of old as a really great bat, though scarcely of late at his very best; and yet perhaps he was not the man one would have chosen as likely to run up what will probably prove the score of the year. Poor old Sussex ! One has not so often of late had to use that well-worn phrase ; but such an experience as that which Murdoch and his men had at Sheffield calls for all the sympathy one has to bestow. The bowlers’ analyses are eloquent of suffering : Bland, 52 overs. 165 runs, 1 wicket; Tate, 57-107-0; Parris, 45-117-1; Killick, 26-74-1. Lucky was it for the Prince that he was at Lord’s, though perhaps, like the great-hearted player he is, he would rather have been with his comrades in their hour of tribulation. The stand of Brown and Tunnicliffe is not only the highest on record for the first wicket in first-class matches; it standssecond among the partnerships for any wicket, and only twenty below the record 398 of Shrewsbury and Gunn—also against Sussex. Other stands of over 300 made against the Sussex bowling have been Sir T. C. O’Brien and R. S. Lucas’s 338 for Middlesex two years ago, and Gunn and Shrewsbury’s 312 in 1891. The following will be found, I believe, a complete record of the stands of 200 or more for the first wicket in first-class matches :— LONG PARTNERSHIPS FOR FIRST W ICKET. 378, Brown & Tunnicliffe, Yks. v. Sx., Sheffield, ’97. 316, Hewett & L Palairet, Smt. v. Yks., Taunton, ’92. 303, Marlow & G. L Wilson, Sx. v. O.U.,Brighton,’95. 283, B.B.Cooper&W.G.Grace,G.ofS.v.P.ofS.,Oval,’69. 266, Shrewsbury & Stoddart,Eng.v.M.C.C..Lord’s,’87. 243, Key & Rashleigh, O.U. v. C.U.. Lord’s. ’86. 238, W.G.Grace &Matthews,Glos.v.Yks.,Sheffield,’72. 231, Abel & Brockwell, Surrey v. Sussex, Oval. ’97. 228, O’Brien & Stoddart, M dx. v. Sy., Lord’s. ’93. 226, Abel & W.G.Grace, South v. North, Scarboro’ ,’89. 218, Hayman & Stoddart, Mdx. v. Yks., Lord’s, ’96. 217, Bean & G. L. W ilson. Sx. v. Glos., Brighton. ’93. 208, Ld.Harris&Ld.Throwley,K t.v.Sx..Gravesnd,’82. 205, Jupp & W. W. Read, Sy. v. Yks., Oval, ’77. 203, Stoddart & Webbe, Mdx. v. Kt., Gravesend, ’83. 205, Fowler & L. Palairet, Smt. v.Glos., Bristol, ’95. 204, Abel & Brockwell, 8y. v. Wwk.. Birmingham, ’97. 203, W.G.Grace & Webbe,Gent. v. Players,Lord’s, ’75. 2 '2, Brown & Chatterton, North v. South, Oval, ’94. 200, Bchlen &Patterson,Phil.v.Mtchll’sXI.,H vrfd,’95. W. G. and Stoddart, two of the most famous of first men in, have each had a hand in four of these, though never in partnership. Abel has been concerned in three, two of them in conjunction with Brockwell during the present season; and these two are the only pair of batsmen who have twice accomplished the great feat while in partnership. The names of Lionel Palairet, Brown, G. L. Wilson and A. J. Webbe occur twice each. Brown annexes at least four records with his great 311. It is the highest score :— (*) By a professional batsman in a first-class mati'h; (ti) For Yorkshire; (tit) Against Sussex; (iv) On the Bramall Lane ground. The professionals who have scored 200’s in first-class cricket are:—Shrewsbury (ten times), Gunn (five times), Abel (three times), and T. Marsden, Harry Jupp, Ephraim Lock­ wood, George Davidson, Frank Sugg, Albert Ward, Peel, Brown himself, and the two Tom Haywards (once each). But none of these reached 300, the highest of thembeing David­ son’s 274 at Old Trafford last year, which is closely followed by the two 267’s of Shrews­ bury. What a wonderfully improved batsman Wainwright is ! Without doubt he is this season quite one of the best batsmen in the country - a distinction which certainly could not have been claimed for him before, though ever since he joined the Yorkshire eleven in 1888 he has been a useful rungetter. But he has never before made a four-figure total in a season. This year he reached the thousand as early as July 13, on the same day as, but at a later hour than, his comrade Brown. Last season Wainwright looked a practical certainty for a place in the 1,000 runs list; but his batting fell off wofully in the last month or so of the season, and he had to be content in the end with an aggregate of 959. Up to the end of 1896 he had made altogether five first-class centuries; but this season he has already managed to double his total, his scores up to date including 100, 171, 118*, 104* and 103. He has been wonderfully con­ sistent, too, for two more of his remaining 2 1 innings were of over 70, five of over 30, and seven of 20 and over. Here is his complete record since he began playing first-class cricket:— W AIN WRIGHT’ S BATTING AVERAGES. Year. Inns. Not out. Runs. Aver. Highest score. 1888 ..................37 .. . 4 .. . 497 ... 15*06 ... 105 1889 ..................31 .. ,. 1 ..,. 523 .. . 17-43 ... 53 1890 ..................26 .. 1 .... 283 ... 11-32 ... 59 1891 ..................31 .. .. 0 .. . 447 .. . 14-41 ... 63 1892 ..................39 .. ,. 4 .. . 890 .. . 25 42 ... 104 1893 ..................39 .. . 2 .. . 687 ... 18-59 ... 78 1894 ..................49 .. .. 4 .. . 786 ... 17-46 ... 107 1895 ..................52 .. .. 1 .. . 862 .. . 16-90 ... 82 1896 ..................48 ., .. 5-.. . 959 ... 2-2-30 ... 115 1897 (to July 17) 27 ... 3 .. . 1138 ... 47-41 ... 171