Cricket 1897

400 CEIOKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. S ept . 2, 1897. Of the other counties it is not neces­ sary to say very much. They were all more or less unfortunate, either from accidents, or the impossibility of getting the best team together, or from down­ right bad luck. Hampshire were especially handicapped in the matter of absentees, and it was unfortunate for them that Soar was crocked at an important time, but despite all their difficulties, their season was by no means unsatisfactory. Captain Wynyard has been a tower of strength to them; he has not played such big innings as last year, but, like Mr. Brann, he has almost invariably made a good score, whatever the state of the wicket. There are some promising youngsters in the team, and the old members are all useful—when they can manage to play. Warwickshire has also done fairly well, and has made an un­ conscionable number of drawn games. The cricket of the team has suffered from a lack of vitality; the men (that is to say, the batsmen) are good enough, but they do not seem able to put any life into their play, which, from all points of view, is to be regretted. Middlesex seems also to be drifting into a team in which the batting, taken all through, is more or less listless, and as the bowling is weak, the county did badly until the end of the year. Possibly, with the inclusion of Albert Trott in the team next year, there will be an improvement all round. It is a great pity that Mr. Douglas can­ not play more frequently. The chief feather in the cap of Somerset this year is the victory over Surrey in both matches; but the eleven has not often been seen to advantage, owing to a want of bowling, and also of batting. Tyler has again been the mainstay of the team with the ball. Many of the batsmen have made fairly good scores; but in a season when the wickets are hard and true, something more than this is required; some of the team must be able occasionally to make large totals. Kent has, as usual, found great difficulty in placing a representative team in the field, and there is not much to boast of in the results of the season. Martin has come out as a bat, but his bowling has not often been of service, and a new bowler or two must be found if the county is to resume its old position. Leicestershire and Derbyshire have both been remarkably unfortunate in almost every possible way. It is pleasant to find.ihowever, that not a single sugges­ tion has been made that either county should be turned out into the cold] and left to take its chance with Monmouth­ shire and Cornwall. It is more than likely that next season they will both be found formidable opponents. W. A. B e t t e s w o r t h . THE SCARBOROUGH FESTIVAL. 31 GENTLEMEN v. PLAYERS. Played at Scarborough on August 30, and September 1. Abandoned. It cannot be said that the two sides in this match Were anything like representative of the Gentlemen. Only four would have been chosen in the strongest team possible, while from the Players’ Eleven the names of Abel, Hayward, Shrewsbury, Gunn, J. T. Heame and Richardson were missing. This is not to say that the sides were remarkably weak, although if play had taken place on a hard and perfcct wicket, the Gentlemen would soon have began to wonder what to do for b o w liD g . As th in g s turned o u t there was a fair chance for bowlers to do themselves justice, and although the players had a decided advantage in going in first on a pretty easy wicket, the bowling was never really collared; at the same time it was, none of it, very effective. The scoring was not by any means confined to two or three men, for most of the Players continued to run up a big score, while Brown and Baker each played a really fine innings. The Gentlemen had the most unpleasant task of playing out about a quarter of an hour before stumps were drawn, and although two likely men to stop were sent in first, they were both disposed of in the time. Mr. Bull was also offered up as a victim, but he managed to survive, to distinguish himself on the following morning. He is not considered to be a great bat, but from the way in which he shaped on the second morning of the match, he might hive been a man accustomed to going in first wicket down, and perhaps if he loses his bowling one of these days he may develop into a first rate bat. His score of 51 was made by excellent cricket. Mr. MacLaren also played a good game for his 37, while Mr. Jackson was seen at his very best, playing the bowling wi’h confidence, and at the same time shewing strong defence. A t the end of the innings, Lord Hawke put on one of his very useful twenties. But despite the efforts of these men the total fell short of that of the Players by 49, which, however, as the wicket thad by no means improved, was more than could have been expected. In their second innings the Players did not begin very well, but after 3 wickets had fallen, Wainwright and Hirst made a stand. Towards the end of the innings on Wednesday, some very pretty cricket was shewn by Hirst and Board, who delighted the spectators. The Gentlemen had to make 276, and it was per­ haps as well for them that rain put a summarv end to the play when four wickets had fallen. Mr. MacLaren played splendid cricket for 6J. P layers . First innings. Brown, c Jackson, b Jessop 68 Tunnicliffe, c Hawke, b Bull 6 W ard, c Charles, b Bull ... 15 Wainwright, cVernon,b Bull 26 Hirst, c Rice, b Bull ...........28 Baker, c Chinnery, b Spof­ forth ..................................53 Carpenter, c and b Milligan 24 Hearne (A.), lbw, b Jackson 19 Board, lbw, b Spofforth ... 0 Martin, not out ...................27 Mead, b Jackson................... 4 Lb 9, w 1 ...................10 Total ...........280 G entlemen . First innings. H. B. Chinnery, c Board,, b Hirst .................................. 7 R. W . Rice, b Mead ........... 4 F. G. Bull, c Hirst, b Hearne 51 A. C. MacLaren, b W ain­ wright .................................. 35 F. S. Jackson, b Hirst ... 59 G. L . Jessop, c Hearne, b M artin.................................. 4 F. W . Milligan, c Mead, b H eam e..................................11 G. F.Vernon, lbw, b Hearne 12 Lord Hawke, c Tunnicliffe, b Martin .......................... 27 Capt. Charles, not out........... 9 F. R. Spofforth, b M artin... 1 B 7, lb 4 ...................11 Total ...........231 P layers . First innings. Second innings. b Spofforth.......... ! c Jessop, b Bull b B u ll.................. b Jack son .......... ! notout.................. ' b Jackson ......... 1 st Charles,b Bull 8 c and b Bull ... 4 b Jessop ....50 b Jessop ....12 b Jessop ...... 2 Extras ...... 6 Total ...226 Second innings. not ont............... b Wainwright . not out............... c Ward, b W ain­ wright ...........60 b Wainwright ... 23 c Tunnicliffe, b Martin ........... 0 T otal...........130 Second innings. O. M. R. W . O. M . R. W . Bull................. . 43 7 107 4 ........... 34 6 91 4 Spofforth ,.24 7 58 2 .......... 20 5 51 1 Jessop ... .. 17 3 42 1 ........... 18 6 38 3 Jackson.........,. 17 8 28 2 ........... 15 2 40 2 Milligan.......... . 8 0 35 1 Jackson bowled a wide and Jessop one no-ball. G e n t l e m e n . First innings. Second innings. O. M. R. W . O. M. R. W . Hirst ........., . 9 1 19 2 ........... 9 1 27 0 Mead ... ...1 2 2 38 1 ........... 7 0 33 0 H ea m e.........,. 20 4 53 3 Wainwright. ..11 0 50 1 !" 13 3 32 3 Martin ... .. 25'1 3 60 3 ........... 15 3 38 1 SURREY y. SUSSEX. Played at Brighton on August 30 and 31, and September 1. Abandoned. Although this match was not half as exciting as it would have been if a chance had still remained to Surrey to gain the Championship by a victory, but for all that a good deal of interest was taken in it. Sussex could very well do with another win, while the Surrey men were not at all anxious to go below Essex in the Championship list. The choice ofJfirst innings fell to Sussex, but on the first day’s play there did not seem any advantage in this, for when stumps were drawn Surrey were in an excellent position. The Sussex innings was remarkable for one of Mr. Brann’s careful and excellent innings, now always expected of him and so seldom missing. He was batting for two hours and ten minutes for an exceedingly useful 64, an innings which was all the more valuable because most of the rest of the team could not make runs. The Prince was unfortunate. Almost as soon as he had begun his innings he was obliged to retire, owing to a bad attack of asthma, and although he was allowed to return, and hit half- a-dozen fours in succession, he was obviously “ off colour.” Thanks to him and Mr. Brann the total was fairly good. When Surrey went in Abel again failed, and Lees, who for a change was put in first wicket down, was out of his element and only made 2. Brockwell, however, played very pretty cricket for 34, and at the end of the day Baldwin and Mr. Jephson wore down the bowling and carried their bats, the Surrey total being 92 for three wickets. On Tues­ day morning Baldwin did not stop long, being bowled by Bland for a well-played 33, but Mr. Jephson was not so easily disposed of. He raised his score from 18 to 42, and but for him the collapse of his side would have been alarming. As it was, despite the good start, the team was out for only five more than Sussex had made. A disaster soon befell the Sussex team in the second innings, Mr. Brann being lbw to Lees for 7. There was a very high wind blowing, and as Lees got two more men lbw, it is charitable to suppose that the ball curled in the air. A very good innings was played by Mr. Fry, and Ranjitsinhji made 33—what is nowadays about his usual score— but the stand of the day was made by Mr. Murdoch and Bean, who completely mastered the Surrey bowl­ ing. Both made over 60 on an improving wicket, and both played fine cricket. W hen play ended Sussex were 246 runs on with three more wickets to fall, Mr. Murdoch with 74 to his credit having a possible chance of raising his score to a hundred. But un­ fortunately for him the game was abandoned on Wednesday owing to rain. S u ss e x . First innings. C. B. Fry, b Lees.................. 19 G. Brann, b Richardson ... 64 K . S. Ranjitsinhji, b Lees... 31 W . L. Murdoch, b Richard­ son.......................................... 8 W . Newham, b Richardson 0 Bean, b Richardson ........... 1 Parris, rim out .................. 4 J. C. Hartley, b Richardson 7 Butt, not out.......................... 13 Tate, lbw, b Jephson.......... 4 Bland, b Jephson.................. 2 Bye ........................... 1 Second innings, b Richardson ... 52 lbw, b Lees ... 7 lbw, b Lees ... 33 n o to u t.................74 lbw, b Lees ... 0 c W ood, b Brock­ well .................. 53 b Richardson ... 4 c W ood, b Keene 15 not out.................. 4 B 8, lb 1 ... 9 Total ...................154 Total (7 wkts.)251 S u r r e y . Abel, c Butt, b Bland 7 Brockwell, c sub,, b Bland..........................34 Lees.st Butt,b Hartley 2 D. L. A. Jephson, c Butt, b Tate .......... 42 Baldwin, b Bland ... 33 H. G. D. L e v e s o n - Gower,c Butt,b Tate 1 K . J. Key, c Bland, T a t e ........................ Braund, b Tate ... . W ood, b Bland ... . Richardson, b Bland. Keene, not out ... . B 1,1b 3, w 2, nb 11 1 .. 12 .. 0 Total S u ss e x . First innings. Second innings. O. M. R. W . O. M. R. W . K een e.......... 9 3 19 0 ... ... 18 1 45 1 Richardson 30 7 64 5 ... ... 36 11 97 2 Jephson 52 0 19 2 ... ... 4 0 21 0 Lees ........... 25 10 39 2 ... ... 22 5 62 3 Brockwell ... 1 0 12 0 ... ... 12 7 17 1 S u r r e y . Bland ... Hartley Parris ... O. M. R. W . 33 311 69 5 13 4 35 1 7 3 13 0 Tate Fry O. 24 3 M. R. W . 13 43 4 2 1 0 Bland bowled two wides and Hartley two no-balls.