Cricket 1897

422 CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. S ept . 16, 1897. am going to make a suggestion to the committee that one of the matches should be Married v. Single, or under 30 and over 30, which has not been played for very many years I believe. It would, I fancy, be more interesting than North v. Smth. and would cover the same ground. Needless to say we get all sorts of suggestions from correspondents, some of them very quaint.” “ Do you suppose that the spectators are chiffly composed of visitors to the tow n ?” Visitors certainly come in great num­ bers, but the Week attracts people from all parts of Sussex, Kent and Surrey and for the matter of that, England. I per s >nilly know men who regularly come down here from the North of England on purpose to see the cricket. The matches played d u riD g theWeek have undoubtedly been the means of creating an interest in first-class cricket in the East Sussex district, and this was exemplified by the attendances at the county matches which of late years Sussex has played out of Brighton—three at Hastings, and one at Eastbourne. The average attendance is about 3,000, while on the second day of the Australian match last year there were 5,003 on the ground. We have never had any trouble with spectators, partly because we have always set our ftces against admitting them unless play is p 'ssible. On the first day of this present Week we admitted 1,300 or 1,400 in about twenty minutes, which, for a town of the size of Hastings, is not bad. But, of course, we have a great advantage in that the ground is situated right in the centre of the town, at about a minute from the sea, and two or three minutes from the station.” “ Why do you always divide the week into two parts, with a Sunday between p“ “ Chiefly because by a clause in the “ Trust deed” the ground has to be opened one day in each week to the public, free so that by arranging the matches as we do, we are able to keep to our agreement Besides this, the Sunday is enjoyed by all the cricketers, and I don’t know whether it isn’t an advantage to have the week as it is. Oa the free day in each week there are generally several matches going on at the s ime time—not in the centre, of course—and one day this yeir no less than 200 players were counted, and this on a field which is just under seven acres. Fortunately, there has never been an accident. The free day is no doubt a drawback, and makes the task of the groundmen very difficult, while football is, as usual, a much debated subject.” “ It is difficult to see how you can manage to get good wickets when you have to allow all sorts of games to go on during one day each week.” “ Well, the wickets are good as a rule, and several times upwards of 900 runs have been made in matches during the Week, which is pretty good work, as we have to draw stumps very early indeed, because of the shadows. In September we have to ceise play soon after five o’clock, fjr by thit time the shadows creep up to tie wicket. Tne ground soon recovers after rain, for it is very well drained. A few years ago while the Week was in progress a very heavy thunderstorm broke over the hills which surround the ground. As it happened to be high tide at the time the water which poured down in torrents could not get away by the flushing drains, with the result that iu the morning the ground was covered with water, in some places up to the knees. Gunn, who always takes rooms in a pirt of the town overlooking the ground, said that when he looked out in the morning he seriously thought of going for a swim in the improvised bathing place. When the tide went out the drains acted as usual and by three o’clock we were able to play. The ground is not more than three or four feet above the level of the eca at high water. At one time it forn .^' ,>art of a haven, and in the memory of sjrne of the oldest inhabi­ tants ships were built on the spot where the Queen’s Hotel now stands. During very dry weather you cin easily trace the course of the river which used to run through the ground—-the grass is always of a different colour from the rest. Nowadays this stream flows through the Alexandra Park, and thence goes to the sea through flashing drains.” “ Has the Hastings cricket club any­ thing to do with the Week ? ” “ No. The cricket ground is vested in trustees, and it is managed by a com­ mittee appointed under the agreement, which is quite independent of any other committee. The Cricket Week Committee gives the cricket club a considerable per­ centage of the net profits made on the week. As it happens the mayors of Hastings, including the present mayor, Major Weston, usually serve on the cricket week committee, of which Herbert Pigg, James Phillips, and the Rev. H. C. Tindall have long been members. The amateurs who play during the week are put up at the East Sussex Club, St. Leonards, which gives them the same advantages as if they were guests at a private house. W. A. B e t t e s w o r t h . CLAPTON V. WALTHAM STOW . - Played at Clap- ton on September 4. C l a p t o n . 8. A. Asser, b Thoro­ good .......................... F. A. Bjys, b Thjro- g o o d ......................... 8. Genders, c Guuton, b T h orogood........... J. H. D.mglas, e Gun- ton, b Th^rogood ... H. Boyton, b Gowen . H. E. T ra fford , b Thjrogood ........... W a l t h a m s t o w . C.E.Chapman ,bGowen Dr.Ladell bThorogood H. L. Urling, lbw, b Thorogood ........... J. H. Douglas, ju o., c Collard,b Thorogood — Brung s, not out ... B 4, lb 1 ........... Total — Gunton, b Asser ... 2 — Hare, c Boys, b Boyton ...................15 i W .W . Thorogood, not out .......................... 17 CLAPTON v. W ALTHAM STOW . Walthamstow on September 4. W a l t h a m s t o w . - Gowen, b Douglas.. 28 - Runchman, not out 1 Byes ................... 2 Total (3 wkts.) 65 Played at H. C. Hobbs, c Abbott, b C oop er...................14 E. Latham, lb w , b Cooper .................. 7 J. Johns, c Abbott, b Griffey .................. 4 G.E.Nicholls.b Cooper 10 . W. Clayton, b Griffey 6 I W . A. Workman, b Cooper ................... 1 1 C l a p t o n . HAMPSTEAD v. CRYSTAL PALACE.—Played at Hampstead on September 8. H a m p s t e a d . First innings. Second innings H .H . Cobb,c& b L.S.W ells 2 b Dunlop ...........11 H. R. Lipscombe, c L. S., b c C. M.Wells, b C. M. Wells .................. 2 Dunlop ...........14 A. A . Cartor, st A. Brown, st J. M. Camp- b C. M. Wells .................. 9 bell, b Bicknell W . S. Hall, b C. M. Wells 3 G. Quirk, b C. M. Wells ... 0 C. D. Me Millin, hit wkt, b L. S. Wells..................... 6 not out..................... H. C. McNeill, st A. Brown, b L. 8. Wells ... ... ...1 3 notout..................... E. R. Watson, o and b L. S. Wells ..................................12 b Dunlop ............. E. E. Briggs, c Dunlop, b C. M. Wells .................. 5 F. V. Selfe, st A. Brown, b L. S. W ells......................... 5 c and b Bull F. Geoghegan, not out ... 4 Extras .......................... 4 Total L. S. Wells, b Selfe ... 24 F. D. Browne, b Hale 10 G. E. Bickuell, b Selfe 16 J. F. Dunlop,#c and b Hale .......................... 1 C. M. Wells, b Hale ... 0 J. H. T old, b Hale ... 22 H. T. Bull, lb*, b Briggs ..................35 . 65 C r y s t a l P a l a c e . Total (5 wkts) 50 C. S. Campbell, b Hale W. E. Barber, b McNtill .................. 27 J.M.CampbelUnotout 15 A.Brown, c M ;Millin, b B riggs.................. 0 E xtras.................. 13 Total ...165 F. W . Beck, b Cooper 4 A . E. Soar, b Griffey... 3 L. Tongue, b Cooper 0 S. Collard, not out ... 1 H Kaye, b Cooper ... 0 JB8, lb 2 ...........10 Total ... 60 A . W . Renals, b Johns 4 G. Mozengarb, c Soar, b Beck ... ... ... 44 W . Cooper, b Johns .. 17 A. Dodson, c Tongue, b Soar ..................31 P. Griffey, b Johns ... 2 1 S. Meadows, b Soar .. 1 J. Roberts, not out ... J. A. Abbott, b Soar G. Stanley, c Clayton, b Soar ................... C. L. Abb* tt, b Soar . B 22, lb 5, w 1 ... Total ...........] BERKSH IRE. Matches played, 11—W on 3 ; lost 5 ; drawn 3. BATTING AVERAGE 4. No. Tim 8 Most of not Total in an Inns out. Runs. Inns. Aver. E. K. W illett ... ... 3 .. 1 .. 112 .. 8*2*.. 56 Capt. Wheble ... ... 3 .. 1 .. 5* .. 23 .. 25 3 A. C. M. Cr >ome ... 19 .. 0 .. 461 .. 158 .. 24*5 L. G. A. Collius... ... 18 .. 0 .. 44 4 .. 7*2 .. 24*1 L. P. Coltn-ss ... ... 7 .. 0 .. 164 . 1*21 .. 23 3 F E. Chapm tn... ... 14 .. 0 .. 315 .. 130 .. 22 7 H. F. Morres ... ... 10 .. 0 .. 210 .. 51 .. 21 C. Y. Nepean ... 14 ... 0 .. 292 .. 75 .. 20 1 B arrett................. ... 9 . . . 1 .. 155 .. 41*.. 19*3 D. H. Blundell ... ... 6 .. 0 .. 93 .. 26 .. 15 5 A. H. Delme Radcliffe 14 ... 1 .. 189 .. 58*.. 14 7 Barker.................. ... 18 ... 8 .. 145 .. 25*.. 14 5 M. J. Dauglish ... ... 16 .. 3 .. 183 . . 52 .. 14 1 E. R. Morres ... 5 ... 0 .. 48 . . 19 .. 93 E. F. Hill ........... ... 3 ... 1 ... 18 . . 6*.. . 9 A. Daffen ........... ... 15 ... 1 ... 116 . . 37 . . 8*4 F. M. Ingram ... ... 9 ... 0 ... 74 . 44 . . 8 2 R. A. Williams ... ... 4 ... 0 ... 23 . . 17 . 5‘3 Also played : F. W . Finch, 0*. 0* ; Bedding, 0, 10 ; Croom, 0, 1*; Relf, 25, 2 ; H. L. Wethered, 15. * Signifies not out. “ CENTURIES” FOR. A. C. M. Croome, 158; F. R. Chapman, 130 ; Lionel P. Collins, 121. AGAINST. H. Bassett, 112 ; Rogers (A .), 105. Largest total in one innings. F or: 493 for nine wickets, v. Hertfordshire. Against: 326 for seven wickets, by Oxfordshire. Smallest total in one innings. F or: 61, v. Oxford­ shire. Against: 43, by W iltshire. BOW LIN G AVERAGES. Overs. Mdns. Huns. Wkts. Aver. Barrett...- ...........212*2 ... 86 ... 4>8 ... 35 ... 12*20 L. G. A. Collins 97.4 ... 36 ... 180 ... 12 ... 15 Barker ................. 369*2 ... 139 ... 729 ... 44 ... 16 56 A. Daffen ........... 92*2 ... 21 ... 287 ... 16 ... 17 93 A. C. M. Croome 266*2 ... 62 ... 669 ... 35 ... 19*11 The following have bowled in less than siv innings : Sergt. Bedding (15-5-50-0). D. H Blundell (3-0-16-0), Corpl. Croom (7-0-25-0), M. J. Dauglish (2-1-4-0), F. W. Finch (56-19-101-11), E. F. Hill (7-1-22-2), E. R. Morres (2-0-11-0), 11. F. Morres (24*3-7-5>-5), C. Y. Nepean (5-2-8-0), Relf (17*3-2-80-3), R. A. Williams (25 2-4-79-3). Barrett has bowled one wide and three no-balls; L. G. A. Collins, one wide and two no-balls ; Barker, one no-ball; Daffen, one wide; A . C. M. Croome, nine wides. N E X T ISSUE, THURSDAY . OCTOBER 28.