Cricket 1897

440 CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. O c t. 2 8 , 1897. BUSSEY’S * H a t r a K l i CRICKET BATS. THE HIGHEST GRADE. BUSSEY’S < C C - f r & FO O TBA L L S . THE HIGHEST GRADE. BUSSEY’S HOCKEY CLUBS. THE HIGHEST GRADE. BUSSEY’S “ POLLOID ” HOCKEY BALL. Always the same weight. Always the same shape. Never hardens. Never softens. No stitching fo give way. Absolutely Waterproof. BUSSEY’S IJVlPliEPliTS FOR ALL SPORTS & GAMES - THE H IGHEST GRADE . A P P L Y F O B C A T A L O G U E TO 36 & 38, QUEEN VICTORIA STREET, LONDON , OR DEALERS ALL OVER THE WORLD. MANUFACTORY— PECKHAM, LONDON. TIMBER MILLS— ELMSWELL, SUFFOLK. BETWEEN THE INNINGS. FIRST-CLASS CRICKETERS IN 1897. (Continued from page 426.) Though Notts finished the season ahead of four of the other counties, perhaps no one of the fourteen teams was a greater disappointment to its admirers than Mr. Dixon’s, for it was not until nearly three parts of the season had passed that the “ Lacemen ” tasted the bitters of defeat, and, after such a start, to have lost five of their last six matches, was bad indeed. Not that they had scoredbrilliant victories in the earlier games; indeed, only two of the ten county fixtures played had been won outright; but they had seemed such a very difficult side to beat in the course of only three day’s play, that there were not wanting those who prophesied that their ultimate record would be something like three games won, none lost, thirteen drawn, and who, somewhat prematurely, raised an outcry against such a record entitling a county to the championship. But I think we may fairly take it for granted that a side strong enough to get through the season unbeaten, even with all the luck possible, would always be strong enough to win more than twenty per cent, of its matches. The Notts batting was almost as strong as ever. Never had the captain been in such great form. His first innings of the season was a tremendous 268, not o u t; and a little later on he made in successive innings 61, 102, 91, 64 and 59, then droped to an innings of only 3, but followed this up with 80, 52, 18 and 53. Towards the close of the season he fell off a good deal; but for the first time in his first-class career he reached a four-figure aggregate, and his average was the really magnificent one of 44. William Gunn was in great form, too. Four times during the season he scored three-figure innings, making 152 v. Derbyshire at Derby and 230 (his best in big cricket so far) at Nottingham. Arthur Shrewsbury, thoughhedidnot, like his captain and Gunn, reach the thousand, showed form far in advance of last year’s and was not far from being as great a batsman as ever. Only once did he reach three figures, and that was not in a county match, but against the Gentlemen at Lords, but in three successive matches he played innings of 80, 77* and 83 ; and in two others later on scored 64, 58, 55 and 69, consistent form which reminded one of the days of ten years ago, when bowlers thought him cheaply got rid of at anything under a hundred. A. O. Jones was scarcely in as fine form as in 1896 ; for some time in the early part of the season all went wrong with him ; but later on he regained most of his form, and was doing well at a time when the side as a whole did badly. His 162 against Middlesex was higher than any previous innings he had played in first- class cricket. Harry Daft only twice scored over 50, and was seldom very con­ spicuous, though he showed up wonder­ fully well against the Philadelphians, when the crack batsmen of the side were absent. Young Dench, a newcomer, had a very successful first season; and he should prove a worthy successor to the great Nottingham batsmen, though one would wish that he were not quite so thoroughly imbued with the Nottingham traditions. Though he started badly, and fell off again towards the end of the season, “ D ick” Attewell was very useful with the bat. For the first time in his long and honourable career he compiled a century in first-class cricket, and followed it up immediately with a score of 86. These and a 66 in the match just before that in which his 102 was made were his only big scores; but he had five other innings for between 30 and 40, and his average is a good one for a man who worked so hard with the ball. Guttridge, who played cricket of the determined, reckless type in two matches, and was useful iu several others; but does not appear to be looked upon as a batsman, as he is generally sent in last or last but one. Pike can bat, and is exceedingly useful, but he is very, very slow. Young Gunn scored a century against the Philadelphians, but the promise he showed then was scarcely fulfilled in the subsequent county matches in which he played. However, he will, unless I am mistaken, do credit to his name in the near future. Mason, another colt, was a decided failure at first, but the committee persevered with him, and after a time he “ found his feet ” and did credit to their judgment. C. W. Wright played but little for his county; it is strange that so really good a batsman should never quite have done himself justice in county cricket. Wilfred Flowers was not played in a single match—why, I know not. The policy of encouraging youthful talent is undoubtedly a good one, but if this were the only reason for leaving out the sturdy pro., who has done Notts such good service, it was a bad and insufficient reason. Flowers is still a better man on a side than half those who played in the Notts team in ’97. Brown, formerly of Cheshire, who did useful work in ’96, was only given a place in the three matches, but then Brown has not, like Flowers, passed a score of years in the county’s service. The Notts bowling in ’97 was, as for years past “ Attewell et praeterea nihil," or at least, very little else. Dench and Jack Gunn “ flattered only to deceive,” that is, performed brilliantly in one match and then fizzled out. Guttridge did great things at Hastings against his old comrades of Sussex, but very little indeed in most of the other matches, and the share of the bowling, which devolved upon Harry Daft, A. O. Jones, and the captain, no one of whom can be regarded as a high- class trundler, was eloquent testimony of the evil days upon which Notts, of old the bowlers’ home, has fallen. Pike kept wicket well, and the fielding of the team was quite up to the average, the old Cantab, Jones, being especially good in this department. Somerset had a double victory over Surrey, but when that is said all is said, for the only other match which the county won was the Taunton game with Kent, a side which fared no better than N E X T ISSUE, THUR SDAY , NO V EM B E R 25.