Cricket 1897

Nov. 25, 1897. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 461 has followed the lead of some of the other counties in assisting the pro­ fessionals with a money grant during the winter. In addition to the usual pro­ gramme, Kent will play Essex and the Parsees in 1898. T h e proceeds of one of the matches during the Canterbury week of 1898 are to be set apart for the benefit of Alec Hearne. The match at Old Trafford between Yorkshire and Lancashire will be played for the benefit of Baker, while Wainwright is to have his benefit in the match between the same counties in Yorkshire. T h e c iptaiu of the Oxford University X L for 1898 is Mr. P. H. E. Cunliffe. Mr. F. H. B. Champain is secretary, and Mr. H. M. Burge, treasurer. T he list of scorers o f a hu n d red runs in both inniD gs of a first-class m atch stea d ily increases. T h e nam e of Mr. MacLaren, w h o m ade 142 an d 100 fo r Mr. Stoddart’s team v. N ew S ou th Wales, is th e latest a d d ition to it. For the sake of referen ce, th e com p lete list is a p p en d ed :— 1868, W. 6. Grace, South of Thames v. North, 130 and 102, not out. 1887, W. G. Grace, Gloucestershire v. Kent, 101 and 103, not out. 1888, W. G. Grace, Gloucestershire v. Yorkshire, 148 and 153. 1892, G. Brann, Sussex v. Kent, 105 and 101. 1893, A. E. Stoddart, Middlesex v. Notts, 195, not out, and 124. 1895, C. J. Eady, Tasmania v. Yictoria, 116 and 112 not out. 1896, W. Storer, Derbyshire v. Yorkshire, 100 and 100, not out. 1896, K. S. Ranjitsinhji, Sussex v. York­ shire, 100 and 125, not out. 1897, J. T. Tyldesley, Lancashire v. Warwickshire, 106 and 100, not out. 1897, A. C. MacLaven, Mr. Stoddart’s Teamv. New SouthWales, 142and 100. A d o u b l e hu n d red has often been scored in sm all m atch es in various parts o f th e w o rld . I b elieve th a t th e fo llo w in g list is fa irly com p lete. In Australia, A. C. Bannerman, H. Pellew, and Miss Deane. In Tasmania, Kenny Burn. In India, Captain Wynyard. In South Africa, A. B. TaDcred and Beach. In England, W. W. Read, W. Townshend, D. G. Spiro, P. W. Maude, R. R. A. Beresford, W. D. Llewelyn, H. S. Bush, F. G. J. Ford, A. G. Richardson, J. S. Liddell, W. Lambert. I n “ Gossip ” of October 28 it was remarked that one of the American papers was severe on the Englishmen for playing a slow game, notwithstanding that they were quite unaccustomed to batting against twenty-two. It was also remarked that if Mr. Warner actually said in a speech what he was reported to have said, he was evidently cut out for a political career. With reference to the extracts from the paper to which my remarks referred, Mr. Warner writes to me to point out that the first extract was unnecessarily severe, and also inaccurate, and that the second misrepresented what he said in his speech. Mr. Warner’s letter will be found on page 454. I t is quite a curiosity of cricket that each of the three strong Australian colonies, iu the matches with Mr. Stoddart’s team, won the toss, kept in all the first day for the loss of five or six wickets, and crump1ed up to nothing on the second morning. A COMPARISON' between MacLaren’s three first innings, and the corresponding first innings of one or other of the colonial batsmen who went in first, is interesting :— v. South Australia—Darling, 0 ; MacLaren, 0 v. Victoria—Worrall, 25; MacLaren, 26 v. New South Wales—Donnan, 104 ; MacLaren, 142 A t the annual general] meeting of the Somerset County C.C. it was proposed that about a hundred gentlemen should be sought for to guarantee £5 each, to put the cricket club on a satisfactory basis. Great efforts were made last year to pay off the debt, but there is still more than £100 owing. C r ic k e t was well represented at the recent brilliant actions at Chagrukotal and Dargai Hill, says the Madras Times. Colonel Mathias, who led the Gordons, is no mean wielder of the willow, while it is no news to us that Colonel Piercy, commanding the Dorsets, plays cricket. If he makes half as good a leader on the battle field as he is on the cricket field, the right man is in the right place, and I fancy he can be trusted to “ lob ” an Afridi with his six-shooter as effectually as he used to do ditto to cricketers in Wellington and Bangalore, and I sincerely hope his sword is not of the obsolete antediluvian pre-adamite pattern that “ The Glide” would have us believe his bowling is. M r . A. E. C o ates writes:—With the month of October, cricket in California may be said to end, and a pretty long season it is too, seeing that play begins in April, and that the interruption of a match by rain is almost unknown during the entire period. The county clubs show most activity during the fall, as by that time the weather is cooler, the crops have been marketed, and the harvest of dollars (alas ! often too scanty) garnered. The Alameda Club of San Francisco has for the second time in three years won the Hunter-Harrison Cup, with eight matches won out of elev.n completed. Pacifics are second with five wins out of six games completed, and Bohemians third, with three wins and seven losses. Of the county organizations, Placer. Santa Clara, and Lake Counties are the most active. The first named have just brought their biennial festival to a successful close ; the second have several times defeated the leading city clubs, and Lake, who are handicapped by remote­ ness from a railroad, play a good deal of local cricket, and go on tour in alternate years. L o v e r s of cricket literature, and their name in legion, are certain to find some­ thing to interest them in the “ Chronicle of Cricket amongst the Parsees.” just to hand. The author, Mr. Shapurjee Sorab- jee, has played an important part in the development of cricket amongst the Parsees, and his record of twenty years of indefatigable work in this direction should invest his opinion with the authority of an expert. The full title of the book is “ A Chronicle of Cricket among the Parsees and the Struggle Polo v. Cricket.” The second part, showing, as it does, the difficulties under which Parsees are placed iu respect of their principal playground, should specially appeal to cricket readers. I t is said, and on pretty good authority, that Albert Ward has taken part in every inter-county match played by Lancashire during the last nine years. If it be true, as there is no reason to doubt, this must be very near, if not an actual best. I know that this is a big order. Perhaps it will be safer to say that A. W .’s record is of a very exceptional character. Cricket statisticians will please oblige. I f the ordinary usage is followed, the county secretaries will meet at Lord’s on Tuesday, December 7, to arrange the programme for 1898. It is stated that the Gentlemen will meet the Players at Lord’s on July 18 and two following days. The Inter-University match, in all probability, will be played on June 30, July 1 and 2. So far as I can hear, no understanding has yet been come to as to the dates for Eton and Harrow. M e n t io n of forthcoming cricket reminds me that the arrangements for the visit of the Parsee team to England, next summer, seem to be progressing satisfactorily in every way. In all likeli­ hood, the Parsees will commence their tour in about the third week in May. They are down to play Yorkshire, at Sheffield, on Whit Monday, which is, next year, on May 30, and this is hardly likely to be their first fixture. As far as one can learn, they are pretty sure, in addition, to play M.C.C., the two Universities, and Lancashire, Surrey, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Leicester­ shire, Northumberland, Warwickshire, Kent and Notts among other counties. Accordiug to present intentions, their stay in England should extend over about two months. T h e followers of Surrey cricket will be glad to learn that there is every chance of the Oxford Eleven appearing at the Oval again in 1898. Indeed, it is quite on the cards that both University teams will be seen on the Surrey ground during the course of next summer. At present nothing definite, so far as one can hear, has been arranged with regard to Cam­ bridge. Still it is satisfactory to be able to report that there is at least a possi­ bility of the revival of a match which was always very popular with the cricket- loving public of London. In view of the new buildings in course of erection at the N E X T ISSUE, THURSDAY , DECEM BE R 30.