Cricket 1898

THE FINEST BAT THE WORLD PRODUCES J u l y 21, 1898 CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OP THE GAME. 283 BUSSEY’S BUSSEY’S BETWEEN THE INNINGS. So, after all, little Tyldesley is the first to register a four-figure total this season ! At one time Mr. J. R. Mason seemed a likely candidate for that honour; then for a while it appeared to rest between two veterans in Robert Abel and Arthur ShrewsbnVy ; but the little Lancastrian, a comparative newcomer in the ranks of first-class cricketers, has won the race by a short head. It is somewhat strange that a man wljo has not yet compiled a three-figure innings this season should be the first to reach his thousand, while Brock­ well and Charles Townsend (each of whom has four times registered the century), and Shrewsbury, Alec Hearne, Tunnicliffe, Albert Ward and F. S. Jackson (each with three such scores) are left behind him. Let it be noted, however, that in the course of 30 innings Tyldesley has scored a 96, a 90, 85 twice, 83, 79, 63, 61 and 56, with eight other scores of between 19 and 50, four scores between 10 and 20, and only two ducks. He has been quite the most consistent of the Red Rose batsmen, and in only three matches out of 17 has he failed to make good double figures in one or both innings. Tyldesley’s first first-class match was so short a time ago as July 22nd, 1895. It was v. Gloucestershire, on the Old Trafford ground, and his scores were 13 and 33 not out. The next match in which he took part was v. Warwickshire, at Birmingham. He went in No. 5, and carried his bat for 152, made with but one chance. At the end of the season he had for 10 matches an average of just over 24 per innings, his only notable score besides those mentioned being 48 in the second innings of Lancashire at Derby. Though he showed good form in 1896, there was no very markedly brilliant performance set to his credit in that season; but his 27 innings included 68, 61, 56, 52, 51, 45 and 40. In 1897 he did but moderately well up to the beginning of July ; but then, with 54 and 53 v. Essex at Manchester, 106 and 100 not out v. Warwick at Birmingham, and 174 v. Sussex at Manchester, he scored 487 runs in five consecutive innings (four completed)—a marvellous performance for anyone. He was very unfortunate during the remainder of the season, only making 138 runs in his last 12 innings (68 in one innings v. Somerset) ; but he managed to reach four figures in the game against Surrey at the Oval. His complete record thus far reads :— Not Highest Year. Inna. out. Runs. Aver. score. 1895 ... .......... 16 ... 2 ... 339 ... 2421 ... 152* 1896 ................ 27 ... 3 ... 571 ... 23 79 ... 68 lb97 ................. 35 ... 2 ... 1017 ... 3'»'81 ... 174 1898 (toJuly 16) 30 ... 0 ...1022 ... 34 06...96 Mr. George Lacy has been kind enough to send me some statistics, in which, I feel sure, many of my readers will feel the same interest that I have felt - and that is by no means small. He speaks of them as a list of bats­ men who have made over 10,000 runs in first- class cricket; but I think it necessary to point out that Mr. Lacy’s acceptation of matches as first-class is rather more liberal than that of most critics, either contemporary or historical. Let me quote what he says in the letter which accompanies the lit>t: “ I do not offer it as absolutely accurate, but only as approximate. . . . No list of this kind has ever yet been published, so that if even only approximate it will be of interest. . . . I have consideredDerbyshire and Leicester to have been always first-class, and from 1880 also Hants, Essex, Somerset and Warwick. The only reason for choosing this date is that it is a convenient one, and about commenced the present development of cricket.” These reservations notwithstanding, the list seems to me of more than passing interest. So far as I can see, the only batsman brought into it by the admission of matches not generally reckoned first-class is William Chatterton, though of course the totals of some of the others, notably Walter Read and his name­ sake Maurice, Abel, Ulyett, John Shuter and Barlow, are considerably increased. But, without further prelude, let me give the list. SCORERS OF 10,000 RUNS. Inns. Total. Highest Aver, score. W. G. Grace........ ... 1247 . . 47857 . . 38-3 .. 344 W. W. Read........ ... 762 . . 25492 . . 33-4 .. 338 G. Ulyett .......... ... 918 . . 21858 . . 23 8 .. 199* A. Shrewsbury ... ... 608 . . 21513 . . 36-3 .. >67 R. A b el................ ... 722 . . 20844 . . 28 7 .. 250 W. Gunn .......... ... 620 . . 19823 . . 31-9 .. 230 W. Barnetf .......... ... 677 . . 16382 . . 24-1 .. 2«6 J. M. R e a d ......... ... 635 . . 16162 . . 25-4 .. 186* H. Jupp .. ... ... 647 . . 16001 . . 24-6 .. 216 A. N. Hornby ... 636 . . 16779 . . 24 8 .. 188 A . E. Stoddart ... ... 411 . . 14017 . . 31-8 .. 216* A. J. Webbe ... 555 . . 13936 . . 251 .. 243* R. P eel................. ... 654 . . 13212 . . 20 2 2*6* W. Flowers.......... ... 627 . . 12797 . . 20-4 ... 173 J. Briggs ......... ... 657 .. 12330 .. 18*7 . . 186 E. Lockwood ... 526 . . 12315 . . 23 4 ... 203 L. H a ll................. ... 520 . . 12299 . . 23 6 .. 160 W. Newham......... ... 466 . . 12291 .. 26'3 . . 201* R. G. Barlow ... 570 . . 12080 . . 21*1 .. 119 K. J. Key ......... ... 435 . . 11697 . . 26 8 . . 2S1 A. Ward ......... ... 875 .. 11578 .. 30-8 . . 219 W. Chatterton ... ... 433 . . 11823 ... 2n 1 . . 168 F. H. S u gg......... I. D. Walker ... 455 .. 11284 .. 24*8 . . 220 ... 455 . . 11176 .. 24*5 . . 179 J. Shuter ......... ... 513 .. 10908 .. 21-2 . . 135 Sir T. C. O’Brien ... 384 . . 10256 ... 29 3 . . 202 W. Bates .. .. ... 467 10149 .. 21-7 . . 144* * Signifies not out. Mr. Lacy adds that E. M. Grace and Richard Daft should also be included in the list; but that he has no material previous to 1864 to work upon. I note that he includes matches in Australia (witness Albert Ward’s highest score being cited as 219}, so that W . L. Murdoch and George Giften, whose figures I gave last week, would also come into the table, I am inclined to think, too, that Lord Harris must have made 10,000 ; he has made over 8,000 without counting anything prior to 1876, and he was playing for some years before that. The addition of these five names would probably make the list complete up to the present. THE LONG PARTNERSHIPS OF 1898. (June 29 to July 16, inclusive.) Ill, for 5th wicket, T. L. Taylor and C. E. M. Wilson, Camb.Un. v. Ox. Un., Lord’s, June 30, lh. 65m. 116, 1st, C. R. Hartley and Ward, Lancashire v. Notts (1st innings), Manchester, June 30, 2h. 5m. 157, 2nd, Tyldesley and Ward, Lancashire v. Notts (2nd innings), Manchester, July 1, 2h. 5m. Ill, 4th, C. B. Fry and W. Newham, Sussex v. York- s ire (1st inningp), Bradford, July 4, lh. 10m. 106, 2nd, King and C. J. B. Wood, Leicestershire v. Middlesex, Leicester, July 4, lh. 50m. 124, 4th, Rawlin and A. E. Stoddart, Middlesex v. Leicestershire, Leicester, July 5, lh. 35m. 194, 1st. Carpenter and H. G. Owen, Essex v. Derby­ shire, Derby, July 4-5, 3h. 15m. 195, 3rd. C. McGahey and P. Perrin, Essex v. Derby­ shire, Derby, July 5, 2h. 35m. 121, 2nd, J. A. Dixon and Shrewsbury, Notts v. Lan­ cashire, Nottingham, July 5, 3b. 114, 2nd, G. Brann and W. L. Murdoch, Sussex v. Yorks (2nd innings), Bradford, July 5, lh. 15m. 131, 4th, W . G. Grace and C. L. Townsend, Glouces­ tershire v. Essex, Leyton, July 7, lh. 45m. 119, 3rd, Brockwell v. Lockwood, Surrey v. Hants, Portsmouth, July 7, lh. 10m. 116, 7th, Brown and F. W . Milligan, Yorkshire v. Lancashire, Sheffield, July 11, lh. 15m. 126, 3rd, Capt. W. C. Hedley and W. Trask, Somerset v. Hants, Bournemouth, July 11, lh. 50m. 136, 2nd, Gunn (W.) and A. O. Jones, Notts v. Derby­ shire (1st inning?), Derby, July 11, 2h. 35m. 161,3rd, C.O.H. Sewell and C.L. Townsend,Gloucester v. Warwick, Birmingham, July 11, 2h. 10m. 15®, 9ih, W . S. A. Brown and Wrathall, Gloucester v. Warwick, Birmingham, July 11-12, lh. 30m. 157, 2nd, Gunn (W.) and Shrewsbury, Notts v. Derby­ shire (2nd innings), Derby, July 12-13,2h. 50m.