Cricket 1898

J u l y 21, 1898. CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 289 C r i c k e t : A WEEKLY RECORD OE TUB QAMh. 168, UPPER THAHES STREET, LOUDON, E.G. THURSDAY, JULY 21 st , 1898. ^atJiitou <&osstp. Ihe abstract aud brief chronicle of the time.— Ha-nlet. Dukikg the three days of the match at Sheffield between Yorkshire and Lanca­ shire (Waiuwright’s benefit), the amount of £1,366 Is. 6d. was taken at the gates. I t is interesting to note that for the big match of the year, Gentlemen v. Players, only five out of the thirteen members of Mr. Stoddart’s Australian team were chosen to play, viz., Mr. Stoddart, Mr. MacLaren, Storer, Mr. Mason, and J. T. Hearne. The bowlers of the team were represented by J. T. Hearne alone. I t can hardly be questioned that the Australians owed something of their success during the past season to their method of selecting their teams for representative matches. To the seleciing committee a man’s reputation was as nothing unless he had shown himself to be in form just before the match. In England sentiment has generally a part in the selection of teams for representative matches, and a man with a big reputation is almost sure of his place. If Trott, Iredale and Darling had been selecting the teams for Gentlemen v. Players, they would probably have left out Mr. Dixon and Abel, on the ground that they were not in their best iorm at the time, and would have included Sugg and Tyldesley on the ground that they were the most consistent men in England at the moment. It is long odds that they would have chosen Troup. T h e new crusade does not seem to make as much headway as might have been expected. The situation is very nearly “ as you was,” although the no-balling of Mr. Pry for throwing in Sussex v. Middlesex—he was only no- balied once and was taken off—has added one n ore to the list of crusaders. For future reference the following statement of business done is appended. It would seem that there are only two bowlers whose action is unquestioned and unquestionable. Ground. Match. Bowler. Umpire. Tonbridge ...Kentv. Wrwck...Hopkms ..Titebmarsh Trent Bridge, Sussex v. Notts f r y ..........West. Brighton ...Sussexv. (Jxlord Fry..........Phillips. Lord’s .........Sussex v. Mddlx. F ly...........Sherwin A b o y ’s description of the first day’s play at Lord’s on Monday : "D id I get a good seat ? You bet I got in the front row. I wouldn’t like to have to stand up to Kortright; he bowls like greased lightning, but Grace’s was awful rummy stuff; they didn’t seem to like it much. MacLaren can field. It wasn’t a bad catch of Sammy Woods’ either—the one that got rid of Storer. I didn’t think much of the batting; they kept the ball on the ground all the time, and where’s the fun in that? You ought to have seen the ‘ old man ’ make a jump for a catch. I couldn’t have done it any quicker myself. It wasn’t a catch, really; but he tried to make it one. I don’t believe the ‘ old man ’ is fifty. How do they know ? ” A ten days’ record before a fiftieth birthday :— Dr. Grace, on July 7, 8 and 9, scored 126 and 49 for Gloucestershire v. Essex, and took seven wickets for 44 in the first innings, and none for 25 in the second. On July 11, 12 and 13, he made 24 for Gloucestershire v. Warwickshire, and took two wickets for 27 in the first innings, and four for 46 in the second. On July 14, 15 and 16, he made 20 for Gloucestershire v. Somerset, and took seven wickets for 85 in the first innings, and five for 53 in the second. Total, 219 runs in four innings, average 54-75; twenty-five wickets for 246 runs, average 11'20 per wicket. I n the first innings of Lancashire against Essex at Old Trafford, Russell disposed of no less than six men at the wicket—three stumped and one caught off Mr. Bull, and two caught off Mr. Kortright. It is doubtful whether he has ever done a finerperformance. In a club match he oncestumped four men and caught two in the same innings. O n Friday last, a very strong team of the Quidnuncs put up 509 for the loss of only six wickets against the United Service. The score follows below :— F. Mitchell, e Spens, b English .................145 Capt. J. Less, not out 6 A. M. Sutthery, not out ........................ 6 B 26, lb 11, w 3, nb 1 41 Total (6wkts.)*509 H. J. Davenport, run out .......................... 12 J. H. Stogdon, c and b Luard ..................110 H. W . de Zoete, b English ....................72 C. E. M. Wilson, c Luard, b Atcheson 105 T. L. Taylor, c Weth- ered, b Atcheson ... 12 Innings declared closed. W hen he was coaching the boys at Marlborough last year, Alec. Watson, the famous old Lancashire slow bowler, was struck with the play of Mr. A. E. Hind. On his return to Manchester he saw Mr. Hind’s father, and promptly bet him a new hat that his son would receive his “ blue ” in 1898. As everyone knows, Alec.’s judgment was, as usual, right. This year he has been coaching at the Worcester City Ground, Rugby School, and is now at Marlborough, where he remains until the end of the month. Two catches by Brockwell on Thursday last, at the Oval, in the Leicestershire match, were worthy of especial notice. The first catch, which disposed of Agar, was made at cover-slip with one hand— a very pretty thing. The second was off the following ball, when the fieldsman had gone into the country near the boundary. This time Mr. Stocks was the victim, but the ball came awkwardly, and it was only at the third or fourth attempt that Brockwell was able to hold it. The two batsmen had just put on more than a hundred runs in partner ship, and it was odd that both should have been caught by the same fieldsman at the same total off consecutive balls. A few “ pars,” a la mode :— The old ’un was fifty on Monday. On Sunday he was torty-nine. And a bir. That was a good catch of Sammy Woods’. Sammy did not wear a hat. But he wore boots. And a shirt. Kortright bowled very fast. He has done this before. The batsmen did not seem to like him when they got hit. Grace went on with slows. But Gunn promptly hit him for one. It would have been a two if the fieldsman had not picked up the hall. Bat Grace did not take himself off. D u r in g the Streatham Cricket Week Mr. N. Miller scored 17, 120 not out, 106 not out, 72, 97, and 11 for the home team —a total of 423 for the week. On the previous Saturday he made 113 for the club against Bichmond. Thus, in five completed innings he scored 536 runs, an average of over a hundred. During the season he has scored more than a thousand runs for the club. Streatham won two of their matches during the Week, lost one, aud three matches were drawn. W i t h reference to a paragraph in last week’s “ Gossip ” : “ The question of the day—when is Sussex going to win a match” ? a “ Cricket Enthusiast” sug­ gests that the present team, in his opinion, will never do so. On the other hand he proposes that the following should form the eleven: Murdoch, Newham, Brann, Fry, Arlington, Parris, Butt, Tate, Kil­ lick, Bland, and Marlow or C. L. A. Smith (the Brighton College boy). But I fancy that this is very nearly the same team as usual. What is really the matter with the team is that the captain has forgotten to stir a little luck into its ingredients. His good brother of Gloucestershire could, perhaps, lend him a little just at present. R a n ji t s i n h ji has not played in any matches of importance lately, but it is said that he is going on tour with the Kathiawar team. But some of the matches during the tour are to be played in September, and the Prince has talked of playing at Hastings for Mr. Stoddart’s team in that month. Fok the Quernmore School cricket week, which begins on July 25, great preparations are being made. The ground is in excellent order, and as far as cricket is concerned only good weather is needed to make a success. On the Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday evenings open-air concerts will be held in the gardens, which will be illuminated for the occasion. On Thursday evening will be presented some of the forest and garden scenes from “ As you like it ” and