Cricket 1898

THE FINEST BAT THE WORLD PRODUCES , J u l y 28. 1898. CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OP THE GAME. 299 BUSSEY’S w u Hi • U . a </) E a A £ •E X o u ■M « o a > .. c i ‘ V O O +J 3 y O' ^ . 3 ao e « 4 S vO BUSSEY’S BETWEEN THE INNINGS. Alec Hearne takes his benefit on Monday next, when Lancashire meet Kent in the first match of the far-famed Canterbury Week ; and all of us trust that it will be a bumper. Cricket, as a profession, has had no family more famous than the Hearnes, against whose sportsmanship and conduct, on and off the field, it would be impossible to find a word to say ; and Kent especially has benefited by their services. Alec came into the world on July 22nd, 1863. Like George, he was still under age when he played his first match for Kent against Somerset at Taunton, on May 8 and 9, 1884. Going in sixth wicket down he scored 19 not out, but was given no chance in the bowling line. He did not play in the next three or four matches, but took part in the Northern tour in June, “ getting a pair of them” v. Yorkshire at Sheffield, and in con­ sequence figuring as twelfth man against Derbyshire and Lancashire. His first real success was won in the Australian match at Canterbury in August, when he took the wickets of McDonnell, Scott, Blackham, Palmer, and Spofforth, in the first innings at a cost of only 36 runs, and in the second had Bonnor and Murdoch for 30. Never since then, I believe, has he been left out of the team for any other cause than injury or illness. To describe Alec’s work in extenso would take up too much space. Of late years no one has doubted his claim3 to a place among the best all-round players of the day. His inexhaustible patience and splendid defence as a batsman have formed a fine foil and a great aid to the more dashing methods of his pre­ sent captain, who* since 1893, has almost invariably been his partner at the wickets as “ first men in.” In 1895 (his best year), Alec made 1,477 runs, with an average of nearly 30, reaching his thousand on July 29. He shared in nine partnerships of over 100 runs in that season, and Mr. Mason was his coadjutor in five of the nine. They put on, always for the first wicket, 106 v. Sussex, at Catford; 113 v. M.C.C., at Lord’s; 118 v. Surrey, at Catford; 134 v. Oxford Univer­ sity, at Maidstone; and 179 v. Notts, at Maidstone. In 1897 they also treated the Notts’ bowling roughly. At Beckenham they put on 115 before being parted, and at Trent Bridge no fewer than 195. This season they have sent up 137 v. Sussex at Catford and 169 v. Warwickshire at Tonbridge. Alec also helped Mr. Patterson to add 220 for the second wicket v. Somerset at Tonbridge on June 23 and 25 ; and this is, I fancy, the longest partnership in first-class cricket in which he has shared, although in 1887 he and Mr. F. M. Atkins made no fewer than 399 for the first wicket of Mote Park v. St. Lawrence at Maidstone. Hearne has also shared the honour of three-figure partnerships in first- class cricket with his brother Georg >, Mr. F. S. Jackson (191 for second wicket, Thorn­ ton’s X I. v. Cambridge in 1895), George Bean, Mr. H. C. Stewart, Mr. G. J. V. Weigall, Mr. F. Marchant, and Walter Wright. His 117 v. Notts two or three weeks ago was his seventh century in first-class cricket. Here is a list of them :— 116*, Kent v. Gloucestershire, Canter ury, 1892, in 4h 20m. 120, Sauth v. Austra’ians, Oval, 1893, in 4h. 163, Kent v. Gloucestershire, Gravesend, 1895. in 4h. 106,.Kent v. Oxford University. Maid. t >ne, in 1893. 117, Kent v. Sussex, Catford. 1893, in 4h 10m. 112, Kent v. Somerset, Tonbridge, T898, in 3h. 30m. 117, Kent v. Notts, Nottingham, 1898, in 6h- I am sorry I have been unable to discover the time occupied by the 105 v. Oxford three years ago, because I rather fancy it was quicker than any of the others. (This 105 consisted, curiously enough, of 15 four’s, 15 two’s, and 15 singles.) But it will be apparent from the figures given here that, strong in defence and patient in waiting though Alec be, he is not a mere stonewaller. A Barlow, a Hall, or a Bannerman does not make 155 in four hours. As a bowler, Alec has his deadly days and his off-days. At his best he is really first- class ; even when not at his best he is always a useful change. That his measure of success from year to year has varied very much, the figures that follow will show. In the field he does not reach quite the highest standard. Both of his brothers were greater as run-savers than he. I have seen him drop catches which he should have held, and miss others which he should have got to. But it would not be fair to call him a bad field. Some years ago, I think, he was rather smarter than he is now ; even now, there are many worse. ALEC HEAKNE IN FIRST-CLASS CRICKET. Year. 1884 .. 1S85 .. 1886 .. 1887 .. 1888 .. 1889 .. 1890 .. 1891 1891- 1892 . 18D3 . 1891 . 1895 . 1896 . 1897 . 1898 . •2,S.A f f I u.2 P h .. 15 101 .. 13 117 .. 15 151 .. 25 351 ..20 lft7 ... 24 312 ,.. 32 560 24 410 , 1 9 SO 810 40 906 43 681 60 1477 41 871 39 659 20 698 6-73 9 00 10-06 14 04 7 85 13-10 17 50 1833 9 00 27 00 116 22 65 120 15 83 85 29 54 155 2177 81' 1689 t9 84 90 117 rd V £Do H » 19*.. 29* 27*.. 36*.. 28 .. 42 .. 72 .. 59 .. 9 m 1421 2574 3518 2569 2750 2148 . 88') .2C08 146> 4158 .28>7 . 4495 3216 ..2835 ..2331 ea n Q>M 4>beOSS-. §04 '£ > < 676 41 16-48 928 64 14 50 1077 56 19*58 874 33 2*>-48 786 73 10 76 708 SO 23 6J 359 17 21-11 701 42 16't9 503 20 25-15 1514 86 17-95 893 49 18-22 1792 83 21 59 1138 73 18 32 120) 49 24-48 780 38 20 52 13959 753 18-53 Totals...431 8300 19 25 *Signifies not out. +To July 23rd, inclusive. For his county Alec has scored, up to date (July 25th), 7,128 runs in 358 completed inning (average 19-91), and has taken 604 wickets for 12,362 runs (average 18-62). His biggest total for the county is 1,067 in 1895 (all matches), when he headel both batting and bowling averages, his highest number of wickets 82 in 1893. J.N.P. BOWDEN' HOUSE SCHOOL (HARROW) v. ST. GEORGE’S SCHOOL. — Played at Harrow cn Ju’y 16. B ow den H ouse . E. A. Breithaupt, b Williams ... ........ 99 H.O. Wanton.b Geary i 10 G. C. Churchill, b Williams................. 9 N. G. Darnell, b Crofts 10 S.W. Fils 11,b Geary i 8 C. E. Wilkins, L. B Plumbly aud R. V. de Halpert did n >t bat. * Innings declared c o^ed. S t . G eorge ’ s S chool . H.W. In^lis, b Geary i I F. Btreet- n not out... 3 G F. Walker, ^ Geary i 0 Extras................. 6 Total (7 wkls.)*i46 First innings. Crofis, b Fi 8*ill ................. 0 Maitin. b Filsell................. 0 Williams, b Filsell ...... 3 Geary i, b In g lis................ 4 ^mitb, b Filsell ................ 0 Iredell, c Inglis, b Filsell... 0 Geary ii, b Filse 1................ 4 Walker i*, b Filsell ...... 2 Davidson, b Filtell ...... 0 Lee, not out ......... ... 0 Milner. c Filsell. b Inglis .. 0 E xtra s....................... 9 Total .., ... ... 32 Scccni inrings, b Breithaupt ... b Walker c Darnell, b B eithaupt ... b Walker ... c Darnell, >F I k 11 b Walkerii .. . c Wilkins, b Walkerii b Filsell .......... not ou t................ b W alkerii........ bPiumbly .. .. Extras Total ... 17