Cricket 1898

THE FINEST BAT THE WORLD P R O D U C E S A ug . 4, 1898. CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 315 BUSSEY’S BUSSEY’S BETWEEN THE INNINGS. In spite of the rain during May, and the unsettled, changeable -weather which has prevailed throughout almost the whole of the three months of the present season, the crop of centuries has been pretty plentiful. The number up to the end of July is just five short of the round hundred, made thus :— May. June. July. By amateurs ................. 3 ... 20 ... 29 By professionals .......... 10 ... 16 ... 17 13 36 46 I remember remarking last year on the fact that the pros, were most en evidence as century- scorers during the earlier weeks of the season, and their amateur confreres later on. The remarks hold good for 1898. Thus the pros.’ 77 percent, of the May centuries is reduced to 44 per cent, in June, and to 37 in July. The name which occurs oftenest in the list, thus far, is that of Mr. F. S. Jackson, who has five three-figure scores to his credit, and seems not unlikely to add another name to the short list of those who have scored over 2,000 runs in a season. W .G., Stoddart, “ the Prince,” Gunn and Abel are the only batsmen who have as yet achieved this splendid measure of success. Even Shrews­ bury and W .W ., in their highest scoring years, and Murdoch, in his busiest season with the Australians, fell short of the 2,000. We should all like to see the name of the York­ shire amateur added to the list. After Mr. Jackson come Mr. Charles Townsend and “ Bobby ” Abel and Brockwell with four centuries each; Alec Hearne, Albert Ward, C. B. Fry and Lockwood with three ; and eighteen other batsmen who have, so far, been credited with two. The new names in the list are those of W . Troup, C. E. M. Wilson, A. Eccles, W . S. A. Brown, Major Poore, F. H. B. Champain and young Brown, the Leicestershire pro. There was no match of 1,000 runs in May. There was but one in June, Somerset v. Lan­ cashire, at Taunton. In July there were eight, which alone would be sufficient indica­ tion that it wasa month of pretty heavy scoring. Again, there was but one score of over 400 in JkJay. In June there were eight, in July seven. In May there were thirteen totals of under 100 runs, in June fifteen, in July only three. THE LONG PARTNERSHIPS OF 1898. (July 18th to ‘/7tb, inclusive.) 113, 3rd wicket, Uunn and Storer, Players (1st innings) v. Gentlemen, Lord’s, July 18. lh. 40m. 106, 3rd, St^rer and Tunnicliffe, Players (2nd innings) v. Gentlemen, Lord’s, July 20, lh. 60m. 117, 2nd, O. J. Burnup and J. R. Mason, Kent v. Essex, Leyton, July 21, lh. 3(m. 16?, 5th, Cuttell and A. Eccles, Lancashire v. Leic- s- tershire, Leicester, July 21, lh. 5'm. 106,1st, W. G. Grace and W. Troup, Gloucestershire v. Notts, Nottingham. July 21, 2h. 15m. HO, 6th, F. 8. Jackson and F. W . Milligan, Tor* shire v. f?omerret, Scarborough, July 22, lh. 30m. 129 , 3 rd, Abel and Holland, Surrey v. Hants, Oval, July 22, lh. 40m. 106, 6th, Brown and Coe, Leicestershire v. Lancashire, Leicester, July 22, lh. 25m. 164, 5tb, E. A. English and Webb, Hants v. Surrey, Oval, July 23, 2h. 30m. 111, 7tb, L«*rd Hawke a: d F. S. Jackeon. Yorkshire v. Gloucestershire. Sheffield. July •5, lh. 25m. 183, 3rd, A. J. L. Hill and Major R. M. Poore, Hants v. Essex, Leyton, July 25, 2h. 5m. 128, 4th, C. McGahey and A. J. Turner, Essex v. Hants, Lejton, July 26, lh. 50m. 112, 2nd, H. B. Hayman and A. E. Stoddart,Middle­ sex v. Sussex, Biighton, July 26. Neither Wainwright nor Hirst is at all likely to achieve the great double performance of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets, with which both were credited in 1897. But there are at least three men who are well in the running for that double distinction. Mr. Jackson may be booked as a certainty for it. Mr. Town­ send needs 33 wickets, which he may very likely get, and just 100 runs, which his next innings might well furnish. Cuttell wants 224 runs and 17 wickets, and Lancashire has seven more matches set for decision, so that he should scarcely fail. Hirst is among the men to whom 1898 has not been at all a lucky season. Apart from that splendid century innings against Surrey, and three or four fairly good bits of bowling, he has done very little. A 38 and three 20’s, seven innings of between 9 and 19, ten of single figures, and two ducks; these are scarcely the true Hirst form. But it may well be that the strain that has hindered his bowling has also handicapped him in batting. His comrade, Moorhouse, has been still more unfortunate. In 13 innings his highest score has been only 19, and he has dropped into the place of twelfth man. One is sorry for this, for there is no pluckier batsman than Moor­ house—a grand man to have on a side, when that side is in a tight place. Among the other unfortunates of this sea­ son must be classed George Bean and Marlow, Victor Barton and Webb, Lees, Tomlin and Pougher, and Mr. Newham. Some of these have still the opportunity of improving on their figures before the season ends ; tut Bean, Lees, and Tomlin seem to have been dropped by their respective counties for the nonce. The two Sussex men have shown scarcely a glimpse of their old form ; Tomlin played one good innings and then collapsed ; Lees has been very disappointing. A brighter side of the picture is the splendid revival of Lockwood, the marked improvement of Cuttell, Tyldesley, Mr. C. K. Hartley, Mr. A. Eccles, Devey, L. Brown, Mr. Troup, Mr. Townsend, Mr. A. J.L. Hill and others; and the appearance of such first-class newmenas Major Poore, Wilfred Rhodes and Young, of Essex For consistency, I doubt whether any first- class batsman, in 1898, has been more remark­ able than Lilley. He had not made ncany big scores (112, 66, 62, 58, 49, and 41 twice have been his best); but in twenty innings he has only once been out under double figures, and on that occasion he made a duck. His great rival, Storer, has yearly always done well, too. He has had, altogether, 28 innings, of which two have reached three figures, six others were of “ talent” proportions, nine more of 30, but under 50, six of double figures, ranging from 12 to 27, and five only (two of those not out) of under double figures. His last ten innings have been : 80*, 37, 48, 40, 59, 73, 24, 47, 96, 30. Devey, who at the beginning of the season was by no means a certainty for his county team, had, in seven innings in four con­ secutive matches lately, this nice little run of scores : 71*, 28 and 93, 27 and 16, 92 and 12—which must be allowed to be very fair for a “ reserve man.” Only three times, thus far, has Mr. Stoddart failed to reach double figures; and the news of his many successes have come as tidings of j oy to thousands of us. Mr. Sam Woods is not a batsman of whom one expects consistency ; but in the only m itches in which he played in June, his scores were 28 and 143, 1 and 85, 88, and 27, 18 and 69. Since June 19th, Mr. Charles Fry has played in eight matches; and his smallest contribution to the grand total of any one of these eight has been 64. And last, but not least, the king of them all, W. G., had, up to Thursday last, only been out for a single-figure three times in 25 innings. Even now his first duck of the season has still to be chronicled. J.N.P.