Cricket 1898

THE FINEST BAT THE WORLD PRODUCES A u g . 11, 1898. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OE THE GAME. 331 BETWEEN THE INNINGS. Alec Hearne’s pronounced succ.ess in his benefit match must have been intensely pleas­ ing to all the friends of the popular little Kentish professional, and their name is legion, as one who listened to the talk on the St. Lawrence ground during the early days of last week could not fail to discover. To score 154 in the match without getting out would have been a fairly big per­ formance in any case; for a beneficiare to accomplish such a feat must be very nearly a record. I can remember but one instance of anyone’s making a century in his benefit match; but there may be others. The one instance in my mind is that of William Gunn last year. “ Oh, Alec won’t do anything; nobody ever does anything in his benefit match,” I heard someone near me say at Canterbury last Mon­ day, when we were waiting in the last half- hour of the day’s play to see the first Kentish pair come forth, and the figures 1 and 2 (which, according to the card, denoted “ J. R. Mason, Esq.” and “ A. Hearne” ) were hoisted in the side spaces of the telegraph board. “ Told you so,” was the further comment, as Burnup left in haste, caught at the wicket first ball. For, as a matter of fact, it was Messrs. Bannon and Burnup who commenced the Kent innings, though I feel sure that most of those who were not in possession of the latest edition of the card believed that they were watching the captain and Alec Hearne. Myself, I could not quite fit the figures of the pair who came out with those of Mr. “ Jack ” Mason and his trusty hench­ man ; the relative heights appeared about right, but it seemed strange that several of the Red Rose men in the field should look distinctly taller than Kent’s young giant. Nor could I fit in the somewhat scratchy way in which Mr. Bannon shaped against the first over or two of Stoddart’s slows with my previous knowledge of Mr. Mason’s fine free style. Yet, as everyone around one seemed quite satisfied lhat the first pair were Mr. Mason and Hearne, and as the card confirmed their opinion, I put down the apparent discrepancy as due to my rather bad position on the further side of the ground (whither I had gone “ between the innings ” to have a look at the stalwart pipers of the Seaforths), and to the gathering shadows of the trees. I went away, however, convinced that it was not Mr. Mason I had seen—unless he had entirely altered his style since last August; but I still supposed that the bats­ man whose exit had been so hurried, was Alec Heame, and, as I spun over the thirty miles or so of road between the old Cathedral city and my temporary abiding place near Maidstone, I thought several times : “ What a pity Alec should have been out so soon! ” So that it was pleasant to find next morning that it was not he who was ou t; pltasanter still to see him play so good an innings, and carry his bat at the end thereof. Offhand, I was rather disposed to accept the dictum that “ nobody does anything in his benefit match,” as substantially accurate. But when I came to look up instances, I found it by no means so. It is true that Wainwright and Bean this year, Frank Sugg last, and Lohmann, Chatterton, and Rawlin in 1896, all failed in their benefit games; but againbt these may be set Alec Heame’s 154 for once out, this season; Gunn’s 125 last; Abel’s 32 and 23 (top aggregate for his side in a somewhat small-scoring match) in 1895, and Shrewsbury’s 52 not out (a laborious innings( though it was) in 1893. One is thankful that Mr. Jones and Gutt­ ridge are on the Notts side. The latter, unfortunately, only comes off in about one innings out of ten; but when he does come off, he makes things hum pretty considerably, and any side which allows Guttridge to stay an hour at the wickets sees the Notts score increased very much faster than is customary. Guttridge is a long way off being a first-rate batsman; but I think he should be encouraged, not discouraged, and to put him in No. 10 or 11, as was very generally done last year, is certainly not to encourage him. Mr. Jones is the brightest figure on the side. He almost always makes runs, and almost always makes them quickly. As I have said, while there are but five great players and practically only one class-bowler on the side, the probability is that Notts would lose twice as many matches as she won, were all her games played to a finish. The same result might well follow from a deter­ mination on the part of her players to make the three days of a match sufficient for a definite decision. But who, that loves the game, would not see such a record as—played 16, won 4, lost 8, drawn 4—rather than: played 16, won 1, lost 1, drawn 14 P Over a score of centuries in a week ! Surely the limit has been reached at last! And another instance (to add to that of Yorkshire v. Warwick) of four centuries in an innings. Of the four Derbyshire batsmen, three: Storer, Davidson, and Chattert'on, with 116, 274, and 104 respectively, were largely con­ cerned in Derbyshire’spreviousrecordinnings, the 577 v. Lancashire at Manchester in 1896. The next highest score on that occasion was only 13, and Mr. Wright, the other century- maker in the innings of last week, made but three. One hastens to congratulate Mr. C. M. Wells on his initial century in first-class cricket. As a matter of fact Mr. Wells twice last week beat his previous record score in important matches, which score was the small one (for so really good a bat) of 58. His appointment, in succession to Mr. R. A. H. Mitchell, as “ cricket-master ” at Eton appears to have suited him well. By the way, 1 was in error last week in including Mr. Alec Eccles’ name among the new “ centurians.” He made 102 in an innings for Oxford last year. And I should have mentioned John Tunnicliffe among those who have scored three centuries this season. Peccavi! J.N.P. WIMBLEDON v. CRYSTAL PALACE.—Played at the Palace on August 6. W im b l e d o n . D. Ford, b Umney ... 71 H. Ross, st (. ipriani, b Wells ................. 8 W. E. Martyn, c R. Dillon, b Umney ... 19 B.B.Adderley,b Wells 0 W. W . Leuchars, c Cosens, b Wells . 23 A. J. Burrell, c Todd, b Umney................. 2 A. S. Nes‘ it, c Wells, b Umney................. 1 C r y s ta l F. A. B. Anderson, b Lance.......................23 E W. Dillon, c Nes- bit, b Jackson... 6 L. S. Wells. st Nesbit, b W. Leuchars ... 63 C. Mitchell, c Roes, b Jackson ................. 7 W. C. Collins, b Lance 4 J. H. T o d d , c W. Leuchars,bAdderley 44 R. Leuchars, c R. Dil­ lon, b Wells ........... 2 H. N. Jackson, not out ......................... 8 D. P. Lance, c Lul­ ham, b W ells........... 1 G. Ltdebor, c Ander­ son, b Wells ........... 7 Extras ........... 3 Total ........... 145 P a l a c e . Dr. W. F. Umney, b W . Leuchars..........14 R. H. Dillon, b Lance 1 A.B.Cipriani, b Lante 7 <*. Cosms, run out ... 2 E. H. Lulham, not out 11 Extras...................18 Total BUSSEY’S BUSSEY’S