Cricket 1898

A ug . 18, 1898. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. -n s~ - 353 ■Cricket: A WEEKLY RECORD OF TEE GAME. 168, UPPER THAMES STREET, LONDON, E.C. THURSDAY , AUG. 18 t h , 1898. $atotiton #osstp. Tie abstract ard brief chronicle of the time.— Bcmkt. O k page 346 will be found the scores of the latest match of which I have any information in which Ranjitsinhji played. The runs made b y the Prince were referred to in last week’s Gossip, but the full scores had not then reached me. I n the Sussex match at the Oval the Surrey team were disposed of in their second innings for less than 300, for the first time this season in a completed innings. Their score was 192. A c h a l l e n g e sent out b y a Madras cricket club to a Mofussil club ended in red ink with the words “ auxiliaries barred.” The first cricketer who has been fortunate enough to score a thousand runs this season, and also a hundred wickets is Mr. C. L . Townsend. He took his hundredth wicket last week in the match between Gloucestershire and War­ wickshire. Altogether, he had a most successful time with the ball last week, taking no less than 28 wickets for 297 runs in 132 overs and 4 balls. A PICTURESqtte b it o f re p o rtin g from Cricket Club Life (U .S .A .):— “ E. H . Rodgers, of Philadelphia, was certainly ‘ off his oats ’ in the Germantown- Philadelphia game. Very often he proves a tower of strength in the bowling line, hut in this particular game he howled seventy-two balls for 67 runs and nary a wicket. And to add to his cup of sorrow, going in last his vis-a-vis got out without even giving the howler a chance at one ball.” Commenting on the great number of drawn games this season, a writer in the Weekly Sun states that he heard a sug­ gestion that matches should be extended to four days. When he inquired how two matches could be played in a week by the same team under this system, he was met b y the reply : “ The second match must be a single innings one.” I t is estimated that the proceeds of Baker’s benefit match—Yorkshire v. Lancashire, at Old Trafford, last week— will produce about £1,900, which is said to be a record for a Lancashire player. I f the match had lasted for the three days the results would perhaps have been better, but the game was in such an interesting stage on Thursday night that a vast number of people were tempted to put in an appearance on the ground on Friday. I n the match at Cardiff last week between the Surrey Second Eleven and Glamorganshire, the last Glamorganshire batsman carried out his bat in each innings for scores of 32 and 36. A f e w items from Yorkshire’s score- book this season, as given in this week’s Athletic News :— Hampshire dismissed for 42, 36, and 45. Leicestershire for 57 and 56. Somersetshire for 35. Essex for 78. Surrey for 37. Lancashire for 64. Scene : A road in the suburbs. Three or four small boys riding on or pushing a hand-cart. First boy : “ I tell you old Grace is a one-er.” Second b o y : “ Well, I don’t think so much of him myself ! ” Third boy : “ Shows what a jolly lot you know about it. Why, he made an ’undred and something only the other d a y ! ” Fourth boy : “ Besides, he’s played for fifty years, and ’as ’ad his Jubilee ! ” Second boy : “ Garn. ’E ain’t played for nothing like fifty years.” First b o y : “ Gam yourself. Didn’t the Queen ’ave a Jubilee when she’d reigned fifty years ? So what does ’e have a Jubilee for unless he’s played fifty years ? ” The Scoffer feels that it is hopeless to argue, and cbaBges the subject. An amusing account of the preliminary arrangements made by teams of Bankers and Brokers, who played a cricket match at Bombay on July 16th, appears in the Bombay Gazette : — “ Much speculation was rife as the hour of 2 p.m. approached as to how many of the brokers would be able to appear in cricketing clothes, for at an early hour yesterday morn­ ing enquiries were being made for flannels of any kind or description, but apparently the difficulty was overcome, and towards 2.30 shigrams and conveyances of other descrip­ tions might have been seen wending their way to the cricket ground. At length these twenty-two representatives of the money­ making portion of the population (for it is said that only hankers and brokers can make money in Bombay) were ready for the prey, and a gigantic discussion arose as to who should take the field. Tossing for choice of innings is of course a method which neither Bankers nor Brokers would lower themselves to. Mr. Townsend thought it would be so nice if Mr. Symons’ team went out to field, as the spectators, who were not likely to arrive before 4.30, would then have an oppor­ tunity of seeing the Brokers have an innings. But Mr. Symons thought that the sight of Mr. Townsend chasing the wily ball would not he so enjoyable to the spectators as the spectacle of Mr. Nixon behind the wickets. The public were disappointed Mr. Nixon did not officiate behind the sticks. After all the “ pros and cons” of the question had been thoroughly thrashed out it was unanimously agreed that the Brokers should bat first, because Mr. Symons had made a point of being punctual, and at the stroke of 2 o’clock there had been more brokers than bankers on the field. The actual number were two brokers and no bankers—but no matter, it settled the point.” There was a most interesting finish to a match at Bellary (Bombay) between the School of Musketry and the Gym­ khana. The latter went in with two hours and a-quarter at their disposal, in which to make 262 runs. It might have been thought that even against the weak bow ling which is generally met with in India, the batsmen would not have attempted to make the runs. But the second wicket put on 70 in half-an-hour. The hundred went up in fifty minutes, and the second hundred in another fifty minutes. A t this time, there were five wickets in hand, 60 runs to get, and twenty minutes to play. The remaining batsmen went in for vigorous bitting regardless of danger, and when the last man came in the game was a tie. The winning hit was scored, and then the last man was run out a few minutes after time was up. But if the School of Musketry had chosen to exercise their just rights the game would have ended in a draw, for time was up when two or three runs still remained to be made. But the game was in such an interesting state at that period as regards the number of wickets down, that they, like good sportsmen, agreed to go on with it. A w riter on Sport (Bombay), says :— “ I hear that Ranjitsinhji is a certainty for the Kathiawar team, and also the bowler Baloo, who will be remembered by many in Poona. I wonder how the former will come off on a slow sticky wicket like Bombay provides. There ought to be a crowd on the Maidan of that day, for those who have never seen the “ Great Ranji ” bat, have something to learn. The date is not given on the Gymkhana card, but the Kathiawar team goes on tour about the beginning of September, and have to play Poona and Ganeshkind first.” A l i t t l e book entitled “ The H istory of Cricket in Sussex from the Earliest Records to the Present Time,” has just been issued by Messrs. Wright and Co., 24, Paternoster Square. The author is Mr. A. J. Gaston, who has written much about Sussex cricket. In the small space at his disposal, Mr. Gaston has managed to include a number of statistical tables; short remarks about a few of the most famous Sussex cricketers, as well as remarks about a few of the present Sussex tail who are not famous at a ll; and a short history of the game in Sussex. There are some omissions and misprints, as was inevitable. I notice that from the list of Sussex notabilities, on page 42, the name of Mr. W . Blackman is missing, while, on page 60, Mr. C. A. Smith is not numbered among the famous bowlers. On page 42, Mr. G. “ Braun ” is credited with a hundred in each innings of a match. The photographs with which the book is adorned are all good and interesting, but their manner of produc­ tion leaves something to be desired.