Cricket 1898

Acs. 25, 1898. ORIOKET : A WEEKLY BEOORD OF THE GAME. 363 BUSSEY’S .a o ta - o i g *5 g </} E et) j- •c ^ o u ■5 « u 0. > .. _ >> B u V o 1> + j 3 aO' « . 3 00 S C8 * S ■© *5 6 0 Q i u C O C O BUSSEY’S BETWEEN THE INNINGS. The wildest imagination could scarcely have framed at the beginning of last week anything so thoroughly sensational as what actually happened. And not sensational merely by dint of big figures, but from force of vivid contrast. For these were some of the happenings of the week :— Record partnership for any wicket in first- class cricket beaten by 156 runs, that for the first wicket by 175 runs. Scores of 634 and 534 by Surrey at the Oval. Four innings of over 210—surely this must be easily a record ! The champion county dismissed for 45, and making 662 in their next effort! Unlucky Sussex winning two matches during the wreek, and still more unlucky Leicestershire gaining their first county win with an innings to spare. Gloucestershire (with all the luck, it is true) winning both their matches in aninnings, and Mr. Troup running up a century in each match. Contrasts:— £62 by Yorkshire. 631by Surrey. 5J4 by Surrey. 481 by Middlesex. 45 by Yorkshire. 61 by Lancashire. 79 by Kent. 87 by Derbyshire. In the five matches played on the firstthree days of the w'eek 153 wickets fell for 2,777 runs—average, 18*1. In the five on the last three days 152 for 4,206—average, 27*6 This must have been bigger but for storms at Taunton and Poitsmouth. 0. R. W. A. li 7'2 258 27 9 65 1342 261 24 10 87 129 1 291 18 lo l6 Triumps for the T ’s ; a week’s bowling by Charles Townsend, Albert Trott, and Tate, of Sussex :— C. L. Towneend Trott ( a . E ),.. Tate (t\ W.)... During the past fortnight Mr. Townsend has increased his tale of wickets taken by 55, Trott his by 44, and Tate his by 29. In the old days eleven B’s used to play all England. Eleven T ’s might easily be chosen j ust now who would make a good fight against the strongest team that could be brought against them : Messrs. C. L. Townsend, VV. Troup, A. J. Turner, T. L. Taylor, and G. Thornton, with Tunnicliffe, Tyldesley, Trott, Tate, Tyler, and Tomlin; not a bad side, eh? It is curious, especially in a year when the amateurs have been at least as prominent as ever with the bat, that there should have been (up to date) only five scores of over 200 made, and those give all by professionals. Of course, the five scores alluded to are:— Hayward’s. 315,* Surrey v. Lancashire, Oval, August 18-19, in 6h. 40m. Brown’d 300, Yorkshire v. Derbyshire, Chesterfield, August 18-19, in 5h. 10m. Tunuicliffe’d 243, Yorkshire v. Derbyshire, Chester­ field, August 1819, in 5h. 5m. Gunn’s 236,* No'.ts v. Surrey, Oval, August 2-3, in 8h. Abel’s 219, Surrey v. Kent, Oval, August 15-16, in 5h. 30m. Somewhat strange it is, too, that three of the scores should have been made at the Oval (where rungetting has ruled higher than ever this year), and the other two on a ground on which, until this season, no first-class match had been played for many years. It will be seen that Gunn scored at the rate of (about) 30 runs an hour, Abel at 40, Hayward at 47, Tunnicliffe at 48, and Brown at 58. But then Gunn gave no chance at all, Abel and Tunnicliffe gave only two each, while Brown and Hayward were debited with some five or six. There can be question, however, that when a match has to be won, the quicker and more risky style of play is infinitely the better. Let it be remembered, though, that Gunn was playing to save the match, not to win it, and had he got out at all early, the probability is that it would scarcely have been saved. The productive strokes of the five innings were :— 6’a 5’s 4’s 3’s 2’s l ’s Total Hayward .,.. — ... 2 ..,. 37 ... 7 ... 29 .. 78 ... 315 Brown........ .. — .. — ... 48 ... 6 ... 19 ..,. 52 ... 300 Tunnicliffe .. — ... —.,,. 48 ... 3 .. 7 .... 28 ... 2«3 Gunn ........ .. 1 ... 1 .. . 24 ... 9 ... 21 .,,. eo ... 236 Abel ... . . 1 . .. 4 .. 26 .. 5 .. . 14 ... 46 ... 219 Both of the sixes were due to overthrows. It is a fact worth noting that, in the course of their big innings, Brown, Hayward and Gunn all reached their four-figure totals for the season. Brown stood at 921 when he went in at Chesterfield, Gunn at 992 when he begun his long innings at the Oval, and Hayward up to Thursday last had scored 888. But these are matters known to all in these days of weekly average tables. It will pro­ bably, though, be news to most, that when Brown had reached 78 in his big score he had just totalled his ten-thousandth run in first- class cricket. Gunn is the senior of the five. He was born at Nottingham on December 4th, 1858, and made his debut in first-class cricket in 1880, soon after he had attained his majority. Abel’s birthplace was Rotherhithe, date, November 30th, 1859, and he first came out for Surrey in 1881, when, by the way, his five innings for the county realised 17 runs only ! Tunnicliffe (August 26th, 1866, at Pudsey) first played for Yorkshire in 1891 ; Brown (August 20t‘li, 1869, Driffield) is two years his senior as a county player, though nearly three years younger. Tom Hayward is the junior of the quintet, both as regards birth and as a county player. He was born at Cambridge on March 19th, 1871, and first appeared for Surrey in 1893. The batting averages of the five in first- class cricket (at home and abroad) up to date (August 20) are as follows :— Not Highest Inns. outs. Runs. Aver. Score. T. Hayward ... 253 ... 25 ... 7,583 ... 33 28 ... 315* W . Gunn.......... 695 ... 6? ... 20,522 ... 32 47 ... 236* R. Ab«-1 .......... 712 ... 50 ... 2\83l ... 31*46 ... 259 J. T. Brown ... 381 .. . 35 ... 10,222 ... 29 53 ... 311 J. W.Tunnicliffe 3li .. . 28 ... 7,949 ... 25 39 ... 243 While for all matches for their counties they work out thus • — Not Highest Inns. outs. Runs. Aver. Score. W. Gunn.......... 465 .. . 43 ... 14,333 . 3 96 ... 236* T. Hayward ... 217 ... 19 ... 6,264 ... 31-63 ... 315* R. Abil .......... 652 ... 45 ... 19.185 ... 31-fO ... 250 J. T. Brown 377 .. 36 ... 9.661 ... 28 33 ... 311 J.W.Tunnidiffe 365 ... 30 ... 8,270 ... 24 68 ... 243 Among them the quintet have been respon­ sible for 115 first-class centuries, thus divided:— Abtl—38, including 250, 231, 219. 217, 215, 197, 173, 168*, 165. 16>, 157, 156,152, 151*, aud 22 of under 150. Gunn-36, including 236*, 230, 228, 219, 207*, 205*. 2 3. 19f>. 188, 163, 161, 156, 152, 150, i50, and 21 of under 150. Brown -17, inducing 311, 300, 203, 168*, and 13 of under 150.