Cricket 1899

M a y 11, 1899. CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 121 cjm e across these remarks. Hence to a certain extent they must have been pre­ pared for the remarkable changes which came over the game at Worcester against Yorkshire. Who would have foretold a victory for Yorkshire when with five wickets down in their second innings they were still five runs behind ? Or again, who would have imagined that Worces­ tershire could lose when with 134 runs to make in their second innings they had scored over a hundred for the loss of but four wickets ? W h i l e Worcestershire in their opening match covered themselves with glory it is a little early in the day to prophesy that they will upset the equilibrium of most of the counties to which they will be opposed during the season. They are undoubtedly a good team, and they may do wonders. But it is to be noted that Mr. Jackson and Lord Hawke were not playing for Yorkshire, and that the Y ork- shiremen were taken b y surprise by the pace of the wicket, their previous practice having been entirely on pitches of the slowest kind. Mu. T. A. H ig s o n , who made his debut for Derbyshire o h Thursday last at the Oval, is the old Rossall and Oxford University cricketer, and was born at Stockport in November, 1873. He was captain of Rossall in 1890 and 1891, heading the batting averages in the latter year. H e afterwards proceeded to New College, Oxford, and played in the Fresh­ men’s and Senior’s matches in 1893, 1894 and 1895, but did not obtain his blue. Still in 1895 he represented the University at Manchester against Lmcashire, besides playing against the NextSixteen. Whilst at Oxford he obtained his M A. degree, and has Bince quali6ed as a solicitor. He is the secretary of the Old Rossallians C.C., and is a good bat and useful change bowler. W i t h a new cover, from which the date of publication is missing, the American Cricketer , makes its reappear­ ance for the summer. Am ong its very interesting contents is a neat little story told in a letter b y a correspondent, who says In the course of conversation the other day with a prominentlocal cricketer, who about a year ago added a second ‘ ‘ olive branch ” to his family, I endeavoured to do what Captain J. P. Green in an excellent article once said was neglected, viz., to look after the “ young talent.” Said I, “ I believe your youngest is a little cricketer?” R eply: “ Y es; I think he will be a cricketer, f _>r the other day I caught him licking the oil off my bat.” ] n his “ Reminiscences,” which are being published in the Echo and other papers, Dr. Grace tells an amusing story of an incident which followed one of the up-country matches. H e says :— Sir Edwin Smith, of Adelaide, offered a silver cup for the highest scorer against the English Eleven in this match. None of the Kadina men scored very much, hut two tied with totals of seven each, and after some discussion it was agreed that they should contest for the cup in a single wicket match, in which I was to bowl, and two of the English team to field. One of the competitors for the cup was on friendly terms with us and our sympathies lay with Mm. His antagonist batted first, and I dis­ posed of him before he scored. Our friend then took his place at the wicket, and we hoped he would score, but he met with the same fate. Again each man batted, and each man was dismissed for a duck. The contest was getting exciting, and the destiny of the cup hung in the balance ; for the third time I ARRIVAL AMONG THE INHABITANTS OF THE dismissed the first man for a duck. Then we had the satisfaction of seeing our friend getting a single off a very flukey hit, and thus winning the cup. P o s t s c r ip t to a private letter from a fast bowler, who has gone to live in a new neighbourhood:— “ I have already created a sensation by breaking the finger of a Johnny who hatted without a glove, and by scoring 2 not ou t! ’ ’ U n d e r the title ot ‘ Cricket Averages, Batting and B ow lin g; a Club Record for 189— ,” Messrs. E. Searle, 10, Imperial Arcade, E.C., have published, at Is. 6d. nett, a thin book which will be particu­ larly useful to club secretaries. It con­ tains ruled spaces, in which scores, analyses, and almost everything else which may be required can be plainly set forth. O n page 119 will be found the full scores of a remarkable match played at N ipier, New Zealand, between United A and United B teams, in the Senior Cup Com­ petition, on January 21st, 28th, and Februaiy 4th, 1899. Daring the game the follow ing records for the colony were established: — Highest score in one innings by team.. 609 Highest individual score in senior cricket (G. Marshall) .................................. 252* Longest stand for 5th wicket, made by Messrs. Wilson and Marshall .. .. 360 First time two scores in one innings have reached 200 each. H. C. W ils o n .......................................... 200 G. Marshall .......................................... 252* * Signifies not out. T h e first match ever played in West Australia between South Australia and West Australia took place at Perth on April 3rd, 4th and 5th. In the absence of Jones, H ill, Darling and Giffen, the South Australian team was infinitely weaker than usual, and, according to the state of the game at the end of the third day, they stood a chance of being de­ feated. The scores were West Australia 100 and 293, South Australia 159 and 143 for five wickets. O n Saturday, at the dinner given to the Australians at the Crystal Palace, W.G. made a short speech, in which he hit the nail exactly on the head when he said that “ he admitted his anxiety to judge of the quality of the new bowlers, and whether they were really as good as the last team who went to Australia made them out to be. d o v e c o t . (Laughter.) Every­ body knew that a team did not alwaysperform so well away as on their own ground. There generally was an excuse ready, tnd on Monday it would no doubt be taid that there were too many trees on the ground. ’ There is no possible shadow of doubt that cricketers at large have been remarkably anxious for this visit of the Australians to see for themselves whether the bowlers were all that was said of them. A m e m b e r of the Fitzroy C.C. (Mel­ bourne) when playing in a Pennant match against South Melbourne made a hit which, he thought, had reached the boundary. Accordingly he stopped to examine the middle of the pitch, and the wicket was put down. J. F. Giller, the South Melbourne captain, who does not love legal quibbles, would not let him go out. To mark her appreciation of this sportsmanlike conduct Fortune promptly bore down on the Fitzroy batsman and lismissed him for three runs.