Cricket 1899

CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME J une 22, I8d§ ments for the tour. From the accompanying list of matches it will be seen that the Old Boys intend to have a change of scenery while they are away. JU LY . 3 and 4. Rfpton, v. Repton School 6 and 6. Y oik, v. Yorkshire Gentlemen 7 and 8. Eedlergh, v. Sedbergh School 10 and 11. Fretton, v. Preston 12 and 13. Grey Friars, Preston, v. Northern Nomads 14 and 15. Rost all, v. Rcssall School 17 and 38. Ormcau, Belfast, v. N oith of Ireland. O ne of the most curious points about the big match at Lord’s was the failure of nearly all the men on both sides to do themselves justice with the bat. If you subtract the number of totals of the three men who made the highest scores in each innings (which will include all the “ not outs ” ) you will find that eighteen of the best men whom England and Australia can produce scored 180 between them in twenty-four innings— an average of less than eight runs for each innings. And this on a good wicket! As a startling contrast to this it may be stated that the three highest scorers in each innings (ten batsmen in all) between them made 697 runs (including five not outs)— an average of 116, for there were only 6ix completed innings. I n the two efforts of England in this match, ten batsmen in sixteen innings scored 88 runs between them, giving an average of— but perhaps it would be better not to work out this little sum. T he Child’s Guide to Pronunciation:— It wasn’t only bowling that beat the British band, but the batting, batting, batting of two bold bad boys. O n Thursday Major Poore, for the third time in succession in the same week, made an innings of over a hundred for Hampshire, a feat which only very few men have accomplished. His scores were 104 and 119, not out, against Somerset, and 111 against Lancashire. In the second innings of the Lancashire match he made 40, so that his opponents must have begun to think that they were very likely to have a hand in an altogether new record— the feat of making four separate hundreds in successive innings. Major Poore, who, last year, carried off the highest honours at the Military Tournament at the Agricultural Hall, very greatly distinguished himself in this year’s tournament, while the other day he had the honour of scoring the goal which won the match for the 7th Hussars at polo in the final of the Army Cup. O tjk Special Racing Correspondent writes:— “ In the second heat ot the big race, which came off at Lord’s, something was wrong with your animal. His fore­ legs seemed a bit shaky at Nottingham, while last week no amount of bandaging- up would have been any use to them. Be seemed sound enough in the body, but his tail hung down in a lifeless manner. Altogethtr, he did not seem the same animal which won the race in 1896. It would almost lock as if he had lost his character as a game little horse. On the other hand, Kangaroo got his tail up from the first, and there was any amount of go in him. No doubt the stable will do all they can for England before the next race, but I have my doubts as to whether he can be made fit in time. The betting cn the course was :•— 10 to 1 on Fine Weather, 5 to 4 on Kangaroo, 5 to 4 Drawn Game, 5 to 1 against Brockwell (offered).” I n some of the suburbs the afternoon editions of the eveningpapers arrive (when they arrive at all) at irregular intervals, and any suburban resident who rede, let us say from the North to the West End, on Friday evening, could have traced the course of the big match with great ease by watching the contents bills as he went on. The news was broken to him gently in the following manner:— H ILL M AKES H IS H U N DRED. AUSTRALIANS DOING W E LL. FIN E PLA Y B Y AUSTRALIANS. AU STRALIANS’ HUGE SCORE. HUNDRED B Y TRU M PER. E n g l a n d ’ s p o o r s t a r t . ENGLAND DOING BAD LY. JONES A G A IN . SHOCKING START BY ENGLAND. The culminating point was reached when the Star cricket edition contents bill came in sight. It was as follows:— T E S T M A T C H . T O O A W F U L FOR W O R D S . I n the big match at Lord’s, eight Englishmen (including Ranjitsinbji) made 54 in the first innings and 34 in the second, while eight Australians made 92 in their one innings. Thus, eliminating the three big scores in each innings, the Australians would still have won by about ten wickets. This, in its way, is a re­ markable coincidence, or a curiosity, or what you will. O n June 3rd, in a school game, J. M. Tuke, captain of cricket at St. Michael’s College, Tenbury, took in one over five wickets in succession, all clean bowled. W e i l might a disgusted Englishman say “ Just our luck,” when the black cat leisurely prowled round Victor Trumper while he was fielding during the second innings of England. What was the use of the animal turning up at that time? Why couldn’t he have sampled Trumper during the first innings of the Englishmen; and before he made that famous 135 not out ! Major Poore, At the tour­ nament took ceitain prizes; Also he Made hundreds thiee, Last week, of various sizes. B y making a score of 49 for Carlton v. South Melbourne in a Pennant match F. Warne brought his total of runs for the season to more than a thousand, which in Australia, where so few matches are played, iB a noteworthy feat. Accobding to the Madras Times there are three H . C. Kings among the cricketers in India, which is a little worse than the two J. T. Browns in England. P o lit e n e s s on a tramcar:— A. (with evening paper, to B ., with another evening paper) “ Would you mind telling me whether you have any later cricket news than I have ? ” B. “ Don’t know, I’m Bure.” (Takes no further notice of A. until twenty minutes have passed by, when he thrusts paper before A ., with the remark, “ You can see now,” and is surprised that A. does not appear charmed with his affability.) B e lo w will be found the results of the Pennant matches at Melbourne:— Matches Club Played. W on. Lost. East Melbourne ................... 9 7 2 M elbourne................................... 9 6 3 Carlton ................................. 9 tf 3 North Melbourne ................... 9 6 3 Filzroy ................................. . 9 6 4 South Melbourne ................... 9 4 5 St. Eilda ................................... 9 4 5 Univerbiiy................................... 9 3 6 Richm ond................................... 9 3 6 Hawksburn ........................... 9 1 8 A i t e r the Warwickshire innings ended on Monday, at Birmingham, about five minutes remained for play. Essex sent in F. G. Bull and Young to play out time, but before a ball could be bowled stumps were pulled up on account of the light, which suddenly became very bad. I t would be interesting to know how many hundreds of articles have been written, since the match at Lord’s, which prove beyond the possibility of doubt that none of the English bowlers bad as good an analysis as Jones. T h e honorary secretary of the London and Westminster Bank C.C., Mr. H . F. Briggs, writes: “ 1 see in your issue of 14th inst.— in your list of centuries—you include that of one of the Brixton Wan­ derers against curselves. I shall be glad if you will kindly correct this, as an error — the two teams being third elevens of cur respective clubs. The following, I believe, is a correct list of centuries made against us— speaking from memory and going back 22 years. Baldwin, at,,the Oval; A. S. Bull, at the Oval ; A! E. Stcddart, it Hampstead; Milbourne, at Thami s Dittcn. No doubt many more would have been made, had time per­ mitted. As a matter of fact, we played our mutual first teams on Saturday, with the following result: Brixton Wanderers, 235 for six wickets; London and West­ minster Bank, 118 for no wicket.” O n March 24, at Geelong, there was an extraordinary finish to a match between the Scotch College and Geelong Grammar School. The former, going in first, declared their innings closed when 242 runs had been scored for the loss of two wickets. The Grammar School then went in and lost five wickets for 149 runs, and only fifteen minutes more was left lor play. Within that time, the last five wickets fell for an addition of two runs.