Cricket 1899

360 CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. A ug . 24, 1899. delivered. It was over a-quarter of a centurysince a professional had previously achieved the performance. Once again K. S. Ranjitsinhji has ex­ ceeded the number of runs made in 1871 by Dr. W . G. Grace, but whereas he had to go to the wickets on fifty occasions to perform the task, the old gentleman com­ menced only thirty-nine innings. So “ W . G.’s ” 2,739 runs in thirty-nine innings commenced has yet to be beaten. As pointed out in a recent number of Cricket there seems to be nothing, save some alterations in the rules, to prevent batsmen scoring three thousand runs a season nowadays as often as they scored one thousand twenty years ago. It is a remarkable fact that Shrewsbury, the finest batsman the world has ever seen with the exception of “ W . G never succeeded in scoring two thousand runs in a single season. e r o m s p o n i i t n c e . The Editor does not h.ld himself responsible Jor thi opinions o f his coi'respondents. RECORDS. To the Editor of C r ic k e t . D e a r S i r , —Mr. Ashley-Cooper has overlooked the Hampshiie-Warwickshire match at Birmingham, played on the 24th and 26 July, where 1,158 runs were made for seventeen wickets, givirg an average of 68 70, thus both preceding and eclipsing the 65 61 of the Sussex v. Australians match played in the second half of the same week. It is remarkable that the previous record of 64'69 estab­ lished in 1896 should have been passed three times during this season, the Yorkshire-Surrey 73'82 being now the record. It is noticeable also that Haywaid has made 158 twice against Somersetshire this season, his first centuries against that county. Yours faithfully, A. C. COXHEAD. August 18, 1899. [Mr. Coxhead has overlooked the fact that Hayward scored 113 against Somersetshire at the Oval in 1894.— E d .] ENGLAND v. AUSTRALIA. To the Editor of C r ic k e t . S i r , —The accompany iog comparison of the work of the amateurs and the pro­ fessionals in the above match may be of interest. The amateurs chosen to make runs:— Grace, Fry, Ranjitsinhji, Jackson, Town­ send, Jessop, Jones and MacLaren had 34 innings fur an average of 32 2. The professionalsGunn, Hayward, Tjldes- ley, Brown, Quaife, Storer, Lilley, BrockweJl and Lockwood (at the time Hirst was chosen at Nottingham he had done nothing with the bat and was played only as a bowler), twenty-four innings for an average of 332. The amateurs took twenty-one wickets for 43 runs per wicket; the professionals fifty-three for 28 per wicket. Tbe amateurs caught out eighteen and the “ pro’s ” twenty-six. It will thus be seen that the advantage is with the professionals in every branch, even in batting, and that although the two best professional batsmen in England, Abel and Shrewsbury, did not play at a ll; yet seven amateurs were chosen in the last match. Yours faithfully, G. LACY. AUSTRALIAN NEWSPAPERS. To the Editor of C r ic k e t . S i r , — I think that the prominent feel­ ings in a right-thinking Australian’s mind on reading your extracts from the Sydney Bulletin and other papers are those of shame and humiliation, especially after the generous tributes of praise which have been heaped upon the Australian eleven during the past few days. Yet as an Australian at home, may I take Mr. Ashley-Cooper’s corres­ pondent to task when he says that the anti-English feeling is very bitter with regard to cricket among colonials generally 1 As a colonial and one who has seen a certain amount of the colonies and their inhabitants, let me say that this is not accurate; that the Sydney Bulletin and the Daily Telegraph do not voice the sentiments of Australians at large. It is, of course, to be regretted that these papers are devoured by a certain class of people, but amongst right-thinking Australians these bitter attacks on the chivalry of the English cricket world are taken for what they are worth and no more. The “ proverbial impartiality of John Bull” is indeed believed in by Australians, and I have no hesitation in sajing that the spiteful remarks of a satirical quasi-comic publication will utterly fail to shake that belief. I am not defending the conduct of the Australian mob any more than that of the papers which that mob devours. I 6imply maintain that the mob is not Australia, and that there are other classes who venture to hold different opinions from those proclaimed by the Sydney Bulletin and others of the same kind. And I hope, Sir, that you will be deluged with letters from abler pens than mine, which bear out my opinion. As an Australian patriot I cannot refrain from defending my country. I am, Sir, yours truly, R. A. CAMPBELL, HITS OUT OF THE OVAL. To the Editor o f C r ic k e t . D e a r S i r , — In this week’s Cricket, referring to Hayward’s huge drive out of the ground for six, off Mr. C. M. Wells, in the “ Surrey v. Middlesex” match, you say: “ It would be interesting to know how many times the ball has been sent out of the Oval in a first-class match ? ” But, strange to say, in the number of instances you have shown that this feat has been accomplished, you have overlooked the greatest achieve­ ment of all on record, viz., that of Ben Griffith, of the Surrey team, the ‘ ‘ Lion hitter,” as he was then called, who, in a match between “ Surrey v. Kent,” drove four consecutive balls in one over of Wilt- sher’s, the great Kent bowler, right out of the ground, and, strange to say, to precisely the same spot, the tavern over­ looking tbe Oval (the “ Sportsman,” I think.) I was present at the match, and therefore can personally vouch for the truth of this statement. I fancy I now tee poor Wiltsher’s look of chagrin at having twenty-four made off a single over, and old Ben’s grin. I have no doubt you will find this statemeht verified on referring to the records kept at the Surrey Club. I am, dear Sir, yours faithfully, EDWIN BALL. [Mr. Ball is in error. The only occasion upon which Griffith ever scored four sixes off an over of four balls was at Hastings, for the United All-England X I . v. X X II. of Hastings and St. Leo­ nards, August29th,30th,and 31st, 1864. The bowler who met with such severe treatment was George Bennett.— E d . ] _________________________ EXMOUTH v. INCOGNITI -P la yed at Exmouth on August 14 and 15. E x m o u t h . First in n iD g s. E. L. Copleston, c Neame, b Schwarz ........................... 8 E. R. Gurney, b Schwarz ... 12 W . Sarel, b Schw arz...........13 H. Goodwyn, st Ntame, b H oa re..................................13 H. C. Hunt, c West, b Hoare 60 S. Mackenzie, b Schwarz ... 64 J. H. H. Copleston, st Neame, b Hoare ...........26 W . E. Copleston, c "West, b H o a re .......................... C. E. "Winter, b Banks Rev. Featherstor e, Neame, b Hoare Hulme, not out ........... Extras ................... Total ........... Second innings. cBanks.t Schwarz 5 b Schw arz...........29 c Barlow, b West 40 b Bangs ...........18 runout.................. 9 c Schwarz,b West 18 13 0 13 1 9 not out... notout... . 14 . 1 Extras...........31 ...232 Total (6 wkb.) 165 I n c o g n it i. A. H. Delme-Radeliffe, c Hunt, b W . E. Copleston 5 O. L . C. West, run out ... 11 R. O. fc'chwarz, b W . E. C opleston........................... 3 F.A.Jones, b E.L.Copleston 82 M. L. Banks, c Hunt, b E. L. Copleston ................... 5 J. A . Gibb, c Featherstone, b E. Ii. Copleston ........... 7 A . P. Neame, c J. H. H ., b E.L.Copleston ... ...38 H. G. Barlow, st Winter, b J. H. H. Copleston...........30 T. C. Spring, b J. H. H. Copleston .......................... 0 H. J. Hoare, c E. L., b J. H. H. Copleston ........... 0 W . P. Carpmael, not o u t... 0 Extras .................. ... 24 Total ...................205 c Gurney, b W .E. Copleston ... 15 b E. L . Copleston 67 c and b E. L. Copleston ... 9 b E. L . Copleston u b E. L . Copleston 4 b E. L . Copleston 47 b Featherstone .. 18 c and b Feather­ stone.................. 2 lbw, b E. L,. Copleston ... 2 c Mackenzie, b Featherstone... 0 not o u t ................. 0 Extras...........27 Total .. 191 LLOYD’S REGISTER y. OLD CHARLTON. - Played at Charlton Park on August 19. O l d C h a r l t o n . G. Tannet, lbw, Alexander ...........32 J. Hale, c Martin, b W ood.......................... 6 T. Freeman, b W ood 8 E.G.Penstone,c Martin b Alexander ...........11 F.Heaton,b Alexander 26 B. Bell, b Alexander .. 15 J. S. Houghten, c and b Carey ... ........... W. Brown,bAlexander 4 J. Dawes,b Alexander 15 J. Kennedy, not out 18 A.H.Manning,b Carey 8 B 7, lb 4 ...........11 Total C. F. Redman, not out 27 M.F.Alexander, c Pen­ stone, b Heaton ... 4 E. Carey, c Manning, b Penstone ........... 7 L l o y d ’ s R e g is t e r . ...161 F. B. W ood, notout... 0 B 4, lb 2 ........... 6 Total(2 wkts) 44 A . S. Hill, A . S. Martin, F. A. Spry, E. M. Salmon, J. H. Sandall, F. A. Mayue, and C. Martell did not bat.