Cricket 1899

A ug . 24, 1899. CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 371 NONDESCRIPTS’ TOTJR, 1899. Never before, in all our series of tours, have we had less difficulty in getting together a good team than we had in this our fourth visit to North Devon. The fame of Instow as a charming centre for headquarters, the fame of excellent wickets, and most friendly and delightful opponents (not to mention spectators), has spread amongst our members to such an extent that we had not only an exceptionally strong side, but from twelve to fourteen men at different times to choose from. Leaving town on July 29th, we spent Sunday in Exeter, where the only cool spot was the cathedral, and travelled on to Instow in the evening. Since our last visit, the Marine Hotel has suffered a great loss in the death of Mrs. Nicholls, whose kindly efforts for our comfort, and interest in all our doings, had done much to make our previous visits so pleasant. Miss Nicholls worked unsparingly, and in the face of many difficulties, to fill the place of hostess, and by her efforts she earned our deepest gratitude. On July 31st and August 1st, we attacked our friend J. B. C l alien’s X I., on the Instow ground, and, after a splendid match, which was any­ body’s up to the last ten minutes, we were beaten by three wickets. “ J.B .” won the match by his splendid batting and bowling, the latter being altogether too much for our tail, which, in spite of paper-form, and our freely-expressed opinion, proved to be an exceptionally long one throughout the fort­ night. Our next match, against North Devon (on the same ground), proved equally exciting, only the boot was on the other leg, and we won by forty runs. In each of these matches Haycraft played one fine innings, and Hebert’s stand with him in the second innings was the turning point in the game ; W . G. Cobb and Marsden also assisting us much by their fine bowliDg. We were kindly invited to a very late dance at West­ ward Ho on the Thursday evening, but sacrificed ourselves in the interests of cricket, and, with much regret, declined. Had we known the side we had to meet at Lynton next day, we might safely have accepted. After the very picturesque run on the new railway from Barnstaple to Lynton, and an exciting drive from the latter station to the ground, which terrified our nervous members into semi-imbecility, we won the toss and commenced with Haycraft and H. H. Cobb (who had joined us that morning) the biggest innings the Nondescripts have ever compiled. If hitting orders had not been given, goodness only knows how many we could not have made. Even the tail wagged a bit when there was no necessity for it. We had a hard task before us next day to get their side, weak as it was, out twice between 11.30 and 4.30, but we succeeded, thanks to their best bat running himself out both innings, and the judicious employment of H. H. Cobb’s lobs against their tail in the second innings. A situation more charming than that of the Lynton cricket ground, in the Valley of Rocks, could not be imagined, and, when not batting or fielding, we eat about amongst pinnacles of rock and watched the game with not the slightest desire to take any more active part in it. The greatest drawback is the impossibility of following the ball when bit up into the “ country,” very few catches being taken far away from the wickets. We found short-leg a most useful place in this match, no less than five catches being made there, while Marsden brought off a catch within a yard or two of the bat, at point, which pleased him very much, and evoked shrieks of laughter from the spectators, the batsman having “ asked for it ” for a long time off the lobs. Back “ home ” for a quiet and very hot Sunday at Instow, spent, as usual, in sailing and sleeping. On Monday, we played the return with North Devon, and in this match losing the toss made all the difference. They had a very strong side, and ran up a big score, to which Challen con­ tributed another splendid century. Rain in the night made the wicket quite unplayable, and we collapsed twice, Rev. H. Gray, the Cambridge fast bowler of 1895-6, and Pepall, of Gloucestershire, doing the damage. The ball bumped all the time, Cobb getting one of Pepall’s in the eye, while a lot of us only escaped by skilful dodging. At Westward Ho, against the Rev. R. W . Sealy’s X I., the wicket prepared by Smith proved, as usual, much too good to finish a match on, the batting on both sides being very good, and the bowling neutralised by the perfect pitch. We failed somewhat in our first innings, with the exception of Cobb, who took his bat through the innings for 124, the tail for once doing something useful in helping him at the finish. Our 240 was by no means so good as it should have been, and our opponents topped it, but in our second innings we showed great form, Cobb getting a second century, and Danby, for once, showing his true form. We declared, as a matter of form, but had no chance of winning. All this week our men had been going back one after the other, W . G. Cobb, Trimen, and Hick­ son, having left us, and now we lost Marsden and Hebert, while R. F. G. Chaldecott, who had accompanied us throughout, ready to take a place if one fell vacant, had also to go back, and we were left for our last match without a bowler of any class, so far as we knew. However, we discovered some talent, and after Toller and Hutchinson had got a few Bideford wickets, with some of the most awful stuff ever seen, Cobb and Eiloart came out with flying colours, and finished off the first innings for a poor total, which we only just managed to reach, our skipper doing something in the batting line for once. Next day, we got Bideford out again cheaply, thanks to our skipper’s illness. Had his innings not been too much for him he would probably have bowled himself and lost the match, but Haycraft, as deputy, put on Danby, with the greatest success. Having 148 to get to win, on a moderate wicket, we did not feel quite safe, but our twomainstays, Haycraft and Cobb, played a grand game, and knocked the runs off without loss in very quick time. This made our record three wins, two losses, and a draw, and we were fairly well satisfied, though, having a stronger team than ever, and having never before lost in North Devon, we had some slight feeling of not having done so well as we ought. The accompanying scores show pretty well what each man did, with the exception that Leigh Ibbs fielded splendidly all through; Hebert bowled better than his wickets show, and was most unlucky; Hill kept up his wicket at very useful times, though he did not score many ; and Eiloart did an enormous amount of work in that delightful position, short-leg, and did it well throughout. It was astonishing how much there was to do there in nearly every match. Barring Cobb (whose average is worthy of special notice, reading — 7 innings, 2 not out, 480 runs, 124* highest, average 96*00), Haycraft, and, in lesser degree, Marsden, to praise whom were to “ gild,” etc., the batting was most incon­ sistent, not to say feeble, but we met better bowling this year than ever before, the Rev. H. Gray proving a thorn in our side, time after time, and he played five matches against us, taking forty-six wickets for eleven a-piece. The amount of work he got through was wonderful. W e had perfect weather all the time, and enjoyed ourselves immensely. It was an especial pleasure to have Challen staying at the Marine all the time, and Mrs. Challen indefatigable in coming to see all our matches. To them, and to all our friends at Instow, our thanks are due for their many kindnesses to us. Though keen opponents on the field, we felt, and always feel that we have many friends off it. So here’s to our next meeting. Matches played, 6; won, 3; lost, 2; drawn, 1. Runs scored by club, 2,083 for 99 wickets—21'4 per wi:ket. Runs scored by opponents, 1,724 for 107 wickets— 16’11 per wicket. Centuries for club, H. 0 . Cobb, 124 and 121 at Westward Ho, on August 9 and 10, and J. S. Hay­ craft, 124 at Lynton, on August 4. Centuries against club, J. B. Challen, 102 and 10C, at Instow, on July 31 and August 7. 1st MATCH v. J„ B. CHALLEN’S X I.—Played at Instow on July 31 and August 1. N on descripts . First innings. Second innings. J. 8. Havcraft, b Gray ...16 c Sealy, b Gray... 77 A. R. Trimen, b Gray......... 5 c and b Marks ... 27 W.G.Cobb,stSealy,bChallen 14 b Gray................. 9 E. L. Marsden, c Gray, b Challen ........................22 b Gray...................47 C. D. D. McMillin, b Gray 5 cMarks, b Challen 5 R. A. Hill, not out .......... 6 c and b Gray ... 16 H. R. Hebert, c D. Scott, b Challen ........................ 0 c Arnold, b Gray 4 G. A. S. Hickson, b Gray ... 1 b Gray................36 R. Leigh-Ibbs, b Challen ... 1c and b Gray ... 2 A.Eiloart,st Sealy, bChallen 0 st Sealy,b Challen 0 L. Hutchinson, b Gray ... 2 notout................. 0 Extras ........................ 8 Extras.......... 9 Total .................8D J. B. C h a lle n ’s J. B. Challen, c Haycraft, b Cobb ............................... 102 W. A. Knight, b Marsden .. 0 E. Crosskey, b Hebert ... 1 Hon. O. Scott, b Hebert ... 3 F. Marks, b Marsden..........30 Rev. H. Gray, c Marsden, b Cobb ............................... 9 J. F. Orchard^ b Marsden... 2 R. D. Slater, b Hebert ... 23 Rev.R. W. Sealy,b Marsden 13 Hon. D. Scott, b Cobb ... 8 J. B. Arnold, not out.......... 1 Extras ........................ 7 Total ...232 X I. c Hickson, b Cobb 37 b Hebert .......... 7 b Marsden.......... 0 b Marsden......... 8 b Marsden..........20 b Marsden.......... 0 not o u t................30 b Marsden.......... 2 not out................. 3 Extras.. Total... .. 201 Total .. 112 9 sd MATCH v. NORTH DEVON.—Played at Instow on August 2 and 3. N ondescripts . First innings. Second innings. J. S. Haycraft, b Pepall ... 0 c Crosskey, b O. Scott.................63 A. R. Trimen, c O. Scott, b Gray ............................... 1 b Gray................. 0 W. G. Cobb, b Pepall.......... 7 b Pepall .......... 0 E. L. Marsden, b Pepall ... 37cIsaac,bRickman 13 C. D. D. McMillin, b Pepall 0 b Pepall ......... 8 G. A. S. Hickson, b Pepall... 1c Slater,b O.Scott 23 R. A. Hill, b Challen..........21 b Rickman............ 1 R. Chaldecott, b Challen ... 0 b Gray.................21 H. R. Hebert, b Pepall ... 21 c Crosskey,b Gray 31 R.Leigh-Ibbs,lbw,bChallen 15 b Gray................. 4 L.Hutchinson,c &b Challen 4 c Midleton,bGray 3 A. Eiloart, not out .......... 3 not out................. 1 Extras........................14 Extras ............22 Total .................124 T ota l.........190 N orth D evon . J. B. Challen, b Hebert ... 5 cTrimen,bHebert 13 J. V. S. Isaac, c Eiloart, b Marsden ........................14 ron out ............ 3 C. V. Beresford, b Hebert... 17 cHickson,bMars- d e n ................ 26 Rev. C. V. Wansbrough, c Leigh-Ibbs, b Marsden ... 13 lbw, b Hebert ... 30 R. D. Slater, lbw, b Hebert 0 c Hutchinson, b Cobb................. 9 Hon. O. Scott, b Hebert ... 6 c L.-Ibbs, b Cobb 0 Hon. D. Scott, b Marsden... 6 not out.................12 E. Crosskey, b Hebert......... 3 c Hill, b Mareden 2 Rev. H. Gray, c and b Chal- deoott............................... 26 cHickson,bMars- den .......... ... 4 S. F. Midleton, lbw.bHebert 0 c Hickson,bChal- decoit .......... 2 Pepall,cLeigh-Ibbs,bHebert 12 c Eiloart, b Chal­ decott ..........80 R. B. Rickman, not out ... 19b Marsden.......... 0 Extras........................ 7 Extras ............ 16 Total .................128 T otal..........147