Cricket 1900

J an . 25, 1900. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 7 SOUTH HAMPSTEAD C.C.,. 1899. Matches played, 52 ; won, 19 ; lost, 15 ; drawn, 18. Runs scored for Club 7,761 for 406 wickets. Average 1911 against 6,916 for 458 wickets. Average 15*10. BATTING AVERAGES (ten innings). No. Times Most of no'; in an Total inns. out. Inns. runs. Aver. G. L. F. Griffin... .. 17 ... 3 ... 152 ... 601 .. . 42*92 H. T. Roberts ... ... 16 ... 0 ... 1. 3 .. . 575 .. . 35 93 H. Briton ........... ... 14 .. . 3 ... 67 ... 327 ..,. 29-72 W . Couchman ... ... 16 .. . 1 ... 102 *.... 419 ..,. 27 93 F. W . T e w ........... ... 15 ... 4 ... 77* 306 ..,. 27*81 C. A. Vandervell ... 21 .. 5 .. 72*.. . 443 ..,. 27 68 J. J. Lambert ... ... 20 .. 2 ... 122 . 460 .. . 25*55 P. B. Gilliard ... .. 14 .. . 2 ... 1S7*... 293 .. . 24 41 W . J. Whelan ... ... 13 .. . 4 ... 71*.. 216 .. . 24 P. H. Slater ... 24 .. 1 ... 119 ... 533 ... 23*17 A. J. Houghton... ... 21 .. . 4 ... 39 ..,. 335 .. . 19*70 C. W . K. Pleiffer ... 13 .. . 4 ... 44 ... 156 ... 17 33 H. W . Brooman ... S3 .. . 6 ... 50*.. . 286 .. . 16*82 H. B. Curtis ... 22 .... 4 ... 47 .. . 269 ..,. 14*94 T. B. Orgias ... 15 ... 0 ... 45 .. 192 .... 12*80 A. T. Doughty ... ... 17 ... 1 ... 42 .... 183 .... 11*43 R. Counew . ... 12 .. . 1 ... 41 .... 121 .. 11 G. P. Taylor ... 11 .. . 3 ... 30 ... 82 ... 1025 J. T. Watson ... ... 10 ... 1 ... 19 .. . 92 .... 10*22 A. E. Hill ........... ... 10 .. . 1 . .. 37 . 89 .. 988 F. C. Barrett ... 18 .. . 1 . .. 25 ,. 135 .,.. 794 J. Linscott........... ... 12 .. . 0 . - 19 .,.. 63 .,,. 5*25 * Signifies not out. The following played over five and less than ten innings R. G. Astley, 19*60 ; H. Scholey, 11’50; G. Taylor, 10*25; G. L. Slater, 10*20; S. Saunders, 8 25; J. Benister, 7 37; H. Turner, 6 66 . The following scored centuries for the club :— H. T. Roberts, 153 and 106; G. Griffin, 152; P. Gilliard, 137* ; J. J. Lambert, 122; P. H. Slater, 119 ; W . Couchman, 102*. * Signifies not out. BOW LING AVERAGES. Twenty wickpts and over— Overs. Mdns. Runs. Wkts. Aver. C. W . K. Pleiffer ... 228 ... 51 .,.. 595 .. 66 .. . 901 W . Couchman... ... 130 .,.. 28 .. . 3*3 , 32 .. . 11*03 P. B. Gilliard ... ... 194 .. . 67 .. . 444 ... 40 ... 11 1 0 W . J. Whelan... ... 72 . .. 15 ... 246 ... 20 ... 12*3) S. Saunders ... ... 95 ... 26 .. . 250 ... 20 .. . 12*50 A . J. Houghton .. 270 ..,. 73 . . 673 .. 52 ..,. 12*94 H. B. Curtis ... ... 314 ... 92 ... 758 .. 54 .. . 14*03 F. W . Tew ... ... 93 ... 18 .. 282 ... 20 .. . 14*10 T. B. Orgias ... ... 154 ... 34 ... 447 ... 25 ... 17*88 CR ICK ET STOR IES OP THE W A R . So many of our most famous cricketers are in South Africa, and so much time has been at their disposal while the armies have been waiting for transport, etc., that it was inevitable that games of cricket should be played. It was also inevitable that there should be points about some of the matches which were quite different from anything hitherto seen on the cricket field. Early in the history of the war, when Ladysmith was first beseiged, we heard that a match was brought to a premature conclusion, because the players attracted the shells of the Boers, who do not seem to be of a sporting turn of mind. From time to time reports have come through the Boer lines fromLady smith of incidents of as startling nature in connection with cricket matches. A correspondent of the Daily Mail state s that during one of them a shell from the Boer positions fell among the players, one of whom was instantly killed. When bis friends came to pick him up, they found the ball tightly clasped in his hand. The correspondent adds that the player was twenty-two years old, but does not say whether this had anything to do with the accident. Again, in a private letter it is stated that a bowler w&s about to deliver the ball, when a shell from the enemy blew him to pieces —this may possibly be the incident referred to by the newspaper correspon­ dent. Another writer says, “ The light­ heartedness of the troops is wonderful. At Ladysmith, they had a cricket match during the bombardment, and a man who was bowled declared that the bowl­ ing of his antagonist was a good deal worse than the Boer shells.” But by far the most startling story of the war which has yet appeared is to be found in a letter by Mr. Bennet Burleigh, the famous war correspondent of the Daily Telegraph. “ The Boer guns,” he says, “ (at Colenso) also began a little later throwing shrapnel, and the machine-gun firing solid shot at them. But the gunners never flinched nor winced, buckling to their work lik“ men who grip a heavy load. Nay, more, some of them in derision began to ‘ field,’ as at cticket, with the badly-aimed spent shot of the machine-cannon. Running aside, they would make a catch, and call ‘ How’s that, umpire ? ’ Astounding, and yet more astounding, for this story is absolutely true ! ” This story brought forth the following comments in a Daily Telegraph leading article:—“ If such a scene, dark with slaughter, yet glowing with all the colours of human valour and serene un­ consciousness of danger, sends the blood along the cheek with pride in our kith and kin, what are we to say of the companion picture of how the guns were worked and fought, under a hurricane of shot and shell ? We knew before the outlines of the story; the details as told by our war correspondent make strongest appeal to our admiration and our pity. Under the leaden storm, which crashed upon the batteries within a range of six hundred yards, the gunners neither flinched nor winced, some of them, like light-hearted boys, playing a game of cricket with the spent shot of the machine guns, with cheery cries of ‘ How’s that, umpire ? ’ just for all the world as if they were practising with bat and ball on a village green.” Unable to rest after reading Mr. Bennet Burleigh’s story, the Evening News, after stating that to him belongs the honour of relating the tallest story of the war, says that this, “ however, is nothing to the experience of Mr. de Rougemont, who is now beleaguered in Ladysmith. While the most remarkable man in the wide world was watching the gun fire from Umbulwana Hill, he succeeded in making a splendid left- handed catch, high up, of a ninety-four pounder shell. Relighting the fuse, which had gone out, from his cigarette, he tossed the missile back into the enemy’s camp, where it exploded with terrific effect. While at tea an hour later, a second shell, which had entered his waist­ coat pocket unobserved, went off owing to some crumbs dropping upon it, completely wrecking the teapot, but fortunately doing no further damage.” There are other cricket stories of the war of a more painful nature. Such is that told by a former member of the staff of a Scarborough newspaper, who writes from Queenstown, Cape Colony:— “ The last artillery we had here belonged to her Majesty’s ship ‘ Powerful,’ but thty were suddenly ordered to join Methuen’s column. A day or two before they wm t I witnessed a cricket match between the ofiBcers and the local club, and had the pleasure of seeing Commander Ethelston and Major Plumber make the two highest scores, and then a day or two afterwards both these gallant fellows were killed.” We read also that when Commander Egerton, a very good cricketer, who has made many fine scores for H.M.S. “ Terrible,” saw that both his legs had been blown off by a shell his first remark was : “ That ends my cricket.” It will be remembered that in a very short time England had to mourn his loss. So far, nothing has been heard of what the more famous English players have been doing in South Africa, but it is certain that they have done their duty, whatever it may have been. We know that Major Poore went to America to buy mules for the Government, and that he afterwards went to the front; but of the rest there is a silence as complete as that of General Buller a week or two ago. One famous Australian, J. J. Ferris, the left-hand bowler, is, we learn, among Colonel Byng’s South Australian Light Horse, while J. H. Sinclair, one of the best batsmen in South Africa, has joined Little’s Scouts. Of him the Times cor­ respondent at Sterkstroom says: “ Young Sinclair is rather in a difficulty, no patrol jacket large enough for him having so far been obtainable here or at Naauwpoort.” KENT COUNTY C.C. The matches for 1900 are as follows:— M AY. 10. A t Catford, v. Yorkshire. 21. A t Catford, v. Gloucestershire. 28. A t Maidstone, v. Essex. JUNE. 4. At Manchester, v. Lancashire. 7. A t Worcester, v. Worcestershire. 14. At Tunbridge Wells, v. South Africans. 18. A t Tonbridge, v. Sussex. 21. A t Tonbridge, v. Middlesex. 28. At Blackheath, v. Notts. JU LY . 2. At York, v. Yorkshire. 12. Ac Trent Bridge, v. Notts. 19. A t Blackheath, v. Somerset. 23. A t The Oval, v. Surrey. 26. A t Leyton, v. Essex. AUGUST. 2. A t Southampton, v. Hants. 6 . A t Canterbury, v. Lancashire. 9. A t Canterbury, v. Surrey. 13. At Clifton College, v. Gloucestershire. 16. At Taunton, v. Somerset. 20. A t Tonbridge, v. Hants. 23. At Canterbury, v. Worcestershire. 27. At Lord’s, v. Middlesex. 30. At Brighton, v. Sussex. Three-day matches. SECOND E L E V E N -JU L Y . 9. A t Brighton, v. Sussex. 23. A t Tunbridge Wells, v. Sussex. Two-day matches. CLUB AND GROUND M A T C B E 3-M A Y . 31. A t Charlton Park, v. Charlton Park. JUNE. 12. At Forest Hill, v. Forest Hill. 25. A t Hythe, v. Hythe.* JU LY . 17. A t Catford, v. Private Banks. AUGUST. 1. At Bromley, v. Bromley. 27. At Gravesend, v. Gravesend. * Two-day match.