Cricket 1900

THE FINEST BM' THE WOULD PRODUCES. M a y 24, 1900. CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 147 BUSSEY’S fenr GO M o fe 5 6 co iJ - iJ C w & — GO — g S = n * * " l _ Q 3 s l i - l > * g SB CO _o _ CO CO CO CVi <■* CO CO p e r w cri * a w 3 u w 0 9 T CO K CO I 3 ^ cm q a s OS BUSSEY’S AT THE SIGN OF THE WICKET. B y F. S. A sh l e y -C ooper . Last week I was enabled to state that it seemed doubtful whether the “ Australian Cricket Annual” would ever see the light again. Since those lines appeared in print a letter has reached me from Mr. James Hut­ chison, of Dunedin (N.Z.), in which he says : “ The ‘ New Zealand Cricket Annual,’ I am sorry to say, did not make its appearance this year owing to insufficient support.” This is, indeed, sad news. It seems very strange that in colonies like Australia and New Zealand, where the interest taken in the game is very great, cricketers are unable to support an Annual. In Barbados, where one would not have been surprised to discover a lack of support, an Annual flourishes bravely. To all who take an interest in New Zealand cricket, the book editcd by “ Trundler ’ ’ was simply invaluable, and its demise is much to be regretted. The match at Leyton last week between Gloucestershire and Essex was the fifth be­ tween the two counties, the sides having first met as recently as 1898. Of the five matches played, Gloucestershire have won four and Essex one. Last year, owing to Mr. Town­ send’s large scores, the western county won easily on each occasion by an innings, but last week the tables were turned, and Essex, hold­ ing a lead throughout, won very easily by 261 runs. The return to the team, after a sea­ son’s absence, of Mr. Kortright has increased the strength of the eleven materially. In the two innings of his opponents he obtained ten wickets for 102 runs besides scoring 14and 25. Carpenter (67 and 135) and Mr. Perrin (106 and 45), too, made splendid doubles, and to these three players the victory of Essex was almost entirely due. It is evident that the “ county of the Graces’’ sadlymisses “ W.G.,” whose presence alone on a side was a tower of strength. When he left, the county’s loss was as great as that of Hambledon when Richard Nyren left the club; in either case, “ the head and right arm were gone.” The Gloucestershire eleven, however, is composed of young, enthusiastic cricketers, and is led by a captain who justly enjoys the confidence of his men, and there is no reason why the side should not occupy a high place among the counties at the end of the season. For the second time in his career Mr. R. E. Foster has succeeded in scoring two separate hundreds in a first-class match, an achieve­ ment equalled only by “ W.G.,” who has performed the feat on three occasions. Two separate hundreds have now been scored in a first-class match by Mr. W. G. Grace (three times), Mr. R. E. Foster (twice), and Messrs. G. Brann, C. J. Eady, W. L. Foster, C. B. Fry, A. C. MacLaren, R. M. Poore, K. S. Ranjitsinhji, and A. E. Stoddart, and W. Storer and J. T. Tyldesley (once). As far back as' 1817, W. Lambert scored 107 not out and 157 for Sussex (with Lambert and Mr. G. Osbaldeston) v. Epsom, at Lord’s, but for some inconceivable reason the majority of cricket statisticians have decided not to count this performance first-class, although there can be no doubt that the scores were made in what was then considered one of the greatest matches of the day. Of late years, when matches have been played on billiard-table wickets, the performance has been frequently achieved, Mr. Grace being the only batsman to accomplish it before 1892. As far as it is yet possible to judge the two most improved teams appear to be Lancashire and Sussex. The former county is especially strong in bowling, and with Mr. MacLaren playing regularly should once again occupy a high position in the county championship table at the end of the year. The southern county has received a most valuable addition to its ranks in the person of Relf, who for some seasons past has rendered excellent ser­ vice to Norfolk both with bat and bill. With Messrs. Collins, Fry, and Ranjitsinhji and Killick in form with the bat, and the bowling entrusted to Bland, Tate, Cox, Parris, and Killick, Sussex should this year prove a difficult side to beat. In their last two matches the Surrey team have plainly shown how strong they are in batting. At Derby the county scored 493 runs for the loss of but nine wickets, every member of the side scoring double figures, whilst against Worcestershire at the Oval three of the first four batsmen on the side exceeded the century. It is true that in neither of the matches the team had to meet the strongest of bowling, but it will readily be admitted that neither Derbyshire nor Worcestershire is the weakest bowling side among the first-class counties. On a hard true wicket Surrey is, without doubt, by far the strongest batting team in the country. By Surrey enthusiasts — and they are as numerous as the sands of the sea—the re­ appearance of Abel was hailed with delight. How great, then, must their joy have been when he exceeded the two hundred, and by so doing played the highest innings hit so far this season in great matches ! Like Mr. A. G. Steel and a few others, Abel seems capable of taking his place in a county team and, with hardly any practice, making a large scoie. His latest innings is the seventh he has as yet made in first-class cricket of over two hundred, the scores, in order of magnitude, being 357 not out, 250,231, 221, 219, 217 and 215. As the performance of the Surrey bats­ men against Derbyshire is of the rarest occurrence, it will perhaps be of interest if the list is given of INSTANCES OF DOUBLE FIGURES BY EVERY BATSMAN ON A SIDE IN ONE INNINGS OF A FIRST-CLASS MATCR. All-England Eleven v. Yorkshire, at Sheffield, July 17, 18, 19. 1865. Oxford University y. Middlesex, at Prince’s, June 19, 20, 21, 1876. Lord Londesborough’s X I. v. Australians, at Scar­ borough, September 2, 3, 4, 1886. Tasmania v. Victoria, at Hobart, January 28, 29, 30, 1893. Kent v. Sussex, at Brighton, August 28, 29, 30, 1893. England v. Australia, at Melbourne, December 31, 1-94, January 1, 2, 3, 1895. Yorkshire v. Leicestershire, at Leicester, June 18.19, 20,1896. Surrey v. 8ussex, at Kennington Oval, June 26, 27, 28, 1899. Surrey v. Derbyshire, at Derby, May 17, 18, 19, 1900. In the match against Sussex at the Oval in 1899 every Surrey player scored at least 20 runs. The continuance of long scores from the bat of Mr. R. E. Foster must be very pleasing to Worcestershire cricketers. As Mr. Foster has followed up his two centuries against Mr. Webbe’s XI. with another against London County, his name has now to be added to the list of those batsmen who have scored three separate centuries in consecutive innings. Mr. Foster’sperformance is, in many respects, unique, e.g , all the centuries were hit at Oxford and were all made for the University. In his third innings he did a piece of record “ gentle tapping ” —to borrow an expression coined by the champion “ umpty-dumpty,” Bob Thoms—as far as first-class cricket is concerned, by scoring four sixes from con­ secutive balls sent down by “ W.G.” A glance at the bowling figures during the ’ Varsity’s innings suggests that the bowling might have been better managed. “ W .G.” obtained two wickets, but at a cost of 130 runs ; Smith had 94 scored fromhis deliveries