Cricket 1900

J u n e 1'4 i S)00 CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAMK. 201 Ranjitsinbji takes their place. Despite the variable weather no fewer than ten batsmen had averages of over 50 on Sunday. Mb. C. R obson is such a good sports­ man that all classes of cricketers will join in congratulating him on making the first hundred of his life in first-class cricket. He has for years been a very useful batsman as well as a good wicket­ keeper, but he has never plajed such a fine innings as Lis 101 for Hampshire againBt Warwickshire on Saturday. Mr. Robson is in his forty-first year. F ortune has not been kind to the West Indian cricketers in their first match. Dr. Grace had got together by far the stiongest team which has repre­ sented the London County C.C. this season, and some of ibe big guns came off. There was noihing remaikable in the county scoring 432 for eight wickets —a weaker batting team than this made nearly as many last jear against the Australians. But it was hard on the West Indians that a thunderstorm should break over the ground just before they had to go in to bat. T he West Indian bowling was perhaps too little varied. But every man used his head, and even towards the end of the day the bowlers continually stuck up tbebats- men. Woods is the fastest bowler. He takes meiely a few steps as a run—a batsman has to be rather quiik to be always ready for 1 he ball—and with a slinging action not much alove the ltvel of the shoulder gets up a great amount of pace. After a time he was somewhat inaccurate, and his pace moderated con­ siderately ; but this was only natuial after tuch a long cuting so early in the tour. Mr. Mignon seemed ihe most “ likely ” bow ler; he varied his pace admirably, and gave one the impression of being a man who will want a gocd deal ol watching when the wicket helps him in the least. Most of the bowlers have a good style. T he fielding, moie particularly towards the tnd of the day, was a little slack, and some of the coloured gentlemen Bbowed a reluctance to run after the ball if there seemed any possibility that it would reach the boundary. But all this will be altered when the team settles down. The West Indians have not been accustomed to such a long day’s outing, ana coming as it did in the very first match of the tour, it must have been a trying experience to them. T he West Indian team is practically representative of West Indian cricket, for its members bave all learnt their cricket in the West Indies, with the single exception of Mr. Bowiiug, who has, it is true, learned more in England than in Barbados. But as be has been engaged iu business in Barbados for the last two years, and will in all probability make the colony his home, it seems hypercritical to raise any objections to his qualification to play in the team. As often happens with visiting teams, several men who would have been included in the team were prevented from coming to England by one cause or another, and among these are Messrs. Cole and G. B. Y . Cox, of Barbados. On the whole, however, the team is fairly representative of the strength of the West Indies. It may be well to add that the visit is made for educational purposes, and not at all with the idea of setting the Thames on fire. We are sure that all English ciieketeis will join in wishing the team a pleasant tour and the best of luck very much better luck than it had in losing ihe toss at the Crys'al Palace and batting alter a thunderstorm had affected the wicket. I AM very glad to find that Cafiyn’s book, “ Seventy-one Not Out,” has been fo successful that a second edition has just been issued by Messrs William Blackwocd and Sons at the same price as the first ( dition, viz., six shillings. It is decidedly one of the best books ot its kind. W hile playing in a village match in the Midlands, a gentleman, posiessing a distinguished note, had Ihe misfortune to be stiuck in the face by a very fast ball. He promptly retired to the pavilion, where he at once became the centre of attraction to a sympathetic crowd. A burly Yorksbireman, feeling bolder than the others, afler looking hard’at the damaged nose for some time, said, “ It doan’t matter so much, for it were bruck afore.” A YOUTHFUL cricketer bought a cheap bat, and was npuch mortified to tnd it badly cut up after practising for a short time at the nets. He at once took it back to the shop, and was much im­ pressed by the answer which he reieived fiom the pretty girl behind the counter. " Yes, it is such a pity, for it is such a very pretty bat; but you can use the back of it just as well.” D r. R yle , the ex-Bishop of Liverpool, who died at the end of last week in his eighty-fourth year, was one of the best all-round University cricketers of his time. A contemporary of the au'hor of the “ Cricket Field ” in the Oxford Eleven, his all-round cricket contributed in no small degree towards the victory gained by the Oxonians in 1836. In the second innings of Cambridge he took six wickets of by no mtans a bad batting side, including C. G. Taj lor, Hon. F. Ponsonby, and R. Broughton. In 1838 for some reason he was rather out of it. At least, he was absent in Oxford’s second innings, and apparently did not bowl a ball in the match. A good deal has been written, mostly inaccurate, by the way, on the subject of Braund’s retirement from the Somerset­ shire Eltveu after playing one match. The actual facts are as follows : Braund, who had played as late as August 28th, 1898, fcir Surrey, by residence so it seems, had in June of that year commenced, as he thought, to qualify for Somersetshire, by takiDg rooms in that county. The announcement of his name recently in the list of players for Somersetshire against Middlesex supgested a reference by Surrey to the committee of the Marylebone Club as to the legality of his qualification at the present time. This reference, as a mere matter of detail, it may be stated, was received by the M.C.C. on Saturday, the 2nd inst. The decision of the High Court of Appeal was, that Braiuia’s qualification for Somersetshire did not begin till September, 1898 The effect practically is that he will not be available for that county till next season. I t is stated that T. R. McKibbin, the oncrt famous Australian left-hand slow bowler, is going to South Africa to join an Australian volunteer regiment. He has not taken pirt in any of the intercolonial matches during the past season, but be can still play gocd cricket. At the end of April be scored 103, and took four wickets for 7 runs in a local match. W ith reference to the decision of the Pennant committee at Melbourne, that by allowing Worrall to play in the last match of the season—the first time that a bad leg would allow 1 im to do so— Carl­ ton had broken the Pennant rules, Worrall himself writes in the Sydney Referee :— “ After about an hour’ s deliberation, the Pennant committee, in reference to North Melbourne’s protest against Carlton for play- ing.Worrall in the final match, ruled ‘ ‘That the circumstances of the case did not warrant the forfeiture of the match by Carlton, and that <arlton be fined one guinea for playing Worrall.” It is an extraordinary finding—a case of “ You are let off this time, but don’t do it again.” But then, it is an extraordinary rule, and if the match was given against Carlton, the Association would have stultified themselves. Although the rule says that a man shall not play for a club in the last round, it fails to state what the penalty shall be if the rule is broken. I takeit that the Pennant committee’s ruling was another way of stating that the protest, in their opinion, was un­ sportsmanlike. ’ ’ A n old story is going the rounds in foreign papers, but as it is a good one we repeat it here. “ At a village cricket club meeting the village blacksmith pro­ posed the following resolution :— ‘ That the wearing of flannels or some sort of trousers in matches be optional.” Another member suggested that it would perhaps be better to propose as an amendment that “ the w<aring of one or the other be compulsory.” A tarty of cricketers went to church the other day in purpose to hear a famous bowler preach, says Invention. The sermon lasted fifteen minutes, and when the party got outside the encomiums were enthusiastic. “ He’s got a good delivery, hasn’ t he ? ” said one. “ Yes,” replied another, “ and what is better still, he keeps a good length.”