Cricket 1900

THE FINEST BAT THE WORLD PRODUCES. J u l y 12, 1900. CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 259 BUSSEY’S BUSSEY’S AT THE SIGN OF THE WICKET. B y F. S. A s h le y -C o o p e r . For the first time in the history of the game, the ’Varsity match has ended in a draw on account of high scoring. Last year the match was left undecided owing more to slow scoring than heavy run-getting, whilst in 1827, 1844 and 1888—the only other years in which a result was not arrived at—the match remained unfinished through want of time. Before the match commenced last week it was generally anticipated that the Dark Blues would score heavily, and this surmise proved to be correct. Into details concerning the match it is unnecessary to enter here, as a full account of the game will be found in another column. Mr. R. E. Foster must ever have happy memories of the contest, for it was his skill and judgment as a captain that caused his side to hold an advantage all through the game. His score of 171 is the largest ever hit for either side in this time-honoured contest, easily beating Mr. Key’s 143 for Oxford in 1886, whilst his aggregate of 213 for the match surpassed Mr. Jardine’s 179 (140 and 39), also for Oxford, in 1892. Never before had so many runs been made in a match between the two sides ; indeed, the aggregate of 1,300 has only once been exceeded at Lord’s in great matches in the whole history of the game. Never before had either side scored as many as four hun­ dred runs in an innings, and never before had the bat obtained so complete a mastery over the ball. It is curious that both Oxford and Cambridge should in the same game have exceeded their previous highest score in these matches. Apart from Mr. Foster’s large score, the first innings of Oxford was notice­ able for Mr. Martyn’s fierce hitting on the evening of the first day. Correct details concerning his fast scoring will possibly never be known, as the reports of the match differed so greatly from each other. The Daily Telegraph said his 78 not out (made out of 105) were hit in thirty-five minutes, whilst the Sportsman gave the time as thirty-six minutes, the Sporting Life as forty minutes, and the Field as “ less than forty minutes.” With so many authorities differing from each other, it is difficult to know which to believe. When Cambridge went in to bat, several players on the side played above their normal form, and as a result a larger score was made than was expected. The second half, or rather part, of the game must not be taken too seriously, for as soon as each side had completed an innings it was apparent that, unless anything very extraordinary occurred, the game could result only in a draw. “ Foster’ s match” was, in many ways, a remarkable game, and one that will live long in cricket history. No less than five correspondents have written to me concerning an error made by a contributor to the Strand Magazine for July, who states that Frederick Lewis, Prince of Wales, “ died from the effects of a blow from a cricket-ball, which struck him in the chest and caused a cancerous growth, the removal of which resulted in death.” This is incorrect, as the Prince was hit, not in the chest, but in the side, and death was due to a collection of matter bursting and suffocating him, and not to the removal of a cancerous growth. The following account of the incident is taken from Sir Nathaniel Wraxall’s Memoirs :— “ Frederick, Prince of Wales, son of George II., expired suddenly in 1751, at Leicester House, in the arms of Desnoyers, the cele­ brated dancing master. His end was caused by an internal abscess that had long been forming in consequence of a blow which he received in the side from a cricket-ball while he was engaged in playing at that game on the lawn of Cliefden House, in Buckingham­ shire, where he then principally resided. Death did not take place, however, till several months after the accident, when a collection of matter burst and instantly suffocated him.” Horace Walpole, it is of interest to know, speaks of the blow, and ultimate death, being caused by a tennis-ball. The recent match at the Oval between the Gentlemen and Players, although it did not attract a very large number of spectators, provided some excellent cricket. In going in first and carrying his bat through a com­ pleted innings for a score of over 150, Abel repeated his performance of 1894 on the same ground. Abel has now equalled Shrewsbury’s record in these matches of scoring four separate centuries for the Players. The greatest number of hundreds made by one man in these matches of course stands to the credit of Mr. W. G. Grace, who has played no less than fourteen three- figure innings for the Gentlemen. “ W.G.’s” performances in Gentlemen v. Players’ matches have been wonderful. As far back as 1865, when only sixteen years of age, he was selected to assist the Gentlemen both at Lord’s and the Oval, and from that day to this no team has been fully representative of the Gentlemen of England which did not number him among its ranks. Altogether he has opposed the Players on no less than seventy-nine occasions. How great a num­ ber this really is can hardly be realised until it is stated that Gunn has played in but thirty-one matches, Shrewsbury in thirty, and Abel in twenty-eight. W. G. ’s perform­ ances in these classic contests stamp him asthe greatest all-round cricketer the world has ever seen; he has scored over 5,600 runs, nobody else having obtained one-third of that number. With the ball he has obtained almost as many wickets as any other two men put together. In the sixty-nine matches in which he has bowled he has obtained two hundred and sixty-eight wickets, the next in order of aggregate being old William Lilly- white (1829-46) with one hundred and seventy-six wickets, Alfred Shaw (1865-81) with one hundred and thirty-four, and Mr. Alfred Mynn (1832-52) with one hundred and seven. The manner in which “ W. G.” maintains his form is as wonderful in its way as his skill as a player is great. We have become so accustomed to seeing him distin­ guish himself that the fact that he made the largest score in the first innings of his side caused little surprise. It is only when we remember that nine of the ten players “ W . G.” had under his command were unborn when he played his first match for the Gentlemen that the greatness of the per­ formance is fully realised. I have received a copy of the Barbados Cricketirs ’ Annual for 1899-00, compiled by Mr. J. Wynfred Gibbons and published at the Globe Offices, Victoria Street, Barbados, at one shilling. The present issue consists of 192 pages and contains all that a cricketer could wish to know about the game in the island. Many very interesting articles appear in the publication, including “ Cricketing Civil Servants,” by Mr. H. A. Laurie, on whose recommendation it was that Mr. P. I. Cox was included in tbe team which is now visiting us. The annual is now in its sixth year, a complete set being somewhat difficult to obtain. To all who take an interest in Barbados cricket the book is invaluable.