Cricket 1900

A ug . 9, 1900. CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 325 GLOUCESTERSHIRE v. SOMERSET. A GREAT FINISH. Played at Bath on August 2, 3 and 4. Gloucestershire won by one wicket. 1 layed on a bowler’s wicket this match seemed on Friday night a most certain to end in a victory for Somerset who, with three wickets in band in their ionings, were 170 runs on. The last three men addtd 41 runs to the total on Saturday morning, although two of them were out in the first over, aud Gloucestershire had to go in to make 211 on a queer wicket. W ith Jessop in the team everything wa*, of course, possible, for he is of:en seen at his very best when the bowlers have the upper hand over most batsmen. But for once he did nothing, and although Wrathall, Mr. C. L. Tow <send and Board, three of the four other reliable batsmen in the team, made useful scores, it was left to Mr. R. W. Rice to make the big score which enabled his side to claim a victory. Mr. Rice is one of those batsmen who have never had justice done to them. A sticker of the most obstinate type he has, on numerous occasions, proved of the utmost value to his side, but for some reason or other he has been looked on as a man who might be left out of a team without any great loss to it. He has not been able to play in the earliermatches this season and in the first innings of this match he was put in very late and failed. Fortunately for his county, Mr. Jessop, who is a wise man in his genera­ tion, put him in first in the second innings, and he saw his companions fall one after the other until a col!apse ensued which seemed to place victory out of the question. Still Mr. Rice went on making runs very slowly, but with a certainty which was very discouraging to the fielding side, and although it was any odds on Somerset when Paish joined him for the last wicket, with 32 runs still required, there was always just a chance as long as Mr. Rice could keep in and get the bowling. It is hardly necessary to say that the spectators had quite a long period of excite­ ment, for the runs were not hit off by a few bold strokes. But steadily and surely the margin between victory and defeat grew less until the game was a tie. Then Mr. ftice just touched a ball from Robson, and short slip had one of those chances which may or may not come o ff; it did not come off and the ball went to the boundary. Mr. Riceunquesti nablyplayed the innings of the match. The other two great innings were played by Mr. L. C. H. Palairet and Wrathall. There was no astonishing bowling feat like that of Rhodes in the match between Essex and Yorkshire. On the other hand nobody bowled very badly on either side, while Mr. Fargus showed that his great performance against Middlesex at Lord’s was not a fluke, and Robson showed finely in the first innings of Gloucestershire. S omerset . First innings. J. Daniell, c C. Townsend, b Fargus................................. Robson, c Jessop, bPaish... 20 C. E. Dunlop, b Brown ... 25 V . T. Hill, b Jessop ...........11 L.C.H.Palairet,c Champain, b Townsend ...................66 S. M. J. W oods, run o u t ... 1 W . Hyman, c F. Townsend, b Fargus ......................... 18 G. Gill, b Fargus................... 0 Tyler, b Fargus .................. 3 Cranfleld, st F., b_C. Town­ send .................................. 6 Chidgey, not o u t ................... 0 B 9, w 1, nb 1 ...........11 Second innings. st F., b C. Town­ send .................. 16 c Paish, b Brown 19 c F. Townsend, b Fargus ...........13 c Board, b C. Townsend ... 3 Total ...................186 b Brown ........... cJes8op,b Brown c F. Townsend, b Jeesop ........... st F., b C. Town­ send ................... b Jessop ........... not out...................20 runout.................. 16 B 2, lb 5, w 3, nb 1 11 Total ... ...149 G loucestershire . First innings. F .H .B .Champain, c Palairet b Cranfield........................... 0 Wrathall,c Chidgey, b Tyler 4 8 C. L. Townsend, b Robson 25 Board, c Chidgey, b Robson 0 G. L. Jessop, b Robson ... 10 H. J. Hodgkins, run out ... 7 W .S. A . Brown, c Cranfleld, b W oods .......................... 12 R. W . Rice, b Robson ... 3 F. N. Townsend, c Robson, b Cranfleld.......................... A. H. C. Fargus, st Chidgey, b Cranfleld.......................... 4 Paish, not out ................... 0 B 13, lb 1, w 1 ...........15 Second innings. c Palairet,b Cran­ fleld ................... 0 run out.................. 29 st Chidgey, b Cranfield...........24 cG ill, b Robson... 34 c Daniell, b Tyler 3 b Palairet ........... 0 b Gill .................. 7 not out ...........82 1 b Palairet 10 Total c Chidgey, b Gill 5 not o u t.................13 B 5, lb 1, w 1 7 ...........125 Total (9 wkts) 214 S om erset . First innings. Second innings. O. M. R. W. O. M. R. W . Jessop ......... 24 9 38 1 . ... 10 5 22 2 Paish ......... 16 2 49 1 ... ... 0 - 1 0 0 0 Fargus ........... 8 1 21 4 ... . . 9 6 14 1 C. Townsend ... 131 2 36 2 ... ... 21 5 48 3 Brown ...1 2 4 31 1 ... 23 9 54 3 Brown delivered three wide*, and Fargus one wide CranfMd W oods . Tyler Robson . and two no-bal.s. G lou cestersh ire . First innings. O. M. 17 15 6 0 11-1 6 23 4 Gill . R. W . 40 3 .. 6 21 1 . 1 . Palairet Second innings. O. M.R. W . 6 8* 2 1 5 0 5 31 1 19 1 8 47 1 15 9 22 2 9 3 19 2 33 15 W oods and Cranfield each delivered a wide. SURREY v. MIDDLESEX. ANOTHER GREAT FINISH. Played at the Oval on August 2, 3, and 4. Middlesex won by one wicket. It is hardly too much to say that if Mr. Jephson had lost the toss, instead of winning it, the result of the match would have Leen a fairly easy win for Sur­ rey-provided always that the Middlesex captain had chosen to go in first. The Surrey wicket generally improves so rapidly that a captain hardly likes to put his opponents in, unless the occasion is altogether exceptional, and Mr. Jephson can certainly not be blamed for doing what almost every other captain would have done under the same circumstances, B e chose fir t innings, and found that the Fates wtre against him. Trott was irresistible on such a wicket against a team which postesses so few men who are able to play the sort of game which is necessary for success. In an hour and a-half the whole side was out. There was nothing great in the Middle-ex in­ nings, except the batting of Mr. Warner, who has learned something of Shrewsbury’s secret of knowing how to manage bowling on a difficult wicket without taking any risks. He made his runs slowly, although now and then, when opportunity offered, he made a fine drive, but he always seemed master of the situa­ tion. Afterwards, when the wicket was easier, Mr. MacGregor played a most useful innngs, while Hearne and Mr. Williams scored 43 in about twenty minutes for the last wicket, and Middlesex ended their innings with a lead of 123. If the Surrey field­ ing had been as good as that which is usually shown by the Yorkehiremen the total against them would not have been half as large as it was. Surrey aid not begin their second innings on Friday until after twelve o’clock, owing to rain. The day was very cold and the wind very high—altogether the weather was most unsuitable for cricket. Surrey made a great effort to save the game. So well did the first few men bat, that at one time the total was 243 for four wickets, and at this stage of the proceedings Surrey had the best of the game. For their satisfactory posi­ tion they were chiefly indebted to Hayes, Lockwood, and Hayward, but in addition they owed something to Abel anl Mr. Jephson. Hayes played the best innings of the match. He hit out boldly and well, and his 86 was the result of a stay of an hour and a half at the wicket. Everything thus seemed to be going well with Surrey until a heavy shower fell and interrupted play for half an hour. When the game was resumed Surrey men had an anxious time, for everything went wrong with their team, Mr. Jephson being caught and bowled by Heame, Holland caught at cover point, and Mr, Dowson at mid off—total, 263 for seven wickets. Then Hayward, the sole sur­ viving hope of Surrey, was finely caught in the long field, and in a few minutes the innings was over. Middlesex, who had to make 167 to win, instead of about 3C0, as seemed probable in the middle of the afternoon, put on seven runs without loss, when the light became so bad that play was abandoned for the day. On Saturday Mr. Warner was bowled by Lock­ wood with the total at 17, and then the stand of the day was made by the two brothers Douglas. They could not get the ball away at first, but when they had played themselves in they made runs quickly, and were not parted until the total was exactly a hundred. Middlesex were now apparently within easy reach of victory. But at 104 R. N. Douglas followed his brother, and at 126 Nicholls was bowled just before lnncheon, so that four men were out, and there was a chance that Surrey would win, for tte wind was drying the wicket very rapidly. After lunch there was a desperate struggle, the Surrey men working splendidly. Middlesex, with six wickets in hand, only required 41 runs to win. At 129 Mr. Wells was bowled, and at 141 Robertson fell in the same w ay; at 144 Rawlin was caught at third man—23 runs now being required. At 149 Trott and MacGregor were both out, and the last man, Hearne, joined Mr. Williams with 18 runs still wanted. Both men showed any amount of pluck at this critical moment, and the amateur hit hard whenever he had a chance. It was long odds against the runs being made, but by a four here and a three there the two batsmen gradual y brought their side nearer to victory, until a four by Mr. Williams made the match a tie, and a two by him brought about a splendid victory by one wicket. S urrey . I-irst innings. Second innings. Abel, c Hearne, b Tro t ... 8 st MacGregor, b Wells ........23 Brockwell, b Trott ......... 18 c Robertson, b Trott ........10 Hayes, c MacGregor, b Bearne .......................... 14 c Rawlin, b W il­ liams ........86 Lockwood, b Trott ...........10 b Hearne ..........56 Hayward, c J. Douglas, b Bearne .......................... 1 c J. Douglas, b Hearne ........ 61 D. L. A . Jephson, c Rawlin, b Trott.................................. 10 c and b Hearne...24 Holland, c MacGregor, b Hearne ........................... 7 cWilliams,b Raw­ lin .................. 0 E. M. Dowson, lbw, b Trott 0 c Robertson, b Rawlin .......... 0 Lees, n o to u t................. ... 3 n otou t................... 5 Richardson, c R.N.Douglas, b Hearne ........................... 0 b Rawlin ..........13 Stedman, b Trott.................. 9 c McGregor, b Rawlin .......... 4 B 2, lb 4 ................... 6 B 4, lb 3 ... 7 Total ...................86 M id d le se x , F ir't inDings. P. F. Warner, c Jephson, b L ock w ood ..........................52 J. Douglas, c Hayward, b L ockw ood.......................... 2 R. N. Douglas, b Lockwood 10 C. M. Wells, b Brockwell... 4 R. W . Nicholls, c Hayward, b Lockwood ...................26 Rawlin, b Lockw ood........... 0 G. MacGregor, c Stedman, b Rich rdson ...........41 W.P.Ro> ertson, c Stedman, b Richardson ...................17 Trott, b Richardson ........... 7 W . Williams, st Stedman, b L ees.................................. 23 Heame (J. T.), not out ... 13 B 9, w 1, nb 4 ...........14 Total ...289 Second innings, b Lockwood ... 9 c and b Lockwood 50 c Stedman,b Hay­ ward ................36 b Lockwood ... 14 .033111 b Lockwood ... 8 c Hayes, b Lock­ w ood ................. 2 c and b Lockwood 4 b Hayward........... 1 b H ayward......... 5 not out.................. 14 not out.................. 5 B 5, lb 12, nb 3 20 Total Total (9 wkts) 168 S urrey . First innings. O. M. R. W . T r o t t .................14 2 3 44 6 . Heame ........... 14 4 36 4 ., Wells Second innings. O. M. R. W . .2 4 4 84 1 .3 1 7 84 3 .1 3 2 52 1 Rawlin........18‘4 4 49 4 Williams ... 8 3 13 1 M iddlesex . First innings. O. M. R. W . Second innings. O. M. K. W . Lockwood ... 23 7 63 5 ... ... 26 8 63 6 Richardson ... 22 5 69 3 ... ... 6 1 19 0 Brockwell ... 11 1 35 1 ... ... 5 2 17 0 Lees . ... 10-3 4 38 1 ... Hayward !!’. 18 2 7 37 3 Dowson ... ... 4 0 15 0 Richardson bowled a wide an I a no-ball, Lockwood five no-balls, and Brock^e11 no-ball. SUSSEX v. WORCESTERSHIRE. Played at Worcester on August 2, 3 and 4. Drawn. Once more has Sussex got out of a very awkward position with the greatest credit. Their opponents batted first on a pretty easy wicket, but Sussex, after scoring 61 for the loss of Mr. Goldie, had to fight their way on a pitch which had suffered severely from heavy rain. As usual they set about their work with determination, and ended their innings six runs to the good. The Worcestershire men began very badly in their first innings, losing five wickets for fc9. As Mr. R. E. Foster and Mr. tl. K. Foster were among those who bad fallen, things looked about as bad as they could be But Arnold and Mr. W . W . Lowe put an entirely different appearance on the game, and by the soundest cricket added 164runs to the total during their partnership. Arnold’s fine innings of 112 was made in two hours aud twenty minutes, and included thirteen 4’s. Mr. Fiy and K Hick batted so well in the time left at their disposal that when stumps were drawn Worcestershire could claim no advantage. For the loss of Killick the score was raised to 104 in the three-quarters of an hour’s play which was possible on Friday, and on a heavy wicket Sussex had a diffi­ cult task before them on Saturday, more especially as