Cricket 1901

CR IC K E T , MAY 16, 1901. “ Together joined In Cricket’s manly toil.”— Byron. h o . sea. vo i.. x x . THUESDAY, MAY 16, 1901 p * i o b sa. CHATS ON THE CRICKET FIELD- MR. C. C. CLARKE . F or a long time Mr. Clarke has been one of the most popular men on the Stock Exchange, and it is not at all remarkable that this should be the case, for quite apart from his good humour and good nature, he is ever one of the first to offer his assistance when any good work is going forward. As a cricketer, he was a little before his time, that is to say, he played for Surrey in the days when, unless an amateur was a superlatively good cricketer, he was frowned down as being a person who displaced rising professionals. This was not encouraging, and it is not to be wondered at that Mr. Clarke gradually drifted out of first-class cricket, not, however, until he had played for ten years— from 1873 to 1883. In 1882 he played his last match for Surrey, but in the follow ing year he played for Gentlemen of England against Oxford University, scoring 65, and for M .C.C. v. Kent., scoring 63, ending the season with an average of 49-l (for three innings) which was absolutely the highest in England. He was always a splendid field, and a good wicket-keeper and batsman. He was the introducer to first-class cric­ ket of the “ stand back” place to fast bow ling for the w icket-keeper; and like all reformers, suffered for his boldness. He was continu­ ally told that it m ight be all right for club cricket, but that in first- class cricket it could never be a success. Y et, nowadays, hundreds of catches are made by wicket-keepers in that position. His best performance, as regards results, behind the wicket was in a match in Ireland for I Zingari against the Gentle­ men of Irelan d; he disposed of seven men in the first innings and five in the second. In club cricket he originally played for Esher and I Zingari, and now is captain and honorary secretary of Silwood Park, near Ascot, a strong club, which he has practically made himself, with very little material at his disposal. The club colours are those of the old Eton “ Lazaroiii” club which were presented by the old Ascot C.C. “ Y ou hold very strong opinions about leg before wicket ? ” “ I certainly wish that the proposed law had been passed. An odd thing about this law is that, plainly as it was worded, so many cricketers quite misun­ derstood it. They had an idea that if it were passed a man would be out whether he were between the wickets or not, as long as the ball would have hit the wicket. But this is not an argument against the law, for in the first place the mistake would certainly not have been made in first-class cricket, while I can’t help thinking that after a very few matches it would not have been made in any club cricket whatever. “ But you don’t think that it would have been difficult for the umpires to carry out the law ? ” “ N ot at all—not in first- class matches at any rate. And your laws must be made for first-class cricketers, and the others will follow as best they can. As to the objec­ tion that local umpires would give men out when there was not a shadow of a case against them it is all rubbish. You must remember that, just as the judges have alwayB pointed out that you cannot make laws for rogues, so in cricket you cannot make laws for cheats. If an umpire is a cheat he will give men out, laws or no laws, and you cannot provide against that. Umpiring as it is to-day is what it was ten years ago, and will be ten years hence, unless you get a different class of men. They are nearly all honest, and generally capable, but mistakes have always been made and will be made.” “ Don’t you think the law would have been ruinous on sticky wickets ? ” “ No, I don’t. There is no probability, in my opinion, that the scores would be smaller than they are now. What do they make on a sticky wicket now against Rhodes and Haigh ? Sixty ? E ighty P Well, it is pretty certain that they couldn’t make much less. Besides, the batsmen would not remain still, to be made martyrs. Wouldn’t they dance out and hit the ball near its pitch ? I can quite understand Mr. A . G. Steel not being in favour o f the proposed law, for he, like so many other batsmen of former days, as well as at the present time, used MR. O. C. CLARKE. [From a Photo ly Mayall end Co., 73, Piccadilly , London , W.