Cricket 1901

THE FINEST BAT THE WORLD PRODUCES. S e p t . 1 2 , 1 9 0 1 . CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME 4 0 3 BUSSEY’S Q r > ' f y y v CO * • J 0 G n fc P to iJ •J W & 09 S3 ►J w 1 £ 2 B ■Q a CO <4 C O CO w 0Q a « o w Q d 7 CO CO & o 'Mo d § s GO BUSSEY’S AT THE SIGN OF THE W ICKE T . B y IT. S. A shley -C ooper . Those of us who have made a point of regularly attending the Hastings Festival will remember the “ Week” of 1901, not so much for any p irticular individual performance witnesied as for the absence of the “ two Bobs,” Thoms and Carpenter. Since the “ Week” was started the two famous umpires had stood regulirly ia every match, but the first Festival of the twentiethcentury brought about a change. One of the two—Bob Carpenter, who provided us with so many happy hours in the fifties and sixties—is now, alas, under the turf instead of on it, whilst Thoms—still, happily, with us—has retired. The absence of the two famous umpty-dumpties made the Festival seem somewhat like the solar system minus the sun to those of us who knew both of them well. It is a pity that age should have any effect on such men as “ B ob ” Thoms. Many people possessthe erroneous impression that during the Hastings Week the cricket is not taken seriously— that it is. in fact, all skittles. Particularly is this the idea of those enthusiasts who have never had the good fortune to be in Hastings during September. Mr. Fry at one time shared the opinion, but on takiug part ia the Festival of 1900 he received a pleisant suprise. During the Week, which came to a close yesterday, much capital cricket was witnessed, and the fielding ia both matches—in the first especially—was quite up to county form. Fielding is the truest index to the amount of keenness displayed in a match, for unless the fielding is good both the bitting and bowling must be below the average. The brightest play during the Week occurred on the Friday during the partnership of Jessop and Banjitsinhji, and on the Monday, when runs came at the rate of a hundred an hour throughout the day. On the last-mentioned day both Jessop and Goldie hit tremendously, but the tit-bit of the afternoon was a huge straight drive by Sinclair, which was worthy of O. I. Thornton at his best. One famous cricketer in the pavilion expressed the opinion that Sinclair at the present moment is the bast natural hitter in the world, a view which was shared almost unanimously by those who heard it. The manner in which he p a tted one of Bhodes’ deliveries to the boundary at electric speed gave one the impression that had he wished he could have h it a ball over the Queen’s Hotel. The partner­ ship of 119 by “ W .G.” and A. O. Jones for the first wicket of the Gentlemen against the Players was most welcome, and the success of the Champion was very popular. Taking into consideration the bowling against which he made his runs, and remembering the fact that it is as far bick as 1865 that he first assisted the Gentlemen, W. G.’s recent performance must be considered extraordinary. But W. G. reckons not by years. Mr. J ones’ innings of 105 was one of the best hit on the ground for some time past. As usual his hitting all round the wicket was very clean and crisp. Mr. Carless, as in previous years, was entrusted with the management of affairs connected with the Week, and this fact alone is sufficient to denote that everything passed off most pleasantly. In a recent issue of Cricket I gave in this column details of two family matches played by members of the B obinson and Hemsley households. I now append particulars of a match played on the 2nd inst. between the Groom and Gardom families :— A T HUNSTANTON, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2nd, 1901. X I . o f t h e G room F a m il y . A. J. Groom, b W. D. Gardom................. 22 E. A. H. Groom, b W. D. Gardom......... 13 G. B. Groom, b J. C. Gardom ................. 22 H. A. Groom, c E., b J. C. Gardom ... 35 F. E . Groom, b f f .D . Gardom................. 28 H. Groom, c J. C., b W. D. Gardom ... 9 A. H. Groom, run ou t............................... 1 C. W. Groom, b W . D. Gardom ..........' 5 8. L. Groom, c and b J. C. Gardom........ 0 N. Groom, not out...................................... 0 G. Groom, b W. D. Gardom ................. 0 Byes, etc......................................... 22 Total... ... .......... X I . OF THE GABDOM FAM ILY. W . D. Gardom, b E. A H. Groom......... J. C. Gardom, b G. B. G room .......... ... C. H. Gariom, c A. H., b H. A. Groom... J. D. Gardom, not out............................... B. W. Gardom, c and b E. A. H. Groom. E. T. Gardom, 1'iw, b E. A. H. Groom ., C. Gardom, l aw, b A. J. Gro >m .......... E. B. G.irdom, b A. J. Groom ... ... ... Byes, etc. ................ ................. 157 11 9 32 2 0 2 0 27 Total........................135 B. M. Gardom, E. M. Gardom, N. Gardom did not bat. The match was drawn. Followers of Sussex cricket may be interested to leirn that next year an American publisher will issue a memoir of the late Mr. M. P. Fitzgerald. Mr. Fitzgerald was a cousin of the secretary of the M.C.C. of thirty years ago, and used frequently to assist the Gentlemen of Sussex. A rumour also reaches me to the effect that a well-known London firm intends issuing a new edition of the ever- charming Nyren about May, whilst the Hampstead Club, I believe, contemplate israing an account of their doings during the past season, accompanied by full scores of all the matches. This last- mentioned book will be for private circulation and for the use of members only. It is presumed, also, that Alfred Shaw’s reminisce aces, about which we heard so much last year, will see the light early in 1902, whilst it is very probable that a descriptive history of one of the most famous cricketing counties will also be published about April or May. If rumour may be believed, next season will witness the production of even a greater number of books on the game than usual. HAMPSTEiD Y. MALDEN WANDE3ERS.— Played at Hampstead on September 7. HAM P8TEAD. Ahsan - ul - Hak, Mountford ..........31 H. breig, b Trott ... 10 Mohamed Said, b Mountford .......... 6 D. MacGregor, b Mountford .......... 0 J. G. Z. Besch, not out 84 E. W . H. Beaton, b Davis........................ 7 E.L. Marsden, b Davis 67 H. H. Jennings, b R.Leigh-Ibbs, b Smith 2 A.B. Osmond, b Smith 8 J. C. B. Dickson, b Davis........................ 0 B 17, lb 1, nb 6... 24 A.S. Bull, retired hurt 105 G. Payne, b Osmond... 4 Davis,bAhsai-ul-Hak 20 B. H. M. Smith, b MacGregor ..........44 H. H. Briggs, b Mars­ den ........................ 4 M a l d e n W a n d e r e r s . Total .. 222 Trott (F. D.), not out.. 6 B. F. G. Chaldecott, b Marsden ................. 0 S.H. Shoveller, not out 0 B 18, lb 4, w 8 ... 25 Total (6 wkts) 208