Cricket 1902

154 CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. M a y 2 2 , 1902. J. N. C rawford , thethirdof the cricket­ ing brotherhood, of whom Parson Craw­ ford has such good reason, paternally, to be proud, has lost d o lime in making his mark on the cricket records of Repton School. With ten old choices left, under any circumstances a new player would have to be very good to have much of a chance of getting his colours. As it hap­ pened Repton’s first match gave J. N. C. his opportunity. He utilised it fully, and indeed his performance against Wolver­ hampton last Monday, in the opening match was good enough to justify great hopes. His bowling record showed six wickets for 29 runs. P oor old Surrey ! None so poor to do it reverence. Even the Oval pitches are not what they were. “ The wickets at the Oval have lost the recuperative powers which they used to possess in such plenitude.” At least, that is what “ The Country Gentleman’s Newspaper ” told its readers last Saturday in the best Daily Telegraphese. According to the French proverb, “ the absent are always wrong.” With cricket it is very much the same. It is only the teams and the players who are in the tip-top of luck who never err. The Surrey men are at the moment the sport of ill fortune, and have to pay the penalty. But the Oval pitches ought really to be ashamed of themselves. Apted should see that their recuperative powers are restored in all their plenitude ! F. L. P ierce , the captain of the Kingston Cricket Club of Jamaica, is “ home ” just now on sick leave. He was an interested witness of the first match the Australian team played in England, that at the Crystal Palace, and is looking forward to seeing a good deal of English cricket this summer. He also hopes to have a few matches over here himself before the season is over. At present he is taking a much needed rest on the South Coast. T he third trusteeship of the Surrey County C.C. has been recently filled up by the appointment of Mr. Jeremiah Colman. He takes the place of the late Sir Fred­ erick Marshall,with the Lord Chief Justice the president, and Mr. Wildman Cattley the treasurer, of the Surrey County C.C., for his colleagues. Mr. Colman, who lives at Gatton Park, near liedhill, had a good reputation as an all-round cricketer when he was at Cambridge University some years ago. He subsequently played for the Incogniti. His ground at Car- shalton Park was, in its time, one of the best round London, and the matches he used to play there against some of the principal clubs were very enjoyable. I r is h cricket should receive a fillip from the visit of the All Ireland team to England this season. The Irish players some years ago used to be very much in evidence on English grounds, and more than one very enjoyable tour in the States testified to the enterprise of Irish oncketers of the period which was from 1879 to 1892. The occasional visits of the Gentlemen of Ireland to Lon­ don, too, ten years ago or more, furnished a lot of excellent cricket, as well as provided plenty of enjoyment for Metropolitan cricket crowds. The excel­ lent show the All Ireland eleven made this week in their opening match against the London County C C. shows that the standard of Irish cricket has in no way deteriorated. T he match between the Bar and the Barristers’ Clerks, which has to be played tomorrow, will provide a pleasant relief at the Oval after the stress and anxiety of county cricket of the first and second grade. P. F. Warner has had a great deal to do with the arrangement of the new fixture. He has got up and will captain the eleven which is to represent the Bar. A. M. Latham, the hon. sec. of the Wanderers C.C., has lent him valuable assistance in the preliminary arrange­ ments for Friday’s match, and will also be on the side of the Bar. O n Friday last there was five and a half hours’ cricket in seven first-class matches. There was no play at Hudders­ field, and ten minutes at Manchester, while the longest time available was 85 minutes at Cambridge. No play took place in any match after lunch. O n e of the most remarkable curiosities caused by the wretched weather was the performance of the London County team in their first innings against Ireland. At lunch time the score was 75 for 0, W. G. being not out 31, and W . L. Murdoch not out 41. But a drizzling rain fell during lunch time, and when the game was resumed, after a long interval, wickets fell with such rapidity that the whole side was out for an addition of 17 runs. W e should not be very much surprised if some of our leading manufacturers of cricket materials were soon to issue a circular in the following style—that is to say, if the present wretched weather continues. TO CRICKETERS. In order to meet the wishes of our custo­ mers, we have decided to offer the following useful outfit at inclusive prices to cricketers:— 1 tarpaulin hat made in the style of the Panama. 1 winter overcoat, covering the knees. 1 pair waterproof hoots. 1 suit thick winter tweeds. 2 sweaters, extra thick, one a size larger than the other. 1 oz. best cough lozenges. 1 best novel to read in the pavilion while waiting. *1 bat. *1 pair pads. *1 pair gloves. *These are, of course, not generally neces­ sary for a cricketer this year, but we advise them to be included in case of accidents. In the match between Middlesex and Somerset, Mr. J. H. Hunt took a wicket with the first ball he ever bowled in a first-class match, and another wicket in the first over. His victims were Mr. J. Daniell and Mr. P. R. Johnson. He also scored 8 and 60, the latter a really fine innings. O n Monday A. C. Maclaren once more assumed the captaincy of the Lancashire eleven, Mr. Eccles having resigned in his favour. ------ T he two benefit matches this week were not entirely ruined by the weather as seemed more than probable on Sunday. But naturally the number of spectators was far less than would have appeared if the weather had been warmer. It is satisfactory to know that both Hay and William Gunn will make a substantial sum from receipts at the gate. T he hitters have been much to the fore in the matches this week, although scores have been anything but large as a whole. Albert Trott made 103, G. L. Jessop 55 and 93, A. O. Jones 75 and 100, Sewell 55, Jones (Australia) 40, A. E. Lawton 67, Board 41 and 55 not out, S. M. J. Woods 88 not out. O n Sunday, K. S. Ranjitsinhji arrived in Brighton after his visit to India, and on Monday without any practice what­ ever, he captained the Sussex team once more. One would like to know his innermost thoughts as to the comparison between the weather in India and in England. R eferring to two curious incidents in the match between Queensland and New South Wales the Brisbane Sports Observer says :— It was thought generally on the ground that Atkins was caught and bowled, and that umpire Ord had said “ Not out ” on his own responsibility, but this is not correct. When the bowler took the ball, Evers behind the sticks lifted his chin inquiringly and raised both hands in a manner suggesting, “ How’s that ? ’ ’ and umpire Ord took it for an appeal, and said “ Not out.” Atkins, however, not hearing this decision in his favour, began to walk pavilion-wards, till the umpire informed him that he had been given not out. Mr. Ord is absolutely satisfied that it was a bump- ball, and though most of the spectators were satisfied that it was a catch, the umpire was in the best position to judge. With regard to the second “ Atkins episode,” I think Mr. Muir was distinctly at fault, if the explanation I have been given is the correct- one. It will be remembered that Atkins after being plainly bowled off his leg was allowed to continue his innings. It appears that an appeal made for leg before was answered in the negative, but from the same delivery the ball found its way into the wicket, and a second appeal made for bowled. The umpire’s idea was that having once said “ Not out ” he conld not alter his decision. A t this time of the year when the County Championship table has not yet begun to appear in the daily newspapers, it is pretty safe to say that nineteen out of every twenty cricketers would be quite at a loss to explain the way in which the results of the Championship are worked out. In the words of the advertisements, “ Try it on your friends.” As the position of the counties in the Championship table will never again be as