Cricket 1902

242 CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. J uly 3, 1902. have the opportunity of seeing first-class cricket. What I want to arrange, if it is possible, is to get a good professional coach to come over. It would doubtless be a good thing if we could get a resident professional, but the clubs are not wealthy, and have plenty to do in making both ends meet. In the winter, J. T. Brown was in Jamaica for a time, and his services were engaged by our club ; he did a great deal of good in the way of coaching the members. For two winters, S. B. Lohmann, George Lohmann’s brother, who is now coaching in the United States, came over to coach us, but that is all the professional teaching we have ever had. We suffer a little in the matter of umpires, who, with a few notable exceptions, are hard to get unless they are inefficient. I remem­ ber appealing for Ibw, and, looking round, found the umpire star-gazing. When he recovered himself, he said, ‘ Eh, what! What did you ask for ? ’ ‘ Leg before wicket,’ I replied, whereat he said that the batsman was unquestionably ou t; On another occasion, when the ball hit a batsman on the leg, the umpire, without any appeal whatever, joyfully shouted ‘ Oh, I say, that’s o u t! ’ at the same time walking up the wicket and waving his hand in his enthusiasm.” “ How many members has your club ? ” “ We have about 80 playing members and 40 honorary members. Sir Augustus Hemming, the Governor of the island, is a member of the club. He takes a great interest in Jamaica cricket, and attends nearly all the principal matches. He is very popular, for he is a man who is ever ready to sympathise and to encourage. His own ground at King’ s House is a very good one indeed. Of course the number of our matches is limited, but a few years ago I was instru­ mental in bringing about a cup competi­ tion in which the live chief Kingston clubs take part, viz. : Kingston, the Garrison, Kensington, Melbourne and Lucas. The Garrison sometimes has a very strong team, as it combines the Army and Navy. It was in a measure due to the Army that Lord Hawke first brought out a team against us.” “ How was that ? ” “ Lord Hawke had been on a visit to America and then, accompanied by 0. W. Wright, came over to Jamaica to see his brother who is an officer in the army. It was after this visit that he arranged to send teams to the West Indies, for which we shall ever hold his name in honour. While the two English cricketers were with us a scratch match, with the title of England v. Jamaica, was arranged so that they might have the opportunity of trying a Jamaica wicket. Charles Wright had been very unsuccessful as a rungetter in America, and when he made 14 off my first over he said ‘ Well, I ’m glad of that, for I ’ve made more runs this over than during the whole tour in America.’ But to my immense gratification I got him in the next over, and then had Lord Hawke caught at the wicket. We got them out for 72 and thought we had practically won the match, but sad to say we collapsed for about thirty.” “ What do you think of native oricket in Jamaica ? ” “ They are very keen on the game for which they have a natural aptitude. Most of them are good natural bowlers, and nearly all are good fieldsmen who can throw a very great distance without much effort. The M.C.C. has just taken on a native of Jamaica, named Bryan, a pretty good bowler. Snow, who did exceedingly well against the last English team which visited the West Indies was played for his bowling, but surprised everybody by the skilful way in which he batted ; he is one of the pluckiest of men, and one of the most amusing; you would never think he could bat from his hunched-up attitude at the wicket, but he has an amazingly good eye.” In Jamaica at the present time resides Mr. E. F. Wright, who some 20 years played for Derbyshire and Gloucester­ shire. He is one of the chief men in the police force, andwas lately badly wounded in a local disturbance at Montego Bay. “ In the course of a conversation with Wright,” said Mr. Pearce, “ he told me an anecdote of the days when he used to play for Gloucestershire. Charles Ban- nerman was makiog some runs when W. G. went on to bowl. W.G. told Wright to go to deep square leg, saying that he would bowl for catches, adding, ‘ Bannerman will probably hit me two or three times over the pavilion, but you will get a catch in the long run ! ’ Wright did as he was told. He had not long to wait, for after a ball had soared over his head into the pavi­ lion the next ball dropped right into his hands—and also dropped out again. Wright was in a most unhappy frame of mind, and said that he dared not go near W.G. for a long time, for he was only a youngster. But after a time Ban­ nerman gave quite an easy chance to W.G., who dropped it, whereupon Wiight cheerily walked up and, much to the doctor’s amusement, sympathised with him. Bannerman made about 70, and Gloucestershire were beaten by about the same number.” Mr. Pearce mentioned a peculiar case which has had a counterpart over here. The English case was as follows:— “ Some few years ago, in a match between a village and a scratch team a ball was hit into the outfield and stopped dead between the feet of a pony which had been turned out to graze at large. The fieldsman came puffing up, and then hesitated, fur as soon as he attempted to pick up the ball, the pony began to kick out with a determination which foreboded mischief. O.her fieldsmen came up, and the pony, without moving from his place, kicked harder than ever. Meanwhile the batsmen had been running until, over­ powered by steer inability to run further for laughing, they sat down. Of course a compromise was eventually made. In the case referred to by Mr. Pearce the fieldsman was placed in a position of even greater difficulty. The match took place in Jamaica, and the ball was hit quite close to the kennel of a huge Cuban bloodhound. The fieldsman approached rapidly, and as rapidly slowed off when he was nearing the dog ; who looked on with great interest. The fieldsman stopped and said “ Good dog,” or the equivalent in Cuban. The blood­ hound smiled affably. Whereupon the fieldsman plucked up courage and was about to seize the ball. But this was another matter, and the bloodhound frowned in such a manner as left no doubt as to his intentions if any further attempt were made to invade his privacy. Here als ) a compromise was made, and all ended well.” Mr. Pearce is a batsman of the steady order, not making very large scores, although he has twice headed the aver­ ages of the Jamaica Club. He has also done the same with the ball. He bowls slow leg-breaks, which he finds very successful against untutored batsmen in Jamaica. He has twice taken over a hundred wickets in a season. As regards his fielding, he has the reputation of having been the best fieldsman that Jamaica has produced. He was one of the three cricketers selected to represent Jamaica in the West Indian team which came to England in 1900, but in the end the Colony was allowed only two places, and he was left out. W. A. B e t t e s w o r t h . LONDON AND CO U N IY BANK v. BUTTON.— Played at button on June 21. L ondon and C ounty B \ nk . P. W . Hubbard, b A. S. Jackson ...........10 H. L. Tyte, c sub, b Haynes ........... 0 C.W . Goddard, b Hay- crafc .........................21 C. R. Trowell, c and b H aycraft.................. 23 W. Bent ey, b A . S. Jackson ...........14 E. G. Gayfer, b L. Jackson .................. 36 J. A. Bienvenu, c G., b A. 8. Jackson ... 6 R. W . Semmons, c and b L. Jackson ... 18 P. F. Allen, c R iner, b L. Jackson...... 3 R. J. Cramphorn, runout ... ... 4 H. E. W . Ingram, not out ........................... 0 B 7, lb 4, w l... 12 Total . 147 S utton . E. A . Bedman, b Goddard ...................11 E. O. Steward, b Goddard ................... 4 J. G. Poole, b Goddard 2 i L. Jackson, b Goddard 0 A . S. Jacksjn, b G od d ard ................... 0 F. Collins, c Bubbard, b Goddard ........... 1 W . B. Haycraft, c Cramphorn, b t ien- v e n u ................. ... 23 C. F. Reiner, c Hub­ bard, b Goddard ... G. Jackson, st Sem­ mons, b Bieovenu .. J. R. Haynes, not out ........................... W . M. YouDg, b Goddard ................... Bj es ................... Total ...........80 SOUTHGATE v. HARROW BLUES.—Played at Southgate oj June 21. H arrow B lurs . 8. Nash, b Rowley ... 0 A. J. W elbe, not out 1\ E. G. Eardley Wilmot, b Ricketts................. 7 W. T. Greenlees, b Lewis .................. 0 C. S. Rattigan, b Ricketts .................. 16 L. a rbuthnot, b Lewis 4 R. Leyland, b Rowley 7 J. K. Cater, b Lewis... 3 W. D. Black, c Lewis, b Row ley................... 2 E. H. Nash, b Bicketts 15 C. Gardner, b Ricketts 6 B 20,1b 3, wb 1 .. 24 Total ..157 S outhgate . R .8. Dick8on,b Webbe 2 A. S Harris, c Webbe, b Black ... 15 E. J. Mann, c Arbuth­ not, b Rattigan ... 32 S. W . Scott, c Green­ lees, b Webbe ... 4 F. 8. Lewis, c Black, b Rattigan ... ... 26 Capt. S. H. Bradford, not out ................ 20 H. G. Rowley, b Leyland ................... 0 H. F. Bawtree, c and b Rattigan ........... W . T. Ricketts, b L e y la n d ................. R. A. Maude, run out .......................... E. White, c Arbuth­ not, b Battigan ... B 7, lb 2, wb 1 ... : Total .119