Cricket 1902

THE FINEST BAT THE WORLD PRODUCES. J u l y 24, 1902. CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 291 BUSSEY’S <E<M 0 , W CO o fc fa P DO >J i-3 W * OQ S3 i-3 W I E r a 2 a ^ &. h a CO c o c o CL3 w 03 p e r S3 X « o w 03 CL) CO ►» CO o E3 a a tw O Q p § ■ S3 G 0 ■ O OD G S BUSSEY’S AT THE S1G1S OF THE WICKET. >. b . A SHLET -COOPBB. The meeting of Middlesex and Surrey is generally productive of an interesting and keenly-fought game, and that of last week proved no exception to the rule. Remember­ ing the severe manner in which Surrey had been treated by Lancashire, Yorkshire and Sussex, their victory by as many as ten wickets at Lord’s came somewhat unex­ pectedly. Thematch fluctuated in a remark­ able manner, first one side and then the other appearing to hold the advantage: Seldom indeed has Fortune— Fortune, that fickle jade— In cricket, her especial sport, More freaks of fancy played lh a n in this m atch; and seldom' Has she veered round to ►nd fro To such extent as in this case, Till luck seemed like a tidal race, With frequent ebb and flow, as the poet expresses it. Beldam’s great score and the long stand he made for the last wicket in partnership with 0. Headlam, the latest debutant in first-class cricket, placed Middlesex in a good and apparently a safe position. Especially did this seem so when Surrey had six wickets down for 165 in response to their opponents’ total of 345. Then it was that Hayes made his appearance and played his best innings of the season. "With Dowson as vis-a-vis, he obtained the mastery over the Middlesex attack, and scored with such freedom that he reached his hundred out of 161 in an hour and three- quarters. Hayes is a player who is generally at his best when the other members of the side are doing badly, as witness his second innings in each of the Surrey matches against the Australians three years ago. Always a delightful player to watch when thoroughly set, his recent performance at Lord’s proved most welcome, especially as he had not been doing very well just previ­ ously. An innings of 22 is not as a rule considered worthy of comment in these days of huge scores, hut Stedman’s display did much to enable Surrey to secure tho lead on the first innings. As he assisted Hayes to add 70 runs for the ninth wicket, the worth of his innings to the side can be estimated. It was a capital performance for the Surrey men to head the Middlesex score, as on the second morning the wicket was not so favour­ able to run-getting as appeared to he the case; indeed, the players themselves stated the bowlers received no slight assistance from the ground, and the manner in which Brock­ well was tucked-up by Heame showed that everything was not in the batsmen’s favour. Despite the feats of Beldam, Headlam and Hayes, the chief feature of the match was the irresistible bowling of Lockwood when Middlesex went in the second time. Keep­ ing an irreproachable length, and getting plenty of spin on the ball, he had the Middle­ sex men at his mercy, and dismissed the side for 68. His analysis of 8 for 25, coupled with his great doings in the Gentlemen v. Players match on the same ground, will cause him to long remember his visits to Lord’s in 1902. Surrey eventually won by ten wickets, Hayward following his scores of 17'7, 144 and 59 with one of 26 not out. A match in which somewhat similar scoring was witnessed was that between Kent and England, at Canterbury, in August, 1842. The county made 278—Pilch (98) and Felix (74) adding 154 for the fourth wicket—and 44, and England 266 and 58 for one wicket. “ It is seldom,” commented Mr. Haygarth, “ a side has gone in first, and, like Kent, scored as many as 278, and then got beaten by as many as nine wickets.” C. Headlam’s feat of helping to add over 100 runs for the tenth wicket on the occasion of his debut is unique in the annals of first- class inter-county cricket. In other kinds of great matches, however, such a performance is not without precedent. J. O’Halloran (128 not out) on his first appearance for Victoria assisted A. E. Johns (57) in adding 136 for the last wicket, and Young (81) and Hayward (134 not out) increased the score by 135 for the tenth partnership on the occasion of the debut of the former in the Gentlemen v. Players matches—at the Oval in 1899. The stand, too, of 120 by Duff (104) and Armstrong (45 not out) for the last wicket of Australia against England, at Melbourne, in January last, is still more remarkable from the fact that neither player had previously taken part in a test match. The non-appearance of Rawlin in the Middlesex eleven against Surrey provided a topic of conversation in cricketing circles, as in his three previous innings he had scored 84 for M.C.C. and Ground v. Wellington College, at Wellington, on July 12th, and 36 and 122 not out for M.C.C. and Ground v. London County, at the Crystal Palace, on the first three days of last week. Granted that he is now somewhat passe as a bowler, it was doubtful policy to exclude him from the county eleven after he had given such proof of being in a run-getting vein. There are other players, such as C. P. Foley, W. Trask and A. J. Webbe, who could partici­ pate in county cricket to the advantage of their side. Quite recently the first-named reached three figures three times in one week, making 124 for M.C.C. and Ground v. Uxbridge, on July 9th, and 100 not out in the first innings and 108 in the second for R. A. D. Liebert’s XI. v. Sir D. F. Gooch’s XI., at Clewer Park, VVindsor, on the 14th and 15th inst. Trask this season has been performing his great feats at Eastbourne, and has so far made the following hundreds :— 101*. Eastbourne v. Brixton Wanderers, May 20. 105, Stoics v. South Lynn. June 20. 100*, Eastbourne, v. St. George’s Old Boys, July 1. 167*, Fa^tbouine v. Colveston, July 9. He also scored 54 and 45* for Eastbourne v. F. B. May’s XI. on the 26th and 27th ult. Last August he exceeded the century on three occasions for Lansdown in the short space of six days, making 146* v. Channel Islands on the 17th, 124 v. Bushrangers two days later, and 103* v. Shaw Hill on'the 22nd. Earlier in the season—June 6th, to be precise—he had scored 142* v. Incogniti. It is a matter for regret that so accomplished a batsmen should be lost to first-class cricket. In the case of A. J. Webbe the matter can be understood, as for over twenty years he took a leading part in important matches, and has definitely announced his intention of refraining to participate further in inter-county cricket. His presence, however, in more of what are known as extraneous matches, would be very welcome to all. His highest scores this season have been 108, Free For sters v. Household Brigade, May 21. 118, A. J. W ebbe’s X I. v. Winchester Coll., June 5. 117, Oxford Harlequins v. Boyal Engineers, July 14. The above innings go far to 6how that the famous old Harrovian still retains much of that skill which made him so great a tower of strength to Middlesex in years gone by. Dr. Mornement, who made 104 for the Royal Navy v. Royal Marines, at Portsmouth, on the 28th ult., is probably the best batsman in the Navy. During the last few years his scores for H.M.SS. ‘ ‘ Eclipse” and “ High­ flyer” have been very large. Can any reader state for which county the doctor is qualified ? It might be to the advantage of the Hampshire authorities to keep an eye on him.