Cricket 1902

298 CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. J uly 24, 1902. O n Saturday Mr. John Shuter, the famous old Surrey Captain, scored 163 for Lessness Park against Bickley Park, and was then hurt and obliged to retire. He has made a great many runs this season. ------- N o t so very long ago there were four Yorkshiremen at the head of the bowling averages. On Monday Haigh alone of them was found in the first four. He was second to Trumble, who bad the splendid record of 39 wickets at ten runs apiece, which is all the more remarkable because he was unable to bowl at the time when the wickets were at their worst. Tate had, up to Monday, taken 124 wickets at 13 runs apiece, and if he lives long enough he may yet be chosen to represent EDglund one of these days. Rhodes and Llewellyn are the only other bowlers who had taken over a hundred wickets up to Monday. In the batting averages Ranjitsinbji was easily first with 54-65, while E. M. Ashcroft and Tyldesley were practically level seconds with just over 47. Trumper was fourth, and liemcnger bad crept up to fifth place, while T. L. Taylor, Shrewsbury, Abel, A. C. Maclaren, and W . G. Quaife were in the first ten. O n Tuesday the Selection Committee (Lord Hawke, Mr. H. W. Bainbridge and Mr. Gregor McGregor), assisted by Mr. F. S. Jackson and Mr. A. G. SteeJ, chose the following eleven players, who will represent England to-day (Thursday) at Manchester, unless any of them are replaced by other players who may be added to the list:— •tJA. C. Maclaren (Lancashire) (capt.) S. Jackson (Yorkshire) L. C. H . Palairet (Somerset) *+ K . 8. Ranjitsinhji (Sussex) *+tTyldesley (Lancashire) tAbel (Surrey) *+ Lockwood (burrey) *+tBirst (Yorkshire) •ttRhodes (Yorkshire) •tjBraund (Somerset), and •tjLilley (Warwickshire) * Played in the Birmingham match, May 29, etc. + Chosen for the match at Lord’s, June lv, etc. t Played in the Sheffield match, July 3. I t will be noticed, from the above list, that C. B. Fry is again left out. He may, of course, again play at the last moment, but it does not seem very likely tlat he will have another chance. L. C. H. Palairet comes in, and is the only mnn who has not been previously chosen as a possible representative of the country. The only bowlers in the list who have done anything in the least noteworthy for some time are Lockwood and Rhodes, so that England may possibly have to rely on her batting, which, if one may judge by this year's experiences, is a lively look out. ■------ A h o s t of readers of Cricket will be sorry to hear that Mr. Fred Gale (the Old Buffer) has been very ill. He is now recuperating in Kent, and hopes to look in at the St. Lawrence Ground at Canter­ bury before the Week. A few days ago he entered on his eightieth year, but despite his age he intends to have a few balls from one of the ground bowlers at Canterbury if the weather is fine and the practice wicket true. In a letter which we shall be pardoned for quoting, although it is not intended for publica­ tion, he says “ I do not want a ping- pong table for a wicket. Why do they not have the barber to shave the wicket and a tailor to run a goose over it ? ” I t is pleasant to find that cricket is still sometimes played by big clubs even when the weather is wet. It rained steadily in Liverpool all Saturday afternoon, but despite this, Sefton Park and Rock Ferry fought out their district match, and brought it to a conclusion. On many club grounds, if a slight drizzle falls, the players rush to the pavilion and stay there for hours. I n a recent match a small fox terrier caused great amusement to the specta­ tors. He galloped over the pitch, and was chased from there into the members’ enclosure, where he vigorously attacked a very large policeman who had ventured to order him off the ground. But the terrier was evidently not aware that policemen carry clubs, and he eventually retired a sad but much wiser dog. U p to the present time only three indi­ vidual innings of a hundred have been made against the Australians, viz:— Braund, for London County at tie Crystal Palace, 104 Tyldeslty. for England at Edgbaston, 188. Abel, for Surrey at the Oval, 104. A bel has now played six innings of over a hundred this season, all for Surrey, v iz.:— May 6.—v. Essex at the Oval, 101. May 26.— v. Essex at Leyton, 160. June 9 —v. Sussex at the Oval, 151 not out. June 24.—v. Oxford at the Oval, 112. July 15.—v. Sussex at Bastings, 179. July 21.—v. Australians at the Oval, 1( 4. A f e w years ago it would hardly have been possible to induce the county cap­ tains to signacircularletter recommending a book for any purpose whatever. But as 1be Cricketers’ Fund is to share in any profits which may be made from “ Bat v. Ball,” the whole of the first class county captains, as well as Captain W. E. Denison, have signed a circular advising “ all members of the M.C.C., of county and other cricket clubs, and all who take an interest in cur great National Game, to obtain a copy of the unique work.” The book was favourably reviewed in these columns when it first appeared, the year before last, and it will be remem­ bered that it was compiled by Mr. J. H. Lester, who took an immense amount of trouble over it. It contains a complete record of tbe doings of individual bats­ men and bowlers, from 1864 to 1899 inclusive. To prevent possible disappointment to the public it may be as well to state that the reports which have appeared in the sporting papers of an extension of the English portion of the Australian tour are absolutely inaccurate. As a matter of fact no arrangement of any kind after the completion of the Hastings and St. Leonard’s Week on September 10th has so far been made even provisionally. I have in my mind at the moment certain unauthorised announcements that the Australians are to appear in the North in the week following the Hastings and St. Leonard’s Festival. There is no founda­ tion for Buch a report, I repeat. E v en now the Australians theniBelves are uncertain as to their movements after September 10th. It would seem at present to be a choice between returning home via America and New Zealand or via South Africa and Western Australia. American cricketers are anxious to see them, and a hearty invitation was sent to Major Wardill on their behalf, even before tbe team reached England. At present no decision has been come to one way or the other, and so far as I can hear nothing will be settled until the negotiations with regard to a South African visit have taken a definite shape. N e a b l y seven hundred runs in a day is not a poor performance in the way of scoring. Last Friday Baw the seven hundred all but three made in a match between the Surrey Club and Ground and Brixton Wanderers at East Dulwich. The former, after declaring with the total 407 for five wickets, had to field to the end of tbe day while 289 were got for six wickets. As tbe time of actual play was well under six hours the rate of scoiing must have been very nearly two runs a minute throughout. A. Baker’s 206 for the Surrey Club was very closely approached by J. Faulkner, who made 196 for the Wanderers. A mong the cricketerB now on their way home from the front, one notices the names of Major Poore, who scored so heavily in first-class cricket in 1899, and N. Miller, the hon. sec. of the Streatham C.C., who played several times for Burrey. Another Hampshire cricketer, Col. Spens, of the Shropshire Light Infantry, was among the officers who reached South­ ampton from the Cape ou Saturday last in the “ Dunottar CaBtle.” S u b b e y ’ s victory at Lord’s last Satur­ day is tbe first success the county has had over Middlesex since 1897. In that season the Surrey eleven were well on top bo far as Middlesex was concerned. They were fortunate enough to win both matches, though they had to fight hard for it at the Oval, where they only managed to pull through with 9 runs to spare. Am ong the cricketers who are appar­ ently not returning home now that the war is over is R. P. Lewis, who kept wicket in turn for Winchester, Oxford University and Middlesex. R. P. took an active part in the movements which led to General Cronje’s surrender, and has done good work through the campaign, though homefor a short time on sick leave. In a letter from Standerton on June 26th, he anticipated a long stay out in South Africa, as his Corps, the 2nd Devon, was just ordered off to the Mafeking District. It was possible when he wrote that he might have to go even further afield on special service.