Cricket 1902

THE FINEST BAT THE WOULD PRODUCES. 340 CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. A tjg . 14, 1902. A I THE SIG'- OF THE WICKET. B y F. 8 . A s h l e y -O o o p b k . The last and greatest of this season’s test matches is now a thing of the past, and although the nominal honours of the series belong to the Australians, England has pre­ cious little cause to be dissatisfied. The Eng­ lishmen, having lost both at Sheffield and Manchester, it was only natural that less interest should attach to the Oval game than if the fate of the rubber had not already been sealed. Many ignorant remarks have been made lately about the decadence of English cricket, but it is doubtful whether the recent match at the Oval will provide a text forthose critics who are all too prone to belittle the performances of our own players when every­ thing does not result in their favour. It has been pointed out, however, and with truth, that successes, especially in games of such uncertainty as cricket, are apt to go in cycles, and that one may expect an English cycle of victories presently. The successes of England may be saidtohave endedduring the Australia season of 1894-5, although perhaps they have begun again now. It is true that in 1896 we won the rubber, but so much of the result of the match at the Oval that year was due to the fact that we won the toss, that it would be unfair to suggest that we were then superior to the Australians. Few readers of this column will deny that the most startling cricket of last week was seen at Canterbury on Saturday last, when Surrey were defeated by Kent by an innings and 191 runs. The former side occasionally crumbles up in the most extraordinary manner, but never before had it collapsed so completely as it did last week. With 55 runs on the board and only one wicket down, it was generally supposed that a r, spectable total would be made. But alas! for the reputation as prophets of those who boldly speculated on the point, for the last nine Surrey wickets added butfour runs to thescore! “ One for 55 ; all out 59.” Prodigious! The annals of Surrey cricket contain but one instance of so inglorious a display, viz., in the Surrey v. M.C.C. and Ground match at Lord’s in 1872, when the premier club lost their first seven wickets, including W.G.’s, without a run. Eight wickets were down for two, and the whole side dismissed for 16. To say that the Sussex teamwithout Fry, Tate and Ranjitsinhji is akin to Samlet minus the Prince of Denmark, is to under­ state the case. Tate is suffering from rheu­ matism, and rumour has it that Fry, during the past three days, has been reporting the test match at the Oval. The continued absence of Ranjitsinhji from the Sussex ranks is causing muchcomment, and rumours, more or less accurate, fill the air. There is no need to enter here into details of an un­ fortunate occurrence, beyond stating that the Indian may possibly be seen no more on the Sussex side. That his absence will weaken the county club, both financially and cricket- ally, goes without saying. An amusing occurrencewasrecentlybrought to my notice by a friend, who shall relate the story in his own way. “ I have always for­ gotten to tell you the sequel to that incident when V. F. S. Crawford hit a ball on to the Oval pavilion and was caught by Dowson on the dressing-room balcony. Perhaps you remember the incident? V. K. S.’s grand­ father went to Canterbury, and was sitting beside two ladies whenV. F. S. went in. As he was walking to the wicket one of the ladies remarked, ‘ This young Crawford is a terrible hitter, I was up at the Oval the other day, and, as the ground is not big enough for him, they stationed a fieldsman up in the pavilion, and he caught him out. I think it was a beastly shame and too awfully mean for anything! ’ ” Can this have been the fair enthusiast who explained that the bowling screens were used in order to keep the draught off the ball ? H A M P STE A D v. W O O D F O R D W E L L S .—Played at Hampstead on A ugust 9. W oodford W ells . First innings. Second innings. G. Tosetti, b Sp fforth ... 13 c Crosdale, b Ah­ san-ul-H ak ... 0 Inns, c Trotter, b Spofforth 60 c M oon, b Ahsan- ul-H ak ... 11 F reem in, b 8 p offorth .......... 0 b Ahsan-ul-H ak 7 A . M . Tosetti, c Trotter, b Spofforth .............................. 0 b H ick s o n ............ o E. T . 8. H arvey, lbw , b Spofforth ............................ 13 lbw b Hickson ... 0 D . Tosetti, run out ............14 run out ............... i H . F. Chamen, c Trimen, b Barron...................................... 4 b Absan-ul-A ak 2 T. W . Mackintosh, b Barron 0 not o u t ................... l A . D . Chamen, run out ... 2 c & b A h sin -u l- H ak ...................i C. L . Gillard, b Spofforth . ft c & b Ahsan-ul- Hak ..................... o E . S. M ason, b Spofforth . 2 absen t..................... o J. S. G jddard, not out ... 6 b A hsan-ul-H ak 13 E x tra ?............................. 0 Byes ............ 4 Total Ahsan-ul-H ak, c H ar­ vey, b Freeman 47 G .H . Swinstead,c Inns, b G. Tosetti ............14 H. Greig, run out ... 2 O. S. Hickson, b G. Tosetti .................... 0 T . M . Farmiloe, b G. Tosetti .................... 9 W. R. M oon, b D . Tosetti ..................... 2 F. R. Spofforth, b G. Tosetti ..................... 1 ...114 Hampstead. Total ... 50 G. Crosdale, b D . Tosstti ..................... 79 A R. Trim en, c & b Tosetti ..................... i A . A . Barron, b D . Tosetti .....................26 J. C. Toller, c Gillard, b G. T oset'i ............ 6 A . B . Osm ond, not out 3 B 14, lb I, n b l .. 16 Total ..206 LON D O N SCO TTISH v. U N IV E R SIT Y CO LLEGE SCHOOL O LD BO YS.— Played at Brondesbury on A ugust 9. L ondon S cottish . F. J. W ass, b Preston 57 A . F. Denniston, b W esthorp... 2 T . B. Porter, c E ast­ m an, b R ow ley .. 41 H . J. R . Pope, c East­ m an, b W esthorp ... 32 W . Cooke,c W esthorp, b H aycroft ............12 E . Lacey, c and b W esthorp ........... 52 R . A. Bennett, b Preston ..................... 1 A. K inross, b Preston 6 W . F. M arcus, b W esthorp ............ 3 Extras ............29 T o t a l............235 F. R . Connell and M . T . Purcell did n ot bat. U. C. S. O ld Boys. F. Row ley, c Porter, b Wass ...................108 D . H . Bayley, c Con­ nell, b Lacey ............16 F. E tslm m , h P.tpe 2 M . P. Griffiths-Joces, lbw , b Lacey ... 3 H. C. Preston, b Lacey 12 E S. W esthorp, b Pope 1 O. P. Griffiths-Jones, lbw , b Pope ............ 1 W .J.H aycraft, b Wass 11 G G riffiths-J nes, c Kinross, b W ass 8 P. J . C Richards >n, not out ................... 3 W . R. Hoare, b Waas 4 Extras ............ 14 T otal ...183 H A M PSTE AD v. L O N D O N S .O T T I5 H .-P la y e d at Brondestury on A ugust 2. H ampstead . B. A . Everitt, lbw , b L acey.............................. A . A . Barron, c Ben­ nett b Lienard E. T . F. S. Harvey, c Lienard, b Lacey ... 10 D M icGregor, run out 14 E . Reid, c Wass, b L a c e y ............................13 E. R. W atson, c Lacey, b L ie n a rd ................... 5 L . J. M arcus, b Lien­ ard ... ................... 15 C. Bracchi, b Lienard 0 8 . Oxlade, n ot out ... 28 L.Flem m ing,cLam ont, b Wass ................... 14 N . B. Dearie, b W ass 5 B 3, b 2 ................... 5 Total ...114 L ondon S cottish . S. Lienard, c M ac­ Gregor, b W atson .. 32 A . F. Dennistoun, b Harvey .......... ... 5 E .A . Bennett,b Parron 1 W . Cooke, b E veritt... 25 F. G. W ass, b W atson 53 M . T . Purcell, c Flem ­ m ing, b W atson ... 4 T . B. Porter, b Everitt 4 J. Lam ont, b Everitt 4 H . J. R. Pope, tt Reid, b W atson ............27 E . Lacey, not out ... 31 R . A . Bennett, not out .............................. 1 B 21, lb 4, w 4 ... 29 Total (9 wkts) 216 BUSSEY’S = B o H C D ‘T c o £ C O I = 3 2 0 9 G 0 BUSSEY’S