Cricket 1902

A ug . 21, 1902. CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OP THE GAME. 363 I n the match between Surrey and Lancashire at the Oval, there were five bits for five in each of which four runs came from an overthrow. C anada has beaten the United States at Winnipeg, by 62 runs. On the first day of the match, Canada made 217, and the United States 85 for five wickets. On the next morning Davis brought his score to 66, but the side was out for 146. Canada made 101 in the second innings, leaving the States to get 173. Tbis proved far too difficult a task, and they were all out for 110. W. S m it h , who played for M.C.C. and Ground v. Australians, at the end of last week, is not the London County amateur, but the Wiltshire professional. Last year he had an average of 16.63 for his county with a highest score of 49, and took 52 wickets for 19'09 runs each. He is an exceedingly steady batsman, and in the match at Lord’s never seemed in any difficulty with the bowling, except for a few minutes when he first faced Trumble in the second innings. Only once in his two lo fg innings for the M.C.C. did he show that he can hit tremendously hard. He bowls a fastish ball with a somewhat laboured action. I n these days of championships it is pleasant to find that in the match between Dorsetshire and Surrey Second the two captains in the most sportsmanlike manner agreed to begin early, and to prolong the time on the second day because there was no play on the first. It was arranged to begin at half-past ten and to play till 6.45, or until seven if there was any chance of finishing the match. If the Dorsetshire men and their captain had not been thorough sportsmen they might perhaps have spun out the time long enough to make a drawn game instead of being defeated. I t is stated that Dr. W. G. Grace has received a request to take a team of cricketers to the United States, but that he is unable to accept the invitation. their intention of letting the North try again. The possibilities are infinite. Doubtless Mr. Richards would permit more than one sus­ pension per innings. If so we might occasionally see some most excellent games of here-we-go-round-the-mulberry-hush. Whatever disadvantages this suggestion may have, it should earn the hearty approval of all collectors of cricket statistics. What a fine new field it would open for them ! I enclose my card. Yours faithfully, August 18th, 1902. 0 . H. H. (tfomspontmut. The Editor does not hold himself responsible tor tie opinions o f his correspondents, A SUGGESTION. To the Editor of C r ic k e t. S i r , —Mr. Richards’ courage fails him at the last moment. He says there may be drawbacks in his suggestion! Fatal ad­ mission ! It is the fly in the amber. How­ ever, putting a bold face on his mistake he adds that if there are any drawbacks he will be interested to hear them. How about the following ? We will imagine the North are to play the South again. There is a certain quantity of rain on Sunday night, and sun on Monday morning. The North win the toss, and bat till the wicket is just sufficiently difficult, when they leave their innings in a state of suspendedanimation while the South are given a turn. After one over the latter decide that further acquaintance with that pitch from a batting point of view is undesirable. They accordingly signify A SUGGESTION FROM AMERICA. To the Editor o f C r ic k e t. Dear Sir,—Much has been said and written on the subjects of loose fielding and the numerous unfinished matches which are recorded week after week in first-class cricket. Everyone seems to have an inning in the way of suggesting remedies for these growing evils, so that perhaps you may permit me to offer “ my little lot” on these subjects. With regard to loose fielding, I venture to suggest one course which, if pursued, might help to some extent in remedying this lamentable fault. I would suggest intro­ ducing a system of recording “ errors 99 such as exists in the American game of Base-Ball, allotting a place on the score sheet for “ errors” just as we do for no-balls, wides, &c. Every catch dropped, every fumble, every wild throw in, should be recoided against that particular man as an “ error” and be shown up on the records of the game. “ Errors ” need not be counted as a part of the score as we count no-balls, wides, &c., but should nevertheless be shown up as a detail of the game. In the case of a no-ball, or wide, we not only add to the score of the batting side, but we charge the guilty bowler with the offence on the records; yet the man who drops a catch, fumbles a ball, throws in wildly, &c., escapes unscathed so far as any record of the game is concerned, unless it be a mere mention of the incident in the usual account given of the game in the daily papers. To introduce a system of recording “ errors ” against the field would show the kind of support given to the bowlers. As matters now stand we read a bowler’s analysis and see how many runs were made off him, but there is nothing to show how many catches were dropped or the general support given him from the field. This is obviously rather rough on bowlers. With regard to the question of unfinished matches, remedy upon remedy has been sug­ gested for lessening the batsman’s chances and curtailing his inning. I would like to see what is called in base-ball a “ double play ” introduced in cricket. As the rules in cricket stand now, A and B are batting, A strikes and they both start for a run, the ball is fielded and thrown to the end to which A is running and he is run out, the ball is then dead and B can take his time about getting to the other end. By intro­ ducing a “ double play” the ball could be thrown sharply to the other end after running out A and an attempt made to run out B. Should B get safely into his ground, or be run out, as the case may be, the ball would then be dead until the next over begins. These points suggest themselves to me as being practical, and I think that with a system of “ errors” in vogue along with a “ double play,” the field wouldbe stimulated. Surely no keen cricketer would care to have his name in the black list of “ errors,” and with regard to the execution of a “ double play,” I think it would help to lessen a batsman’s chances and help many a time to shorten a game, besides adding materially to the vim and da^h required of the field. When I first came to the United States and saw a game of base-ball played by two professional teams I «as particularly struck wiih the brilliancy of the fielding, the accuracy of throwing to the bases, and sighed with longing to see such brilliant fielding on the cricket field.—I remain, faithfully yours, D esm ond K il l ik e l l y . &XYIOTJTII v. IN C 03N 1TI.— on August 11 and 12. I nc ohm i . Firbt innings. J.C onway Ree»*,cWackenzie, b T. k . H. Coplston 144 B. P. Do’ son, b E L. Cople- ston ... 72 A.B.VouleV E.L Copkston 1 R.O.Schwarz, c Davies, DE. L. Cop eston ................. 9 H.A.Fr.incis.bE L. Coples- ton... ... 4 J.N.Marlio,cJ.U.TJ.,b E. L. C< peston ......................... 4 G.K A*prey, lbw, b Hesl* p 16 M. H. Whitley, b J. H. H. Cope* ton ... ... 6 A J.P. Milltr. c Rev. J.H .,b J. H. H. Coplestnn . . 21 C.Phi!cox,b J. H. U.Ccples- t o n .........................................23 H. R. He~ert, n oto u t........ 5 W . P. Carpmael,c Ileslop, b D au 8 .................................. 0 B 35, w 2, nb 1 ......... 38 Played at Exmouth Second inniDgs. b J. H. H. Cople- ston ...................11 stE. L., bJ.H .ff. Copies!on ... 77 b He^lop ...........22 stE.L. Copleston, b Davies .. .. 93 notout...................10 B 24, nb 3 ... 27 Total .................. 34 J To'al (4 wktp)*2IO * Innic gs declared clos d. F xmouth . First innings. Fecond inning*. Rev. J. H. Copleston, b Francis .......................... 7 b Conway-Reei... 2 F. H Sandford, b Miller ... 15 notout................... 4 L. N. EvanB, c Voules, b c Carpmaels b Schwarz ..........................51 Conway-Rees... 3 J. H.H.Copies!on,c Voules,b H e le r t ............................... 37 \V. D avie1, b Hebert ......... 6 E. L. Cop!eston,bHebert .1 2 c Schwarz,b Con­ way- Ree* c Whitley, Af-prey ... 3 15 Davies, c and b Schwarz ... 30 G. M A. Hes’op, b Schwarz 1 D. M ckenzi-, not out . 1( 3 R. Macktnzie, c fcciiwarz, b Milltr ... ...........11 notout..................... 4 H Peters, b P h i!co x ...........17 c Voules,bMartin 19 Imbert-Teriy. b Francis ... 15 B 36, lb 1, w 2, nb 1 . 39 B 10, lb 1 ...11 Total .. 347 T o'al (owktw) 61 Played 1NCOGNI1I v. TEIGN BUDGE. Tt igntrie'ge on August 13 and 14. T eiqnbbidqb . Second innir gs, at Fiist innings. H. Eench, &t Philco*, b Fianc's .............................. ... 10bFrancis .......... B . F. Brunslil’, c Pbi'cox, c Schwarz, b b Schwarz ... ........... J6 Francis ...............53 A. Bingston, c Francis, b Schwarz ........... . 8 lbw, b Whitley .. 21 G. C. Viciry, c Miller, b Francis ................... l b Francis ......... H. V. J. Watts, c Martin, c Schwarz, b b Francis ...................................4Francis ............. 18 W . S. Gwynn,run out ...1 8 b Francis ............ 2 A . T. Pelham, b Schwaiz .. M. G. Nicholls, c Schwarz, b Francis ........... ... Capt. Bradford, not out ... G. W. Bourne, b Francis ... W. H. Jarvis, c Whitley, b Francis ........................... B 4, lb 1, w 2 ........... 1 c Dobson, Schweiz ... 3 b Francia ... 3 notout... 7 b Francis ... c Carpmael, 0 Francis 12 4 SO 0 Tctal R. O. Schwarz, c lradford, b Vicary 1 J. Conway Bees, b Vicary ................. 3 i B. A . Francis, bJirvis 10 G. R. Asprej', b Vicary 31 J. N. Martin, c Brad­ ford, b Vicary........... 8 A . B. Voules, c Brad­ ford, b Jarvis........... 6 ...........78 I kcogniti . B, B 15, lb 3, nb 1 19 Total ...........148 P. Dotson, c Bourne, b Pelham 7 C. Philctx, b Gwjnn 17 M. d. Whitley,b Jarvis 75 A .J .0 .Milltr, not out 50 W . P. Caipmael, c Bingaton, b V.cary 13 B 13, nb 2 ...........16 Total ..247