Cricket 1902

S ept . 11, 1902. CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 407 brilliant, and on more than one occasion his nerve and steadiness being of the greatest service, notably at Bramall Lane in his first match, and at Lord’s in the stern struggle with Middlesex. For a very long time it seemed as if Brown was to have a rank bad year, but in the latter half of the season he has reached high totals on several occasions. Notably was this the case at Worcester, where he scored 76 and 91, whilst rather curiously the return against the same team saw him credited with 52. Even whilst he found run-getting so difficult Brown’s cricket was always worth watching, though it is certain that his long-sustained lack of success told an inevitable tale on his old-time freedom. He and his captain have both been in first-class cricket many years now, and such players need a little good fortune to their aid as the old ease and confi­ dence slacken. But that Brown’s failure during the lirst two months was not due to bad cricket was generally admitted, and every one rejoiced when he got back to form. On the other hand his first wicket partner has had a fine year. On three occasions he has reached three figures, on many more occasions he has played innings not half three figures in numerical value, and yet exceeding for worth any of his centuries. Such an innings was his ten at Lord’s last Friday, and his steadiness and resource have often been amply demonstrated during the season. In fielding he has reached one great record, as the last wicket of the Middlesex first innings at Lord’s gave him his 500th catch in first- class cricket, a record which he can afford to be proud of. Only those who have followed the Yorkshire team since Tunnicliffe joined it can say what brilliant catches are com­ prised in this splendidaggregate. Practically as sure as ever in the slips, there have been one or two occasions when one has failed to see quite the old magic dash after the impos­ sible which used to stagger the onlooker, but weight of years tells, though Tunnicliffe, in spite of his thirteenyears in Yorkshire cricket, is still the finest slip in the country. He has batted with all his self-imposed restraint on many occasions, but at others, notably in his magnificent 127 against Kent, at Bradford, he hit with amazing power, and once again showed an old fondness for the boundaries on the Park Avenue ground. Denton began slowly. Indeed for a long time it looked as though the century was to elude him, and a luckless 99 against Sussex at Leeds was followed by 94 against Cam­ bridge University at Cambridge, whilst when he appeared for the first time against the Amateurs in the annual match at Lord’s he was sent back when 93. All this was bad luck for a batsman whose methods are a delight to watch, and who scores as freely as any on the side. But compensations were ahead, and Denton’s 127, at Bradford, against Essex, and his not out 109 against Lancashire at Old Trafford, were innings full of fine attractiveness and rare merit. Denton is still the finest outfielder we have in this country ; his colleagues have it that he has no equal in the world, nor would it be easy to find one. Brilliant intuition, coupled with a rare fleet­ ness of foot, an unerring leturn to the wicket, and consummate judgment in the taking of a catch, these all mark Denton’sworkinthe field. One of the most notable features of a notable season has been the advance of Irving Washington as a cricketer. When he for­ merly had a place on the side—an occasional place—in 1900 he was not a brilliant fielder, indeed whatever he did with the bat was apt to be discounted by blemishes in the field. But there is no comparison between the Washington of 1900 and of 1902. Even in the former year he was recognised as a left­ hander possessing an admirable style, and the full development of his abundant powers and his ability has not even yet been seen, though 1902 has seen from him much that has been quite first-c'ass and fascinating For the first time the Mitchell Main man has placed as a regular member of the team, and has completely justified the confidence reposed in him by his captaiu. Indeed, his elevation to the position of first wicket down; which he received a few weeks before the season closed, was well deserved, nor has he at any time really failed. Small scores fall to every batsman, but not many of these stand to Washington’s share this year, and his con­ sistency like that of Mr. T. L. Taylor, has been amongst the m -st pleasing incidents of a distinctly eventful campaign. Even in a day of cheap superlatives one may fitly apply the term brilliant to many of his efforts; notably that against -Surrey at the Oval, whilst on the Lord’s ground he has played two excellent innings and his not out 100 against Surrey at Leeds was one of the best displays of the whole Yorkshire season. These are, however, but a few of many sound innings which he has played, and he suc­ ceeded admirably in both the games against the Colonials, notably when runs were price­ less at Leeds, and in the second innings of the Bradford fixture. It is not too much to say that in the opinion of sound ju Iges Washing­ ton will yet reach the summit of every player’s ambition, and play in repres ntative matches. I have previously referred to his fielding in 1900. This past season it has been delightful, and he has on many occasions fairly rivalled Denton in the outfield. His catching, too, has been safe and confident, the one he took at Leeds and by which he sent back Darling standing out amongst the dramatic touches of the year. Granted that he has not been as successful as last year with the ball, having luck re­ peatedly against him, Hirst has borne a big part in the year’s work. Last year he was within an ace of achieving the proud distinc­ tion of taking two hundred wickets and of getting his two thousand runs, but this year he has fallen a long way short of either of these two records. Still of the quality of his work there cannot be two opinions, lie has been amongst the most reliable cf all our batsmen, has bowled very finely at times when he has not got a solitary wicket, andhas fielded superbly in that most exacting posi­ tion, mid-off. No man gives more in effort than the ever popular Yorkshireman, no man is able to do so much with less apparent fatigue, and to Hirst goes a great deal of credit for what he has done, not only on behalf of his county, but what he has been able to do when called upon by England. He has still further matured that remarkable stroke to square-leg, which brings him so many runs, one which he brings from well outside the off-stump, to the utter bewilder­ ment of the field aud the bowlers, whilst his driving and hia cutting ha /e been both very prominent in the course of the season. Not wholly a hitter, he has also played many innings of rare value at times when grit anl nerve were needed, and though he had at one time a long spell of comparative non-success both with bat and ball, notably during July, he has always been in the thick of the fight­ ing when runs have been most required. He is to-day, as was the case a year ago, without a superior as an all-round player amongst the professional players in this country. One speaks of Rhodes and liaigh more as bowlers than as batsmen, and yet in the latter category they come out well. It is true that neither has reached his 1,000, but that is more due to a lack of chance than to a want of ability ; and the stand which the pair made at Brighton when Yorkshire wanted runs badly will not readily be forgotten. That partnership realised 173, and the runs came through first-class and sound cricket. Both are good batsmen, and but for the natural exhaustion which their bowling must entail would stand much higher in theaverages thin they do. Hunter has not had as good a year with the bat as he had in 1900 or 1901, though his work behind the stumps has not touched a higher level for many years past, and many would like to have seen him given his place in one of the big teams against the Australians. It is certain that as a wicket-keeper pure and simple, David Hunter has no superior in English cricket. As a matter of fact the Yorkshire bowling has been very good all round. I have pre­ viously alluded to the prospect of our seeing Rhodes in better trim in future years than has been the case during the past four months, and yet he, Haigh, Hirst, and Mr Jackson have had many days of rare success, and have brought off a big crop, of splendid successes. Though really outside the scope of this review, one will not readily forget the brilliant work of Rhodes and Hirst at Birmingham in the first Test match, when they accounted for the tourists for a beggarly 36, or the magnificent work of Mr. Jackson and Hirst at Leeds, when Yorkshire set the seal on their fame by inflicting the only defeat which the Austra­ lians have sustained when pitted against a county team, and when they were dismissed for 23. All the four bowlers named have done fine work in turn, but chief honours in this way belong to the man whohas been systematically ignored by the Selection Committee in their search for players on behalf of England. Haigh has done superbly. Ho has never had a season of such success, one so long main­ tained or one in which has been so much bowling that was practically irresistible. Now and then his length h*s been what it ought not to have been, but for the most part he has kept one which has had the batsmen at his mercy, and has still maintained his old practice of hitting the wicket almost when­ ever he has beaten the bat. That is a success which has been reached by no one else in modern cricket so much as by C. T. B. Turner, well-named “ the terror.” As for Rhodes he has had a good without in any sense a great year. He has done wonders at times, he has failed at others when one would have thought that the condition of the wicket was absolutely suited to him. He has not reached so high an aggregate of wickets as was the case a year ag.j, nor has he deserved to do so, but at times we have seen the old Rhodes to the best advantage, and on such occasions he has been unplayable. Mr. Jackson has been of as much service with the ball as with the bat, and that is say­ ing much. At one time, indeed, he was the best bowler on the side, even in face of such men as Haigh, Rhodes, and Hirst, and his sequence of 46’3 overs, 14 maidens, 85 runs, and 23 wickets in the matches against Lanca­ shire, Kent, and the Colonials, has had no parallel in Yorkshire cricket this past season. He has always had his old control over the ball, has almost always kept a beautiful length, has made the ball do more, perhaps, than of old, and has bowled quite a remarkable pro­ portion of his victims. To these four has almost the whole of the bowling been con­ fined, and just as in the small numbers of players who have been required for the season, so in the number of bowlers who have been called upon Yorkshire’s season has been noteworthy.