Cricket 1902

466 CRIOKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. D e c . 18, 1902. p la ce , w h ile he was sa y in g a fe w w ords, some tu r f was th ro w n—n ot at h im . H e Baid prom ptl y, ‘ The next m an w ho th ro w s a ny thi ng I w ill pit ch h im o u t o f th e g ro u n d .’ As y o u know he h ad been a fam ous a th le te in h is younge r days, and th e c ro w d , ta ki n g h is m easure, thou gh t i t best to le ave well a lo ne . Bu t an in d i­ vi du al , w ho was e it h e r b o ld e r th a n th e re s t, o r had not hea rd w h a t Mr . A lc o ck had sa id , sh ied a b ig p iece of tu r f a t ano th e r m an . M r. A lc o ck g rasped h o ld of h im , lifte d h im of f h is fe e t, and th re w him r ig h t am ong th e spec ta to rs . The re was no m ore b o th e r. I be lie ve th a t M r. A lc o ck a fte rw a rd s sa id th a t he was never q u it e sure w he th e r he had ta ck le d th e rea l o ffende r ! ” The p a th o f th e scorer is not a lw ays as sm oo th as it m ig h t seem to a casual obse rve r. “ One of th e m os t try in g tim e s th a t I have h a d ,” sa id M r. B oying- ton, “ was in th e m a tc h in 1884 a t th e O va l be tw een E n g la n d and A us tr ali a— th e m a tch in w h ich M r. W al ter Read p la yed such a g ra n d in n in g s , g o in g in , I th in k , at th e fa ll o f th e n in th w ic ke t, m a k in g 117 w ith o u t a b le m is h , and no d o u b t sav in g th e gam e fo r E n g la n d . A M r. Irv in g was sco rin g fo rthe A u s tra lia n s . The w ea th e r was exceed in g ly h o t, and as th e c row d was a dm itt e d at h a lf­ pa s t n in e , m an y peop le becam e ve ry cram ped be fo re th e end o f th e da y . The sco rin g bo x was at th a t tim e in th e ex trem e right -h an d co rne r of th e p a v il io n , looki ng tow a rds it fr om th e fi el d o f p la y , W e had a crow d in fro n t o f th e bo x en­ c ro a ch in g some 20 ya rds on th e tu r f, and dur ing th e g re a te r pa rt o f th e m a tch the re w ere co n ti n u a l d is tu rbances , and w hen peop le stood n p to s tre tc h th em ­ selves, th e y w ere how le d a t by those b e h in d th em . W e had th e v e ry g rea te s t d iffic u lty in fo llo w in g th e gam e, and Mr . Irv in g severa l tim es th rea te ned to le ave the bo x and appea l to Mr . A lc o ck and M r. M u rd o ch to do som e th in g to m ake it easier fo r us. B oth M r. Irv in g and I dreaded th e tho ug ht o f how th e bo w lin g ana ly s is w o u ld w c ik ou t (fo r th e A u s tra ­ lia n s made 551), b u t we w ere p le ased and su rp ris ed to find th a t it ta llie d e xa c tly w ith th e run s . One o f ou r g re a te s t d iffi­ cu lt ie s was to keep o u r at tenti on aw ay from a lo u d -v o ic e d m an w ho was se ll in g pears, and w hen I asked h im to bs q u ie te r someone in th e cro w d ca lle d o u t, ‘ Y ou go on se lling yo ur pears. W ha t’ s th e scorer go t to do wi th i t p ’ ” “ N o d o ub t m a tte rs have im p ro ved in a ll g rounds in th e w a y o f sco rin g boxes ? ” “ G re a tl y . In deed , th e only bo x w h ich is no t wel l s itu a te d fo r th e purpose is t h a t a t O ld T raff o rd, w here th e p a vil io n and stand a ccom m oda tio n are a ll th a t can be desired . B u t th e sco rin g b o x th e re is p la ced beh in d th e peop le on th e s ix penny sid e o f th e g ro u n d , w ith a w id e pa th w a y be tw een th em and th e bo x . T tie re are tw o consequences of th is . One is th a t o u r att en ti on is co nti nu al ly d is tra c te d b y th e do in gs o f th e c row d in fro n t o f us, e spec ia lly in pe rio d s of e xc ite m en t, and th e o th e r is th a t w e are ha lf- su ffo ca te d w ith th e du s t w h ich arises fr om th e con­ s ta n t stream o f peop le a lo ng th e p a th w a y be lo w us. A ll scorers are gr eat ly in hopes th a t th e Lanca sh ir e com m it tee w ill be ki nd enough to take th e m a tte r in h a nd .” “ W h a t are the m os t excit ing games th a t yo u rem em be r ? ” “ I have scored m any excit ing fin is hes in m y tim e , incl udi ng G en tle m en v . P la ye rs in 1883— a tie, and S u rr e y v . Lanc sh ir e— ano th e r tie ; a ls o th e Test M a tc h at th e O va l in A u g u s t la s t, w hen Mr . G ilbe rt Jessop, H irs t and Rhodes p ulled t e m a tc h o u t o f th e fi re. The b r illia n t d is p la y of bat ting by th e fo rm e r and th e las t th re e overs o f th e m a tc h I sh a ll neve forget. I had a ve ry try in g experie ce m an y years ago in S u rrey v . Suss x m a tc h , w hen a t Br ight on we w on b y one w ic ke t. W hen o u r la s t man — lo ca l p la ye r, nam ed Adam s, w ho was acti ng as w ic ke t- keepe r in th e absence o f W ood and M r. Fi e ld in g—w en t in at the end of th e m a tc h , S u rr e y had to m ake seven runs to win. W e a ll lo oked to H ende rson to m ake these run s , fo r he was ba ttin g ve ry s te ad ily and w e ll, and had a lr ead y scored be tw een th ir ty and fo rty . On th e o th e r hand we tr em b le d w en Adam s had to rece iv e th e b all . But, as lu ck w o u ld have it, H ende rson co ld no t g e t th e b a ll a w ay, w h ile A dam s, by a s in g le here and the re , scored th ree o r four. B u t i t was a bou t tw en ty m in u te s be fo re th e w inn in g h it was made, Adam s m a k in g a ha rd h it to th e square leg bounda ry . H ende rson a ft e rw a rd s to ld me th a t it was one o f th e ve ry best b a lls in th e m a tc h , and w ou ld have h it to p o f th e o ff-stum p .” “ One o f th e m os t rem a rkab le m atches a t w h ic h I ever scored was th a t a t O ld T raff o rd be tw een Lancash ir e and S u rrey in A ugu s t, 1888. I t was ove r on th e firs t d ay ; iu fact pl ay began a fe w m in u te s late and nded abou t hal f-pa st fiv e . I rece iv ed a g re a t num be r of te le g ram s soon af ter th close o f p lay in q u irin g w he th e r th e re w s an y m is ta ke in th e w ir es . A n odd in cid n occu rred at th e end of th e day w hen Lancash ir e w ere b a ttin g a second tim e . Tom B ow le v and G eorge L ohm ann w ere bo w lin g , and I be lieve it was B ow le y w ho caugh t and bow le d P illin g , th e la s t m an in . H e th re w up th e bal l, and wi th th e re s t o f th e team s ta rt ed fo r the p a v il io n . Bu t M r. S hu te r happened to lo o k back and saw th e um p ire s till s ta n d in g a t th e w ic k e t; on e n q u iring the reason he was to ld th a t he did no t g iv e P illin g o u . So th e S u rrey team re tu rned and th e Lancash ir e men made te n m ore ru n s , a ll off Lohm ann w ho w ou ld o th e r­ w ise have had a m ost rem a rkab le reco rd fo r th e in n in g s . H e w ou ld have then ob ta in ed eig d t w ic ke ts at a cost of 5 runs and th e La cash ir e to ta l w ou ld have been 25. I don ’t suppose h a lf -a -d cze n peop le on th e g ro un d tho ug h t th a t P illin g was not ou t.” “ D o you rem em be r an ythi ng re m a rk ­ ab le abou t yo u r e a rly c ri c ke t ? ” “ Yes, be fo re th e C astle C lu b came in to exis tence I was cap ta in o f th e N o tts Vi c to ria C lu b . J . S e lb y , w ho a fte rw a rd s p la y d so lon g fo r h is cou n ty , b e in g a m em ber o f th e team . The keenest m a tch we p la yed w as aga in s t th e M a rlb o ro u g h , a riv a l c lu b w ho p rac tis ed on th e same pu bli c g ro und . O n one occasion, w hen we had to m ee t th em , I was g o ing to th e g ro und on th e m o rn in g o f m a tch in com pany w ith J. B u rn ham of ou r team ( who is s till a dear fri en d I re m a rked th a t I shou ld lik e to g e o ld score to-day. I t so happened t fo rtn ig h t b e fjre I w en t in firs t a ca rrie d m y ba t thro u g h th e in n in m a k in g 32 not o u t. A n d on thi s tic u la r occasion, b y an odd co in c id I w en t iD firs t and c a rr ie d m y b at thro th e in n in g s fo r th e same to ta l. T h is no t c nsid ered bad , as w e p la yed matches on a p u b lic g ro u n d in meadows. W e had but a sm a ll rol but it w ou ld have been o f ve ry little to ro ll, for , as a rule , we di d no t k u n til th e m o rn in g o f th e m a tc h w h a t we shou ld have, un less w e cou ld fr ie nd s w ith th e po lic em an i n cha rg then we mi ght g e t to know th e d ay b Y ict r ia w re w inning u p to a ce r p int, w hen J. G runday , ju n . (son o ld coun ty p la ye r), s ta rte d to p la forcing gam e, and w hen he had twent - four , aft er be in g m is sed se tim es , I to o k o ff th e pads in d is gu was keep in g w ic ke t) and w en t to fi e de p squa re -le g . I don ’ t in th e le know w h y. B ut , as thi ng s o u t, I posed of G ru n d y by a runni ng ca t th e v ry nex t ove r, and the reupon on m y p s aga in wit hou t m a k in g comm en t, fo r w h ich I am afrai d I g a so t of re p u ta ti o n as a ju d g e o f gam e. W e w on th e m a tc h .” “ I rem em ber a sim ila r in s ta nce w occu rred at S e fto n P a rk in a m tw een th e c lu b and N o tt s C astle . a ve ry s tic 'iy w ic ke t, Mr . R ope r, p resen t secre ta ry o f th e Liverpo ol and ano th e r ba tsm an , whose na fo rg e t, w re m a k in g a lo n g s tand . o th e r ba tsm an was le ttin g the ba ll th e b a t, bu t I cou ld n o t persuade to go in nea re r. A t la s t, b e in g ann I to o k of f m y pads and w en t s illy p va ry close in . The bow le r pr ompt ly a loose b a ll on th e o ff-s id e , and th e m an d rove th e b a ll w ith a ll h is m st r i gh t at m y head, and , in th e e o rd in a ry w ay w h ic h occas io na lly ha the bal l s u ck . I rem em ber q u it e seeing ba tsm an ’s face tu rn pa l I have a lw ays lo oked upon th e ca tc re m a rkab le p rese rva tio n , fo r I tho u shou ld ba ki lled , and so did b ba tsm en .” W . A . B e t t e s w o r t h . CRICKET IN AUSTRALIA. THE AUSTRALIAN SQUADRON v. ADELAIDE. Played on the Adelaide Oval on October 31. A u s t a l ia n S q o a d b o n . Lieut.DavenpDrt (Mil- dura), lbw, b Ayres. 24 Dr. A. R. Skey (Royal Arthur),st Newland, b Hornabrook......... 44 Jurrell (Mildura), c Newland, b Jay ... 18 Commander Lumsden out (Royal Arthur), b B 10, lb 4 Murray ................. 9 Lieut.Collins(Mildura), Total run out ................. 0 *Innings declared closed, A d e l a id e . Sub. Lieut. Macdonald (Koyal Arthur), not out ........................47 WriterMiller(Mildura), b Mutray................ 0 Petty Officer Russell (Royal Arthur), not 9 14 G. I. Murray, c Miller, b Skey ................ 1 P.M.Newland, retired 10 J A. E. Ayers, b Russell 24 H. Davenport, retired 37 W . F. Young, b Skey. 0 Dr.Hornatrook,bTur- rell ........................ 1 8. Newland, not out... Dr. Jay, b Turrell ... A. Young, c Russell, b Skey........................ B 18, lb 8 ......... Total ........’