Cricket 1902

D e c . 18, 1902. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OP THE GAME. 475 THE LATEST SUGGESTIONS FOR ) REFORM . It is not at all unusual at this time of the year for cricketers to be exercised in their minds as to the possibility of inventing some way by which matches may be brought to a conclusion, and long individual scores made more difficult to obtain. The chief objection to all schemes of reform which have been before the public is that they would be more or less ineffective in first-class cricket when wickets were good; on the other hand they might be drastic when wickets were bad. They would moreover operate disastrously in the thousands of club matches in which scores are already small enough in all conscience. But of late years there has been a strong tendency to legislate for first-class cricket only, and, slowly but surely, first-class cricketers themselves have begun to cry out for reform. As long as suggestions for reform were confined almost entirely to men whose cricket career has been over for many years, it was pretty csrtaiuthat no definite measures would be taken by the M.C.C., who for the most part have contented themselves with making small amendments to existing laws, or altering them in some slight degree in such a way that the alterations practically made no difference to the way in which the game had been conducted. It is true that a desperate attempt was made to get the l.b.w. rule altered—an attempt which was nearly successful—and that the sug­ gested new rule was tried all through last season by the second-class counties. But it was found to be useless, and has been abandoned, although the dire results prophesied by some of its opponents have not by any means been realised. It is generally conceded that if any reform is to be introduced with the object of checking the big scores of the present day, and of shortening matches, it ought to be in the way of making the stumps wider or higher or decreasing the width of the bat—thus following the example of our forefathers, who when a reform seemed necessary acted on similar lines to these. Now that at the meeting of the captains of the first-class counties a definite proposal has been brought for­ ward to widen the stumps it is pretty certain that something in this way will sooner or later be done. The proposal is not new by any means, for, apart from the fact that it is only a proposal to revive an old custom, many cricketers and critics have advocated it, both on the cricket field and in the press, as being likely to be serviceable both in first-class and ordinary club cricket. As examples of these suggestions by cricketers I may perhaps refer to some comments by Mr. G. Hillyard-S winstead, the well- known Hornsey and Artist cricketer, who, it may be taken for granted, was speak­ ing for a wide body of cricketers. In an interview in Cricket of May 9th, 1901, he said : “ What I should very much like to see some day, although I suppose it is not possible, is a one day match, with four stumps, between the most aggressive players of England and the Rest. The play would be lively.” And again “ I believe that if boys were taught to defend four stumps their individual character­ istics would assert themselves much more than they do now.” But even more to the point is his remark in a letter to Cricket of July 25th, 1901. “ One has often heard strong objections to the way club and county cricket is now played, and suggestions to alter this deterioration, if not decay, are constantly made. Prob­ ably a wicket half a ball wider would make matters more lively. This would certainly compel the batsman to use his eye, muscle, nerve, and the beautiful wood in his bat with greater skill. With this wider wicket he would, with his general athletic fitness, find it necessary to make the numbers on the telegraph move more quickly, or get out. Play would be faster, brighter, and better.” On the whole, if a reform is to be made at all, it would probably be the best thing to widen the stumps, for although it would give the bowler an immense advantage on bad wickets, aud might not incommode the greatest batsmen on good ones, it would probably prevent men who are not great batsmen from making scores of fifty and a hundred—and this would in itself be a fine thing. To raise the height of the stumps, as has baen sug­ gested, might be effective enough in good cricket, but in Regents Park 8nd on Hackhey Marshes and the like it would lead to a kind of bowling which ought certainly not to be encouraged. It was with mixed feelings that one heard of the suggestion at the meeting of the county captains that the matches between England and Australia should be reduced to three, and should each have a week allotted to them. The suggestion was, of course, bound to come from somebody in authority, for the scheme has been widely advocated in the Press for years, by those who cannot see that there can be no real “ test ” in a cricket match—as if a Somerset, after being ignominiously beaten by a Hampshire, might not straightway go and overwhelm a Yorkshire. It can hardly be thought that cricketers want to see the kind of game which rules in first-class matches in Australia. It is again hardly likely that the counties will care to give up the present scheme, which would take away test matches from two grounds, and would probably not greatly increase the gate money at the other three. W. A. B e t t e s w o r t h . CR ICKET AT THE R IY E R PLATE . LOMAS v. FLORES. Lomas won this match, the first of the present season for the championship, played at Flores on November 11th, by six wickets and 120 runs. J. 0. Anderson and Campbell put on 188 for the fourth wicket. Cowes took six wickets, three in four halls for 52 runs. L omas . J. O. Anderson, not out ...................... 101 J.Gibson.b Macdonald 1 H. B. Anderson, e F. Jones, b Macdonald 36 H. A. Cowes, run out 1 Total (4 wkfs)®2t6 J.B. Campbell, c and b Browne ................. * Innings declared closed. F lo r e p , F. E. Jones, b Cowes.. 3 iR. Green, b Cowes ... 0 G.C. Paterson, c and b J. Edwards, not out .. 15 Cowes........................ 16 |A.O. Jones, c Gifford, P.BJJrowne^bBridger 10 _ b Bridger........ ... 0 A.Macdonald.bBridger 32 J. H. Elliot, b Cowes.. 31 J. V. Holtum, b Cowes 6 C. Hayward, b Cowes 0 E.F.Logan, b Bridger 0 Extras ..........13 Total C R I C K E T A T R I O D E J A N E I R O R IO v. C O A S T O F A M E R IC A S Q U AD RO N . The u Handym en ” had a very easy victory in this match, played at R io on N ovem ber 1 and 2, winning b y an innings and 121 runs. In addition to being the top scorer Kew ney bowled well for the Squadron. H e took ten wickets for 53 runs. B o . First inniogs. Second inniogs. V. N. Tatam, c Iliewiez, b cLeonarl,bKew- King ................. ... 19 ney ................ 0 W . G. Ginns, c Iliewi‘ z, b King ............................... o b King.................. 15 H. McKean, b King .......... o b K ew aey........... 0 C. H. Pullen, b Ke •ney ... 7 notout................. 9 E. Morrissy, c Leonird, b Kewney ........................ l b Kewney ........... 7 W. 8 . Tate, b Kewney ... 5 b Leonard........... 2 F. Morriasy, not o u t..........17 c Trewby, b Leo­ nard .................18 E. R. Gifford, b Kewney ... 4 c Watson, b KiDg 18 R. A. Brooking, c Iliewiez, b Kewney ........................ 7 b King..................20 C. Hay, b Kewney .......... 2 b King.................. 3 W. KiDg, c Bath, b King 5 b Kewney ... . 0 Extras........................ 3 Extras.......... 2 Total ......... T iie E. 8 . Fiizherbert, b Tatam ................. G S.Kewney, b Brook­ ing ...................... J. T. Bush, b McKean H. F. Iliewiez, b E. M orrissy................ L.Wi kinson,cMcKean, b Brooking ......... W.V. T. Leonard, lbw, b E. Morrissy......... ■ ... 70 Total ... 94 S quadron . C.R.Nicholson,bBrook- 52 iD{? ........................ 22 H. Watson, c F. Mor­ rissy, b Brooking ... 13 G.Trewby, c Tate, bE. Morrissy................. £6 G. C. Bath, not out ... 17 P. W. S. King, c Tate, b E. Morrissy........ 12 Extras................... 34 Total... ..285 AN OLD-TIME MATCH. ELEVEN GENTLEMEN OF GODALMING AND DISTRICT v. TWELVE CJE3AR8.-Played in Broadwater Park (G. Marshall, Esq.), near Godil- miog, in Surrey, on August 8 and 9 , 1850. G odalmino . First innings. Second innings. T. Craven, c G.t b W. t ■" k t i** n 2 c k F - ^ 803ar 12 J Whitburn, b Julius C«) jar 33 runout 2 E Reeves, b Fred Ccejar .. 0 cR .,bF .C ffl?a r 0 W. Napper, c W., b F. Cassat ... ... ... ..........12 cJ .bB.J.Csesar 2 H. J. Hoare,b F.CRmr ... 0 b F. Cassar 1 A. Marshall, not o u t.......... 47 b F. Ccejar... 4 P. M. 8 ankey,b Julius Cro 3 ar 0 c F., b Julius C. Pontifex, lbw, b Ju'ius *** ^ rTClem,r ............................... 1 not o u t............... 1 H. Latham, b Julius Cioiar 3 b F. C«?»ar . 5 - Townsend, c B. J., b Julius Cse ar ................ 10 cW ,,b F. Ca> 3 ir 1 F. Marshall, c B. J., b F. Caesar............................... 1 c W „ b F. Cresar 0 B 2, w 7 ........................ 9 Wide................ 1 Total ........................ 123 Total ... T welve C. esars . BeDj. Cresar, c Craven, b Sinkey............................... 5 b Craven ... Charles Caesar, b Sankey ... 1 b Sankey John Ceejar, b Reeves ... 3 notout.. John Ingram Cttijar, b Reeves............................... 0 b Sankey ... William Cfe:ar, c Latham, b Reeves ........................ 6 c and b Reeves GeorgeCtesar, lbw, b Reeves 2 b Craven Julius Ctesar, c Craven, b Reeves................ .......... 5 b Craven ... FredCae;ar, b Sankey.........19 c Napper, r,, ~ Reeves ... Ed. Ca 33 ar, c A. Marshall, c Litham b Sankey ........................ 2 ) Reeves .. B, J. Ciesar, b Sankey ... 1 b Sankey William Cse 3 ar, run out ... 0 b Craven George CfiesFJ, not out ... 4 b Sankey B 11, lb 1 , w 17 ..........29 Byes... ... ... 42 .. 7 .. 0 .. 11 b .. 7 b .. 8 .. 2 .. 1 .. 0 .. 10 Total ... ... 95 Total