Cricket 1902

58 CKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. A pril 10, 1902. The ball seemed occasionally to stop and jump up, and the bowler was always able to get some work on.” M any good judges in Australia are of opinion that L. O. S. Poidevin would have been the man of the past season if he had not, just when he was going strongest, met with an accident at the nets which broke the first finger of his right hand. The young batsman is, as we have already stated, coming to England this year. T he latest diversion of the crowd at Sydney is the throwing of sand bags to each other. This new development in spectatorial cricket took place during the fourth test match, and resulted in the arrest of several youths, who were sentenced to pay a fine of 10s. each, or in default, two days’ imprisonment with hard labour. O utdoor practice at the Crystal Palace began on Wednesday, April 2nd. A B azaar in aid of the funds of the Derbyshire County C.C. was opened at Derby on April 2nd, the stalls representing old Derby houses. One of the stalls was in charge of Storer and T. Mycroft, the cricketers. It is estimated that the profit on the Bazaar is more than the £1,000 which had been hoped for. T he Australians and Mr. Maclaren’s team are due at Plymouth on Wednesday, April 23rd. I t will be remembered that in the return match between Victoria and Mr. Maclaren’s team, the Englishmen had to make 14 to win in their second innings, and won by 9 wickets. But Mr. Garnett was missed in the slips off the trst ball, and Mr. McGahey ought to have been stumped first ball. O ne of the members of the English team which is now returning from Australia, wrote a private letter in which he stated that “ we ought to have won the New South Wales game, but the umpire made a lot of blunders, and the decision when he gave Mr. Jones out was cruel. Even the bowler said so.” This letter was published in an English news­ paper, with the result that the bowler in question (Clarke) states that he not only never saidthe decision (lbw) was incorrect, but that he appealed himself. Thus is history made. T he following somewhat mysterious paragraph, written by J. Worrall, appears in the Sydney Referee , :— It has also been unanimously decided that the Pennant Committee (Melbourne) should draft a scheme in relation to the Sheffield Shield, wherein finality in the competition may he secured. When this has heen accom­ plished the governing bodies of South Aus­ tralia and New South Wales will he approached, and some arrangement will, in all probability, be agreed to. Of course the Earl of Sheffield will have to be written to for his acquiescence, but there should be no difficulty on that score. The shield has become a sort of white elephant to New South Wales and Victoria. T h e Adelaide correspondent o f the Sydney Referee writes as follow s with reference to J. Travers, the y ou n g South Australian b o w le r : — The slow left-hander is in fine form this year, and one cannot help thinking that a mistake was made in not trying him in the Adelaide Test match. For years he has been an easy first, season after season, amongst local bowlers in club matches. He was put into Intercolonials, hut George Giffen, who was captain, would not bowl him to any extent, “ because he was too slow.” When the veteran was deposed from the position of captain, Travers got his chance, and quickly proved that South Australia had been enter­ taining an angel unawares, for though receiving but little support, he met with a considerable measure of success. One could not help thinking that, if backed up by the best fielding, and playing with a team which could afford to spell him when he did not happen to find his length, he would be a useful bowler on any side. But we still hear the cry, “ Too slow for Test matches.” He gets five for 105 against New South Wales on a good wicket, when the total is nearly 500. But he is “ too slow.” C. B a l d w in , the w ell-kn ow n Surrey professional, has been engaged as cricket coach at U ppin gh am S chool, and begins his w ork on M ay 8th. A c c o r d in g to the Adelaide Observer, H. Carter, w ho is on his w ay to E ngland w ith the Australian team, was born in H alifax, Y orkshire, M arch 15th, 1878 (the year in w hich the first Australian Eleven visited E nglan d). H e considers him self an Australian, for he w ent out with his parents when he was on ly five years o f age. H is father at the present time is the M ayor o f W averley, and a keen cricket enthusiast. T h e follow in g m en have made a thousand runs in test matches :— No. Times Most of not Total in an inns. out. runs. inns. Aver. 0. Hill ............. 29 ... — ... 1304 ... 188 ...44.98 T. Hayward ....... 29 ... 2 ... 1092 ... 137 ...40.44 A.C. Maclaren ... 39 ... 3 ... 1846 ... 124 ..37.36 A. Shrewsbury....... 40 ... 4 ... 1277 ... 164 .. 36.47 J. Darling......39 ... 1 ... 1S93 ... 178 ...34.02 W. G. Grace ....... 36 ... 2 ... 1098 ... 170 ..32.S9 8. E. Gregory....... 62 ... 4 ... 1366 ... 201 ...28.33 G. Giffen............... 53 ... — ... 1238 ... 161 .. 23.34 A. C. Bannerman ... 60 ... 2 ... 1106 ... 94 .. 23.02 I t is lefreshing to hear o f fast scoring in an im portant m atch in the Antipodes, and it is not to be w ondered at that an innings o f 118 in an hour b y S. W ard, for W ellin gton v. Break o ’ D ay (Tas­ mania) should have delighted the cricketers at H ob art, where the match was played. W ard ’ s hits included nine 4’s, five 5’ s, and a 6 (from an overthrow ). O b s e r v e r ,’ in the Melbourne Argus, says that “ the S ydn ey crow d have com e to look upon H ow ell as a blessed relief to the m onotony o f correct batting, and on the last m orn ing o f the fourth test m atch Trum ble received a letter from a gentlem an w ho, w ritin g on behalf o f a number of ladies in the grand stand, asked that he would do them the favour of putting Howell in early in the second innings, so that they might see more of his magnificent batting. It was a valua­ ble hint to cricketers as to what in the popular mind is considered ‘ magnificent.’ Most of Howell’s hits were of the casual kind, and in aiming at six o’clock, he often struck twelve.” L9t us devoutly hope that Howell will do a little “ mag­ nificent ” batting while he is in England; it would indeed be a “ blessed relief.” F or the match which was to take place at Easter at Brisbane between Queensland and New South Wales, the following players were selected for prac­ tice by the Queensland committee:— C. Patrick, M. M’Caffrey, E. B. Crouch, W. Lewis, W. Hoare, W. Martin, P. S. Carew, E. Irving, A. Henry, M. Camp­ bell, W. T. Evans, L. J. Evans, C. Mor­ gan, Dr. R. Macdonald, T. Byrne, T. Long, E. Metcalf (Toowoomba), and O. Cowley (Gympie). It was doubtful whether Dr. Macdonald would be able to play. Prom the New South Wales side the members of the Australian team, which is on its way to England, would of course be absent. T he following quaint comments on English and Australian cricketers are taken from the Sydney Bulletin :— Clem. Hill is getting very stout and short- winded. His habit of patting his belt after the least exertionworries his ftiends until the century is in sight. After a sharp run in search of air, he almost resolves himself and his hat into a D, the vertical representing the bat. Duff is a dead shot with the ball. Trumper is transformed when the captain throws him the ball. He gives his cap away and rushes, all arms and legs, for the crease. The crowd is expectant, but generally it’s only the mountain and the mouse all over again. Then both shirt-sleeves are down and must be nervously adjusted. Also, his pants are supposed to be in danger and get a tug—and so on till he is called off. Batting, he shows little of this perturbation. He nurses the bat patiently between his pads and, if luck is not against him, does the right thing neatly. Braund, a great sprinter, is a tip-and-a-run player. He would make a run off anything. As for Jessop, Bill Howell would play him at his own game all the year round and come out on top almost every time. T he Essex County Cricket Club has arranged two matches with the Aus­ tralians durfng the coming season—the first on May 15th, 16th and 17th, and the second on July 28th, 29th and 30th. T here was a good deal of grumbling at the teams chosen to represent England in 1899 by the three representatives of the Board of Control, but it would seem that even in Australia, the choice of the selection committee does not give uni­ versal satisfaction by any means. So many disagreeable things have been said that Clement Hill and M. A. Noble have both felt it necessary to speak in defence of the selection committee.