Cricket 1903

122 CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. M a y 7, 1903. experience, and with these as a nucleus and a number of Philadelphians who have played the game to draw upon, they hope to make a good start. The great trouble will undoubtedly be to secure matches, there being no clubs near at hand with whom matches could be arranged. V ery ’ many readers of “ Gossip” will be grieved to hear that Mr. Arthur Hay- garth died last week. He had been ill for years, but as late as last autumn he was able to write the very interesting autobiographical notes which appeared in Cricket. A detailed obituary notice of Mr. Haygarth will appear in next week’s issue. I t will be remembered that in the second innings of Lord Hawke’ s team against Victoria the bowling of J. Collins completely upset the visitors. After the match P. F. Warner said to “ Felix ” of the Australasian, “ We th’nk highly of Collins as a bowler, and expect to see him in England with the next Australian Eleven.” Albert Trott said : “ Collins sold me with the pace. I thought it was a fast one, but it turned out to be a slow one.” A n important meeting of the Associated Cricket Ciubs of Philadelphia was held on March 28th. It was announced at the meeting that Mr. Frederick C. Sharp- less, of Merion, would be able to accompany the team abroad in 1903, and would take the place of Mr. J. E. Cope Morton, who, for business reasons, will be unable to make the trip. Mr. Sbarp- less is a first-class bat and a very gocd change bowler, while his fielding is far above the average on the whole, and should greatly strengthen the team. Should Mr. A. M. Wood be prevented from accompanying the team, his place will not be filled, and the team will con­ sist of fourteen and not of fifteen men, as originally intended. I t is announced unofficially, says the American Cricketer, that the team going to Eogland will not have a manager, as in 1897, although several men were anxious to undertake the duties. The position must necessarily involve arduous work, especially if the incumbent were not familiar with English railway cus­ toms, as it would be necessary to look after the baggage, hotels, time-tables, and the other thousand and one matters that crop up from time to time on such a trip. It has been decided to take George Bromhead with the team, and it would appear that a better decision in many ways could not have made, as he is thoroughly familiar with all necessary details. Whether or not he will stand as umpire is yet undecided, but it is prob­ able that he will be called upon. T he Selection Committee, who will choose the men to compose the teams in the various matches, will consist of Dr. J. A. Lester, captain, and Mr. J. B. King and Mr. Reynolds D. Brown. The Committee also decided to offer four prizes to members of the team, one prize to be given for the best batting average, another for the best bowling average, a third to the man who does the best field­ ing during the tour, and a fourth prize to the player who shows the greatest im­ provement during the tour. The winners of these prizes will be determined by the Selection Committee. T h e new Warwickshire captain, J. F. Byrne, who has taken the place of H. W. Baiubridge, has perhaps gained greater fame as a Rugby Union international than as a cricketer, although he has often given a good account of himself on the cricket field. He is generally a delight­ ful bat to watch, for he puts a great deal of power into his strokes. “ T h e Sussex County Cricket Annual for 1903,” edited by “ Willow-Wielder ” (Mr. Alfred D. Taylor), has just made its appearance. The volume has increased considerably in size, and contains several illustrations. Among the special features of the production may be mentioned an article entitled “ The Rise and Fall of the Hastings Club.” Full scores of all the Sussex matches of 1902 are given, as well as particulars of many local clubs, centu­ ries, bowling feats, Sussex records, averages, etc. The book is published by W. E. Nash at the Sussex Evening Times offices, Brighton, and will be sent to any address, post paid, on receipt of three­ pence. T h e following bowlers are engaged at the Cambridge University ground for this term :—G. Watts, J. Bavon and W. Coote (Cambridgeshire), W. Reeves and H. Young (Essex), G. Bean (Nottingham­ shire), J. E. West and H. Gait ford (Mid­ dlesex) and A. F. Bannister (Worcester­ shire). I n the course of an examination in a law court in Sydney, one of the cricketers who has visited England with several of the Australian teams, made some interest­ ing statements about his earnings with the various teams. He said that he received £400 in the tour of 1890 (his first visit), nothing in 1893, £400 to £500 in 1896, £700 in 1899 and £800 last year (including £150 from the South African tour). G eorge H ir st has already this season scored 266 runs in five innings (once not out) in club matches, and has taken twenty-four wickets for 79 runs—a pretty good beginning. O n Saturday, G. B. Llewellyn, the pro­ fessional who now plays for Hampshire, returned to England from South Africa. I n a country match in the neighbour­ hood of Melbourne at the end of March, N. Stracy, of the Delvine Club, clean bowled six batsmen with six successive balls. The Australian paper which re­ cords the feat adds that the middle stump was taken each time. L ast Saturday, C. L . Townsend, the Gloucestershire amateur, made 164 not out in an innings of 231 for three wickets (closed) for Norton Stockton v. Guis- borough Union. The Evening Post (Wellington, N .Z.), has made the following analysis of the doings of Lord Hawke’s team in New Zealand: The Britishers were never really in a corner and only once—at Westland—did their opponents head them on the first innings. Their highest score was 473 and their lowest 69, whilst the largest total hit against them was 274, and the smallest 28. Their victory over Otago by an innings and 230 yielded them their most substantial margin. They played seven fixtures on even terms, four of which they won with an innings to spare, one by ten wickets, one by seven wickets and the remaining one by 133 runs. In these seven games they totalled 2,764 runs for the loss of eighty wickets, which gave them the splendid average of 34'55 per wicket. Their oppo­ nents put together 2,117 runs for 140 wickets, which works out at 1512 for each man dis­ missed. I t is very seldom indeed that a player who has just returned home from a visit to the Antipodes distinguishes himself in his first county match, so that Hargreave’s remarkable success with the ball at the Oval on Tuesday was very noticeable. He had only returned to England on the previous evening, and in the ordinary courne of things would not have played for Warwickshire. But as, owing to rain, the match did not begin until Tuesday, he took his place in the team, and, after having 31 runs hit off his bowling with­ out taking a wicket, disposed of six men for ten more runs. He was equally suc­ cessful in the second innings. T h e teams to represent London County and Lancashire in their] match to-day (Thursday), at the Crystal Palace, are as follows : London County (selected from ): W. G. Grace, K. S. Ranjitsinhji, W. L. Murdoch, W. W. Odell, G. W. Beldam, L. C. J. Posthuma, L. Walker, W . Smith, O. S. Poidevin, Sewell, Braund, and Board. Lancashire (selected from ): A. C. Maclaren, F. H. Hollins, A. H. Hornby, and R. H. Spooner, with Ward, Ker- mode, Sharp, Blomeley (wicketkeeper), Webb, I’ Anson, Littlewood, and Cuttell. I nstances of a bowler taking all ten wickets in an innings are so rare that one cannot afford to allow any record of the kind to escape. The last that has come under my notice saw the light in the Sydney Mail, It was the work of J. A. Portus, son of Mr. John Portus, who was for several years the Hon. Sec. of the New South Wales Cricket Association. He is captain of the Segenhoe C.C. of Summer Hill and Ashfield (N.S.W.). Playing for it at the end of March be took all ten wickets of the Oroya Stan­ more club for four runs. Nine of the batsmen were bowled, the other was caught.