Cricket 1903

M a y 14, 1903. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 135 endorsed by a body of gentlemen who are playing every day during the cricket season ; many of them have been playing for years and have as great experience in modem cricket as anyone can have; they come to us and they solemnly— after careful consideration, I am entitled to presume—they solemnly recommend us to make this alteration. I do not see how it is possible for the committee to go against such a recommendation from such men, and I hope that the members of this club will see that a proposal coming forward supported as this is will recognise that this is an honest attempt to do something to help the bowler, and will endorse their opinions by their votes. (Hear, hear.) If they do not, what is the result ? That we revert from what in many first-class matches has been, owing to laxity on the part of the umpires, a wicket of from 8 to 8£ inches, we actu­ ally revert to a wicket of only 8 inches, because of course the umpires will be careful n ow ; and our last stage will be worse than the first. Under those cir­ cumstances I do trust that this large meeting present here to-day will see the force of the recommendation with which we come to you on this proposal, and will also see the force of the argument that if this is not carried we shall revert to something worse than now exists.” (Applause). PELHAM v. HONOR OAK.-Played at Honor 0»k on April 25. P e lh am . B. T. Bonser, c Skip- with, b Mattingley.. 10 A. W. Parker, b Lees. 1 G. W . Hammond, b Mattingley .......... 2 F. C. De la Cour, c Burton, b Lees ... 7 W . E. Peel, c Bates, b Mattingley .......... 2 J.Wallis.cS. Dickaeon, b Lees ................. 8 A. F. Potter, b Lees... 10 J. E. Potter, b Mat­ tingley ................. 10 P. Lingwood, b Mat­ tingley .................. 2 M. P. Bamer, b Lees.. 0 (>. L. Dalton, not out. 0 B 7, lb 1, nb 2 ... 10 Total 62 H. Burton, lbw, b De la Cour .......... 8 ! C. F. Skipwitb, c De la Cour, b Hammond.. 19 E. G. Hayes, c J. E. Potter, b De la Cour 81 H onor O a k . H. A. Bates, not out.. 27 W . Lees.c Hammond, b Lingwood ... ... 4' B 6 , lb 2 .......... 8 Total (4 wkts) 263 V. Critchley, T. Dickas)n, 8 . Dickason, G. Har­ rison, M. A. Jackson, and H. C. Mattingley did not bat. PELHAM v. WALDEGRAVE PARK.-Played at Strawberry Hill on May 9. P i i . h am . J .Wallis,c Tucker,b E. Drabble ................. 0 P. Lingwood, c Cam- B,T.Bonser,c Camroux b Stanger-Leathes .. 12 G- L. Dalton, b E. Drabble ................. 0 A.F.Potter, b Stanger- Leathes ................. 0 F. C. De la Cour, lbw,b E. Drabble .......... 2 W.E.Peel, c Lidbetter, b Camroux ..........17 J. E. Potter, lbw, b E. Drabble ................. o roux, b E. Drabble .. P. Fuller, bE. Dribble J-MacDonnell, not out A.E.Axbey, c Roberts, b Camroux .......... Total H.O.Tucker.bJ.Potter * W. L. Roberts, b De la C o u r........................ o J* W . Birmingham, b De la Cour .......... 12 E.O.Drabble,bJ.Potter 3 A. Lidbetter, c Dalton, b J. Potter ..........16 O. A. Medcalf, b J. Potter........................ 1 W a ld k o h a v * P a r k . F. Smith, lbw, b De la "1 ' C ou r........................ 0 C.Drabble,bDelaCour 0 H.E. Stanger-Leathes, b J. Potter .......... 0 G.F.Camroux, notout 0 B 2 , lb 1 .......... 3 Total (9 wktt) 85 Whiffin did not bat. LORD A LVER STON E on SU R R E Y CR ICKET . At the Annual General Meeting of the Surrey County C.C. on Thursday last week, Lord Alverstone said that he was sure that neither the members nor he himself would be affected by the weather or the loss of a championship game on the preceding day. (Laughter.) More than once in previous years Surrey had been down, but this had only stimulated them to go ahead again—and he was sure that despite existing anxieties they would pull themselves together again presently. He did not, as the mouth­ piece of the committee, seek to minimise the gloomier side, and though they had lost the valuable services of Mr. D. L. A. Jephson as captain, they trusted that he would be available for many matches this season. They had several amateurs coming on, and he did not see why they should not in due course secure a fitting successor to Messrs. J. Shuter, Key and Jephson. The loss of Mr. V. F. S. Craw­ ford was admittedly a great one, but it was quite impossible to control the reasonable aspirations of a young cricketer, and they wished him every luck in his new position. With reference to the health of Abel, which had been affected as well as his eyesight, they had done all they possibly could in obtaining the best medical advice and giving him a long rest at the Isle of Wight, and whilst it would be idle to maintain that he was fully restored to health, he was sure the player would have the encouraging sym­ pathy of the club members, and he hoped that ere long they would find him (Abel) once more in the team. Without wishing to speak too critically, he did wish that their players would try to learn to play better on wet wickets. They were not quite sharp enough, he thought, in adapting themselves to such conditions. Another point was, in his opinion, that too much was made of dropped catches. People were always talking about the deterioration which had taken placs in the fielding, but he did not regard it as true. As Mr. A. G. Steel had pointed out at Lord’s the previous day, 20 or 30 years ago there were no statistics kept, and he was also talking to an old Univer­ sity cricketer, who did not believe thore was a University match in which no citches were dropped. There was, he knew, a growing tendency to growl at dropped catc'ies, which were doubtless annoying, though, as a famous Australian remarked to him last year, the only per­ sons who never dropped a catch were the spectators round the ground. (Laugh­ ter.) He did not desire by this to dis­ credit the stiiving to reach a high stan­ dard of excellouce, but he thought that due regard should be paid to the cold and damp conditions which often prevailed. There was also the question of the back­ ground of black cloth, referred to at Lord’s by, he thought, Lord Harris. Turning to the financial Bide, he did not think the accounts discouraging. They had more than paid their way, and had expended a considerable sum — some £900—on repairs, which were not likely to occur agiin for many years. They were thoroughly solvent, had not touched any of their investments, and, moreover, the life policy of £2,500 having fallen in, had paid all liabilities. Their property was never, he ventured to say, in a better state of repair. T IIE M ETRO PO L ITAN CLUBS IN 1903. HONOR OAK C.C. APRIL. 25. H mor Oak, v. Pelham MAY. 2 . Wandsworth, v. Heathfield 9. Honor Oak, v. Goldsmith’s Iustituta 16. Honor Oak, v. Bromley Town 23. Kingston, v. KiDgston I'own 30. Honor Oak, v. Townley Park JUNE. 1. Honor Oak, v. Kingston Town 6 . Battersea, v. Battersea 20. Honor Oak, y. Catford 27. Broxbourne, v. Broxbourne JULY 4. Honor Oak, v. Ilford 9. Crystal Palace, v. London County 11. Paddington, y. Paddington 18. Catford, v. Catford 25. Honor Oak, v. Broxbourne AUGUST. 1. Bromley, v. Bromley Town 3. Honor Oak, v. Pelham 10. Honor Oak, v. West Kent Wanlerers 11. Honor Oak, v. 8 urrey Club and Ground 12. Honor Oak, v. Paddington 13. Honor Oak, v. Mr. T. Brewer’s XI. 14. Honor Oak, v. South Croydon 15. Honor Oak. v. London County 22. New Cross, v. Goldsmith’s Institute 29. Honor Oak, v. Battersea SEPTEMBER. 5. Ilf jrd, v. Ilford 12. Honor Oak, v. Brixtm 19. Honor Oak, v. Heathfie’.d MARLBOROUGH BLUES. MAY. 2. Wimbledon Park, v. Wimbledon* 9. Streatham, v. Streitham* 16. Esher, v. Esher 2 i. Bpsom, y. Epsom College* 30. Teddington, v. Teidington* JUNE. 6 . South Hampstead, v. Hampstead* 13. ltickling Green, v. Rickling Greea 23. Marlborough, v. The School* 27. Henley, v. Henley-on-Thames JULY. 4. Ealing, v. Ealing* 11. Wormwood Scrubbs, v. Kensington Fark* 18. School Ground, v. Haileybury 25. Surbiton, v. Surbiton 31. Banstead, v. Ban-tead AUGUST. 1. Peddington Park, v.* Beddington Park 4. v. Gentlemen of Cheshire \ 5. SandiwAy, Cheshire, v. Sandiwayt j 7. Sedgewick, v. Northern N om idst) 10. Canttrbury, v, rtt. Lawrencet ) 12. Tunbridge Wells, v. Blue Mantles* f r«».ir 14. Goddingtm. v. Mr. Miller-Hallett sX I + j 17. Exeter, v. N. Devont j 19. bidmouth, v. 8 idm«jutht / Devon Tour 21. Seaton, ▼. Heatont ) i9. Catford Bridge, ▼. Private Banks* •Half-Day Matches. tTwo-Day Matches. L AWS OF CRICKET, with List of Fixtures and Memo, pages. One Penny each, post free l}d Lricket Offices, 168, Upper Thames Street, E.C. ( Northern Tour