Cricket 1903

CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. M a y 14, 1903. “ F e l ix ” has a good word for the work H. Carpenter did during the winter as coach to the Melbourne Club. “ I have had several pleasant chats with Carpenter,” writes “ Felix,” “ and liked him very much. Indeed, I think all the members who gathered on the ground during the brilliant summer evenings will have a good word to say for Carpen­ ter, who worked at his coaching net as if he meant to bring along even the most backward youth into a topsawyer with the willow.” Carpenter, on his side, stated that the M.C.C. treated him in a manner that has left nothing to be desired, and that he would be glad to come back again. H. H a y ’ s successful bowling for South Australia against Mr. P. F. Warner’s team in their last match was the more noteworthy (rcm the fact that he was only put into the team because Kirkwood was unable to play. I wonder how many times it has fallen to a bowler making his first appearance in a big match to do the hat trick. Hay had this satisfaction as he dismissed Burnup, Fane and Taylor with successive balls in the Englishmen's second innings. J. H. S a v ig n y , to whose perform­ ances with the bat I have had occasion to refer many a time and oft in “ Gossip,” played another fine innings for Launces­ ton against a combined eleven on March 28th. Going in first in the second inn­ ings, he was still there with 200 of 348 for eight wickets to his credit, when play finally ceased. In Association matches for the season his average stands at 74-23. I n the recent competition at Port Elizabeth for the cup given by Sir Donald Currie in 1889, and known as the Currie Cup Tournament, several cricketers well- known in England were very much in evidence. J. Sinclair, the young giant of the last South African team, J. Kotzethe fast bowler, W. Shalders, and L. Tancred were all playing for the Transvaal, as were Frank Mitchell, of Yorkshire, and B. O. Schwarz, of Middlesex. Sinclair’s 136 in the final match against Western Province was the highest individual score of the tournament. F. Mitchell also got a hundred, 102 to wit, v. Griqualand West. Sinclair’s six wickets for 12 v. Griqualand West, seven wickets for 55 against the Eastern Province, J. Kotze’s five wickets for 20, and G. A. Shepstone’s five for 18, both against the Border, all for the Transvaal, acd A. Lyons’ seven for 55 for Eastern Province v. Griqualand West, were among the best performances with the ball. J. Kotze, it may be added, did the hat trick in the first innings of Griqualand West. He took eight of the ten wickets at a cost of only 18 runs. T h e Worthing Club has arranged a Cricket Week for the last week of August. The first match, which will take place on August 24th and 25th, is against the Incogniti. The others are v. the Hamp­ shire Hogs on August 26th and 27th, Mr. J. Fitzalan Hope’s Eleven on August 28th, and M.C.C. and Ground on August 29th. H u m o u r has it, and in this case the information is on the best authority, that the Worcestershire Club will clear some­ thing like £1,300 over the recent bazaar. N. E b s w o r t h , of the Waverley Club, who won the premiership, comes out at the top of the batting averages in the Sydney First Grade Competition, which closed at the end of March. As it was he only played three innings, and the best performance was that of A. C. K. Mackenzie, also of Waverley, who had the highest aggregate, one of 626, for ten complete innings. In the bowling averages Houghton, of Bedfern, came out first. But here again the position was hardly warranted. The most con­ sistent bowler was the aboriginal Marsh, of the Sydney Club, he took forty-eight wickets lor 604 runs, which gives an average of 12-58 per wicket. A w e l l - k n o w n poet has said that “ it is not always May,” and for this we have much to be thankful. There have been cold Mays enough during the last ten years, but surely none of them could have competed with the present miserable month. Our spring poet absolutely refuses to write a line upon such an enormity. From the beginning of Feb­ ruary until April 25th there was never a day without a strong w ind; since that time there has never been a day which could by any stretch of imagination be called reasonably warm; nor has there been a day without rain. A t Brighton on Monday the Sussex and Worcestershire innings each began with a fine one-handed catch. In the Sussex innings Arnold caught and bowled Fry very cleverly before he had scored, and in the Worcestershire innings Fry, run­ ning in from square leg, brought off a particularly clever catch. On Monday last the Sun was edited by K. S. Banjitsinhji, with the result that, with the exception of advertise­ ments, a little racing, and a few reports of accidents, etc., the contents of the paper were confined to cricket articles. Among the contributors were Banjitsinhji himself, Dr. Grace, H. Y. L. Stanton, A. J. Gaston, C. B. Fry, A. C. Maclaren, O. B. Borradaile (who really ought to frame the remarkable portrait which accompanies his article, and present it to the Essex County C.C.), G. W. Beldam, W. J. Ford, D. L. A. Jephson, S. M. J. Woods, P. Cross Standing, C. W. Alcock, G. L. Jessop, H . W. Bainbridge, W . L. Murdoch, and L. O. S. Poidevin. It is to be feared that the reflection which must have occurred to many of the readers is that it is perhaps as well that writing on cricket is not entirely left in the hands of prominent players. T h e following short extracts, from a long article in last Saturday’s Echo by Alfred Shaw, do not, as far as we are aware, appearin his book of Heminitccnces: Now a word to players of every class—you can enormously assist the umpire if you wi 11 cultivate the habit of not making unnecessary appeals. This is not always the case now, and even in first-class cricket decisions are not always accepted in the spirit that they should he. And the result is that in cricket, as in everything else, the democracy follow the fashion set by the aristocracy, an<j if the leaders cavil and grumble the rank and file follow suit. Here is the serious dang er to the game at large. Now those who have the pleasure of coaching have a great opportunity, especially so far as the younger gene ation is concerned. They can be trained both to be umpires, and to accept their decisions with­ out dispute. The task of the umpire at the bowler’s end would be made much easier if it were arranged that no-balls should he debited against the bowler. Many trundlers of the present day, while otherwise j crifctlv fair in their delivery, have an unpleasant ha jit cf sliding their toes over the crease. It is very difficult to watch them and keep the eye on the arm, the wicket, and the batsman at one and the same time. A caution does not always answer, for some howlers do not mind being no-balled, because it does not affect their averages. T h e weather record o f the past w eek’s matches has been disheartening. Thus : May 7, 8 , 9. M.C.C. & Ground y. Notts. ) ,, ,, Surrey v. Hampshire. -Noplay. „ „ L.C.C. v. Lancashire. j May 11,12,18. Cambridge v. Gentlemen. S „ „ Notts v. Derbyshire. No play „ „ Warwickshire v. Surrey. >- on ,, „ M.C.C. v. Yorkshire. Monday „ „ Leicestersh’e v. Lancash’e. J I t seems to be admitted that the first half of this month has furnished a record in the way of wet weather. There have been cold and wet Mays before, but it has generally been possible to play some sort o f cricket on the first half of them. That rain was needed is unquestionable. It is interesting, but not very convincing, to note that the weather prophets are saying that we always get wet weather from the 9th to the 14th of May, and that we may now expect the sunshine to make itself felt. T h e Mill Hill School eleven, who were to begin their season yesterday with a match against Mr. L. A. Cane’s Eleven, have five of last year’s team left, with K. Bramall in the captaincy. The pro­ gramme includes fixtures with University College, University College School, Bed­ ford Modem School, Leys School, Royal Naval School, Aldenham School, Wel­ lingborough Grammar School, M.C.C. and Ground, Hampstead, and Old Mill- hillians. ------ T h e Honor Oak Club is opening its thirty-eighth season under the most favourable auspices. This year there will be not only a Cricket Week, but also a tour in Devon in the middle of August. The West Kent Wanderers, Surrey Club and Ground, Paddington, Mr. T. Brewer’s X I., South Croydon, and the London County C.C. will repre­ sent the outside attractions for the week, which begins on August 10th. Walter Lees, the Surrey cricketer, has just joined