Cricket 1903

THE FINEST BAT THE WORLD PRODUCES. M ay 21, 1903. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 147 BUSSEY’S H I BUSSEY’S o o CO H co Q D AT THE SIGJS OF THE WICKET. B y F . 8 . A s h l e y -O oopbr . Before the commencement of the season fears were expressed in some quarters that Yorkshire would not be so strong this year as hitherto, but the form shown by the county in their matches at Lord’s, Leyton and Bristol has demonstrated the falsity of the idea. It says a very great deal for the strength of the side that the absence of such fine players as Washington and Jackson is hardly noticeable. In bowling the side is particularly strong, whilst its batting will probably be found to be as reliable as ever. The fact, too, that several young players who give the greatest promise of future excellence have recently come forward, should ensure thecounty occupy­ ing a very prominent position in the cricketing world for years to come. A side better able to extricate itself from a bad position has probably never taken the field. At the critical moment, when defeat appears certain, one of the bowlers will knock up seventy or eighty runs, and, with the tail-end men making use­ ful scores, the side will not only escape defeat, but, by means of excellent bowling supported by very keen fielding, very possibly win the match. Their defeat of Essex at Leyton, however, was a victory of another kind, as throughout the game they seemed to have their opponents at their mercy, and eventually won a some­ what low-scoring match by the great margin of 261 runs. The success with which the side has met in recent years has been as much due to the captaincy of Lord Hawke as to the bowling of Rhodes and Haigh or the batting of Brown and Tunnicliffe. As the battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton, so may the Yorkshire victories be partly attributed to influences the value of which is not to be found on the score-sheet. Enthusiasts generally, and those of Middlesex in particular, are doubtless following the capital all-round displays of Mr. Bosanquet with keen satisfaction. A most interesting batsman to watch when thoroughly set, it is to be hoped that his hard-hit innings of 108 against the Oxford bowling is but a forerunner of many large scores from his bat, and that during the season frequenters of Lord’s will on several occasions have the pleasure of teeing him perform in his best style. His value to any side as a bowler, as well as a batsman, stamps hi in as an all-round player of very great possibilities. As he is but twenty-five years of age, having been bom in October, 1877, it is probable that his best years are still before him. Another excellent all-round player to whom the latter re­ mark refers is Arnold, of Worcestershire, who is quite a tower of strength to his side —vide his performances both with bat and ball in the recent Surrey match. Arnold is a player who, although in quite the first flight of all-round exponents of the game, is not appreciated at his proper value; he certainly does not appear in the great matches of the day as frequently as his skill entitles him to do. Last season he obtained over a thousand runs and a hundred wickets in first-class matches, Braund being the only other player to do so, and considering the com­ paratively few games in which he par­ ticipated, the feat was a notable one. His greatest performance last year was in bowling unchanged with Tate through­ out both completed innings of the Austra­ lians for the South of England at Bourne­ mouth, Arnold obtaining twelve wickets for 87 runs, and Tate the remaining eight for 109. At the present time, when a great effort is being made to improve Devonshire cricket, Arnold, who was born at Exmouth in November, 1877, would have been of the greatest use had he remained in his native county. It is somewhat curious that whereas Australian fielding has generally been of a higher standard than English, the old country has always been exceptionally well off as regards wicket-keepers. To see Blackham behind the wicket was to see the position filled by a man of the very highest class, but can it be truly said that he was superior to Pilling or the Hon. Alfred Lyttelton ? Kelly and Car­ ter were both first-class, though not bet­ ter than many of our latter-day expo­ nents, suoh as Lilley, Hunter, Mr. Mac­ Gregor, Storer, Board, Huish and Butt. At the present time England probably has more first-class wicket-keepers than ever before. Lancashire is exceptionally well off in this respect, claiming Smith, Radcliffe, Thomas, Mr. W. Findlay, Haggas and Blooieley, whilst Surrey in Strudwick and Stedman, Kent in Huish and Murrell, Yorkshire in Hunter and Higgins, and Middlesex in Messrs. Mac­ Gregor and Headlam, possess two strings to their bow. Among other players may be mentioned Humphries, Gaukrodger and Martyn, who all give promise of very great things. In Burchell, of Brighton, Sussex possess a first-class man, who will step into Butt’s place when a successor is required. Hadden, a young Hastings player, had appeared in the Sussex second eleven with success, both as wicket-keeper and batsman, but knowing that Burohell was to be Butt’s successor, left his native place for Lanca­ shire, where he is now participating in league cricket. Murrell, who is a mem­ ber of the staff at Lord’s, is worth his place in the Kent eleven owing to his batting ability alone. Last season he commenced well by making 142 in sixty-six minutes for Old Charlton v. Goldsmiths’ Institute, at Charlton, on April 26th, and later on, in one week, scored 123 for M.C.C. and Ground v. Leamington and 218 not out for the same side against the Gentlemen of Warwickshire. He is certainly a player who should be Been more regularly in great matches. Last week-end a capital performance was accomplished by a player who was not seen on the field last season, Mr. R. A. Bennett catching three and stumping one for the Gentlemen of England against Oxford University at Oxford, whilst Butt’s performances against Worcestershire and Nottingham-