Cricket 1903

M a y 21, 1903. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 153 to Essex and Worcestershire. Essex, in their first innings against Yorkshire, with twenty minutes to bat, lost a wicket for 9, and were probably only saved from further disaster by a well-justified appeal against the light. In their second innings, with about the same time to bat, they lost three wickets for 2 runs. Worcestershire, in their first innings against Surrey, had thirty-five minutes’ batting and lost two wickets for 19. T h e Yorkshire eleven has for years had the reputation of being particularly dangerous at times when wickets are in favour of the bowlers, for there have always been several batsmen in the team who know how to make the best use of a queer wicket, while, on the other hand, the bowling has generally been so much stronger than that of the other side, that the opposing batsmen have been con­ siderably handicapped. The all-round strength of the Yorkshire team has seldom been more clearly shown than in last week’s match against Essex. There were no very big scores, but several men got into the twenties and thirties ; in the first innings every man on the side except one made double figures; and in the second there were seven double figures. M ore about H. H a /, the new South Australi ,n bowler who won the mate a. for his colony against the English team. According to “ Mid- on,” of the Sydney Referee, he is only the fourth South Australian to get nine wickets in an innings in a first-class match. The other three are G. Giffen, J. Quilty and J. P. Travers. Hay is the first Australian bowler to perform the hat trick in his opening match in first-class cricket. T hh Adelaide critics, it is worthy [of remark, do not seem to be impressed with the belief that Hay is going to take the highest rank as a bowler. This is how one news­ paper man sums him up : — Hay bowls a medium fast ball, and varies his pace a little, but his pitch is inclined to be erratic; in fact, on such a wicket as Friday’s he would he an easy bowler. But on a lively wicket, with the ball making pace from the pitch, he had to be watched very closely. He will no doubt be tried in Decem­ ber against New South Wales, and it will be interesting to Bee how he fares against lrumper, Duff, Noble, and others. My fancy is that South Australia has not found the bowler she so sadly needs. I hope I am wrong. Anyway, nine for 67, as a record for one innings m one’s first big match is wonder­ fully good. I have written so much about Hay because his bowling won the match at the finish—it was, as Warner said, “ A hard brick to hit us in the first match of our tour.” T he Committee who have in hand the arrangements for the visit of a native Indian team to England next summer, are able to report satisfactory progress it is pleasant to hear. Mr. F. E. Lacey, secretary of the Marylebone Cricket Club, wrote to the honorary secretaries: “ In reply to your letter of March 18th, which I will with pleasure bring before the cricket committee of the M.C.C. when next they meet, I may with confidence say that we shall welcome a visit from native cricketers of India, and will be prepared to do anything we can to con­ tribute to its success. I will write again on the receipt of instructions from my committee.” A long letter has also been received by the committee from Lord Harris, in which he says: “ You may be perfectly certain that I will do my best to help you, and if it can be done I shall be delighted to see the team over A. SHREWSBURY. (From a Photo by R. W. Thomas, Cheapside, London.) here, if for no other reason because you have been able to sink caste and religious differences, and therefore, able to get together, or I hope so, the best team possible.” A c c o r d in g to the Bombay Gazette, His Highness the Aga Khan has promised the handsome sum of £330 sterling towards the Indian Cricket Team Guaran­ tee Fund. In addition, His Highness the Maharajah of Mysore, Sir Dinshaw Petit, Bart., Mr. Dinshaw Bomanjee Petit, and Mr. J. N. Tata have all promised subscriptions as well as large sums towards the guarantee fund. Other native Indian potentates are confidently expected to give financial support to the undertaking. W it h wickets favouring the ball more than ones during the visit of the Mel­ bourne Club team to Western Australia in the early part of last month, W. W . Armstrong, the excellent all-rounder of the Australian team of 1902, was very much in evidence at times as a bowler. His best record was seven wickets for 13 against Freemantle, at Freemantle, on April 9th. This was in the home team’s first innings, which only realised 38 runs. Y e t another cricketer editor. This time it is Mr. J. H. Brain, the captain of the Glamorgan County C.C. Mr. Brain has pre mised to edit the Sports Express which is an edition of the Evening Express, an evening paper in connection with the Western Mail of Cardiff, of Saturday next. No one knows more about the game in general, or of Cardiff cricket in particu­ lar, so that in this case at all events, there can be no question of personal fitness for the position. M s. P e r c y C r o ss S t a n d ­ in g , an old contributor to Cricket by the way, deserves more than a word of praise for the interesting volume he has just contributed to Mr. Arrow- smith’s library of shilling “ p o p s . ” “ Ranjitsinhji; Prince of Cricket,” is indeed a well - written and pleasant epitome of “ Ranji’s ” infinite variety, not only in cricket but in other sides of life. The Hon. F. S. Jackson, in a sympathetic n o t e t o t h e author, pays a high tribute to his many-sidedness in cricket. “ I have always had a great respect f o r Ranjitsinhji’s opinions upon all phases of the game, as he combines with the quickest observation the judgment of one who has made a real study of the game, and who has reduced batting to a fine art. I have seen ‘ Ranji.’ play many innings, and 1 do not hesitate to say that his best are the very best I have ever seen.” “ Cricket,” edited by Gilbert L. Jessop, published by C.A. Pearson, Ltd., also for the nimble shilling, will equally interest cricket readers, though its scope is of a different character. Mr. Jessop is fortunate in having been able to secure contributions from such a quartette of experts as K. S. Ranjitsinhji, C. B. Fry, C. L. Townsend and G. Brann. In their hands, it is hardly necessary to say, the practical side of cricket receives full jus­ tice. With Mr. Fry on Cricket Training, the E litor on Batting, Fielding and Cap­ taincy, C. L. Townsend on Modern Bowling and Left-handed Batting, Ran- jitsiuhji on the Cut, the Glide and the Pull, and Mr. Brann on Batsmen and their methods, as well as on County Cricket, there is plenty of sound cricket instruction.