Cricket 1903

J u l y 9, 1903. CKICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 261 O X F O R D v. C A M B R ID G E . Played at Lord’s on July 2, 3 and 4. Oxford won by 268 runs. Once more the University match has resulted in a surprise. There are so many things in this annual contest which tend to make the result more a matter of uncertainty than in most other first-class matches, that as a rule cricketeis hesitate to venture any strong opinion as to what will be the result. But this year everything seemed to point to a victory for Cambridge. True, it was universally admitted that both sides were far below ordinary University form, but Cam­ bridge had shown itself to be the more capable side. The only man in the two teams who could fairly be termed a cricketer worthy to take rank with the giants of former days, the Steels, the Lytteltons, F. S. Jackson, L. C. H. Palairet, Yardley, etc., was E. M. Dowson, and not more than two or three other men could be considered as undoubtedly first-class, so that both captains found considerable difficulty in making up the elevens. Indeed it was not until the very last day of the last trial match that the Oxford captain felt justified in making his final decision. As it happened, and as has so often happened before, one of his very last choices, J. E. Raphael, was the very batsman who by his brilliant first innings had most to do with the ultimate success of his side, for if he had not made a big score it is doubtful whether the good bowling of Evans would have of itself been sufficient to gain the day. At the same time Evans deserves the very greatest credit, for he alone of all the ’ Varsity bowlers knew how to take advantage of the wicket. The first day’s play practically decided the result of the match, for while Oxford scored 259, Cambridge lost eight wickets for 126, and nothing short of a miracle could have saved them after this. There was nothing of any interest in the Oxford innings except the batting of Raphael, who played well all round the wicket, although his drives had some­ thing a little undecided about them ; he kept the ball down well, but hardly seemed to time it perfectly. He went in first, and was out ninth, only one other ball being bowled after his dismissal. Uis innings lasted for three hours and a half, and included thirteen fours ; it was an innings of the utmost use to his side, for it was not played under the best, of conditions, the ball getting up considerably at times. None of the other Oxford men seemed quite at home, and if Keigwin had only been in his usual form with the ball for Cambridge, the total might not have ex­ ceeded that of Cambridge. But, unhappily for his side, Reigwin, who had so often done well in the trial matches, was somewhat “ off colour,’’ and none of the otherbowlerswerevery accurate. Dowson varied his pace well, but was by no means certain of his pitch; the slow ball with which he deluded M’lver was so very slow that one was reminded of the similar ball with which Alfred Shaw and Palmer so often met with success; it looks absurdly simple to spectators, but it sometimes completely takes a batsman by surprise. The Cambridge innings began at hall-past four, and disasters came upon them at once. The batsmen showed excessive caution, for they found the bowling much more difficult to play than that of their own side had been, Evans^ being particularly effective, and by five o’clock only 14 runs had been made, while three of the best men on the side were out, viz., Ebden, Godsell and Mann. Dowson then came in, and at once adopted a different line of action. He did not wait to be bowled, but attacked the bowling, and after putting up two balls which, while they were not possible catches, were perilously near to being so, he played a bold game, which reminded one very much of that played by A. G. Steel in 1878, when another Evans, the uncle of the present Oxford cricketer, was working havoc among the Cambridge batsmen. Thanks to him the score began to show signs that it would not be altogether insignificant, and possibly if he could have found some other men to help him considerably, the fortunes of the game might have been changed. But Keigwin alone could offer any steady resis­ tance to the bowling. Dowson’s fine innings was brought to an end just after he had reached his fifty, and it was an innings of which any man might be proud. Keigwin steadily kept up his wicket until the end of the day. Four overs on Friday morning were all that were required to finish the innings, and Oxford had a lead of 122, which they proceeded to increase rapidly. For the second time in the match, Findlay did nothing of note, and Raphael was notallowed tomake another hundred, but when Carlisle and M’lver got together, the bowling was collared for the first time in the match. The two men made runs so quickly that when at last they were separated, they had put on 109 runs in a little over an hour, and had then placed their side in a very commanding position. Carlisle was the first to go, but M’lver did not survive him for long ; their useful partnership had quite taken away any hopes Cambridge may have had of pulling the match out of the fire. The rest of the innings was only noticeable for the sound cricket played by Evans, who supplemented his good bowling by a first-class innings of 60, made in an hour and a half, and the determined hitting of Samson at the end, when his companions were unable to with­ stand the bowling. Enough had been done to render the task of Cambridge almost im­ possible of accomplishment, for in the fourth innings of the match they had to make 414 to win. This time Cambridge began their innings a quarter of an hour later than on the previous day, and in the course of the hour and three-quarters remaining for play they lost five wickets for 98, so that they still required 316 to win. As in the first innings, misfortunes came thick and fast, for Ebden, Mann, Harper, and alas ! Dowson only made 7 runs between them. The first three wickets fell for 9 runs; the fourth with the total at 14. The outlook was hopelessly bad, but Godsell and Wilson made matters look a little better by adding 68 runs in five minutes under the hour. Just before timeWilson was bowled. There were very few spectators on Saturday, for the game was in such a position thatif the remaining fivebatsmenhadbeen Fry, F. S. Jackson, Jessop, L. C. H. Palairet, and A. C. Maclaren, there would have been small chance of victory for Cambridge on such a wicket. But there were no Frys and no Jessops in the Cambridge tail, and there was not even a final spark of interest in the remaining proceedings ; for although Godsell had deserved well of his side when his innings closed, and although everybody felt that his strictly defensive cricket was the best game under the circumstances, it was not easv to become excited about it. Never­ theless his innings was a credit to the side, and under happier circumstances his stand of three hours might have been simply invaluable. He went in first and was out fast. O xfo r d U n iv e r s it y . First innings. Second innings. J. E. Raphael (Merchant Taylors and St. John's), c Wilson, b Keigwin..........130 c and b Keigwin 19 W . Findlay (Eton and Oriel) c Dowson, b lbw, b Dowson................. 0 R oberts..........10 C. D. Mclver (Forest School and Hertford),b D3wson 19 c Ebdenfb Roberts 51 W . H. B. Evans (Malvern and Oriel), c Dawson, b Sm ith............................... 21 cWil8on,b Mann 60 K. M. Carlisle ( Harrow and Magdalen), b Roberts ... 0 lbw, b Roberts ... 60 H. J. Wyld (Harrow and Magdalen), c Smith, b Roberts ... .................19 bMcDjnell.......... 16 A. C. Pawson (Winchester and Christ Church), b McDonell ... ................18 b Dowson .......... 7 O. M. Samson (Cheltenham and Hertford), lbw, b McDonell ........................ 8 notout................. 32 E. G..Martin (Etonand New c Buckston, b College), lbw, b McDonell 0 Mann .......... 0 A. C. von Ernsthausen (Up­ pingham and Balliol), b M cD onell........................13 b Roberts ..........19 R. C. W. Burn (Winchester and Oriel), not o u t.......... 0 bMcDonell. B 11, lb 1, w 1, nb 18 ... 31 Total.. B 4, lb 3, w 5 nb 5 17 Total ... ...291 C ambridge U niversity , First innings. C. H. M. Ebden (Eton and Trinity), b Evans .......... 5 R. T. Godsell (Clifton and Trinity), b Evans .......... 0 E. W . Mann (Harrow and Trinity), b Burn .......... 9 E. M. Dowson (Harrow and Trinity), c Martin, b Evans............................... 54 L. V. Harper (Rossall and Christ’s), c Ernsthausen, b Evans ........................ 8 F. B. Wilson (Harrow and Trinity) b Burn................. 7 R. P. Keigwin (Clifton and Peterhouse), not out ... 33 H.C. McDonell (Winchester and Corpus), b Evans ... 9 F. B. Roberts (Rossall and Jesus), b Evans .......... G. M. Buckston (Eton and Trinity), c Findlay, b Ernsthausen ................. 1 G. Howard-Smith (Eton and Trinity), c Carlisle, b Evans ........................ 11 B 1, nb 2 ................. 3 Second innings. b Martin .......... 4 c Pawson,b Evans 59 b Martin .......... 0 b Evans .......... 1 b Evans b Evans ... 2 ... 42 b Ernsthausen ... 9 c Mclver, b Erns- thausen......... 2 0 b Ernsthausen ... 1 c Raphael, b Erns- thausen .......... 7 not o u t................ 0 B3, lb 3, w 5, nb7 18 Total ..137 Total.. O x f o r d U n iv e r s it y . Dowsou ... Roberts ... Keigwin... McDonell H.-Smith First innings. O. M. R. W. 19 2 71 2 . Second innings. O. M. R. W . 19 6 9 60 2 21 3 45 1 31 Mann ... 23 ... 18 ... 13 ... 11 ... 12 1 4 93 4 5 32 1 5 24 2 0 55 0 4 34 2 Dowson delivered eight no-balls, Howard-Smith eight no-balls and one wide, Roberts seven no-balls and two wides, Keigwin one wide, and Mann two wides. C am b r id g e U n iv e r s it y . First innings. Second innings. O. M. R. W. O. M. R. W. Martin ... ... 10 1 35 0 ... ... 18 6 41 2 Evans ... ... 17*4 3 52 7 ... ... 19*6 11 34 4 Burn .. .. . 9 2 20 2 ... ... 8 2 16 0 Ernsthausen ... 7 1 27 1 ... ... 13 1 36 4 Evans delivered eight no-balls, Martin four wides, and Ernsthausen a wide and a no-ball. OXFORD UNIVERSITY. BATTING AVERAGES. No. Times Most of not Total in an inns. out. runs. inns. Aver. +J. E. R.phael ... ... 6 ... 0 .,,.240 ., 130 .. . 40-00 +C. D. Mclver ... 13 ... 0 . 330 ... 99 ... 25*38 tK. M. Carlisle ... ... 18 ... 1 . .365 ... 65 ... 2147 +H. J. W y ld .......... ... 14 ... 0 .. 294 ... 79 ... 21 00 +W. H. B. Evans . .. 16 ... 0 .. 323 ... 96 .. . 2018 +NV. Findlay (capt.) ... 15 ... 2 . 247 ... 70 . . 19-00 +A. C. Pawson .. 13 ... 1 ..177 ... 56 . 14 75 tO. M. Samson ... ... 5 . ... 1 ... 56 ... 32*... 1400 B. L. Peel .......... ... 8 . ... 0 ..104 ... 35 ... 1300 R. S. Darling ... 9 ... 0 ... 98 . . 25 ... 10 88 E. G. Whately ... ... 7 ... 1 ... 66 ... 20*... 916 L. D. Brownlee ... ... 10 ... 0 . .. 82 ... 18 ... 8*20 tE. G. Martin ... 15 ... 2 .104 ... 28*... 800