Cricket 1903

274 CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. J uly 16, 1903. away the most important and gratifying feature (in Sussex cricket) was the re­ markable advance made by Mr. C. B. Fry, who altogether put into the shade anything he had previously accom­ plished in connection with the game. ..................................There had been nothing in his previous play to suggest that he was capable of rivalling Eanjitsinhji’s performance for Sussex in 1896 in the latter’s best season. In that year in county championship matches, the Indian cricketer scored 1,698 runs with an average of 58, going to the wickets 33 times, while last season with two innings less Fry had an aggregate of 1,604 with an average of 59. These brilliant records are curiously similar, Fry’s, if anything, being slightly superior, and it is further remarkable that both should have been accomplished in seasons when the county fared badly...........................Six times in county matches he exceeded the hundred, and on two occasions he went in first and carried his bat through the innings . . . . . . On all kinds of wickets Fry as a batsman was head and shoulders above anyone else in the team, and the fact that he was so rarely on the winning side only serve to emphasise the remark­ able character of his play.” The cricket worldwas indeedastonished, for here was a batsman of the very greatest accomplishments, who might attain to any height of fame. It must not be supposed that he had suddenly developed an ideal style, for even at the present day one feels that he is to a certain extent lacking in grace. Perhaps a conversation between two players at a suburban match after Mr. Fry had made a huge score may be fitly quoted here. “ I ’ve never seen Fry bat, have you p ” “ Two or three times.” “ What’s he like ? ” “ Well, I can’t exactly say. He isn’t so graceful as Palairet anyway, or so active or wiry as Ranjitsinhji. And he hasn’t got anything like the style of Hayward. And he isn’ t so easy as Shrewsbury. In fact there’s something about him which seems to me a bit awkward, and yet— well hang it, he’s the finest batsman I ever saw except the ‘ old man.’ ” It may be noted that precisely the same remarks might ba made of the “ old man ” himself with the excepticn of the exception. In the following year Rinjitsinhji returned to the Sussex eleven, no longer to reign in solitary grandeur, but hence­ forth to share his throne with the new comer. The partnerships of “ Fry and R an ji” became the admiration of the world, and although last year the two men fcund they were not quite superior to circumstances, Fry at least has this year done more wonderful things than ever. It is sometimes said by his detrac­ tors that he is essentially a man who depends entirely for his success on perfect wickets, but no greater mistake was ever made, for many of his most brilliant performances have been accomplished against the best of bowling on the very worst of wickets. On the other hand, his too ardent admirers who hold him up as far superior to Dr, Grace are just as mistaken, for cricket in the great days of the Doctor was played under such different circumstances from those which are in force at the present day, that comparisons between the two great players are as impossible as they are unnecessary. But famous batsman as he is, Mr. Fry cannot, like the great Alexander, weep because there are no more worlds left for him to conquer. For Australia and the Australians are waiting for him, with openly expressed opinion that they never need fear to have to acknowledge him as their master. As to this, time will show. At present all that can be said is that Mr. Fry has not vastly distinguished himself in matches against the Austra­ lians, but whether this is due to a chapter of accidents such as may fall to the lot of any man, or whether it is that the Australian bowlers are just a little too clever for him, can only be discovered by future experience. But Englishmen are fully persuaded that he will yet show himself as much the master of Australian bowling as he has been of that of-Englijh- men. W. A. B e t t e s w o r t h . GRANVILLE (Lee) y. BLACKHEATH.-Played at Blackheath on July 11. B l a c k h e a t h . S. Cistle, c Weber, b Summers................. 1 Capt. H. C. Baird, c Young, b Paton .. 63 Capt. H. S. Bush, c & b Paton ................76 H. D. Banning,run out 53 C. J. T. Robertson, b Paton....................... 3 J. 8. Heath. c&bPaton 13 T. 8. Luce,bLuckhurst 48 C. L. Hemmerde, b Luckhurst ..........11 Capt. Exham,b Luck- hurst’........................ 3 A. W . Stewart,bLuck- hurst........................ 0 M.Christophereon.not out ........................ 0 Extras.................19 Total .. 290 G b a n v il l e . A. C. Weber,b Robert­ son .........................15 Luckhurst, b Banning 34 W . Morris, c Steward, b Baird ................37 J. P. Clarkson, b Bush 31 P. P. Lincoln, c Luce, b Robertson ..........75 N. Cockell, b Bush ... 0 A. G. Paton, st Luce, b Bush ................. 9 F. E. Latder, b Bush 12 E. D. C. Young, b Bush........................ 0 T. H.Summers,notout 0 H. A. Levinson, c Castle, b Bush ... 1 Extras................. 5 Total ..219 GRANVILLE “ A ” (Lee) v. FOREST HILL (2). —Played at Lee on July 11. G r a n v ill e . C. E. C. Kendle, b Young ................. 48 W. J. Helder, b Hast 74 F. Helder, lbw, b Young ................. 0 T. L. Passmore, b Young ................. 3 W.Edwards, c Barham b Hant ................. 9 G. F. Sills, b Hast ... 14 J. A. Johnston, b B arham ................. A. Helder, b Balkwill H. J. Morris, b Hast H. T»mp!e, b Balk­ will ........................ E. G. Livermore, not out ....................... Extras................. F orest H il l . Total ...191 W. S. Holt, b Liver­ more .........................72 T. J. Balkwill, c Ken­ dle. b Livermore ... 34 J.B.ilk<»ill,b F. Helder 7 C. G. YouDg, not ou t 30 C. H . Barham, b Passmore... ......... 3 C. Moore, not out ... 1 Extras ... .-. ... 6 Total (4 wkts) 153 G. C. Hast, H. Barham, P. Gibbon, C. B. Morris, and L. H. Baskett did not bat. GRANVILLE (Lee) v. FORE3T HILL.-Played at Forest Hill on July 7. F orest H il l . H. A.Hooker,stHelder, b Barker.................. 13 S.Silverthorne, b Sum­ mers ........................ 0 C.G.Young, c Beldam, b Summers ..........24 M. Reichert, b I iocoln 27 W .R Bingham,c and b Barker ................. 40 * Innings declared closed. W .R.Williams,notoutll5 H.Barham, c Lincoln, b Cockell.................73 C. F. Phillips, not out 39 Extras................57 Total (6 wkts)*388 N. Cockell, b Phillips 6 E. A. Beldam, lbw, b Welchman ..........49 F.Helder, bWelchman 4 P.P.Lincoln,bReichert 28 K E.M.Barker,cYoung, b Phillips.................26 G. Newman, b Welch­ man 3 E.D.C.Young,stSilver- thorne, b Hooker ... 39 G r a n v il l e . F.E.Thomson,cReich- ert, b Y o u n g ..........13 T.H.Summers,c Bar­ ham, bWelchman... 13 A. Heldfr, not out ... 7 B. Morris, not out ... 0 Extras ......... 16 Total (9 wkts) 203 GRANVILLE “ A ” (Lee) v. NATI >NAL PRO­ VINCIAL BANK.—Played at Beckenham on July 11. G r a n v il l e . C. E. Barnes, c and b Cosser........................ 0 H. E. Thomson, b R ichards................. 6 S. W . Payne, c Jack­ son, b Cosser......... 49 E. Rymer-Jones, b Richards................. 2 T. W . Maynard,b Coe- ser ........................42 S.A.Walker,bRichards 0 E. F. Debenham, c & b Richards ........... 0 H.W. Gill, b Harrison 14 A. C. Taylor, c Arm­ strong, b Innocent.. 35 J. D. Treasure, c and b CosBer ...................... 0 W. Dedrick, not out.. 4 Extras.......... ... 3 Total N a t io n a l P ro v in c ia l B a n k . Armstrong, c Rymer- Jones, b Treasure ... 51 Harrison, b Thomson 17 Innocent, c Thomson, b Treasure ..........21 Price, File, Cosser, Richards, Johnson did not bat. King, not out ... Phillips, not out Extras.......... ...155 , 21 , 35 , 12 Total (3 wkts) 157 Stephenson and GRANVILLE v. BRADFORD.—Played at Lee on July 8 and 9. G r a n v il l e . First innings. Second innings. N. Cockell, b Cupitt .............16 R. Renward, c Baistow, b Holdsworth ........................8ru nout................23 A. C. Weber, b Baistow .. 104 J. P. Clarkson, c Fearnley, b Cupitt ........................ 63 P. P. Lincoln, c A. Bowden, b Cupitt ...........................37not out ............ 32 K. E . M. Bark r, c Fulham, b Baistow ...........................57 E. Rymer-Jones, c and b C upitt..................................13 T. A. Darke, c Feamley, b c Holdsworth, b Cupitt................................. 9Baistow ............... 35 F. E. Lander, c Holde- worth, b Baiatow .............12run out ............. 2 Luckhurst, not out .............23 E. D. C. Young, c Baistow, b Cupitt ...........................10 not out.................17 T. H. Bummers, b Cupitt .. 3 Extras...........................32 Extras................. 5 Total .. A.8owden,bSummers, 34 L. Sowden, b Weber 38 F. H . Fearnley, c Lin­ coln, b Luckhurst... 78 E. F. Holdsworth, b Summers.................15 J. W . Sowden, b Sum­ mers ........................14 R. Rerstaw, c Barker, b Luckhurst .......... 6 C. H. Ingham, c Lan­ der, b Luckhurst ... 1 ...357 Total (3 wkts) 114 1DFOBD. E. B. Fulham,bLuck- hurst.......................,.11 Baistow, not out ...35 G.T.Coates, c Lincoln, b Luckhurst .......... 3 Cupitt, b Luckhurst... 0 T. Sowden, jun., b Barker .................. 2 Extras................... 20 Total ...2.7 WANDERERS v. LONDON COUNTY.-Played at the Crystal Palace on July 11. W a n d e b x r s . 8. Colman, run out ... 86 E. A. Peldam, c Frith, b Gamble................ 2 T. A. D-irke, b Gamble 16 K. E. M. Barker, c Haywood, b Frith .. 46 F. J. Cook, c Haywood, b Frith .................13 R. B. Brooks,b Green­ way ........................18 L. 8. Wells, c Brewer, b Beachcroft.......... D. L. A. Jephson, b Gamble ......... ... 81 E. H. Fischer, c Hay- wo^d, b Gamble ... 22 E. R Fischer, lbw, b Beachcroft .......... 0 O. Taylor, not out ... 1 Extras .......... 5 Total . 332 P. G. Gale, b Wells ... 0 T. T. brewer, b Taylor 5 R. Poweil-Williams, c Darke, b Wells ...23 W. F. L. Frith, b Jephson .................25 H. Bennett, b Jephson 38 — Beachcroft, c Tay­ lor, b Jephson.......... 1 H.Colegrave, b Barker 0 92 L on don C o u f t y . H. Stafford - Webber, b Barker................. C. Haywood, c and b Jephson ................. Greenway, not out ... Gamble, c Colman, b Jephson ................. B 1, lb 2, nb 2 ... Total ...111