Cricket 1903

.F eb . 26, 1903. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 25 C r i c k e t : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 168, UPPER THAMES STREET, 10ID 0I, E.C. THURSDAY, FEB. 26 th , 1903. $attlion <&o 00 tp. The abstract and brief chronicle of the time.— Hamlet. A s t a t e m e n t has been made by the Hon. F. S. Jackson that not only in most ordirary first-class matches, but also in the test matches, the wickets are eight inches and a half wide. Of course, it is well known that this is often the case in club matches where groundsmen measure the width of the stumps by the eye, but it- has generally been supposed that in the big matches more care was taken that the legal width was not ex­ ceeded. A BUILDER has bought the famous old Bat and Ball cricket ground at Graves­ end, the scene of so many Kent matches in former days as well as of late years. The lease of the present cricket club ex­ pires at the end of the coming season, and the ground has been sold for £4,500. An effort had been made by the cricket club to purchase the ground, but the price asked was prohibitive. At the annual meeting of the club a committee was appointed to enquire into the situa­ tion with a view to raising the money to buy out the purchaser if possible. I t is stated that Mr. G. L. Jessop, who, as was mentioned in “ Gossip ” last month, has accepted an appointment in a Liverpool firm, will continue to reside in London, where he will act as the firm’s representative. S om e notes on the return match be­ tween New South Wales and Victoria appeared on January 30th in the Daily Mail, The match took place at Sydney, and ended in favour of New South Wales by five wickets. New South Wales, therefore, retain the Sheffield Shield. Victoria scored 207 in the first innings (Bruce 38, McAlister 37, and Armstrong 36). Then Trumper and Duff put up 265 for the first wicket of N.S.W., Trumper making 130 and Duff 132. Yet the total was only 367. In their second innings Victoria made 427 (Armstrong 118, McAlister 84, and Bruce 48). This left N.S.W. to make288. Trumper made a duck’s egg, but Noble scored 103, Hickson 89, and Duff 39. McBeth took nine wickets for 181 for N.S.W. in the two innings. I t is said that Trumpet’s duck’s egg in this match was the first that he has made in fifty-nine consecutive innings. A t e s t i m o n i a l is to be presented to *~r'H . G. Owen, the retiring captain of the Essex eleven. The presentation is to take place at the annual meeting at Leyton. A t the close of the Cricketers’ National War Fund, promoted by the M.C.C., it was found that the total receipts amount­ ed to £2,284 19s. 7d. Of this the M.O.C. contributed nearly a half, viz., £1,050, while Yorkshire g&ve £525, plus a sum of £137 103. 4d. collected on different grounds in the county. This leaves a sum of £572 9s. 3d., which was subscribed for by other counties and private indi­ viduals. Surrey gave £52 10s.; the Liverpool Cricket Club, £52 10s.; Notts, £50; Staffordshire, £35; Kent, £26 5s.; Wiltshire, £25 ; Middlesex, £25 ; Somer­ set, £10 10s.; Leicestershire, £10. The Sportsman gave £100, and collected £30 7 s.; Mr. Abe Bailey gave £21; the Earl of Lichfield, £10; the Earl of Dart­ mouth, £ 5 ; Mr. A. H. Heath, M .P., £ 5 ; Sir J. D. Llewelyn, £5 5 s.; Lord Windsor, £ 5 ; Sir A. Conan Doyle, £o o s.; and Mr. J. H. J. Hornsby, £10. No doubt the amount would have been fir greater if it had not been that, in their capacity as citizens, cricketers had already con­ tributed to innumerable war funds. T h e fact that it is quite possible that a Native Indian team will visit England in 1904 should be welcome news to all enthusiasts of the game. Sirica the last Parsi team came over, cricket in India has increased in populaiity by leaps and bounds, until at the present time a really representative Native X I. would probably be found equal to giving a good game to the majority of the first-class counties. Not only would a visit to England do the greatest possible good to Indian cricket, but enthusiasts in this country would possess an opportunity of seeiDg tor them­ selves many great players — such as Jayaram, Ali Hasan, A. H . Mehta, Bedesi Ram, K. M. Mistri, Gagrat, &c.— of whom they have heard such good reports. We sincerely hope the proposed visit will be made, and that the teamunder­ taking the journey will be thoroughly representative. D a r l i n g has told the New South Wales Cricket Association that if a fifteenth man had been wanted for the Australian tourists in England last sum­ mer, the position would have been given to Kermode, whom he described as “ one of the best bowlers Australia has ever produced.” He strongly urged the New South Wales Asscciation to get K er­ mode back to Sydney, because he would prove to be a great bowler both on English and Australian wickets. Ker­ mode, it is hardly necessary to add, is now qualifying for Lancashire. W o o d c o c k , the Leicestershire bowler, has chosen for his benefit the match between Essex and Leicestershire, at Leicester, cn July 15th, etc. I n the King , Dr. Grace has given it as his opinion that nothing more will be heard for twenty years of the proposed alteration of the l.b.w laws. He protests against any alteration being made in materials, and says that in any case no change should made without previous careful trial. W. C u t t e l l and C . Smith are jointly to share the proceeds of the match between Essex and Lancashire at Old Trafford, on July 23rd and following days. T h e scores made by F . H. Hollins d uriD g the recent tour of the Oxford University Authentics in India, are as follows:—33 and 12, 141, 10 and 40, 121 and 5 not out, 0 and 30, 2 and 185 not out, 10, 17 and 62, 90, 22 and 7, 120, 28, 31 and 0, 9 and 20, 31 and 5— total, 1,031; average, 48'42 A c c o r d i n g to a cablegram in the Daily Mail, Victor Trumper scored 335 out of 423 for the first wicket in a club match on Saturday, January 31st, at Sydney. He is a member of the Padding­ ton C.C., and used to go in first with Mackenzie. C. O. H . S e w e l l , the Gloucestershire amateur, was married on Saturday last to Maud Evelyn Collins, eldest daughter of Mrs. R. G. Collins, of Carlyle Gardens, Chelsea. The committee of the County C.C. are arranging to present Mr. Sewell with a wedding present in appreciation of his services to Gloucestershire cricket at the commencement of the cricket season. E l e v e n Gibsons, all sons of the pro­ prietors of a plantation at Bingera (N.S.W.) played the lccjl club in the early part of last month. Elevens com­ posed of members all of the same family have been so rare that a correspondent of the Sydney Mail erroneously suggests this as a record for Australia. The Editor, however, apparently knows of several such cases, mentioning one notable instance, that of the Thompson family, whose portraits adorn the pavilion of the Sydney Cricket Ground. C r i c k e t readers everywhere, and “ the Surrey crowd” in particular, will be glad to hear that Abel, who has been on the sick list a good deal lately, is recover­ ing his old self. Under the influence of the genial atmosphere of Ventnor he has made very rapid strides during the last week or so. He is looking forward now keenly, like the keen little sportsman he is, to early practice at the Oval. W. P. H o w e l l , the sturdy Australian bowler, has just received a second cricket ball to share the company of the one the Surrey Committee gave him in recog­ nition of his taking all the ten wickets of the County on his first appearance at the Oval. This is the ball with which he took nine wickets for 52 in the first match of the season with Victoria. Duly mounted and inscribed, it was presented to him on behalf of the New South Wales team during the course of the return match with South Australia last month. In Inter-State matches to date, Howell has taken 131 wickets, 78 Victorian and 53 South Australian,