Cricket 1903

354 CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. A ug . 20, 1903. Wales. I know that I clambered up the fence to watch the ball off one of these hits travel a long way up Clayton Street.” “ A good many private clubs used the Oval as their ground at that time P” “ For some years there were often eight or nine clubs playing at the same time—it was a source of revenue to the county club. Each club had its special following, so that a good many spectators were present on a busy day. As a rule, each club had one or two members of the county club, and these matches were about all the practice they ever got.” “ You had something to do with the beginnings of the modern system of forming a sort of county cricket school for young players ? ” “ It was left pretty well to Fred Bur- bidge and myself, with valuable assist­ ance from John Shuter, Dr. Blades, and Walter Read, to try to find promising young players. We had them to the Oval and tried them, and from those begin­ nings arose the present system which is now in use in Kent, Lancashire, etc., in addition to Surrey. The system was to have what you may perhaps describe as four standards. The first stage is passed in learning the game and playing for the Colts, the second in playing for the c’ub and ground, and if after two or three years of this a youngster is not good enough for the second eleven, it may be concluded that he will never be much of a cricketer. If he is good enough, he wins his spurs in the second eleven before he is promoted to the first.” “ It is often said that Surrey has failed to recognize the genius of young players who have afterwards distinguished them- Belves? ” “ Ican’t recall to mind a singleinstance. We are accused of letting Fry go. But the eleven was strong at the time when he was first available, and he could only play in August, and he did’nt know whether he would be able to play at all. Again, with regard to Braund. We knew well enough that he was a fine player, and had just become a regular member of the eleven. He would never have been dropped by Surrey if they could have kept him. Graburn was in despair when he heard that Braund intended to play for Somerset, and I don’t think he has ever got over his disappointment at losing such a fine player. We are told that we didn’t know that we had a good man in Keene. But Keene went to the com­ mittee and told them that he was going to leave because he could do better for himself. The committee had no voice in the matter at all. Other men have left because they were offered better pay, or were required by their own counties, but I can’t recollect a eii gle instance when Surrey has deliberately let a man go, thinkirg that he is useless, whereas he is really a great player.” “ What of the outlook for Surrey cricket p” “ What Surrey is suffering from just at preEent is that the youngsters don’ t seem to have the cricket in them, just as the University players are not showing the same form as their predecessors. Another thing which hampers Surrey in particu­ lar is that so many of its most promising players are city clerks or in business— men who by education and general training object strongly to play as pro­ fessionals. I may say that, personally, I am a strong advocate for the system of ‘ paid amateurs.’ In the old days people used to laugh at me when I said that the time must come when amateurs wouldhave to be compensated for their loss of time, but the necessity for so doing is, I think, much more generally recognised now. But Surrey has determined to have nothing whatever to do with paid ama­ teurs, whether other counties encourage them or not.” Some years ago Mr. Stein often used to captain the Surrey Club and Ground teams. “ We had a very strong side,” he said. “ I remember once captaining the Club and Ground team when we played the Merchant Taylors School on the old Charterhouse ground, which was very small indeed, and with a pretty bad wicket. Consequently every batsman was anxious to hit the ball out of tbe ground, while every bowler wanted to be put on first. For this match Jones, Shacklock, and Davidson were on our side, and when we arrived at the ground Davidson said to me ‘ I suppose I am to go on bowling first at one end P’ I said ‘ No. I have promised Shacklock, and I ’m going on myself at the other. I’m not going to miss a chance like this.’ I did pretty well, for the wicket was bad, and Davidson said to me 1Ah Sir, you’re a pretty good bowler against these bojs, but wait till they get you on a good county ground ! ’ I have no faith in captains who are bowlers, and who decide not to bowl because they are captains.” “ Do you refer to Davidson the old Derbyshire player ? ” “ Yes. He and Shacklock and Hu’ me, as well as Lockwood and Hallam, were all at one time on the Oval ground staff, but their counties recalled Shacklock, David­ son and Hulme before thfy were qualified; indeed they never came with the object of qualifying. Surrey is often reproached for having taken Lockwood from Notts, but although he had bowled very well against an Australian team he failed in some matches afterwards, and Notts did not want him. Shrewsbury and Daft recommended him to Surrey, and said that it would be a good thing for him if Surrey would take tiim ; so he stayed and qualified. We very nearly lost Sharpe on a question of a sum of five shillings a week. He came to the Oval, and after a trial, Burbidge, who was always the presiding genius at these trials, offered him so much per week. Sharpe asked for five shillings more, and Burbidge said to me, ‘ I think we may as well let him go, then.’ But I said 1For Heaven’s sake don’t let us lose a man like that for tbe sake of five shillings.’ He replied ‘ Well, if you are so keen about it, you’d better go and tell him that he can have his five bob.’ I rushed out of the pavilion, and found Sharpe just going out of the gates at the Oval, and so he stayed on.” W. A- B bttesworth . A N IN T E R N A T IO N A L M A T C H . One often sees imaginary reports of cricket matches in the French language (so-called), but readers of Cricket have now a chance of seeing exactly how the thing is done in France. The match, of which a report appears iu Le Monde Spcrtif, was between the Beerschott C.C. of Antwerp and the Standard Athletic Club of Paris :— Le match international (qui doit durer deux jours) entre le Beerschott Cricket Club d’Anvers et le Standard Athletic Club ete dispute hier a Chantilly. A 11 h. 45, le Standard commencela partie. Dans la premiere tournee (inning), il obtient 130 courses (runs). Bemarque: A. J. Schneidau (23 courses). M. D. Nicholson (72 courses sans etre mis hors jeu “ not out ” ). Pour le Beerschott, H. Potts a abattu 4 guichets (wickets) et obtenu 15 courses. A 4 heures, le Beerschott commence la seconde tournee et oblient 59 courses. Be- marque : H. Potts, qui a fait 10 courses et H. Collings 7, sans etre mis hors jeu. MM. Arrowsmid et Smith ont tres bien “ bole” et e’est ce qui explique la superi- orite du Standard. Le “ fielding” (joueur du champ) du S.A.C. a ete tres remarque. Le Standard, it 5 h. 30, commence sa deuxieme tournee et obtient 13 courses seulement pour 2 guichets. Le resultat de cette premiere journeedonne done le S.A.C. en avance de 71 courses, mais le Beerschott a encore grand espoir et compte se rattraper aujourd’hui. Le match d’aujourd’ hui commencera a 11 h. 30, et nul doute qu’un grand nombre de spectateurs se rendent a Chantilly pour voir la finale du match, qui sera certaine- ment interessant. Le deuxieme match entre le Standard Athletic Club et le Beerschott Cricket Club d’Anverb a ete joue hier 16 Aout a Chantilly. Le Standard a gagne par 93 courses. Voici les resultats des deux journees : Standard Athletic Club : 130 courses et 93. Total: 223 courses pour 8 guichets. Beerschott C.C.: 59 courses et 61 courses. Total: 110 courses. Aujourd’hui M. Gandon, du Beerschott, a joue a merveille et a fait tout son possible pour ramener son equipe a la hauteur du Standard. Bemarque comme lanceurs au S A.C. : J. Smith et Arrowsmith. iuB .C .C .; H. Potts et Osborne. MR. J. OOLMAN, JUNR.’S XI. v. MR. W . G- DHUCE’S X I.—Played at Gatton Park on Saturday. Mr. J. C olman , Jun.’s X I. T.B.C.Piggott, b N. F. Druce ................. 0 M. W. Payne, c and b N. F. Druce ... ..35 C.F. Sadler, b Bagga1.- lay ........................22 R. 8. Pringle, c W. G. Druce. b Baggallay 0 J.L.Waggett, cRowe, b N. F. Druce......... 80 F. M. Davie?, b Rowe 0 H. A. Hurley, c and b Kenyon ................. 7 C. W. Burley, c Rowe, b Kenyon.................10 E. S. Price, b Kenyon 0 J.C.ilrn .n.j un.,cRowe, b Kenyon................. 7 R.R.S.Merton,uot out 0 Extras.................11 Total ...122 Sccond inning*.—T. B. C. Piggott, Ibw, b Cripps, 15; M. W. P*yae, not out, B5; extras, 8. Total 53. Me. D kuce ’ s X I. M. N. Kenyon, lbw, b Davies ................ 22 G.H. Loder, bColm-n 19 N.W.Loder, cPringle, b Colman.................27 N. F. Druce, c Price, b Piggott... ..........40 R.C.Baggallay,runout 7 F. H. Cripps, b Piggott 8 J. C. Brand, c and b liggott ................. K. Mitnes, not out ... M. E. Baggallay, o Davies, b Pringle ... G. H. Rowe, c Sadler, b Payne ................. Extras................. Total (9 wkts) 1E6 W. 0. Druce did not bat.