Cricket 1903

Sept. 10, 1903. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 407 T H E M A R Y L E B O N E C R IC K E T C L U B * Although this book appears late in the season the M.C.C. has recently been brought so prominently before the public, that a histoiy of the club ought to receive a warm welcome at the present moment. It may be said at once that Mr. Taylor has succeeded in writing a very interesting book, which contains a great many anec­ dotes. It would have been easy to extend the book largely by trotting out all the stories which are familiar to everybody, but the author has shown a great deal of tact in selection, and while bis anec­ dotes are entertaining most of them also possess the great meritof being unfamiliar. One of them refers to the famous Mr. Osbaldeston. “ It happened during his enrolment as a member of a certain institution. ‘ Your nam e?’ queried the secretary. ‘ George Osbaldeston,’ was the reply. ‘ George Os—Os— ? ’ ‘ Osbaldes­ ton,’ came the sharp interruption. *Os—bald—. Will you kindly spell it ? ’ ‘ Yes,’ thundered the recruit, ‘ but once only. Listen: O-s, os; b - a - l — hal — Osbal; D-B-8, des— baldes—Osbaldes ; T- o- N, ton —deston—baldeston— Osbaldes­ ton ! ’ ” Mr. Taylor gives a vivid picture of the game as played in the early days at Lord’s :— “ Leg-byes were not invented ; ‘ wides ’ could be bowled with impunity; ‘ no-balls ’ were not recognised, or, at least, not recorded. Sawdust was an unknown requisite for the bowler ; pads and gloves were not tolerated. The batsman journeyed to the wickets in his ordinary attire; shoes, silk stockings, knee-breeches and three-cornered hat. The wickets were pitched, as now, twenty- two yards apart, and consisted of three stumps surmounted by a single bail. The ball was the same weight as that used to-day, but thg bat was a clumsy weapon of defence, curved at the bottom, similar to the old-fashioned dinner knife.” One of the most important of the annual matches at Lord’s in the first half of the ninteenth century was th e “ B ” eleven against the Best of England, the “ B ’s ” holding their own pretty easily. It is to be feared that at the present time a “ B ” eleven, although it wculd be strong, would not stand the ghost of a chance against England unless it had extraordinary good luck in the way of weather. An anecdote told by Mr. Taylor will well bear reading in connection with the last paragraph which appears in “ Chats on the Cricket Field ” in this week’s Cricket. Thus “ An example of professionalism (old style) may bere be cited. During a match between the M.C.C. and Sussex, at Lord’s, in June, 1847, and when Edmund Sopp was batting for the visitors, the poor ‘ pro ’ went out to meet one of Clarke’s deliveries. Unfortunately for him, he missed the ball and was stumped, the result being that an influential member of the Sussex committee declared he should not play again for his county ; •Annals of Lord’s and History of the M.C.C.” By Alfred D. Taylor. J. W . Arrowemith, Bristol. Illustrated, 8/6. a cruel and unjust determination, but one which the gentleman had power to carry into effect.” We could quote much more if space permitted, but we have quoted enough to show that there is a mine of information in the book, which is, as it professes to be, a concise history of the famous club. Statistics are not omitted but they are placed by themselves at the end of the book, so that readers who do not care about them are not in any way incom­ moded by them. In conclusion we may say that the book contiins no index, an unfortunate omission in a historical work. ME. PELHAM F. WARNER. The following letterpress accompanies the cartoon of Mr. Warner in Vanity F a ir :— Just thirty years ago he became the youngest son of that West Indian States­ man who steered Trinidad through the trying times that followed the abolition of slavery; of whom Froude said it was worth a voyage round the globe to have met such a man. For his family have been known in the West Indies since the wholesome buccaneering times of Queen Elizibeth ; and this particular scion of the house is known as a cricketer all over the woild, sines he has played in more conntries than any other cricketer, includiog the West Indies, Canada, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and America. His father was privileged to be at Harrow and E ton ; but himself haB been content with Rugby (where he played in the Eleven for four years), and as an Oriel man, who enjoyed the distinction of being twice run out in the ’Varsity match. Since then he has been called to the Bar, but he still plays cricket, and on the 25th instant will take a team to Australia which is really good all round and excellent in bowling. He has a cheerful individuality which works wonders, so that they call him an optimist and other bad names ; yet he has a very complete knowledgeof thegame, he knows his “ Wisden ” by heart, and he studies most carefully his position at the wicket. His great stroke is the on-drive; but he wields his pen as skilfully as he does his bat. He is also a good speaker and a good man at a pinch who never loses heart; so that the credit of English cricket is safe in his hands. He generally wears a harlequin cap, and he is supposed to have been seen uncovered only once; when the Tommies of Barbados violently hoisted him for making the first century scored in the island. He is also very proud of a ring which Lord Hawke gave him for pulling a match out of the fire at Johannesburg four years ago. He likes criticism, he can play a losing game very well, he is probably the keenest cricketer living, he can keep friends with his men, and he owes his wigmaker a bill. C RICKET Report Sheets, lOd. per dozen, post free. Order of Going-in Cards, 7d. per dozen, post free Cricket Score Books, 6d. and Is. each; postage, 2d. extra.—To be obtained at the Offices of Cricket , 168, Upper Thames Street, London, E.C. HAMPSTEAD v. SOUTH HAMP3TEAD.—Played at Willesden on August 29. H am pstead . F. R. D. Monro, b Couchman .......... H. Greig, b Couchman H. H. Walters, c Bar­ ron, b Couchman ... D. MacGregor, c Pot­ ter, b Couchman ... H. R. Hebert, b Orgias R. G. Hebert, b Potter H. S. Maclure, b Orgias ................. J. C. Toller, st Ernst, b Couchman R. Playford, c and b Potter ................. l N. B. Dearie, not out 2 Colonel P. Suarez, c Norton, b Couchman 0 B 3, nb 2 ... 5 21 Totai . 61 T. B. Orgias, run out H. Ernst, b Monro .. W. Couchman, b H.R. Hebert ................. H, Potter, b H. R. H »>*rs .. .......... H. W . Brooman, b H. R. Hebert..........' H. Barron, b H. R. Hebert ................. S outh H am pstead . A. J. Doughty, b B. G. Hebert .......... A. G. Norton, c Maclure, b Hebert R. W. Last, b H. R. Hebert ................. E. J. Poston, not out B 7, lb 1 ... Total ...101 HAMPSTEAD v. MALDEN WANDEREES. — Played at Hampstead on September 5. H am pstead . E. W. H. Beaton, not out ........................ G. C ro s d a le , not out ........................ Leg-byes .......... 9 F. W. Orr, run out ... 57 H. Greig, c Futcher, b Higgs........................19 F.R.D.Monro, c Judd, b Atfleld .................69 H.F.Lott,Ibw, b Smith 10 E.L.Marsden, c Bull, b Higgs........................33 H. K. Hebert, T. S. Wheater, A. A. Barron, F. R. Spofforth did not bat. * Inniogs declared closed. M alden W an d erers , Total (6 wkts)*203 BH.M.Smith, c Greig, b Spofforth .......... A. Judd, c Marsden, b Hebert ................. S. Kemp, b Spofforth G. H. New, b Spofforth A. G. Rough, c Beaton, b Wheater .......... A. S. Bull, c Spofforth, b Wheater .......... J.G.Atfield,b Wheater A. Courtney, st Cros­ dale, b Wheater ... 13 Biggs, b Spofforth ... 9 T. Harper, c Orr, b Spoflforth................. 0 E. F u tch e r, n ot out ........................ 0 Total HAMPSTEAD v. SOUTHGATE. — Played at Hampstead on September 2. H am pstead . T.S. Wheater, b Scott 13 J. C. Toller, c T. Bevington, b Scott 1 A. J. Orr, b Page ... 0 A. A. Barron, not out 0 L. Brachi, b Scott ... 0 B 17, nb 4 ..........21 F. W. Orr.cT. Beving­ ton, b Napier.......... e G. Crosdale, c Milton, b N apier.................11 F. R D. Monro, b Page 59 J. Gibbon, b Napier ... 2 E. L. Marsden, c Sworder, b Scott ... 26 E. W. H . Beaton, b Napier ................. 1 Second innings.—F. W . Orr, st H . Bevington, b Bowstead, 10; E. W . H.Beaton, not out, 33; J. C. Toller, b Page, 16; Byes, 13. Total (2 wkts),72. S o u th g a te . Total ...140 T. A. D. Bevington, c Mar-den, bBarron 18 H. V. Bevington, b Barron .............. 0 A. Ricketts, lbw, b Barron ... ........... 5 J.Bowstead, c Wheater b B arron................. 8 E. H. W. Scott, b Barron ..............17 G. G. Napier, b Brachi 6 H. A. Milton,b Barron 10 H. J. B. Sworder, b Gibbon .................21 L. R. Lewis, b Barron 0 G. F. Page, b Gibt on 5 E. White, not out ... 2 B 13, lb 4 ..........17 Total..........109 HONOR OAK (2) v. BATTERSEA (2).—Played at Battersea on August 29. B a tt e b se a . H.Holland, bAdamson 7 A. Holland, b Fry ... 46 W . Da ton, c Gracey, b Adamson................. Hewetson, c Bennett, b F ry........................14 G. Holland, c Wilmot, b F ry ......................... 4 J. Lauber, F. Coxall, E. K. Foreman and F. W. Fox did not bat. A.8. Johnson, not out 20 H. Carver, not out .. 38 B 8, lb 2 ..........10 Total (5 wkts) 146 A. R. Cutbush, b A. Holland .................13 T. J. Gracey, c Carver, b Holland................. 1 R.R.Crump, b A. Hol­ land ........................ 4 D.Bennett, c Foreman, b Johnson................. 1 F. Wilmott, b Johnson 0 C.Campbell c Carver, b A. Holland .......... 7 H onor O a k . F.Tobitt, b A.Holland 4 F. G. Cutbush, not out ................. ... 2 C.D. Hayes, b A. Hol­ land ........................ 0 W. H. Adamson, not out ......................... 2 B 8, nb 1 .......... 9 Total (8 wkts) 43