Cricket 1903

A pril 9, 1903. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 53 Leicestershire v. Yorkshire, at Leicester, August 7th, 8th and 9th. This match was abandoned without a ball being bowled. M.C.C. and Ground v. Leicestershire, at Lord’s, August 11th and 12th. Trott’s (A. E.) innings of 40 for M.C.C. and Ground lasted but eleven minutes. England v. Austialia, at the Oval, August 11th, 12th, and 13th. G. L. Jessop’s memo­ rable innings of 104 was made out of 139 obtained whilst in in 75 minutes. Gloucestershire v. Yorkshire, at Chelten­ ham, August 14th and 15th. In the second innings of Gloucestershire C. L. Townsend at one time batted 45 minutes without adding to his score. Sussex v. Leicestershire, at Brighton, August 14th, 15th and 16th. In the second innings of Leicestershire R. MacDonald took an hour to score his first four runs. Derbyshire v. Warwickshire, at Derby, August 14th, 15th and 16th. Derbyshire won by an innings and 250 runs—their first victory at Derby since June, 1898. Middlesex v. Lancashire, at Lord’s, August 18th, 19th, and 20th. 'Ihis match was abandoned without a ball being bowled. Gloucestershire v. Australians, at Chelten­ ham, August 18th, 19th and 20th. Woof (W. A.) appeared for Gloucestershire after an absence of eight years. Hampshire v. Sussex at Southampton, August 21st and 22nd. In the first innings of Hampshire Tate (F. W .) bowled his last six overs for seven wickets and five runs. During the luncheon interval on the first day Major R. M. Poore was presented with a massive silver bowl from the Hampshire County C.C. in recognition of his batting feats on behalf of the Coimty in 1899, when his average was 116. Middlesex v. Yorkshire, at Lord’s, August 21st, 22nd and 23rd. By catching G. MacGregor in the first innings of Middlesex, Tunnicliffe (J.) made his 500th catch for Yorkshire. Kent v. Australians, at Canterbury, August 21st, 22nd and 23rd. R. A . Duff was dis­ missed in a peculiar manner in the first innings of the Australians. He played a ball from W. M. Bradley almost on to his wicket. Huish (F. H .), standing back to the fast bowler, had not time to pick up the ball, so tried to kick it on to the stumps. He missed the nearer wicket, but luckily hit the further one before Duff could reach the crease. Five of the Australians were run out in this match, two in the first innings and three in the second. Kent v. Yorkshire, at Catford, August 25th and 26th. In the first innings of Yorkshire four men were l.b.w., three to Hearne (A.), and one to Humphreys (E.). Middlesex v. Australians, at Lord’s, August 25th, 26th and 27th. H. Trumble dismissed four men l.b.w. in the first innings of the County, and three in the second. Worcestershire v. Gloucestershire, at Wor­ cester, August 28th, 29th and 30th. In the first innings of Gloucestershire T. H. Fowler was bowled by Wilson (G. A.) by a hall which broke the leg stump. Essex v. Leicestershire, at Leyton, August 28th, 29th and 30th. In the second, innings of Leicestershire R. Joyce made a big drive which landed the ball into the water-pipe gutter on top of the public stand. Dr. MacDonald promptly climbed on to the roof and retrieved it, but had to wait some time before he get down again. Players v. Australians, at Harrogate, Sep­ tember 1st, 2nd and 3rd. On the last day of the match the wind was so strong that the hails had to be kept in position by means of a little clay. Gentlemen v. Players, at Scarborough, September 1st, 2nd and 3rd. On the last day of the match bails had to be dispensed with owing to the force of the wind. Yorkshire v. An England X I., at Lord’s, September 11th, 12th and 13th. The last Yorkshire match of the year. The record of the county for all matches since the com­ mencement of July, 1899, is 116 matches played, 64 won, 7 lost, and 45 drawn, the results year by year being :— Year. Played. Won. Lo>t. Drawn. 1899 18 .. 7 ,. 1 ... 10 1900 32 .. 19 ... 1 . 12 1901 35 ... 23 ... 2 . .. 1) 1902 31 ... 15 ... 3 ... 13 In County Championship matches during the same period the record of Yorkshire is still more extraordinary, viz., 96 matches played, 55 won, 3 lost, and 38 drawn:— Year. Played. Won. Lost. Drawn. 1899 16 .. 6 . .. 1 9 1900 28 ... 16 ... 0 .. 12 1901 27 20 . .. 1 . 6 1902 25 ... 13 1 ... 11 The seven matches lost by the County since the commencement of July, 1899, are as follows :— Year. Agaicst. Ground. Mergin. 1899 ... Kent Tonbridge 8 wkts. 1900 ... M.C.C. & G. Lord’s ... 182 runs. 1901 .., Somerset Leeds 279 runs. 1901 ... England.. Lord’s ... ... Inns. & 115. 1902 .. Somerset Sheffield .. ,. 31 runs. 1902 ... Australians Bradford... 41 runs. 1902 ... M.C.C. & G. Scarboro’ 26 runs. From the above it will be seen that the side has not lost a County Championship match away from home since losing to Kent at Tonbridge, in August, 1899. An England X f. y . "Yorkshire, at Lord’s, September 11th, 12th and 13th. Whilst P. F. Warner was batting during the innings of England, a ball from Haigh (S.) hit the off- stump and went for three byes. The bail, though shaken out of the groove, did not fall, but balanced itself on the top of the off- stump. The bail was replaced in the proper position by Titchmarsh (V.A.), and Warner continued his innings. South of England v. Australians, at Bourne­ mouth, September 11th, 12th and 13th. Of the sixteen wickets which fell on the first day as many as six were leg-before wicket. THE END. THE SITUATION. A CONVERSATION W ITH M R. CHUCKERU1’ , AN U M PIRE W HO DIRECTS THE FORTUNES OI' A “ W E A K M E D IU M ” CLUB. “ Good afternoon, Mr. Chuckerup. I didn’ t know you’d gone in for hockey.” “ ’Ockey ? This ain’t n o ’ockey slick. It’s a cricket bat.” “ A cricket bat! Well, at any rate, it looks like a thick hockey stick.” “ Well, you see, sir; it’s this way. One of the gents in our club is very keen on these proposed alterations in the laws and suggestions for giving the bowlers an A l. chance. So he arsks me to make him a bat like they used to use about a hundred years ago. And here yon are. I rather fancy that if Vic. Trumper was to use this bat he wouldn’t be quite so much of a flyer as he is now.” “ Probably not. Is the gentleman who ordered the bat going to experiment with i t ? ” “ Well, in my club we’ve heard so much about schemes for keeping down the runs that we are a bit keen on it, and as some of the counties say that the ideas ought to have a thorough tiial, we are going to see what can be done with an improved bat after the old pattern.” “ Have you tried the widened stumps yet?” “ Ain’t had no chance yet. And 1 don’t suppose we shall, for of all the fool schemes I’ve ever heard of this is the foolishest. In a general way you may take it that stumps is always more than eight inches wide, and if you’re a’goin’ to make ’em wider goodness knows where you’ll get to. Of course, it would be very convenient to a side which was particular strong in bowling, while the other side was only strong in batting, for on your own ground you could make the width to suit. But what I always says is ‘ let’s hev’ a limit.’ ” “ Do you think that wider stumps would have much effect in the kind of matches played by your club ? ” “ Lor’ bless you, sir, if you was to make ’em a little wider and a little higher, as I see some counties want, no one wouldn’t get any runs at all in our matches, and umpiring wouldn’t be no longer what you may call a fine art.” “ A fine art? 1 don’t quite understand.” “ Perhaps you don’t, but you would if you played down our way. Why, I can tell you, sir, that it’s enough to make a strong man weep to see the cleverness of some of the umpires that we meet. Of course, it’s differ­ ent with me, but as for some of ’em—well, there, I haven’t got words for i t ! And if everybody got out without making a run, what would be the use of umpires, I should like to know ! No, sir. You would do away with a deserving and useful body of men, although some of them to be sure do win a match for their side a little too openly now and then.” “ I ’m afraid I don’t know much about umpiring in ‘ weak medium ’ matches. But what d} you think of the outcry about the ‘ tea interval ’ ? ” “ Never ’eard such tommy-rot in my life. Just as if they didn’t have no intervals in the old days! Why when I was a young man they would have two or three intervals in an afternoon in a county match if it was hot and two men got set. Likely to break up the partnership, you see. The batsmen didn’t like it, of course, but in hot weather you do want something to drink. And you gent rally notice that the big stands is made when the weather is hot. But they didn’t drink no tea in those days—that’s the only difference.” “ You approve of a ‘ tea interval,’ then ? ” “ In county matches 1 do, for certain. You can’ t expect men to go on playing every day all through the season, and not want a rest now and then. It’s all very well for these old jossers to talk, but when they played— and between you and me and the bedpost, I don’t believe most of ’em ever did play— hardly any of ’em played more than one county match a fortnight on an average, and when they did play it only lasted a couple of days. Of course they wasn’t tired—a nice lot of old women they would have been if they had been tired! But I must be moving! I ’m just a-goin’ to see the county secretary about a young feller in our club what took eighty wickets last year for two runs apiece. But I has my doubts whether he’ll do that when he gets on a county wicket. Your good health, sir.” W . A. B e t t e s w o r t h . R ICHARD DAFI’S “ Nottinghamshire Marl.” — Particulars, apply Radcliffe-on-Tient, Nolta. [A dvt .J