Cricket 1903

A pril 16, 1903. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 75 the bat was shaved down to proper pro­ portions while White stood angry by. In consequence of the episode, a guage was constructed for the Hambledon Club through which all suspected bats had to pass. The revival of the old practice caused a little mild sensation and not a little amusement at the Oval on Monday. Sewell had to go back twice before his blade was passed by Titch- marsh, who was the umpire nearest to the pavilion at the time. Board, too, had to get a second bat before he was passed by the censor. T he opening ball of the first-class cricket season was eccentric, to say the least of it. Mr. G. H. Hadfield, who was making his first appearance for Surrey, as well as in first-class cricket, had to start the bowling for Surrey at the Oval on Monday. Just as he was completing his run to the stumps he slipped, and fell over, kicking the wicket down. As it happened, the ball had not actually left his hand, and he stuck to it. He will have a curious reason for remembering his actual introduction to first-class cricket. In an article entitled “ Coming Cricket Season. By Prince Ranjitsinhji,” in Monday’s Daily Telegraph, the following interesting remarks appear relative to Sussex cricket: “ Both C. B. Pry and myself were surprised to learn, on the authority of a recent writer in a popular magazine, that a change in the captaincy of the Sussex Eleven is contemplated. This rumour had not reached the ears either of Pry or of his captain, but possibly the writer in question had his information direct from the Sussex committee.” T h e Indian Sporting Times states that S. Ali Hasan, the famous Aligarh bowler, in reply to the invitation of the Indian Team to England Committee, has expressed hie willingness to become a member of the team, as have also W. Nayayana Bao, the well-known Madras all-round player, and M. B. Bulsara. In a match at Santa Cruz, in March, between Surat Nagars and Santa Cruz, the former eleven was composed of eight players named Mehta, and three named Hora. There were also three Mehtas on the Santa Cruz side. The Indian Sporting Times remarks : “ To have eleven players of the same surname participating in a match together is, I fancy, unique in Indian cricket.” This, however, is in­ correct, as eleven of the family of Tata and eleven Panthakies have ere this appeared on a side in India. T he management of the Dorset County C.C., encouraged by the fact of their new ground at Poole, are lookiog forward to playing a useful part in the competition for the Minor Counties Championship this year. The following is the match card. The ground at Poole Park, as I stated last week, is to be opened on May 25th:— May 2o and 26—y. Hampshire, at Poole. June 24 and 25—v. Staffordshire, at Stoke. ,, 26 and 27—y. Wiltshire, at Swindon. July 15 and 16—v. Staffordshire, at Poole. ,, 27 and 28—v. Hertfordshire, at Poole. „ 29 and 30—v. Wiltshire, at Poole. Aug. 3 and 4—y. Devonshire, at Exeter. „ 7 and 8—v. M.C.C. and Ground, at Lord’s. „ 14 and 15—y. Herts, at Bishop’s Stortford. „ 17 and 18—y. Devonshire, at Poole. T hough the balance-sheet of the Gloucestershire C.C. for 1902 shows, like those of most of the other counties, a balance on the wrong Bide, there is some slight consolation in the fact that the deficit only amounted to £398 12s. 2d. against £575 8s. lid . on the previous year. The receipts from subscriptions showed an aggregate of £1,269 3s. 6d., as against £1,109 2s. in 1901. Still, it must be pointed out that the amount of the subscriptions itself had been increased. The gate money in all amounted to £1,966 12s. 6d., including £688 2s. from the Cheltenham week, which was a decrease of £214 8s. 3d. on the receipts of 1901, not an Australian year, when they reached £2,180 03. 9d. The annual general meeting is to be held on Tuesday the 28th inst. C aftain H. S. B ush , who, unfortu­ nately, will not be able to give his valu­ able services to Surrey till the end of July, had the best of reasons for begging to be excused in the opening match of the season at the Oval. It was no other than that he took unto himself a wife, in the person of Miss Ethel Helen Pope, of 32, Imperial Square, Cheltenham, at Cheltenham yesterday. Captain and Mrs. Bush will have the heartiest wishes not only of every one associated with Surrey, but of cricketers generally. DURING the last fortnight or so rumour has been busy with ths possibility of C. B. Pry being unable to represent Sus­ sex in the earlier matches of the season owing to bad health. That there was some truth in the report is shown by the fact that he has had to give up some of his journalistic work, for the time at all events. He was certainly looking very far from well on the occasion of the inter­ national football match at Sheffield on Saturday week, and his intention then, I believe, was to go abroad for an entire change and rest. Since then, I hear, he has decided to go to Scotland with K. S. Ranjitsinhji. Everyone will be pleased to hear that he hopes to be able to take his place on the cricket field as usual when the season really opens. T he London County C.C.’s first-class fixtures for 1903 are as follows. Lan­ cashire and Gloucestershire, I may add, take the places of Cambridge University and Warwickshire:— April 30, Crystal Palace, v Surrey. May 7, Crystal Palace, v. Lancashire. May 18, Lords, v. M.C.C. and Ground. June 1, Leicester, v. Leicester. June 4, Crystal Palace, v. Gloucestershire. June 18, Manchester, v. Lancashire. June 22, Gloucester, v. Gloucestershire. July 16, Crystal Palace, v. Derbyshire. July 20, Crystal Palace, v. M.C.C. and Ground. August 13, Crystal Palace, v. Leicestershire. August 20, Derby, v. Derbyshire. W hat can be done by a real cricket enthusiast even in village cricket can be seen in the card just issued for the Thorpe St. Mary’s C.C. for this season. Thorpe St. Mary’s is a village a mile and a-half or so beyond Chertsey. For this club Mr. J. F. Macpherson, the moving spirit, has arranged a programme of pretty well three matches a week, commencing on the 25th inst. Altogether Thorpe St. Mary’s list shows close on seventy matches. How keen they are down in that part, too, can be judged from the fact that the season extends to September 26th. The programme includes a week’s tour early in September on the South Coast. Bognor, Littlehampton, Brigh­ ton St. Peters, Worthing, Arundel and Steyning are the Sussex clubs to be met in this outing. T he following is the programme arranged for the Gentlemen of Philadel­ phia, who are visiting England this summer:— JUNE. 8. Cambridge, v. Cambridge University 11. Oxford, v. Oxford 15. Cheltenham, v. Gloucestershire 18. Nottingham, v. Notts. 52. Lord’s, v. M.C.C. and Ground 25. Beckenham, v. Kent 29. Taunton, v. Somersetshire JULY. 6. Manchester, v. Lancashire 9. Coventry, v. Warwickshire 13. Worcester, v. Worcestershire 16. Southampton, v. Hampshire 27. Brighton, v. Sussex 80. Cardiff, v. Glamorganshire AUGUST. 3. Leicester, v. Leicestershire 6. Oval, v. Surrey July 3rd and two following days have been reserved for the team to see the University match, and July 20th, 21st, and 22nd have been kept for a rest. On July 23rd, 24th, and 25th, in all proba­ bility, the Philadelphians will play a team of cricketers who have visited Philadelphia under the captaincy of Mr. P. F. Warner. I t is quite within the bounds of prob­ ability that another of the Gentlemen of Holland who caoie to England in 1901 may be coming over here for a season’s practice in English cricket, following the example of C. J. Posthuma. It will perhaps be just a bit “ too previous ” to mention his name. He would mean another useful recruit to W. G.’s valuable little cricket nursery at the Crystal Palace. The Editor regrets that the pressure of scores during the summer only allows him to guaranteeinsertion of scores of clubs arranging for publication of all their matches. A charge of Is. a match, with a minimum of 21s., is made for the insertion of scores. Odd scores are inserted at 2s. each if space permits. Scores must reach “ Cricket ” Offices, 168, Upper Thames Street, E.C., by first post on Tuesday following the match. C RICKET Report Sheets, lod. per dozen, port free. Order ol Going-in Cards, 7d. per doKn, poet free. Cricket Score Books, 6d. and la. each j postage, 2d. extra.—To be obtained at the Offices of Cricket, 16S, Upper Thames Street London, B.C.