Cricket 1903

A p r i l 23, 1903. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 89 "C R IC K E T " is the only paper in the world solely devoted to the game. Weekly, April 9 to September 16 (inclusive). T erm s op S u bscription : — 6 /- per annum. 7/- post free abroad. Payable in advance. All communications to be Sent direct to the Offices of Cricket, 168, Upper Thames Street, London, E.O. Cricket: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 168, UPPER THAMES STREET, L0ID 0I, E.C. THURSDAY, APRIL 23 rd , 1903. $a\ )tU ou (feosstp. The abstract and brief chronicle of the time.— Hamlet. C ommenting on George Giffen’s recent splendid performances, the Sydney Referee says:— George Giflen represented South Australia in the first eleven-aside match against Vic­ toria in 1880 on the East Melbourne Ground, close on 23 years ago, and before some of our present day inter-State players were bom. In the second innings of the match Giffen made 63. Three years prior to that he represented South Australia X X II. against Lillywhite’s English team, and in 1878 he performed well with the ball against the pioneer Australian eleven. Think of it—a quarter of a century has gone, and now Giffen comes to the front again with one of his astonishing all-round displays! A g r e a t many readers of Cricket will be grieved to hear that Mr. Arthur Hay- garth is seriously ill, and hardly able to take any ncurishment. Let us hope that with the warmer weather, which surely must come soon, he will com­ pletely regain his strength and health. A m a t c h i s to be played at Lord’s on September 10th, 11th and 12th between North and South for the benefit of Mr. W. H. Slatter. A ll the ordinary members cf the Yorkshire team, with the exception of T. L. Taylor (who is in Japan) and Washington (who is recovering from an illness) began practice last week. Several colts have been tried, the best of them apparently being a local batsman named K. Outram. S. H. Day, who was to hare gone to South Africa with the Corinthian foot­ ball team, has accepted a mastership at Westminster School, and will therefore be able to play for Keitt during the holidays. S e v e r a l members ot tue Hampshire eleven have been practising on the covered practice pitch on the Southamp­ ton ground, which at the present moment looks in most promising condition. It is greatly to be hoped that Hampshire will be able to include in their team this year the men who have been absent of late on account of military duties. W h a t e v e r may be thought of the effect of gate money on modern cricket, it is incontestable that about ninty-nine cricketers out of a hundred would prefer to play before spectators than without them. Hence one can understand the feelings which prompted an Australian journalist to write as follows about Queensland cricket:— Another point essential if cricket is to go ahead here is the attendance of the public at the various matches. How often one hears the query on a Saturday, “ What matches are on to-day f ” As often as not somebody has to be rung up on the telephone to find out. Why not advertise the various fixtures ? It is hardly an Association matter, as the individual clubs benefit by the gate receipts, yet as the latter fail in bringing the public to see their matches it might be taken in hand by the governing body in the interests of the game, and a share of the cost collected from the clubs benefiting. Failing that, throw open the various grounds free to the ublic, so that the latter’s interest in the oings of local players will be aroused. Once get the public to roll out in goodly numbers, for, say, a season, and the rest is easy. Under present conditions it appears a farce collecting entrance money from the paltry attendances. I believe that if the public were only educated up to attending the Saturday matches in decent numbers, the inter btate and other big match attendances would be double what they are at present. T he Notts Colts match this year is to take place on April 29 and 30. It was not an easy task for the committee to choose the players, for there were many more applications than usual. The following are the probable teams :— Notts Colts : H. W. Dexter, J. Day, J. Hardstaff, and E. E. Ballam, of the ground staff, and six amateurs, viz , Lionel Kirk, Gunthorpe (batsman), W. G. Heymann, V\eat Biidgeford (oowler), 8. A. Wallis, West Bridgeford (batsman), H. C. Wright, Nottingham (batsman), R. H. King Mansfield (batsman). Also the following professionals: E. ttixon, Skegley ; G. A. Morroll, Lenton United C.C.; G. W. Nicholson, Netherfleld; Arthur Wass, Sutton- in-Ashfield; G. H. Meakin, Newthorpe; C. A. Attewell, Ruddington; William Smart, Kimberley; Joseph Bean, Sutton-in-Asbtield ; James Whitelaw, ShireDrook ; John Woolley, Forest Wanderers C.C.; and G. Wysall, Pleasley. Notts County (probably): A. O. Jones (capt.), J. A. Dixon, with W. Gunn, G. Gunn, J. Gunn, T. Wass, J. Pennington, J. Itemonger, G. Anthony, A. W. Hallam, and T. Oates. A. D. N otjrse , who is pretty certain to come over with the next South African team, that is to say, if a side representa­ tive of South Africa is secured, is finishing a more than usually successful season in Natal with quite a flourish of trumpets. As some cricket readers at least will remember, he batted with great suc­ cess against the Australian team in the autumn with at leist one particularly fine innings of 70 odd in the first test match at Johannesburg. His latest in­ nings was one of 102 on March 26th at Durban for the Greyville Club v. the Australians. The latter are not a good side, and Nourse made two more than the whole eleven in their two efforts. He scored 17 off the first over he had. Nourse is a left-handed bat with a very free style, and is also a very fine field. He was born in England, and it is said that he may be seen over here playing for his native county. T he Surrey Eleven to play the return mitch against the London County C.C. on Thursday next and two following days at the Crystal Palace, it is expected will be the same side that came off so well at the Oval. It will be the opening of the first-class season at the Crystal Palace, which is Sydenham way. All the chief Surrey pliyers, barring Captain Bush (who is away on his honeymoon) and Abel, have been hard at work at the practice nets at the Oval during the last week. Of the younger cricketers, amongst others, R. C. Bum, the Oxford Blue, J. E. Raphael, O. T. Norris, W. J. H. Curwen, all three Oxonians by the way, have been conspicuous by their presence. T he gratitude of Essex cricketers to H. G. Owen, who is retiring from the captaincy of the Essex Eleven with the heartiest wishes of everybody outside as well as inside the county, takes the sub­ stantial form of a subscription fund amounting to close on two hundred pounds. The precise gifts will be a gun, a gold watch and chain, and a purse of money. The presentation follows the annual general meeting of the Essex C.C.C. at Leyton this afternoon. H. G. is a brother of J. R. B. Owen, who was one of the very best Association foot­ ballers in the seventies. How far Lord Hawke will be able to d epn d on the services of his trusty lieutenant, the Hon. F. S. Jaokson this year seems to be at present uncertain. Accord­ ing to the latest announcements, Captain Jackson is one of the officers selected for training on Salisbury Plain during the the coming season. He is to join the 15th Militia Brigade at West Down Camp. I f his eye is not as keen and true as it was in the long years of his heavy scoring, age does not seem to wither the infinite variety of E. M. Grace’s lob bowling, to any great extent at all events. “ The Crowner ” has opened the season as successfully with the ball as W. G. has with the bat. In a match for Thornbury v. Frenchay a few days ago E. M .’s “ procrastinators,” as Jimmy Dean used to call slow bowling, accounted for seven of the ten Frenchay wickets. How fully the M.C.C. recognises its mission of developing cricket in all parts can be shown by a glance at the card it has just issued giving its engagements for the season just commencing. The out matches arranged for Marylebone teams alone number no less than one hundred and forty-eight. Of these a hundred are one-day fixtures, distributed over every part of England. So far, at least, there is no fixture in Scotland or Ireland, and only one or two in Wales. On the other hand, the programme in­ cludes no less than four tours. The first is against the Sussex Schools, extending from June 6th to 13th inclusive. Fol