Cricket 1904

133 CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OE THE GAME, M a y 19, 1904. smile during the ceremony was not so expan­ sive as when, later in the day, he had obtained eight wickets in an innings for 16 runs. The cricket at Lord’s on Tuesday last, when twenty wickets went down for 203 runs, must have reminded those followers of the game who can hark back 30 or 40 years of the many interesting struggles which were witnessed in the pre-billiard-table-wicket era. When matches were played on natural wickets, bat and ball were on an equality, scores were consequently smaller, and drawn games far less frequent than of recent years. Many good judges—the late Arthur Shrews­ bury amongst the number—have declared that the abnormal scoring witnessed during the past decade has been due, not to an im­ provement in batting or a deterioration in bowling, but chiefly to the hard wickets which have been in general use during that period, and partly to a falling off in fielding. Mr. K. J. Key, a few years ago, when discussing the merits of past and present players, did not hesitate to state that batting was not then of so high a quality as it had been even ten years previously. That bowlers still possess sufficient skill to dispose of strong elevens, when the conditions are not wholly in favour of the batsmen, has been frequently demonstrated during the past few seasons. A very large number of people who follow the game closely maintain that the huge scores which have been so common in recent years have caused cricket to be a far less interesting game than it was formerly. It is, of course, great, grand and glorious, and all that sort of thing, for men to go to the wicket and knock up 200, 250 or 300 runs in an innings in double-quick time, but their performances can scarcely be compared with those of their predecessors, who had to play on natural wickets and run out all their hits. For this reason, many of W .G .’s won­ derful scores made in the seventies, although equalled and even exceeded in point of num­ ber, have never been surpassed in quality. It will interest all who follow the game at all closely to learn that the wickets provided at the Oval this season have been natural ones, the top dressing which had been supplied in previous years not having been made use of. Judging from their performances against Cambridge University and Leicestershire, Yorkshire will again be found a very difficult side to beat. They have already given evi­ dence that they are in their customary fine all-round form, which is tantamount to say­ ing that they will be favourites for the county championship. It speaks eloquently for the strength of the side, that even without such players as F. S. Jackson, T. L. Taylor, and Washington they would probably be regarded as a match for any team which might be drawn from the rest of England. They now almost fill a position which a hundred years ago was occupied by Surrey, who were then so strong that they could lend England their best man, Beldham, and still win. Whether Yorkshire could undertake a similar task at the present time is open to considerable doubt, for several authorities whose opinions are entitled to great weight have stated that no county could of recent years have won more than two matches out of five if playing single- handed against England, and this despite the capital fight made by Middlesex at the Oval in September last. Considering the powerful team Yorkshire possess, Leicestershire de­ serve very hearty congratulations on effecting so creditable a draw at Bradford yesterday. To Lord Hawke and Knight the match will always recall pleasant memories. Leicester­ shire’s splendid uphill fight should fill the supporters of the comity with great hopes for the future. Cricket enthusiasts, who are able to appreciate stylish play, if asked which bats­ man in England they would prefer to see make a hundred runs, would probably name Lionel Palairet or Spooner. Both these gifted players have met with success during the past week, the former playing an innings of 166 against Gloucestershire, and the latter 122 v. Leicestershire and 75 v. Warwickshire. If both maintain their present form it is possible that they will commence the innings for the Gentlemen against the Players at Lord’s, in which case a long partnership for the first wicket would be worth going miles to see. It is evident that Lancashire will be found strong this season both in batting and bowling—in the former especially—and their match with Yorkshire at Manchester on Monday next should, given fine weather, prove an enormous attraction. It is to be hoped that by that date MacLaren will have quite recovered from his rheumatism, for he has generally distinguishedhimself in matches between the rival roses. His absence from the team which opposed Warwickshire was regrettable, for many followers of the game had been anxious to see whether, as on many previous occasions, Hargreave would again obtain his wicket at a trifling cost. O B ITU A R Y . C. E. U l l a th o k n e . One more of the old Yorkshire school of cricketers has recently passed away at Manchester. As stated in the “ History of the Yorkshire County C.C.,” Ullathorne assisted his county from 1868 to 1875, during which period he played 50 innings for Yorkshire, being eight times not out. His highest score was 28, his aggregate 303, and his average 7'21. It will thus be seen that he never attained to any great fame as batsman, though these figures alone give a poor idea of his worth. In the all-important department of fielding he was a bright and parti­ cular star. To quote again from the above work :— “ Of Ullathorne’s brilliancy in the field, and of the extraordinary amount of ground he covers it is needless to speak.” He was also a pedestrian of no mean order. His best effort with the bat in important cricket appears to have been his 59 for Yorkshire United v. Derbyshire in 1874, the first match played b y that short-lived combination. On this occasion he went in first, and had to contend against the good bowling of Mycroft, Platts, and Tye. Ullathorne was born at Hull, April 11th, 1845, and was principally noted for his extremely fine fielding, usually taking long leg or cover point. J. B. P. THE WANDERERS v. ST. HOSPITAL. — Played at May 7. S t . B arth o lo m ew ’ W.B.Griffen,stLatham, b Jephson............... 66 G. Vines, c Taylor, b Jephson ................. 5 J. Eckstein, b Taylor 1 L.H.K.Way,b Jephson 3 W.S. Nealor, b Barker 7 E.deVerteuil,cColman, b Wells .................17 BARTHOLOMEW’S Winchmore Hill on s H o spita l . . R. Pinder, absent . A. Dash, b Taylor F. Gaskill, not out F. Page, b Taylor B.Maclear,b Taylor Extras Total T he W an d erbrb . E A.Beldam,cEckstein, b Griffen.................11 A.E.Damian, c deVer- teuil, b Page .......... 86 H.M.Langdale,b Eck­ stein ........................29 L. S. Wells, b Griffen 13 K.E.M. Barker, lbw, b Griffen ................. 4 H. F. Waller, O. Tayler and S. Colman did not bat D. L. A. Jephson, not out ........................32 A.M.Latham, c and b Page......................... 1 J.E.G.Hadath.not out 2 Extras .............20 Total (6 wkts) ...148 PELHAM y . NORTH THAMES LICENSED VICTUALLERS.—Playedat Chiugfordon May 11. N orth T ham bs L icen sed V ic tu a lle r s . J. Bastow, cDelacour, b Hugill ................. H. Burton, b Axbey .. G. Keynon, b Axbey W. T. Garrett,b Axbey W. H. Adamson, b Axbey ................. H. G. Walker, c Par­ ker, b Hugill.......... G. Newport, c Snarpe, b Hugill ................. W . Wicks, st Smith, b Wallis ... ... ... F. Barker, c Axbey, b Wallis................. R. V. Turnham, not out ........................ E. C. Smith, b Hugill Byes ................. Total... P e lh a m . A. W. Parker, st Bas­ tow, b Garrett..........16 F, C. Delacour, not out ........................37 W. E. Peel,b Adamson 1 P. Litgwood, cWicks, b Adamson .......... 5 J. H. Hugill, b Adam- son ....................... A. L. Smith, st Bas­ tow, b Garrett Wallis, not out.......... B 4 ,lb 1 .......... Total (5 wkts) 70 A. E. Axbey, G. Sharpe, M. P. Hamer, and B. T. Bjneer did not bat. U.C.S. OLD BOYS v. UXBRIDGE.—Played Uxbridge on May 7. U x b b id q b . at W.R Collins, b Burt... C. P. Wills, b Price- Williams................. F. Money, c Binney, b Price-Williams F. G. Monkland, ht wkt, b Rowley J.McEntee.st Griffith- Jones, b b u rt......... 2 T. B. Hughes, not out 17 F. E. Walker, b Price- Williams................ 0 27 14 T. T. Heaton, b Price- Williams................’. G. Jellard, c Dart, b Price-Williams L.Birk.c sub., b Price- Williams................. B. Heaton, run out ... B 6 , lb 3, nb 2 ... Total .......... F. Rowley, bMcEntee AH.K.Burt,c Heaton, b McEntee .......... 3 E. S. Westhorp, b Mc­ Entee ................. 6 H. C. Pres 4 on. not out 31 F.Eastman,b McEntee 5 M. P. Griffith-Jones, c sub., b Monkland ... 19 U .C .S . O ld B oys . V. E.Dart.cMonkland, b McEntee .......... N. M. Binney, lbw, b W ills....................... A. C. Hull, not out ... Bye ................. Total (7 wkts) ... ( D. Price-Williams did not bat. KENSINGTON PARK v. UPPER TOOTING.— Played at 8 t. Quintin’s Park on May 14. K ensington P a b k . First innings. W.L.Donaldson, b Hancock 10 J. G. Donaldson, b Hancock 18 M. Stratton, b Bartley ... 10 A. D. Spicer, c Bartley, b Hancock ........................ 0 H. D.Nicholas, st Hoskin, b Bartley ........................ 4 H. J. Carter, b Hancock ... 7 W.S.Nicholas, cSandilands, b Hancock........................ 7 A. Eddy, b Sandilands ... 12 H. Montefiore, b Hancock 6 P. Greatorex, c Kynaston, b Sandilands........................ 3 A. G. Lovell, not out.......... 0 B 2, lb 1, nb 4 .......... 7 Second innings. b Morris-Davis ... 2 b Morris-Davis... 3 b Morris-Davia... 0 b Morris-Davis .. 6 b Morris-Davis... not out................. notout................. 11 c and b Hoskin... 1 Byes .......... 8 Total........................84 Total (6 wkts) 32 U pper T ooting . D. C. Bartley, cCarter, J. F. Kynaston, bEddy ................. 43 L.V. Harper,IStratton 1 P. G. Windsor, bEddy 9 R. R. Sindilands, b J. Donaldson .......... 11 J. F. Hoskin, c Carter, b H. Nicholas.......... 11 H. D. Hancock, b Stratton ................. 31 P. L. Frith, b Eddy ... 1 H. V. Morris-Davis, c W. Donaldson, b H. Nicholas................. 9 Stratton................. „ R. Curtis-Hayward, 0 H. Nicholas, b J. Donaldson ..........10 C.W.Curtis-Hayward, not out ................. 0 B 14, lb 3, w l ... 18 Total . 144