Cricket 1904

A ug . 4, 1904. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME’ 307 BUSSEY’ “DEMON DRIVERS.” <CCB « GEO, G. BUSSEY & CO Desire to inform Cricketers all over the world who may experience a difficulty in ob­ taining “ Demon Drivers ” that this difficulty arises in consequence of the ever-increas­ ing demand exceeding the supply. Headers of G e o . G . B u s s e y & Co.’s pamphlet, entitled “ Evolution of the Demon Driver,” are aware that a fea­ ture of the success of the “Demon Driver ” is due to a special process, occupying a long period, that the bats under­ go before leaving the works, and although there are always a large number of Bats under this treatment which could be placed on the market, G e o . G . B u s s e y & Co., in the interest of cricketers and their own repu­ tation, will not deviate from the system that has made the TheFinest Bat theWorld prodnces. GEO.6.BUSSEYi i CO, 36 & 38 QUEENVICTORIASTREET, E.C. Manufactory— PECKHAM, S.E. Timber Mills—ELHSVELL SUFFOLK. A6ENT8^ALL OVER THE WORLD. AT TH E SIGN OF TH E W IC K E T . By F. S. A shley -C ooper . The multitude of inter-county matches played during recent years has been responsi­ ble for almost as many changes in first-class cricket as can be attributed to the perfect wickets, which have broken the hearts of the bowlers and made heavy scoring so easy a matter. It was the growth of the popularity of inter-county cricket which caused such time-honoured matches as North v. South, Gentlemen of North v. Players of South, etc., etc., to lose their attraction, owing to the difficulty experienced in getting together representative sides. For the same reason the matches played by the Australians against such teams as the Gentlemen, the Players, and the North were allows d to drop, although they had always been regarded as events of the season. In no more marked way, per­ haps, has what the late Mr. Ellison of York­ shire called 1 ‘ the hated County Champion­ ship ” affected the game than so far as the Canterbury week is concerned. Even a quarter of a century ago the best players from all parts of England were to be found on the historic St. Lawrence ground during the “ Week,” for in those days it was usual to play matches in which Kent, Gentlemen of Kent, Gentlemen of England, I Zingari, England or M.O.C. were among the sides chosen. It was then customary, if the matches were to be decided during the “ Week,” for the second or third to com­ mence soon after the termination of the previous one, even if such an arrangement caused a fresh match to be begun lato in the afternoon, in order that time might, not be wasted. Of late years the matches played at Canterbury during the “ W eek ” have been confined strictly to inter-county matches, and it was felt in 1902, when the Kent authorities decided to play such a match in preference to one against the Australians, that the last of the old associations attaching to the “ Week” had been severed. Tempora mutantur, et nos mutamur in illis. The Can­ terbury “ Week” was inaugurated in 1842 by a match between Kent and England, in which the county, after making 278, was defeated by nine wickets, Lillywhite and Dean dismissing them in their second innings for 44. For England Tom Barker scored 58 and 29 not out, and Joe Guy, of Nottingham, of whom it was said he was ‘ 1Elegance, all elegance, fit to play in a drawing-room before Her Majesty,” made 80 before being bowled by Hillyer. In the first innings of Kent Fuller Pilch obtained 98 and Mr. Felix 74, the two men adding 154 runs together for the fourth wicket—a long part­ nership for those days. The collapse of the county for 44 on the third day naturally proved very disappointing to the Kent eople, many of whom thought the match ad been sold, “ which, of course, was nonsense,” said Sir Emilius Bayley; “ but Alfred Mynn was hissed in Maidstone market.” The Bev. Emilius Bayley, best- known on account of his score of 152 in the Eton v. Harrow match of 1841, is the only player still living who participated in the Canterbury match. He was then but 19 years of age and, in the second innings of Kent, went in first and carried out his bat for IV—an excellent per­ formance considering that it was his debut for the county, that his runs were scored against Lillywhite and Dean, and that amongst his confreres were such fine batsmen as Adams, theitwo Mynns, Pilch, Mr. Felix, E. G. Wenman and Dorrinton. Mr. Bayley, owing to the fact that he entered the Church, assisted Kent in only two or three seasons. He would, had he played at all regularly, undoubtedly have proved of the greatest value to the Gentlemen in their matches against the Players. His brother, Mr. L. H. Bayley, was for jour years in the Eton X I. and, before settling in Australia, played for Kent, whilst his father, Sir John Bayley, was for many years an influential member of the Marylebone Club. It is always regrettable to find a county, which in previous times had possessed a splendid team, losing match after match, and for this reason, if for none other, the repeated defeats of Hampshire must be deplored by all those who take an interest in the history of the great game. As the county within whose borders the famous Hambledon eleven flourished, Hampshire should always be kindly regarded by cricketers, for there was a time when not only Hampshire, but even little Hambledon itself, could meet England single-handed, and with success. But those halcyon days have long since departed, and now-------------- . Can nothing be done to help to reinstate theside into the proud position it formerly occupied ? Doubtless the game within the borders of the county would increase in popularity by leaps ani bounds if—I trust to be forgiven by Sussex hero-worshippers—C. B. Fry, who could play under the residential qualification, would consent to appear in the eleven. Rani itsinhj i, when he first played for Sussex, stated that he decided to throw in his lot with that side because it occupied a very humble position among the counties, and that he hoped by his efforts to raise it to a leading one. It was a noble ambition, which he has had the pleasure of seeing realised in a very few years. If Mr. Fry could be persuaded to assist Hampshire and so prove the saviour of the side, he would deserve as much esteem as if he obtained a hundred centuries. An interesting personality has been re­ moved by the death of Mr.—not Sir, as stated in Vol. X IV . of Scores and Biographies —Herbert Jenner-Fust, LL.D , who passed away on Monday last in his ninety-ninth year. He played for Eton against Harrow in 1822 and 1823, for Cam­ bridge against Oxford in 1827 (the first Inter-’Varsity match), and for the Gentlemen against the Players from 1827 to 1836, in which year, owing to his profession, he gave up participating in great matches. He made his first appearance at Lord’s in 1822, or only one year after the famous William Beldham, who was born in 1766, assisted the Players against the Gentlemen for the last time. Amongst the well-known cricketers of 100 years ago with whom Mr. Jenner-Fust played were Tom Bragley, Mr. W . Ward, Mr. G. T. Knight, James Broadbridge, J. Sparks, Tom Marsden, W . Ashby, J. Saunders, and Mr. E. H. Budd, whilst Lord Frederick Beauclerck appeared in a Gentlemen v. Players match, at Lord’s, the year after he had left Eton Mr. Jenner-Fust was a most accomplished cricketer, excelling in all departments of the game, but especially as a wicket-keeper; in fact, so active and useful was he when behind the wicket that he was virtually wicket-keeper, short-slip and short- leg. As a batsman he was a very free hitter, and for Cambridge he scored 378 in 17 innings, giving an average of 22-23. His chief scores in important matches were 91 for Cambridge University v. Bury, in 1826; 75 for Single v. Married (at Lord’ s), in 1829; 60 for Cambridge University v. Bury, in 1826 ; 51 for Cambridge University v. Cam- 2 S .