Cricket 1904

A u g . 18, 1904. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OE THE GAME. 345 runs, while S. M. J. Woods let Somerset­ shire in for a defeat b y 210 runs at the hands of Kent. M a n y of the experiences of the Essex team this season have been quite out of the common, their defeat by Derbyshire, after they had apparently made their position absolutely safe by scoring 597 runs in their first innings, not being the least noticeable among them. But at the end of last week they gave a really wonderful account of themselves, for after Lancashire had declared at 505 for six wickets, they made so light of their task that when the match ended they had scored 659 for nine wickets— a total of 1,064 runs for fifteen wickets. U s e f u l partnerships b y men who go in late were again one of the chief features of the cricket at the end of last week, and most of the stands were made after a break-down in the batting. Thus Blythe and Fairservice made 98 for Kent v. Somersetshire for the tenth w ick et; San­ tall and Moorhouse 70 for the eighth Warwickshire wicket against Yorkshire ; J. H . W . T. Douglas and Reeves 88 for the tenth wicket (unfinished partnership) of Essex against Lancashire; Nice and Stedman 46 for the tenth Surrey wicket against Sussex; G. MacGregor and J. T. Hearne 63 for the ninth Middlesex wicket against Notts. F r o m Detroit, M ichigan, Mr. Thomas Jenner, an old Sussex cricketer, writes :— “ In your chat with Colonel Kenyon- Slaney on July 14th he mentions a big hitter and fast bowler, who left the Household Brigade and, after living in Canada for some time, returned to E n g­ land with the Gentlemen of Canada, and was arrested as a deserter. His name is Tom Dale. I saw him yesterday, and showed your article to him. He has lived in Detroit for the last thirty years, and could bow l a good fast ball up to last year.” ------- U n d e r the heading o f “ Bang goes another Is.” the Ilford Recorder, referring to a match between Southwark and Rom ford Tradesmen, sa ys:— One of the visitors, of the name of Palmer (a member of the Surrey 2nd eleven, I am informed), was in rare form, and hit out at everything towards the close of his innings of 80. Of four sixes he hit two on to the railway siding, and two into Mr. Loder’s premises—the last landing on the roof of the house. The visitors smiled grimly when informed that the club would have to pay Is. before these balls were returned. O n Tuesday the sub-committee ap­ pointed b y the Advisory Committee recommended that M r. H . W . Bain- bridge’s scheme for the county champion­ ship should be shelved until the end of next season. The committee advised that the M.C.C. should be asked to include Northamptonshire among the first-class counties, provided that this county quali­ fies itself for the competition, which, in an Australian year, means six out-and- home matches with other first-class counties. T h e only objection which could reason­ ably be urged against the inclusion of Northamptonshire among the first-class counties is that there is already too much first-class cricket. Northamptonshire won the championship of the second- class counties in 1903, and for some years its team has been fairly strong. W ITH a boldness which must strike ordinary cricketers as amazing, the Daily Chronicle has dared to tackle the weird championship table with a view to dis­ covering what chances Lancashire has of com ing out first. The results of our contemporary’8 plucky observations, which appeared on Monday, are as fo llow s:— “ Providing Yorkshire win their remaining four matches—with Essex (at Leeds), Sussex (at Brighton), Gloucestershire (at Bristol), and Somersetshire (at Taunton)—they can acquire a percentage of 71‘43. Lancashire also have four matches to play, viz., Middle­ sex (Lord’s), Notts (Manchester), Leicester­ shire (Liverpool), and Derbyshire (Old Trafford. It is reasonably excusable to anticipate a couple of wins out of these four matches for the Red Rose, and it is extremely unlikely that two losses will accrue. Even should the latter very unlikely circumstance happen Lancashire would finish with a per­ centage of 78-94—that is providing they win the two they do not lose. Few can find it in their hearts to prophesy a single defeat for the present season’s unbeaten eleven, who have most to fear from their opponents of this and the next two days. Thus, the E osition is that Lancashire can afford two )sses out of four and still win the champion­ ship.” T h e beginning of the end of the season is approaching with rapidity, and Notts begin their last championship match to-day (Thursday) against Lancashire at Old Trafford, while Essex also end their season this week with the match against Leicestershire at Leicester. O n July 28th A. H . Stratford, the old Middlesex county cricketer, took six wickets for three runs for Essex County v. ss. “ New Y ork ” at Newark, New Jersey. H e also made 35 runs in the match. C a p t a in G r e ig , the Hampshire cric­ keter, has been having his fair share of practice in Poona 'during the last few weeks. In the match for the Poona Gymkhana against Deccan College, on July 28th, he was more successful as a bowler, taking ten wickets in the two innings of the College, who were dis­ missed in their first knock for 47. With the bat he had to be content with scores of 1 and 34. V icto r T r u m p e r - every one will be glad to hear, is, according to reliable accounts from Australia, quite fit again. He returned to Sydney at the end of last month, after a brief holiday, looking very well. Early this month he was opening a sports depot in Market Street, Sydney, with H . Carter, J. J. Kelly’s understudy at the wicket with the last Australian team, as his partner. T h e numerous records established by W . G. Grace which have stood the test for so long, are gradually becoming extinct, says Mr. Alfred D . Taylor in the Sussex E v en in g Times. B y sub­ scribing 207 not out against Lancashire last week K . S. Ranjitsinbji equalled the doctor’s thirteen innings ot 200 and upwards hit in first-class cricket. W . G. Grace’s best scores are : — *224, England v. Surrey, Oval, 1866. 215, Gentlemen v. Players, Oval, 1870. 268, South v. North, Oval, 1871. 217, Gentlemen v. PlayerB, Brighton, 1871. 344, M.C.C. v. Kent, Canterbury, 1876. *318, Gloucestershire v. Yorkshire, Cheltenham, 1876. 261, South v. North. Princes, 1877. *221, Gloucester v. Middlesex, Clifton. 1885. 215, Gloucester v. 8ussex, Brighton, 1838. 288, Gloucester v. Somerset. Bristol, 1895. *257, Gloucester v. Kent, Gravesend, 1895. *243, Gloucester v. Sussex, Brighton, 1896. 301, Gloucester v. Sussex, Iristol, 1896. Ranjitsinhji’s great innings are :— 260, Sussex v. M.C.C., Lord’s 1897. 276, Sussex v. Leicester, Leicester, 1900. 222, Sussex v. Somerset, Brighton, 1900. 220, Sussex v. Kent, Brighton. 1900. *216, Sussex v. Cambridge University, Cambridge, 1900. 202, 8ussex v. Middlesex, Brighton, 1900. 285, Sussex v. Somerset, Taunton, 1901. 219, Sussex v. Essex, Brighton, 1901. 204, Sussex v. Lancashire, Brighton. 1901. *234, Sussex v. Surrey, Hastings, 1902. 230, Sussex v. Essex, Leyton, 1902. 204, Sussex v. Surrey, Oval. 1903. •207, Sussex v. Lancashire, Brighton, 1904. * Signifies not out. I n 1900 K . S. Ranjitsinhji established a w orld’s record by subscribing over 200 runs on five occasions. Dr. Grace’s three scores of upwards of 300 runs, like his hundred centuries, promises to stand good for some time. Only one other cricketer has reached 300 on two occasions, namely J. T. Brown, and seeing that the York- shireman has retired from first-class cricket, we must look to some future hero to equal the Champion’s extra­ ordinary performance. Whether the Indian would have performed such deeds of valour had he flourished in the early days of Grace is an open question. M r . T a y l o r has some interesting things to say about Sustex cricket on the Brighton Ground this year. He says :__ Either the Brighton ground is fast losing its proverbial appellation of “ the batsman’ s paradise,” or else the Sussex attack is very formidable this year. Against Sussex this season not a single innings exceeding 400 runs has been compiled at Hove. Our representatives, on the other hand, have registered 579 for eight, 558, 508 for nine 487, 450, 425, and 408 for five. The results of matches played at home this year also supply refreshing reading, viz.: Eleven games, seven victories, four draws, and no defeats. On the Hove ground this year Sussex has compiled 4,555 runs for the loss of 133 wickets, average 34-25. Against Sussex 4,441 runs have been scored for the loss of 220 wickets, average 20-18. In other words Sussex has averaged over 14 runs per wicket more than its opponents. T h e teams for the two matches during the Hastings Week, September 6 to 10 inclusive, have been nearly completed,