Cricket 1904

90 CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE CAME. A pril 28, 1904. I n an interview in the above magazine, Dr. Warre, the headmaster of Eton, tells the follow ing cricket story :— I once committed myself in an article I wrote to the opinion that the majority of boys, if left to themselves, would never play any games that called for great exertion. A remarkable instance of this occurred during the earlier half of the last century. A certain celebrated public school was then established. The first head master, a very distinguished man, who afterwards became a bishop, noticed that the boys, who were always very indus­ trious and attentive in school hours, only loafed hopelessly through the playtime. So one day he took off his coat, called an assistant master to bowl to him, and he began batting hard in the playing-field. Gradually a few of the bigger boys joined in, and to-day that school sends out some of the best scholars and beBt cricketers you could wish for. “ R e m e m b e r this,” continued Dr. Warre, “ the school with a good record for games is almost always in the front rank of scholarship. So far from the one destroying the other, I maintain that wise athleticism helps to good scholarship. Fagging in the cricket or football field does good in this way, it ensures the attendance of the younger boys who would otherwise only loaf about the field. I prefer, perhaps, that the boys’ playtime should be at their own disposal. I t is the more ideal plan, but I see and recognise the necessity for a certain amount of discipline in the playing-field as in the schoolroom .” A t the annual meeting of the Essex County C.C. Mr. C. E. Green, who was in the chair, said that although a sum of £1,500 had been promised to clear off the debt, it had not placed the club in such a strong position as was desirable. Much outlay was Btill necessary, and in order to cope with this the member­ ship ought, if possible, to be brought up to 2,500, instead of about 1,500. He pointed out that if the club did not receive support the county ground might have to be sold at the end of the season. Mr. Green stated that although it had been considered necessary to abandon second eleven matches the committee intended to keep an eye on promising players. A t the conclusion of the meet­ ing a vote of thanks was given to Mr. Green for his great services to Essex cricket. I t is hoped that Mr. A. J. Turner will return to England in June, and that he will be able to play regularly for Essex. Although Mr. Kortright has given up the captaincy of the Essex eleven, he is quite ready to help the county if his services are required. Mr. C. C. P il k in g t o n , the Oxford, Lancashire, and Middlesex cricketer, was married on April 21st to Miss Emilia Lloyd. Mr. Pilkington played for O xford against Cambridge in 1896, scor­ ing 4 and 44. I t was announced at the annual meet­ ing of the Glamorganshire County C.C., that Mr. J. H . Brain had resigned the office of honorary secretary, although he would still play for the club. Although last season’s matches resulted in a loss of £126, the club is able to start the present season with a balance of £100, thanks to the proceeds of a football match. ------- A n interesting statement was made by Mr. Brain at the above meeting to the effect that it was almost certain that the next Australian team would visit Cardiff, and that, as their last visit realised £1,000, they would not improbably ask that one of the test matches should be played at Cardiff. A m on g the well-known cricketers who were present at the final tie of the F oot­ ball Association cup were W. G. Grace, C. B. Fry, G. L. Jessop, F. E. Lacey, H on. Sir Spencer Ponsonby Fane, Dr. R. Bencraft and several members of the M.C.C. Australian team. A t the conclusion of the above match the Colonial Secretary, who in days gone by played for England at football as well as at cricket, presented the cup to the winning team, and made a Bhort speech in which he said that he must confess he had not seen a really good foot­ ball match since he took part in one him­ self. That was twenty-six or twenty- seven years ago—a contest between Eng­ land and Scotland. He was afraid that England lost. ( Here the Prime Minister, who was also present, was seen to smile.) The fact apparently gave the Prime Minister satisfaction, but if he would look back to the records he would see who it was scored the only goal for England — (laughter). H a r r y T r o t t completed his thousand runs for the season in Bendigo cricket in the middle of last match. The old-time Australian captain seems to have been bow ling in great form lately. In a match between X I. of the Bendigo Association and X Y . of the Second Grade, he took twenty-one wickets at a cost of some hundred runs. T h e wicket-keeping of Carkeek,\the Victorian stumper, irj the recent match with Tasmania, was so good that W . E. Robertson, the Victorian veteran, went so far as to rank him as the beet man behind the sticks in Australia at [the present time. “ F e l ix ,” of the Australasian, who has no superior as a cricket critic, seems to have derived an exc silent impression of Cotter, the fast bowler, who made his appearance for Australia in the later Test matches. H e rips the ball along at a decidedly fast pace, says “ Felix,” and seems a well-set-up and healthy young fellow, with a very attractive cast of countenance. I saw him in the final Test only, and was much pleased with him, his action being easy and natural; just the delivery, in fact, for a fast bowler. “ F e l ix ,” in commenting on the ex- |cellent form shown by A. Gehrs with the bat and N. Claxton’s all-round cricket for South Australia in the final match of the Marylebone tour, would not be sur­ prised if they, as well as Newland, were in the Australian team of 1905. T h e Adelaide Observer records some remarkable scoring b y C. S. Toms for the Havelock Club. In four consecutive innings he got over a hundred. H is four hundreds were as follows :-— February 27... V. Woo'Jville ........ 118* March 5......... v. Full Members....... It 2* March 12 ... v. G. & R. Will»& Co. 114* March 19 ... v. Seaside ................ 167 These figures aggregate 501 runs for once out. Toms’s average for the season up-to-date was 83 runs per innings. In a match on March 19, Havelock made 416 for four wickets, W . Howitt, 204 not out. These runs were compiled in the remarkably quick time of 2 hrs. 50 mins. A t the meeting o f the New South Wales Cricket Association, held in Sydney on March 21st, it was stated that the gross takings of the four matches played against the Marylebone cricket team in Sydney amounted to £13,022 2s., which was divided as follows : Sydney Cricket Ground authorities, £2,721 8 s .; New South Wales Cricket Association, £3,689 13s. (out of which £1,643 in expenses had been paid, leaving a net return of £2,046 13s.); Marylebone Cricket Club>. £ 6 ,5 il Is. t T h e spring poet of one of the Aus­ tralian daily papers has let himself go as follows on the subject of Braund’s bow ling :— Braund’s—at it—again ! A curlicumtwistical sort of delivery, That makes the novices pale and shivery, That poises, falls, and suddenly shoots A yard or two from the batsman’s boots, That hangs—and hangs—and rapidly rises, Till the seore-book bristles with sad surprises. And you read in the morning thatsomechap got Eight for—something (the Lord knows what) And England’s joy is Australia’s pain— For Braund’s—doneit—again ! W h e n cycling on Saturday evening down a hill, Woodcock, the Leicestershire bowler, met with a serious accident, being thrown over the handlebars, by reason of the machine com ing against a b ig stone. It was found when he reached home that he had broken a collar bone. T h e Sussex committee have decided to give a benefit to Marlow this season, and have selected the match between Sussex and Surrey, at Brighton, on July 21st and two follow ing days. Marlow first played for Sussex in 1891, and scored 144 against the M.C.C., at Lord’s, in his first match. M r . J. A. M u r d o c h , the assistant secretary of the M .C.C., who accompanied the M .C.C. Australian team as manager, received a welcome home on Friday from the members o f the Cross Arrows C.C., of which he is president.