Cricket 1905

M ay 18,' 1905. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 131 BUSSEY’S “DEMON DRIVERS.” < C C B « GEO, G. BUSSEY & GO Desire to inform Cric keters all over the world who may experience a diff ic ult y in ob­ tain in g “ Demon D r iv e r s ” that this diff ic ult y arises in consequence of the ever-increas- in g demand exceeding the supply. Readers of Geo. G. Bussey & Co.’s pamphlet, entitled “ Evolu tio n of the Demon D riv er,” are aware that a fea­ ture of the success of the “Dem on D r iv e r ” is due to a specia l process, occupyin g a long period, that the bats under­ go before le avin g the works, and although there are always a la rge number of Bats under this treatment which could be placed on the market, Geo. G. Bussey & Co., in the interest of cric keters and their own repu­ tation, w ill not deviate from the system that has made the TheFinest Bat the World prodnces. GEO.G. BUSSEY&CO, 36 & 38 QUEENVICTORIASTREET, E.C. Manufactory—PECKHAM, S.E. Timber Hllli—ELHSWELL SUFFOLK. AGENT8 ALL OYER THE WORLD. A T T H E SIGN O F T H E W I C K E T . By F. S. A s h l b y -C o o p e b . In the four matches in which they have played this season, Surrey have done far better than many people anticipated, and their most recent performance—against the Australians—should give the side confidence in their forthcoming matches. Last year the county had such a disappointing record that one could hardly be blamed for expecting another poor season for the side, seeing that, apart from Hobbs, there were no new men of much promise available. But Hobbs has already proved himself to be such a fine bats­ man that, if he maintains his form, one may not unreasonably expect the side to give many of its strongest opponents a close game, especially when Mr. J. N. Crawford joins the team in July. It is also more than possible that Lockwood will again be seen at his best in the near future. This should be very welcom news to Surrey enthusiasts, for the player named is one of the best match-winners England has produced in modern times. On only two occasions—in 1899 and again in 1900—did he score over a thousand runs and obtain more than a hundred wickets in a season, but he was, like the late William Barnes, of even more value to a side than a p rusal of score-sheets would lead one to suppose. If he regains the form which in the past has been the means of gaining so many victories, England will stand a good chance of winning the test matches instead of draw­ ing them, as she probably would do otherwise. C. B. Fry has started the season in such wonderful form that it will be a great dis­ appoint ent to all followers of the game if he fails to achieve much success in the test matches. Three years ago, it will be remem­ bered, he was quite unable to show in international cricket the form he had exhibited in inter-county matches, but that history will repeat itself in this connection is very hard to believe. In each of his last four innings in great matches he has scored prolifically when runs were badly needed by his side, and so deserves more credit than if the runs had been obtained at a time when they were not of much consequence. Nottinghamshire bowling is not very strong just now, but scores of 97 and 201 not out against it nevertheless take a very great deal of getting, even on the ground at Hove, where the boundaries are short. The majority of the critics, in commenting upon Fry’s recent burst of run-getting, have laid special stress upon the fact that his 608 runs were made in his first six innings of the season, evidently suggesting that the feat is thereby rendered the more meritorious. Why this should be so is difficult to under­ stand, for a batsman should surely be fresher at the commencement of the season than in July or August, when he would have been participating in great matches with hardly a break for two or three months. It is only natural that, when one of the great run-getters of modern times per­ forms some extraordinary feat, it should be compared with the corresponding best on record accomplished by “ W. G.” And, in passing, it may be remarked that it is nothing less than wonderful that so many of the Master’s doings three decades ago should still he unsurpassed, even in point of number, remembering that wickets in his time were very different indeed from what they are now, and that on only one or two grounds were boundary hits recognised. ( IVisden records that, when “ W. G.” made his 318 not out V . Yorkshire, in 1876, he ran 524 times between wickets ! Fry’s recent accom­ plishment may be summarised thus : In ten days he batted six times in three matches, was not out twice, and scored 608 runs, average 162. “ W. G.’s ” great performance in August, 1876, reads as follows: In ten days he batted four times in three matches, was not out once, and scored 856 runs, average 285-33. So the record for this par­ ticular kind of thing still stands to the credit of “ W. G.,” who, from the 3rd to the 19th of the month mentioned, or in fifteen days’ actual play, scored 1,164 runs in seven com­ pleted innings, average 166'28 ! If we ignore the runs made by Fry for the Gentlemen against the Australians, he would still have to score 296 without losing his wicket in the Surrey v. Sussex match, which commences at the Oval to-day, in order to accomplish (on paper) in a fortnight what the Master achieved in ten days. When comparing the ' performances of any great run-getter of modern times with those accomplished by “ W. G.” whilst in his prime, one must not fail to take into consideration the amount of bowling which the latter was expected to do. During the past week or ten days rumour has been busy to the effect that the Hon. F. S. Jackson will not be found playing for England in the test matches this season, but, as no reason was given in explanation of his apparent desire to abstain from participation in the contests, it would perhaps be well not to attach much importance to the report. It would be a great blow if he decided not to appear in the England team, for in inter­ national cricket he has generally played above his form, and his innings of 111 against the Derbyshire attack on Monday last furnished ample proof that he is already in a capital run-getting vein. Although he has never played in Australia, where scoring rules even higher than in this country, he has obtained a larger batting average in test matches than any other cricketer, English or Australian, who has commenced a fair number of innings, Ranjitsinhji alone excepted. His first appearance for England was at Lord’s in 1893, when he played a sound innings of 91 against the bowling of Turner, Trumble, B. W . McLeod, Gitfen, and Trott, and, with Shrewsbury, who made 106, saved his side from what might have been a bad collapse. A month later he did even better, obtaining 103 at the Oval, and since then he has made amongst many notable scores, 118 at the Oval in 1899, and 128 at Manchester in 1902. A splendid cricketer at any time, he is especially so on important occasions, and for this reason it is sincerely to be hoped that he will not only assist, but captain, England in the whole series of test matches this year. Although the season is but a fortnight old, it is nevertheless an easy matter to see that both Y orkshire and Lancashire will again be found two of the strongest teams in the country. It speaks eloquently for the strength of the former side that, even when lacking the assistance of such serviceable men as the Hon. F. S. Jackson, Mr. T. L. Taylor, Washington, and Mr. Frank Mit­ chell, it should be able to take the field with more than a fair chance of success against the most redoubtable of its opponents. It appears probable that one of the two great Northern sides will again be found occupy­ ing the first position among the counties at the end of the season, though, if Mr. Mason could assist Kent regularly, the latter team would prove an extremely difficult one to defeat. Both Lancashire and Yorkshire have already done such fine things this season, that, bearing in mind how gloriously uncertain a game cricket is, it would be