Cricket 1905

138 CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. M a y 18, 1905. and while no one else could make more than 27, he scored 151, going in first and being out fifth in trying to make as many runs as possible before the tail began to come in. Thanks very largely to him his side made such a determined fight. E v e r since the match at the Oral last September between the Champion County and the Rest of England, the question whether Mr. Brearley would not play for Lancashire again has been the subject of paragraphs, reminding one of the examination of the petals of the daisy by country girls, “ He loves me—He loves me not.” On Thursday last Mr. Brearley played for Lancashire again, although the world was informed just previously on the very highest authority that he had severed his connection with the county for ever and ever. T h e history o f this interesting case may be summed up as follows :— 1. Mr. Brearley is the most successful of the Lancashire bowlers. 2. He is left out of the team. 3. There are differences between him and the committee. 4. There are no differences whatever. 5. The differences have been settled. 6. There is no earthly chance that the differences will be settled. 7. Mr. Brearley is qualifying for Somer­ setshire. 8. The differences have been most ami­ cably settled. 9. Therewereneveranydifferences to settle. 10. Mr. Brearley has definitely severed his connection with the county. 11. Every attempt at a reconciliation has failed. 12. Mr. Brearley plays again for Lanca­ shire. F o r High Wycombe against Amersham on Saturday H. Baker made 100 in forty- seven minutes. When he was joined by the last man, W. A. Whincup, his score was only thirty, but while his partner scored three he made seventy. D. R. A. G e h rs and F. M. Newland played on Saturday for London County against Sutton, each of them scoring four runs, bowled by Hadfield. From the Sydney Referee : — A rather unique occurrence happened in a match between Alathea “ A and Lane Cove “ A.” A batsman hit a ball which could not be found in the long grass. While the fieldsmen were looking for the ball 11 runs were obtained. The opposing side was evidently caught napping. l l is interesting to note that Laver, who was not considered good enough to be chosen as a member of the Australian team—the question of his inclusion was not even discussed—was by common con­ sent regarded as the best of the Austra­ lian bowlers in the Surrey match, and that he was put on first against Oxford, taking the only three wickets which fell on the first day. He seems to possess much of the nous which made Trumble and Turner so successful. A raw questions which are now being asked:— Whether Laver will not be chosen to play in the Test matches ? Whether he will not go on to bowl first ? How many of the M.C.C. Australian team will be chosen for the first Test match ? How many for the fifth f What has become of Cotter’s world- renowned yorker? Isn’t it nearly time that A. 0. Jones was again given a place in the Test matches ? What price G. W. Beldam, Hayward and Brearley for the first Test match, and C. B. Fry for all five matches ? Offers wanted. A su g gestion has seriously been made, and has drawn a reply from the Marquis of Granby, last year’s M.C.C. president, that the England team for the first test match should be chosen entirely from the M.C.C. Australian team of 1903-4. It seems to be forgotten that, even if this team had been the finest ever known in the history of the game—if it had included a Lohmann, a W. G., a Fry, Ranjitsinhji, an Alfred Shaw and a Shrewsbury—some of its members might have fallen behind in the race by this time. A test match is a test match, or it is nothing at all, and the best men available at the time it is played must be chosen for both sides—and they will be chosen by the selectors to the best of their j udgment. If a special match could be arranged between the M.C.C. Australian team and the present Aus­ tralian team, it would doubtless be of great interest. L a st week it was mentioned in “ Gossip ” that the cricket club con­ nected with the firm of Reynolds and Co., Swindon, had dismissed an opposing team (Gase Hill) for two byes in the first innings. Below will be found the Gase Hill first innings score. In the second innings Gase Hill was dismissed for 38. G ase H ill. First innings. W. Ruddle, b Dunford................. ... 0 0 ; Pauling, b Dunford...................... 0 W. Robins, b Waite ...................... 0 F. Ruddle, b Waite ... .............. 0 A. Kenison, b Waite ........................ 0 T. Fry, c Sargent, b Dunford ......... 0 W. Smith, b Dunford ........................ 0 S. Fry, b D unford.............................. 0 W. Reade, not o u t ............................... 0 H. Parsons, c Sargent, bDunford ... 0 A. Hales, b Dunford ........................ 0 Byes |....................................... 2 Total ........................ 2 Ir v in g W ash in gton , the Yorkshire cricketer, arrived home on Saturday from South Africa where he has resided during the past nineteen months for the benefit of his health. On his return he was presented with an address of welcome by the Mitchell’s Main C.C., and afterwards, looking very well, he paid a visit to the cricket ground. He has promised to play for the club next Saturday, but whether he will be able to assist the county this year seems doubtful. T h e following table is taken from the Manchester Guardian. It shows the average number of runs per wicket scored last year on the ground or grounds of each county, calculated from the total number of runs scored and number of wickets taken:— Aver. Aver. On the ground per On the ground per or grounds of wkt. or grounds of wkt. 1. Gloucester......... 17'8 9. Leicester..........27‘8 2. Middlesex.......... 237 10. Derby ..........29’0 3. Kent .................24*5 11. Sussex ......... 29'0 4. Surrey.................25’0 12. Hampshire ... 29'1 5. Yorkshire ............25'2 13. Warwick..........30’0 6. Lancashire........... 25*4 11. Nottingham ... 327 7. Essex .................257 15. Worcester ... 34‘6 8. Somerset ........... 27*1 Two brothers at Sydney, Stanley and D’Arcy Douglas*, who are members of the Kurajong C.C., dismissed the Colo C.C. on March 17th for 6 runs, of which 2 were byes. On March 25th they did even better, disposing of the Grose Yale C.C. for 2 runs. Stanley took four wickets for 1 run and D ’Arcy five for 1. The Grose Vale score is as follows:— o 0 A. Pett, c Wilson, b D. Douglass................. E.Bowman, b S. Doug­ lass ... R.Stinson, c W. Doug­ lass, b D. Douglass.. E. Coady, not out ... A. Ezzy, b S. Douglass B. Mayo, b S. Douglass G. Mayo, b S. Douglass M.Ezzy, b D. Douglass D. Dunstan, c & b D. Douglass................. R.Hayman, b D. Doug­ lass ........................ Total ... ... T h e re was an exciting finish to the pennant match at Adelaide between Sturt and North Adelaide on March 24th. Sturt, with 230 to make, lost six wickets for 83. But P. Hutton and P. Leak played carefully for more than an hour, increasing the score by 35, and when Hewitt joined Leak the match seemed almost saved. But Hewitt left at 156, and the ninth wicket fell to the next ball. The last man, P. Rofe, played with much pluck, and assisted Leak to play out time, so that Sturt managed to make a drawn game of it. A n o th e r pennant match on the same day at Adelaide had an equally exciting finish. East Adelaide declared with nine wickets down at 254. Their opponents, West Adelaide, made a fine fight, although their case seemed hopeless when, with the last two men in, a very easy chance was given. But this chance was dropped, and West Adelaide saved themselves from defeat. Th e old Cambridge Blue, C. T. Studd, made 39, and not out 44 for Ootacamund Gymkhana against the Cheshire Regi­ ment, on April 14th, 15th, and 20th, at Ootacamund, and took four wickets in the first innings for 59. On the other side Sergeant Price scored 51 and 119, and took six wickets for 133. From the Liverpool Daily Post :— Playing to “ kill” time, however tactful to save defeat, is not one of the most interest­ ing features about cricket, more especially if the weather is chilly. The two combined provides the onlooker with an excuse to grumble and the desire to take the law into his own hands in order to hasten up matters. Ormskirk, at Aigburth on Saturday after­ noon, would assuredly have been beaten had