Cricket 1905

J u n e 1, 1905. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 163 GEO. 6 .BDSSEY&CO, 36 & 38, QUEEN VICTORIA STREET , E.G. Manufactory—PECKHAM, S.E. TIMBER MILLS— ELMSWELL, SUFFOLK, AGENTS AL L OVER 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 lb y -C o o p e r . Bosanquet’sall-roundperformance at Lord’s last week, in the Middlesex v. Sussex match, deserves prominent notice, inasmuch as on no previous occasion had any cricketer, amateur or professional, done so well in a first-class match. Despite how easy a matter scoring has become of late years on the smooth and perfect wickets provided on almost all the leading grounds, it is never­ theless still somewhat unusual for a player to obtain two separate hundreds in a match. When to this is added the feat of securing as many as eleven wickets, the accomplishment must be regarded as of quite an extraordinary nature. Against Sussex Bosanquet scored 103 and 100 not out, and gained analyses of three for 75 and eight for 53. If we examine the doings with the ball by all those players who have ever made a hundred or more in each innings of a great match, we shall find that the nearest approach to Bosanquet’s all-round performance was achieved by William Lambert, an old Surrey man, as far back as 1817, when, playing as a given man for Sussex against Epsom, at Lord’s, he scored 107 not out and 157, and clean bowled four wickets in the first innings and one in the second. It is probable that Lambert really obtained more wickets than he was credited with, for in those primitive times the bowler’s name appeared in the score only in the event of the wicket being bowled down. In minor cricket Bosanquet’s feat may have been exceeded (on paper) on a few occasions, e.g., for Lansdown v. Leighton, at Weston (Bath), in June last, Mr. T. N. Perkins, the old Kent and Cambridge cricketer, made 105 and 107 not out, and took thirteen wickets. From these remarks one will be able to obtain a true estimate of the exceptional nature of the Middlesex amateur’s perform­ ance. It has been argued, and with con­ siderable truth, that to obtain two separate hundreds in a match is generally a great stroke of luck for the batsman—“ a gift of the gods,” almost—inasmuch as, to accomplish the feat, he must not in the first innings make too many runs to prevent his side from batting a second time, the weather must remain fine throughout the match, and the wicket must wear well into the third day. Numerically considered, a player who makes two hundred runs in a single innings per­ forms as well as one who bats twice and on each occasion scores a hundred, yet the latter feat would attract by far the more notice, despite the fact that the former player, by scoring a couple of hundred in one hands, might prove the means of enabling his side to compel their opponents to follow on. If we accept this argument, we must admit that in the match at Adelaide in November, 1891, between South Aus­ tralia and Victoria, George Giffen per­ formed quite as well as did Bosanquet last week, inasmuch as in his only innings he scored 271, and afterwards obtained sixteen wickets for 166 runs, his analyses being nine for 96 and seven for 70. It is curious that on each occasion upon which “ W .G .” made two separate hundreds in a match he should have been comparatively harmless as a bowler. But the Champion has no need to grieve on that account, for his series of wonderful all-round performances in 1874 would, in themselves, have proved sufficient to cause his name to be remembered for all time. ]n having to play both Yorkshire and Lancashire immediately before meeting Eng­ land at Trent Bridge, the Australians were set a task such as can have seldom fallen to the lot of any side before. But the form they displayed against the two strongest counties was such as to cause the majority of enthusiasts to prophesy their success in the test match, for at Sheffield they scored 63 per cent, more runs than their opponents, and at Manchester, when opposing a side which had not experienced defeat in an important match since the year before last, 75 per cent. more. The fact that in each of these matches the Australians won the toss, and so. compelled their opponents to have fourth innings on a worn wicket, by no means accounts for the great margin between the sides. To Laver’s bowling, more than to any other cause, must be attributed the recent successes of the Colonists. His bowl­ ing, in fact, has been extraordinarily suc­ cessful, but it would, on the strengthof a few remarkable performances, he premature to hail him as a second Trumble. Ten years ago—in May, 1895, to be exact—the late John Painter, of Gloucestershire, did so well with the ball that, for a short time, he headed the bowling averages, but his success was practically limited to a couple of fixtures —the wonderful Kent match at Gravesend, and the meeting with -Middlesex at Lord’s. It is quite possible that Laver will find his period of success similarly restricted, although were he to become famous as a bowler when ■well advanced in his cricketing career, he would only be following in the footsteps of David Buchanan and It. C. Tinley, each of whom, after having bowled very fast round­ armed for some years, took to slow bowling —Tinley to lobs—with the greatest possible success. Whatever may be the real secret of Laver’s recent triumphs, certain it is that his bowling ia at present far more effective than it has ever been before. And he is now thirty-five years of age. In the first innings of the match which ended at Nottingham yesterday, he was seen quite at his best, his record of seven wickets for 64 in an innings of 196, being an analysis of which even Spofforth might have been proud. It must be acknowledged that the small score made by England on the opening day came as a most disappointing surprise to well- wishers of the home eleven, and the only excuse which can be offered in mitigation of the poor display is that the wicket was better and faster after lunch than it was before. Despite the unfortunate accident to Trumper, whose absence affected his aide almost as much as did the inability of Hirst and Fry to play for the England team, the Aus­ tralians were able to obtain the useful lead of 25 on the first innings. The fine partner­ ship of MacLaren and Hayward for the first wicket in the second innings of England must rank as one of the best things seen for some time in a great match. MacLaren’s display was worthy of his best days, and higher praise than this it would be impos­ sible to bestow. Had he failed, England might well have been out again for a small score, and have suffered a heavy reverse in consequence. “ CR IC KE T ” is the only paper in the world solely devoted to the game. Weekly, April to September. Monthly, October to March. T erm s op S u b s cr ip tio n :— 6 /- per annum. 7/- post free abroad. Payable m advance. Cheques and Postal Orders should be made payable to Cricket, and crossed London and County Bank. All communications to be sent direct to the Offices of Cricket, 168, Upper Thames Street, London, E.O.