Cricket 1905

J uly 13, 1905. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 259 GEO. G. BDSSEY & CO, 36 & 38 , QUEEN v i c t o r i a STREET , E .C . Manufactory —PECKHAM, S.E. TIMBER MILLS— ELMSWELL, SUFFOLK, AGENTS a l l o v e r t h e w o r l d , AT TH E SIGN OF TH E W ICKET . By F. S . A s h le y -C o o p e r . Surrey’s success over Lancashire at Liver­ pool may almost be described as the event of the season, inasmuch as the Lancastrians had not been defeated by a county since August, 1903. Whether the Northerners would have fared better had MacLaren been in the team is a matter of opinion : his form is very in-and- out (no jeu de mots intended). How often he fails in both innings! Grace, Shrewsbury, Gunn and Fry rarely doubly failed, though Shrewsbury once was spectacled at Sydney by Turner. The advance made by Surrey this year is most interesting, for, apart from Hobbs, the side is practically the same as that which achieved so poor a iecord last season. If the fast bowling of Knox were always as effective as on Friday and Saturday last, it would not be surprising to find Surrey at the head of the counties in the near future. In batting the side is very strong, but another reliable bowler, to support Lees, is needed ere the team can truthfully be termed a great one. Last year, when, through sheer bad luck, the county could do nothing right, many critics considered it an opportune time togratuitously inform the Oval committee that their mode of procedure—if they had one—was entirely wrong, and that, in effect, they were a crowd of old women who ought to bo bundled into Bedlam ! But, fortunately for the welfare of Surrey cricket, the powers that be paid not the slightest attention to the attacks of the irresponsible critics, and the many recent successes achieved by the county are more than sufficient testimony to their wisdom. In connection with Lanca­ shire’s long immunity from defeat—though only so far as inter-county matches are con­ cerned—it may prove of interest to add that when Portsmouth were beaten by Horndean on June 22nd, 1829, it was stated that it was the first occasion upon which the club had been defeated on its own ground for twenty years. When Cowley were beaten by Buck- land on August 13th, 1836, they experienced their first reverse at Cowley for eleven seasons. Bell's Life of August 16th, 1829, remarks that the Lyndhurst Club had not been defeated since 1819, either at home or away, and were still unconquered. Those who were present at Lord’s during the last three days of the past week saw a much closer game between the Universities than was generally expected would be the case. From first to last the match was interesting, the result being in doubt almost up to the last. On the form they displayed in the trial games Cambridge were generally judged the better side, and, although they eventually won by 40 runs, it was after being headed by 101 on the first innings, and experiencing a sensational collapse when they went in the second time. To Colbeck the match was a great triumph, inasmuch as his chanceless innings of 107 was the chief cause of his side’ s success; his score also ranks as the largest ever made by a Marlburian in the inter-’Varsity match. With McDonell, who played a capital innings of 60, he added 143 ruas for the seventh wicket, the two men quite changing the aspect of the game during their partnership. More than a passing word of praise is due to Napier and Morcom, who, by their bowling in the concluding stage of the match, brought about the victory for Cambridge, which the fine stand referred to had rendered possible. Raphael and Wright will in future be able to hark back to the match with very mixed feelings, for each made a good score, the former missing his hundred by » single only, and the latter by five, but although, thanks to them, their side could claim an advantage of 101 on the first innings, it eventually succumbed by 40 runs. It is an interesting fact that as many as 80 extras, or more than eight and-a-half per cent, of the total runs scored, were allowed in the match. Cam­ bridge, who received 43 extras (23 byes, 7 leg- byes and 13 no-balls), won by only 40 runs. Judging from the crowds which were present this week at Lord’s, it is evident that the Gentlemen v. Players match has as much attraction ms ever for the cricketing public, the presence of the Australians in the country notwithstanding. The selection of the teams, as usual, failed to please everybody, as “ the man in the street ” certainly had justification for inquiring why Lees, perhaps the most successful bowler in the country at the present time, only came into the Players’ X I. at the last moment, owing to the ina­ bility of Warren to participate in the same. The passing over of A. O. Jones and Ire­ monger also occasioned some comment, and their non-selection resulted in not a single Nottinghamshire man appearing: in the match. Students of the game will recognise in this fact an event of the rarest occurrence. On only one occasion since 1833—to wit, in 1899, when both Shrewsbury and Gunn W.) w<-re invited to play — had the meeting of the Gentlemen and Players at Lord’s failed to include a Nottinghamshire man in either team, although the match has been played there iegularly every year—twice in 1837 and again in 1851 ! And in the 1899 fixture Lockwood assisted the Players, he being born in the Midland county, although owing allegiance to Surrey. This week’s match enabled the habitues of Lord’s to see howley, who has made such excellent scores during the past few seasons for Worcestershire, at the wicket. As the player named obtained 47 and 4, his debut against the Gentlemen may be regarded as a successful one. Had Bowley belonged to a great county he would long ago have played in representative matches. It has been urged against him that he is a very lucky batsman —and of his last eleven “ centuries” only two were without blemish, whilst in the remaining seven he gave chances ere reaching his 100—but, as he scores largely and in an attractive manner, he can well afford to dis­ regard such criticism. In view of the approaching visit of the English amateurs to America, some of the latest news to hand respecting the doings of cricketers in the States should prove of interest. J. A. Lester, who is so well known to followers of the game over here, has been showing capital form with the bat, having already this season exceeded the hundred on five occasions, and thereby equalled the record set up by George S. Patterson in 1891. Dr. Lester’s large innings referred to are as follows:— 146*, Merion B. v. Germantown, May 13. 107, Merion A. v. Frankford, May 20. 146, Merion B. v. Germantown A., June 10. 103, Merion v. Belmont, June 15. 134*, Merion v. Hamilton (Bermuda), June 27. On June 17th and 19th the Metropolitan Dis­ trict Cricket League of New York, perhaps the strongest combination outside Phila­ delphia, scored 352 for four wickets (innings declared closed) against the Hamilton C.C. of Bermuda, who made but 42 and 146. The match was played on the Staten Island ground, and a record for America was created by two players exceeding the hundred in an innings against a visiting team, J. F. Curran making 115, A. G. Laurie 134 not out, and J. L. Poyer 93. F. F. Kelly, whose name