Cricket 1905

F eb . 23, 1905. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 25 F OR SALE.—The Cricket Library of the late Mr. Robert Thoms, the famous umpire. Sets of “ Scores and Biographies,” 14 vols., 1744 to 1878; Fred Lillywhite’s Guide, complete set; “ Wisden,” complete set, and duplicates of 1865,1867, 1869, 1870, 1871, 1872, 1873,1876,1877,1878 to 1905; “ Lillywhite’s Companion,” complete set.—Address, A. J. Gaston, Preston Library, Brighton. C r i c k e t : A WEEKLY RECORD OF TEE GAME. 168, UPPER THAMES STREET, LOUDON, E.C. THURSDAY, FEB. 23 rd , 1905. $a\)tlton G o s s ip . The abstract and brief chronicle of the time.— HamUt. T he Board of Control for the matches between England and Australia in 1905 met at Lord’s on February 7th, when the folio wing representatives were present. The Marquis of Granby (president), the Earl of Lichfield, Lord Alverstone, Lord Harris, and Mr. R. E. Foster (M.C.C.), Mr. J. Horner (Lancashire), the Hon. F. S. Jackson (Yorkshire), Mr. J. R. Mason (Kent), Mr. G. MacGregor (Middlesex), Mr. W. E. Denison (Notts), and the Earl of Wiuterton (Sussex). Mr. F. E. Lacey attended as secretary to the board. To appoint a selection committee for the Test matches was the most im­ portant business for the representatives at the meeting, and Lord Hawke, Mr. J. A. Dixon and Mr. P. F. Warner were chosen. The following proposal by Lord Harris was discussed and afterwards withdrawn : “ That in the first Test match the choice of innings be decided by tossing; in the second the side that lost the toss in the first match have the option of going in first; in the third the side that won the toss have the option, and in the fourth the side that lost. In the fifth the choice shall be decided by tossing.” But in place of this it was resolved that the M.C.C. should be asked to add the words “ Unless otherwise arranged” to Law 1, which now reads “ The choice of innings shall be decided by tossing.” This question will be decided before the general meeting of the M.C.C. on May 3. O t h e r questions which were discussed at the meeting were (1) The distribution of profits of the Test matches ; (2) The appointment of umpires; (3) The hours of p la y ; (4) The remuneration of players ; (5) The time of application of the closure at the fifth Test match (at the Oval). No. 1. Profits will be distributed as in 1902, that is to say forty per cent, will be distributed among the clubs on whose grounds the matches are played, fifty per cent, among the first-class counties, which now number sixteen, and the M.C.C., and ten per cent, among the counties competing in the Second Division Championship. The share of the Australians will be half the gross gatemoney. No. 2. The umpires will be picked out as in 1902, and then chosen by ballot. No. 3. The I hours of play will be as in 1902, viz., from 11.30 a.m. till half-past six on the first day, and 11 a.m. till half-past six on the subsequent days. No. 4. Each professional will receive £20 for the ma‘ ch, and the umpires £10 each per match. No. 5. It was decided that the existing laws (Nos. 53 and 54) would suffice. It will be interesting to sej how the easting laws 53 (follow on) and 54 (declaring innings) will work out in the event of the Oval match listing for five or six days. The betting is that there will not be any declaration, but that a side will be made to follow on if it is very much behind. It may be p >inted out that during the p*st season in Australia the follow on has taken place in several matches, but no side has declared its innings closed. A t a meeting of the M.C.C. Committee held on February 6th an alteration in Law 54 was sanctioned, permitting the closure to be applied at any time in the Minor Cjuuties Championship this year instead of only on the second day. A few years ago it would have been con­ sidered necessary that a general meeting of the M.C.C. should be callel if an alteration was to be made in any of the laws, but as nobody seems to object to the committee acting on their own authority, there is perhaps not much harm done, although departures from precedents sometimesbecomeinoonvenient things to deal with in after years. A t the above meeting it was decided that the match at Lord’s on Whit Mon­ day, between Middlesex and Somerset, should be played for the benefit of George Burton, on terms that will allow him to be retained as a msniber of the extra ground 8‘aff. “ W hy should the girl who plays a * rattling ’ game of cricket or golf,” asks T. P .’s Weekly, “ forget the gentle art of pouring out tea, or forego the comfort and stillness that may be put on with a tea-gown? And, above all, why should the using of one’s limbs and one’s muscles debar all intellectual enjoy­ ment ? ” N oble is acting as captain, and Hill as vice-captain of the Australian team during its tour in New Zealand. A t the annual meeting of the Notts County C.C. it was announced that there had been a loss last season of £144. The receipts of the Surrey match at Trent Bridge were £414, which, despite the unfavourable weather which prevailed during its progress, was more than twice the amount taken at any other match. The match at Welbeck cost £165 and produced £31. Mr. T. I. Birkin was elected president and Alder­ man J. Bright, the mayor of Notting­ ham, vice-president. A t the above meeting, Capt. W. E. Denison referred to the county ground and said that he had heard people say they did very well without a club and ground. In the old days, certainly, they did manage without one, but they must remember the circumstances. At that time there were only three counties— themselves, Yorkshire and Derbyshire — who supplied professionals. The York­ shire players were mainly engage 1 in their own county, but many went to Lancashire, who also took a goodly number from Notts and Derbyshire. The result was that the M.C.C., having to find first-class players, fell back upon Notts, who furnished them with an ample supply. They were, therefore, able to dispense with a club and ground for the reason that twelve or fourteen professionals were engaged at Lord’s and were still available for the county. That made a great difference. It was not so, however, now. Lord’s could not engage them, and if they were not kept in Not­ tinghamshire they would be making reputations at Old Traffjrd or elsewhere. R eferring to a catch made in the Christmas match bitween New South Wales and Victoria, Felix ” says in the Australasian :— Gregory hit McLeod aerially to long-off. Everybody thought it was a certain fourer. Suddenly sweeping along like the wind or like Frank Hewitt or Jack Harris in their palmy days, came the sprinter Scott, of South Melbourne. The distance he had to travel was so great that no one dreamt he had a showtogetto tbe ball. But rushing along, as I have said, like the wind, he made one grand final effort, stretched out his left hand to its fullest extent, and without hating one jot his splendid sprinting speed, he took the chance like a bird on the wing. It was simply magnificent, marvellous. The crowd fairly rose at the young Southerner, and recognised his superb catch by a grand demonstration of cheering and applause. F r >m the Adelaide Observer of Janu­ ary 7th : — If rumour is correct, three members of the Australian Eleven, now in course of formation, will take their brides with them to England. It is known that Mr. C. Hill will, after the match in Sydney, proceed to Tasmania, where he will be married, and that Mr. and Mrs. Hill will be members of the party for the mother country. Various reasons were given for Mr. V. Trumper’s absence from the New South Wales team, which was at Adelaide, and it is said that the real cause for his staying at home was preparation for marriage, prior to leaving Australia on the trip. In Adelaide on Wed­ nesday it was stated that Mr. P. M. Newland, whose selection along with that of Mr. Gehrs, was very popular, contemplated following the example of Australia’s two grandest batsmen. Therefore, it is within the range of possibility that the trip of the twelfth Australian Eleven to England will be known as “ the bridal tour.” F rom Australia comes the news that Mr. P. F. Warner has written a letter to Mr. Bowden (secretary of the New South Wales Cricket Association) in which he says that the statements made by him in an article to The Westminster Gazette concerning the election of members while tbe English tour was in progre s were made in good faith, and on information