Cricket 1905

F eb . 23, 1905. CRICKET: A WEEKLYfRECORD OP THE GAME. 27 be brought up to £2,000. Mr. Jessop said that never since he had played for the county had it possessed so many promising young players. K il l ic k , the Sussex professional, has been down with enteric fever in South Africa, but I understand that he has now recovered. I n the match at Johannesburg in the second round of the Currie Cup between the Transvaal and Griqualand West. Washington, the Yorkshire professional, scored 15 and 64 for the latter. L. J. Tancred, who did so well last year in England for the South African team, made 110 for the Transvaal, while J. H. Sinclair took nine wickets, and Schwarz seven in the course of the two iunings by Griqualand West. The only bowler who met with success for the visitors was S. Webb, the old Lancashire professional, who took seven wickets. T h e sub - committee which was appointed by the Hampshire County C.C. to examine the question whether the county ground at Southampton should be given up, has advised that: “ The question of closing the county ground be deferred until after the end of the coming season in the hope that increased support may be received from the public in the locality.” A MATCH has been arranged between Oxford University and Kent to take place at Oxford on May 29th and follow­ ing daj s. This will clash with the first Test match at Nottingham, while there are two county matches on the same dates. A SUGGESTION has been made in Aus­ tralia that New South Wales should put two teams in the field in the Sheffield Shield matches between the States. There is sense in the suggestion, for at the present time there must be several players in the New South Wales second team who are far better than some of the men who represent Victoria and South Australia. A great advantage to Austra­ lian cricket, if this proposal were carried out, would be that instead of only play­ ing four matches in a season each team would have six, for there could be no reason why the N.S.W. second team should not play the first. I t was stated in “ Gossip ” last month that H. Stuckey, the Victorian batsman, had met with a serious accident when fielding in the match against South Australia. The Sydney Referee thus comments on the occurrence : — Just before the adjournment a disastrous accident robbed Victoria of the services of Stuckey, on present form without a superior in the State. In making a dive across from third man for a hack-cut by Gehrs, a sudden wrench snapped Stuckey’s kneecap in half with a sickening crack that could be distinctly heard in the reserve. He was carried from the field, rough splints improvised with two hat blades, and within half an hour was operated upon by the famous surgeon, Dr. Moore, who, most fortunately, was on the ground. This speedy treatment cannot but help greatly to recovery, though grave fears are entertained as to the possibility of the gifted left-hander’s re-appearance on the field for a very considerable time. Game as a pebble, Stuckey bore his cruel hurt with the utmost fortitude. On the first day of the match bstween the second elevens of Victoria and New S juth Wale* at Sydney, the heat w-is something quite out of the common. “ A fitful brtez i blew,” says the Sydney Referee, “ but it was a succeisiun of scorching furnace blasts. The batsmen found the bowling not at all difficult, but while both scored freely, neither attempted the brilliant batting by which they score in club cricket, the heat being too severe for excessive exertion. The weather by this time had reduced the spectators to a coatless, sweltering, huddled-up congregation. U nder the heading of “ Automobilists at Home,” the February number of the Car Magazine contains some notes about Mr. C. B. Pry. In the excellent photo­ graphic reproductions which accompany the notes Mr. Fry looks much less like a murderer than some of the motoring brotherhood,and a stranger would have no fear of meeting him on a dark night. It is stated iu the notes that “ on his 8 h.p. Clement (which was presented to him by the Sussex County C.C.) or on his newer 20 h.p. C)6ment-Talbot he frequently journeys to and fro between the office of O. B. Fry's Magazine and his pretty home in Hampshire—Glenbourne Manor, West End, Southampton.” O f a tize and shape m st convenient for the pocket “ Bussey’s Cricketer’s Diary for 1905,” is a very neat little book. Its price is sixpence, and it con­ tains a diary, a list of fixtures for 1905, tabulated results of last year’s first-class matches and the averages, the laws of the game, and various useful statistics. Spaces are left for personal club recjrds. The diary is now iu its fourteenth year, which speaks well for its popularity. In an article which appeared in the Daily Mail on Tuesday, F. A. Iredale, the old Australian cricketer, makes some comments on the strength, or weakness, of the bowling of the coming Australian team. Iredale’s remarks are almost identical with those which were made in Cricket last month, but it is hardly likely that anyone will accuse either of the critics of collusion or plagiarism. Ire­ dale’s comments are as follows :— “ The two bowlers who were such strong factors in the teams of 1889 aud 1902—Jones and Trumble—are both absent now, and there is no one in their place. Saunders, too, who on his day was a very fine bowler, has been left behind for reasons which are best known to the English players. We have, in the place of these three, Cotter, who has yet to earn his reputation in England. It cannot be said, however, that Howell and McLeod have shown of recent years the improved form necessiry to warrant the anticipation of a surprise. It would be idle, also, to say that Noble, McLeod, and Howell have added to their reputation, and though the first- named, as the leading bowler of the team, may have to put forth extra exertions, it would be unreasonable to suppose that he will be found a greater bowler than he was on his last visit.” C l e m e n t H il l has now score 1 2,033 runs for South Australia against New South Wales, and is the only batsman in the State who has made over 2,000 in these matches. Before the last match of this season he required eight rui s to complete the 2,000, and although he was dismissed first ball in the first innings he made 41 iu the second. I n a school match at Sydney, a boy named Coppinger did the hat trick twice in an innings, and ended the innings with nine wickets for 4 runs. D ubing the progress of the match between New South Wales and South Australia, at Sydney, a conference was held by representatives of the cricket associations of New South Wales, South Australia, and Victoria to consider the question of drafting a constitution for an International Board to represent Australia in the arrangements with the Marylebone Club on matters connected with visits of English teams to Australia and Austra­ lian teams to England, and other inter­ national subjects. N ew S outh W ales has defeated South Australia in nine successive matches, five times by an innings, once by ten wickets, once by eight wickets, once by seven wickets, and once by 210 runs. F. J ohnson , the N.S.W. bowler, accom­ plished avery rare feat when he completely beat and bowled Clement Hill first ball. In all his first-class cricket in Australia Hill has made only six duck’s eggs, three of them against New South Wales, two against England, and one against Victoria. F rom the Sydney Referee :— If Australia could not win the rubber against Warner’s team on Australian wickets, is it likely that England, reinforced by Jackson, Fry, Ranjitsinhji, and Maclaren, and on English wickets, will go down before a weaker lot of Australian bowlers, for, be it remembered, Trumble played in four of last season’s Test matches. Australia’s hope is that the unexpected often happens at cricket. O n January 7th, Hugh Trumble, although he was suffering from an attack of lumbago, took five wickets for 80 runs for Melbourne against North Melbourne. B elow will be found a list of the Australian players iu the teams of 1899, 1902, and 1905. It will be noticed that