Cricket 1905

D ec . 21, 1905. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 471 transport “ Dilwara," which brought home the 7th Hussars. Thompson, the Northamptonshire pro­ fessional, will receive about £400 as the proceeds of his benefit match last season. T h e lease of the Surbiton cricket ground at Balaclava Road has been extended to September 26th next year, so that the club will be able to play, its matches as usual. At the expiry of the lease, the ground will be taken by the Metropolitan Water Board. I nterviewed at Adelaide on his return from England, Darling, the Australian captain expressed several opinions. Among them were the following : — That Maclaren is quite as good a captain as Jackson. That Kelly is still the hest wicket-keeper in Australia on all wickets. That Fry is not equal as a test player to Maclaren, Hayward or Jackson. That Duff is one of the pluckiest cricketers he had ever seen. That Gehrs will have a chance of going with the next team to England if he takes up wicket-keeping. That Spooner is the hest of the coming English batsmen. That Brearley is the hest fast howler in England, and that Warren and Cook are good. C lem en t H i l l , like M. A. Noble, has been omitted this year from the selection committee of his State, and the Adelaide Observer says :—“ Perhaps I may be allowed to say that the associa­ tion treated C. Hill, who was on the selection committee last year, with scant courtesy. The action in turning him away when he was not in the State was not such as commends itself to those who remember what Clem Hill did for South Australian cricket during the year while it was at a low ebb. At the time when our old champions had passed their best, and Darling had gone to Tasmania, Hill rallied a young team around him and battled against adversity, and the only reward from the association is a kick from an honourable position, the functions of which he exercised with a thoroughness characteristic of him in bis play on the field.” I may add that the selecton committee consists of J. Darling, H . Blinman, and P. Argali. A t a meeting of the Kent county com­ mittee on December 11th it was stated that, with regard to Huish’s benefit, the five years’ average of the second match of the Canterbury Week realised £624 os. 6d. less £51 expenses. A sum of £80 was collected on the ground, and the subscriptions reached £21 16s., so that the Kent wicket-keeper benefits to the extent of £675 Is. 7d., which is to be invested in New South Wales 3J per cent, stock, for which the club will allow 4 per cent. O n December 2nd W. P. A. Rattigan, who played for Harrow against Eton from 1896 to 1898, was married at Christ Church, Lancaster' Gate, to Miss Yera Houston. In the Eton match he made scores of 19 and 72, 31 and 5 not out, 60 and not out 18. He did not get his blue at Oxford, although he made a hundred in the Freshmen’s match. I t was stated at the annual meeting of the Cambridgeshire County C.C. that the club had a balance in hand of £10 Is. 6j., but if it had not been for the sum derived from the test matches there would have bean about the same deficit as in 1904. Major O. Papworth was again elected honorary secretary, and Viscount Clifden president. T h e Somersetshire report shows a balance against the club of about £500, which is ascribed largely to the falling- cff in the attendance at Taunton. The honorary treasurer has stated that in view of the unsatisfactory position of the club’s finances he will move that the office of paid secretary be discontinued at the end of next year. S. M. J. Woods has announced to the committee his intention to resign the captaincy of the eleven at the end of next season. L o r d H aw k e was again elected presi­ dent of the Yorkshire County C.C. at the annual meeting on November 29th. In­ cluding the amount of £315 15s. 81. as Yorkshire’s share of the Test matches and £835 4s. Id. as the share for the Test match on the Leeds ground, the balance on the year’s working is £1,767 7s. 7d. At the meeting presents were given to the members of the eleven as mementoes of the past season. A t the annual meeting of the Hamp­ shire County C.O. on November 29lh the president, Captain Hoare, said that what the county chiefly required was to find a fast bowler and more subscribers. It was decided to give three matches next season to Portsmouth instead of two. Mr. E. M. Sprot was again elected captain. T h anks to the £65 received from the test matches, Cornwall is able to show a reduction in its deficit from £37 to six shillings only. At the annual meeting on November 29th the questions whether a county ground could be obtained and a professional engaged were discussed, and referred to the committee. Mr. John Bray was re-elected as honorary secretary. T h e Oxford University captain for next season is W . S. Bird, last year’s wicket-keeper. E. L. Wright is the honorary secretary. From the Australasian :— In the Carlton press box on October 21, after young Hazlitt had bowled so well, a youthful looking pressman said, “ I see the Major has ‘ lit’ on a grand bowler at last.” This is the sort of thing that causes one to ask, “ Is life worth living ?” A g o l f match between the Cricketers’ Golfing Society and a team of actors took place at Maidenhead on November 30th, the cricketers winning by 8J points to 4J. Their team was comprised as follows :—R. H. de Montmorency, G. W. Beldam, J. Healing, G. R. Greaves, Dr. W. G. Grace, G. L. Jessop, E. S. Littel­ john, D. G. Spiro, C. J. Burnup, H. W. Bainbridge A lt e r a t io n s on the ground of the South Melbourne C.C. have cost £1,400, but to meet them a fancy fair was held and realised £1,024, while the football club gave a donation of £200. The pavilion is now lighted by electricity, and arrange­ ments have been made by which the bowling green can be used at night by the members. Mr. E. D. Heather, the secretary, has resigned after a service of twenty-five years, and is succeeded by Mr. W. H. McCormack. I n ladies’ cricket at Melbourne, Miss G. Watson on October 21, took eight wickets in each innings ; in the first for 14 runs, and in the second for 12 runs. She did the hat trick. In the same neighbourhood the following week, Miss Cheeseman took seven wickets for 1 run in five overs in the second innings. I t is stated that Hugh Trumble intends to play again in Pennant cricket for the Melbourne C.C. He has had some prac­ tice at the nets. I n the Pennant match bat ween Mel­ bourne and Carlton T.Warne was batting, when a ball rebounded from the wicket­ keeper’s pads and knocked off the bails. Warne thought that he was bowled and left his crease, whereupon the wicket­ keeper pulled up a stump and appealed. Wame was given out in accordance with the laws, but it is pretty nearly time that something was done to abolish this injustice to a batsman. Tht absurdity of the thing is that if, in retiring to the pavilion after such a misunderstand­ ing, a batsman does not have to walk in front of his wicket, he can return if he discovers his mistake before the next man goes in. It is curious that, although the laws have been fre­ quently revised of late yeirs, and fre­ quently misinterpreted, no member of the M.C.C. has brought forward a pro­ posal to give protection to a batsman who, under the impression that he is out, leaves his crease. From the Sydney Referee :— It is regarded in the inner circles of cricket that the Board of Control tangle will be straightened, and that an English team will visit Australia in 1906-7, though the Mary­ lebone C.C. has now informed the Board that it cannot at present accept its invitation to send out a team. The famous English elub may see fit to alter its view on this matter, as its personal information as to feeling in Aus­ tralia appears to have been derived from sources that are practically hostile to the control of cricket by the Associationsthrough the Board. If the Hon. F. S. Jackson or anyone else bring a team to Australia under arrangements with anybody other than the Board of Control, the promoters will court disaster. It is an open secret that New