Cricket 1905

66 CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. A p r il 20, 1905. made 27 and not out 7. At last in 1902-3 he became a regular member of the South Australian team, after the first match, as a wicket-keep9r. His batting average for the season was six innings (once not out), 65 runs, highest score 31, average 13. In the following season 1903-4 he was high up io the batting averages with 12 innings (in­ cluding four against the M.O.O. team), ones not out, 204 runs, highest score 77 not out (against New South Wales at Ade­ laide), average 22 66. For South Australia against the M.O.C. team in the return match he made 50 and 8. His success as a wicket-keeper during this season was such as to raise great hopes of his future, but he was hardly regarded as a possible member of the next Australian team. During the recent Australian season he kept up his form as a wicket-keeper, and cricketers were prepared to some extent to find his name on the list of Australians who were to go to England. There seems no doubt at all that he is a most capable wicket-keeper, and as he is young it is more than likely that in coming years he will be the successor to Kelly. D. E. A. G ehrs . Australian critics are of opinion that Gehrs, who is one of the three new men in the coming team, is one of the most promising batsmen ever turned out by South Australia. He is a man whose progress has been remarkably steady, and from the time that he began to play in inter-state cricket he attracted the attention of connoisseurs, who pointed him out as likely in a short time to come right to the front. It is said that his style is far more attractive than that of many Australians, and he would seem to have taken brilliant players like Trumper and Duff as his model rather than their more methodical companions. The critics regard him as not being among typical Australian batsmen ; he reminds them of the best and most attractive type of Englishmen who have visited Australia; men who never let the grass grow under their feet. He is neither tall nor short, but a fine specimen of an athlete. Like all Australians who have come to Eng­ land with the touring teams, he is a splendid field, whether in the country or near the wicket, and it is certain that he will not let down the side by carelessness or weakness in the field. Four years ago he was unknown to the cricket public of Australia, although a few good judges at Adelaide know his merits. He first played for South Aus­ tralia in 1902, when he made 8 and 3 against New South Wales, but before the end of the season he had established a claim to have a regular place in the team by making scores of 45 and 63. His reputation was made when he scored 100 in the second innings of South Aus­ tralia against Lord Hawke’s New Zealand team which, it will be remembered, played a few matches in Australia on its way home. In 1903-4 he had an average of 34 91 for his State, and in the second test match against the M.C.C. team he was chosen as twelfth man. He was passed over in the next two test matches, but was given a place in the Australian team for the last of the series. He did not come off in this match, but it is very seldom indeed that a player makes a sensation in bii first test match. In the recent season he distinguished himself so much that when the first ten names were announced of players who were to go to England this year, no one was in the least surprised that his name was found among them. It must have been evident to every cricketer in Australia that a representative team would not be com­ plete without him. His score of 170 for South Australia against Victoria in the New Year’s match at Melbourne, stamped him as a great cricketer, and his record for the season in Interstate matches was 7 inniugs, 304 runs, highest score 170, average 43'42. In the recent tour in New Zealand he was not seen to ad­ vantage—possibly he had not stood the voyage well—and his highest score was only 45 not out, while he was eleventh in the averages with 20 per innings. But he is beyond doubt a fine cricketer, and although it has often happened that batsmen who have distinguished them­ selves in Australia have quite failed to do themselves justice in England, it would be a remarkable thing if Gehrs were found to be among their number. It may be added that Gehrs was born on November 29th, 1880. W. A. B k tte sw ortii. T IM E ’S CHANGES. The way in which paragraphs appear­ ing in “ Gossip ” are quoted without any acknowledgment of their source is sad enough, but the improvements which are sometimes made in them are positively sinful. On May 18th, 1899, the follow­ ing appeared in “ Gossip ” Overheard on a tram-car :— “ No, Jack didn’t get much out of ’is day’s cricket he didn’t. ’Is railway fare was ten boh, and he lost the day’s screw, and ’ e was fined a shillin’ for bein’ late this mornin’, and ’e didn’t get no wickets, and ’e missed three ketches, and e’ got a couple of blobs. It was a fair take in.” This paragraph—reproducing a short speech by a working man—was quoted in various newspapers, sometimes with acknowledgment of its source, but generally without it, and after going through many stages it has now appeared with all the latest improvements. A correspondent sends us a cutting from a local paper, whose name he does not mention, in which the fullest details are given. The extract is as follows :— One of the best stories from a cricket outing was related to me several years ago. The player, whose name I will not disclose, was a very fair cricketer, and a cabinet maker by trade. He formed one of the team which came from Hastings, I believe, to play the Brighton Brunswick, at Brighton. Like a good many first-class cricketers he struck a bad patch that journey. Asked next day by one of his fellow shopmen how he got on at cricket at Brighton, he feelingly remarked, “ I didn’t get much out of my day’s sport. I had to pay about six bob for railway fare, 2s. 6d. for lunch, two bob for a share of a cab, lost my day’s screw, was fined 6d. for being late this morning, and I didn’t get any wickets. I missed four catches and got two ducks.” Charming game cricket! It will be noticed that the name of the cricketer who had such untoward experiences is still withheld from a wait­ ing public, but we are glad to see that the working man who made the speech has now been promoted to the position of shopman. We venture to say that in another five years he, aB well as his friend the cabinet maker, will have risen a step higher iu the social scale. The story may then read something like this:— The other morning I happened to be travelling in a saloon from Leeds to King’s Cross, and to my surprise when I entered the carriage I found it was occupied by a well- known cricketer whose name I will not disclose. He is millionaire by profession, hut I believe he was once a cabinet maker and before that a working man. He had been playing for England v. Australia on the previous two days, and as I had not seen the papers I asked himhow he got on. It seemed that, like a good many mere common or garden club cricketers, hehad had an unsatis­ factory match. He said :—“ I had a beast of a time. My saloon return ticket was of course paid for, hut I lost its value at bridge. My lunches were paid for too, and my hotel bids, but I was too nervous to eat and couldn’t sleepwell. And I missed a chance of making a bit out of some shares. I got up with a headache this morning. I wasn’t put on to bowl in the match. 1 was l.b.w. first ball in both innings and I missed five catches. And .to crown everything I find that my usual wire to my paper has somehow or other been lost on the way to the office, and the editor will swear like anything.” Such is life ! (tforrespontJence. The Editor does not hold himself responsible tor the opinions of his correspondents . “ SON OF A GUN.” To the Editor o f C ricket . D ear S ir ,—In re “ Sonofagun,” page 69, Cricket No. 683, vol. xxiv. The individual thus named by the native (P) reporter you refer to is probably one Shunmugum, who was a very useful little native cricketer on the staff of the Nilgiri News at Ootacamund. He was at the time I speak of— 1897-1898— generally known as Son-of-a-gun, and it is no surprise to me that the name has adhered to him. Inter alia, his catching, fielding and throwing-in ability was quite up to best county standard. Yours, E. H. D. S ewell . R i c h a r d DAFT’S “ Nottinghamshire Marl.” — Particulars apply, Radcliffe-on-Trent, Notts. [A dvt .1