Cricket 1905

74 CRICKET A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. A p r il 20, 1905. O n March 24th another meeting of the same clubs was held, at which a letter was read from Mr. F. E. Lacey, secretary of the M.C.C., accepting the committee's offer made through Lord Harris, and stating that the M.C.C. would send under its own auspices a team, to sail on July 12th, captained by Mr. E. W. Mann, this year’s Cambridge University captain. It was finally decided to accept the propo­ sition, asking the M.C.C., if possible, to arrange for the team to sail on the 11th instead of the 12th, so that the first match against the Gentlemen of Phila­ delphia could commence July 21st and continue to the 24th. It could then be arranged for the Colts’ malch to com­ mence on the 25th and end on the 27th, and the return match against the Gentle­ men of Philadelphia could take place on July 28th, 29th and 31st. F rom the Tasmanian M ail :— It was on the Melbourne ground, a test match being in progress, and the Englander was vainly trying to impress them by recount­ ing the deeds of some of the old-country smiters. They stood it in silence for a time, after which the little man in the sloucher asked:— “ Ever hear of Jobson’s hit ? ” “ Never,” asserted the Englisher. “ Why, was it anything special P” “ We-el, it was kinder unique in its way— in a testmatch too—at Adelaide, ’ 89. Caught a full pitch ’fore it dropped an’ sorter skied it.” “ And what then P” queried the other. “ Oh, I forgot,” was the drawling response. “ Smithson caught it in long-field at Sydney.” The vanquished one edged out of the crowd and consulted his little pocket book. Pre­ sently he came back. “ I say, mister,” he cried, “ did you say that was in ’89 ? ” “ I did,” replied the other, without looking. “ Because I see Smithson didn’t play till ’90,” he concluded triumphantly. “ That was when it dropped, stranger,” came the ready reply. E. P. K e ig w in , the Essex cricketer and Cambridge Blue, represented his University against Oxford in the double rackets match last week at Queen’s Club. He and his partner, E. W. Bury, were victorious by four games to tw o : 15-4, 14-17, 10-15, 15-6, 18-14, 18-14. E d it e d by Mr. J. H. Stainton, the Sheffield Telegraph Cricket Guide ” makes its second annual appearance at the price of a penny. It is published by Sir W. C. Leng and Co. The annual contains complete records of the doings of clubs last year in the neighbourhood of Sheffield, as well as much useful infor­ mation about first- class cricket. A t a meeting of the committee of the Yorkshire County C.C., held at Leeds on Monday, the following resolution was passed :— That it is the unanimous opinion of the Yorkshire County Cricket Club Committee that the reporting of county cricket by county players taking part in matches is undesirable, and not consistent with the best interests of the game. A t the same meeting Lord Hawke was unanimously elected captain of the first eleven for the coming season, and Mr. R. W. Frank captain of the second eleven. It was decided that thirty-five per cent, of the gate-money in home matches played by the county should go to the club on whose ground the matches were played. The committee decided that if an Indian team visits England in 1906 a match shall be arranged, with a guarantee of £100 to the visitors. The team began practice at Leeds on Monday, most of the professionals, as well as Mr. F. S. Jackson, being present. T h e committee also discussed the circular of the M.C.C. on the question of changing the ball during the progress of an innings. The suggestion of the M.C.C. is that when considered desirable the fielding side may requisition a new ball after 150 runs have been scored. The Yorkshire Committee were favourable to the principle, but unanimously decided to suggest that the option should be granted only after a score of 200 runs had been made. F o r the Western tour in May the following players have been chosen for the Yorkshire team :—Lord Hawke, the Hon. P. S. Jackson, H. Wilkinson, Tunnicliffe, Denton, Hirst, Rhodes, Hunter, Myers and Haigh. Among the players who will take part in the second team match against Surrey second at Beigate on May loth and 16th are Rud- ston, Ringrose, Grimshaw, Mr. W. H. Wilkinson, and Mr. B. W. Frank. L a s t winter it was decided by the Gloucestershire County committee that a cricket festival should be held at Bristol in connection with the matches against Somerset (June 26th) and the Australians (June 29th), but the scheme has been abandoned, as it would clash with a charity festival which is to be held on behalf of the Bristol Infirmary. I n second-class cricket at Melbourne at the end of February A. E. Angel and B. S. Smith put up 363 for the first wicket of the Union Brewery against Hannan’s North. There were only five extras. A. E. Angel scored 162, and B. S. Smith 196 not out. This is not the Australian record for the first wicket. At least one greater performance is on record, viz., 423 by Victor Trumper and D. A. Gee for Paddington against Red- fern, on the Redfern Oval, Januarv. 1903. F rom the Sydney Referee :— Charles Gregory was actually out on the first day of the Waverley v. Sydney match, but escaped through no one appealing. He jumped in to hit a ball, but missed it, and the wicket-keeper failing to take it, the ball rolled on to the wicket and dislodged a bail. The latter movement was unnoticed, but the umpire subsequently stated that it had occurred, and that if an appeal had been made, the batsman would have had to go. In that case Waverley would never have won the match. P a r t ic u la r s of E. F. Waddy’s innings of 309 for Sydney University v. Mel­ bourne University on February 27th and 28th, on the Sydney University Oval have reached me. Waddy made his first hundred in an hour and forty minutes. With F. C. Rogers as partner he helped to put up 135 for the first wicket, and on the second day of the match he and R. Harvey made the first hundred runs in three-quarters of an hour. His entire innings included three fives and forty-two fours. T h e total of 607 made by Sydney University in the above match is the highest in the series between the two Universities, the previous best being 578 by Sydney University on the same ground in 1898. Waddy holds the record for these matches, the previous record being 251 by E. A. Barrett, the old Australian player. Waddy made 232 in the same match last year. D esc r ib in g a “ run-out ” in the match between Sydney and Melbourne Univer­ sities, the Sydney Referee says :— Blaxland was run out for 13. The run out was peculiar. Blaxland drove a ball and ran. The return to the bowler was fumbled and the batsmen went for a second run. Mid-on then kicked or passed the ball with his foot to the wicket-keeper, who put the wicket down. A lt h o u g h Essex had a poor season last year, while the balance-sheet showed a loss of £167, the annual meeting laBt week at Leyton passed off most success­ fully. Hopes were naturally expressed that the team would “ buck u p ” in the field next year, for all the members as well as the officials recognise that fielding is the weakest point in the team. Mr. C. E. Green was in the chair. In the course of the above meeting, Mr. C. E. Green referred to the absence of Mead from the Essex team last year. He said that: He thought it advisable to put before the meeting clearly what had occurred, more especially as various and not altogether accurate versions had gone forth. At the end of the season of 1903 Mead wrote a letter to the committee requesting that his winter pay of 25s. a week, which sum had been fixed by Mead several years before, and for which he did nothing, should be increased to 40s. a week, and this was followed by another which said that unless this request was acceded to he would resign the county team. To this the committee took exception. The time was also unfortunate, as the county club was in extreme financial difficulty, and it seemed quite possible that it would not be able to go on at all. The committee felt hurt at these letters, for Mead had just previously received a benefit which realised £700, and his action seemed both ungrateful and un­ sportsmanlike. There was nothing unfriendly in their feeling or that of the members towards Mead, whom they personally re­ garded as a friend even more than as a cricketer. It was a matter of regret that the incident should have occurred, but no self- respecting committee could have passed the affair over. He believed that Mead, had been badly advised. He had known him for