Cricket 1906

100 CRTCKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. M ay 3, 1906. result that he scored 631 runs in eight innings (once not out), and so averaged 90-14. He three times exceeded the hundred, making 281, 100, and 123—a performance which, apart from Mackay’s, was equalled only by P. A. McAlister (157, 128, and 141) —who, on his form, would have been a certainty for a Test game — and D. R. A. Gehrs (101, 148* and 100*). His innings of 281 was the highest hit in important cricket in Australia during the season, and it is worthy of mention that, during its compilation, he took part in two stands of over 200, adding 268 rims for the second wicket with Mackay (194), and 225 for the third with C. Gregory (73); in this latter respect he equalled the feat performed by Clem Hill (365*) for £outh Australia v. N.S.W. at Adelaide in 1900-1. Trumper, j udged (as he probably always will be) by his form of 1902, was disappointing, though his score of 101 made in 57 minutes against Victoria at Sydney compensated to some extent for a run of small innings, but in the brothers E. L. and the Rev. Ernest Frederick Waddy—the latter (height 5ft. llin., weight lOst. 121bs.) was born at Morpeth on October 5th, 1880, and is, therefore, junior to Mackay —the State possesses two players good enough for any side. Austin Diamond, too, is another fine batsman, whose innings of 164 not out on his first appearance in a Sheffield Shield match—against South Australia at Adelaide —-made quite a sensation. Outside New South Wales but few new players came forward at all prominently. Claude Jennings, of South Australia, made a succession of large scores in club matches, but it would be idle to pretend that he performed as well as was expected of him in more serious cricket. Charles Edward Dolling (born at Wokurua, September 4th, 1886: height 5ft. 7Jin., weight 10 st. 7ilbs.), however, played capi­ tally at times, and averaged 47’00 —fhe has a great defence, and the coolness of a veteran,—whilst Gehrs, owing mainly to a double hundred (148* and 100*) against Western Australia at Fremantle, improved immensely upon his doings in England last year. An interesting feature of the 1905-6 season was the visit, under the leadership of J. J. Lyons, of a team from South Australia to Western Australia. Cricket in the latter State has, at least so far as England is con­ cerned, always been of a somewhat uncertain quality, but in the two games they played against the visitors they performed with distinct credit, winning one game and drawing the other. In Robert Selk they possess a very accomplished right-handed bowler, somewhat similar in style to M’ Kibbin ; he breaks both ways, varies his pace and flight admirably, and is said by good j udges to be one of the best bowlers out in Australia at the present time—his club record is certainly a splendid one—but, as he is already 35 years old, one can scarcely expect him to work his way into international cricket. The South Australians spoke in very high terms indeed of Ernest Parker, who scored 76 and 116 against them in the inter-State match at Fremantle, and who hits well all round the wicket. In style he is said to resemble Trumper. Whether, however, he is destined to play an important part in Australian cricket, or whether an estimate of his skill will, in future years, be based solely upon the performance just referred to, time alone can decide. The present strength of Aus­ tralian cricket is certainly great, and there can be little doubt, if any, that, were the Commonwealth to place their strongest side in the field to-day, it would be quite forty per cent, stronger than the team which visited us last year. The Anglo-African campaign of 1905-6 will, in all probability, prove a red-letter mark in the annals of South African cricket. It is true that the M.C.C. team in no way represented the full strength of England, but that it was a strong side none the less, and, moreover, one which was considered sufficiently powerful to win the rubber in the Test matches, must be acknowledged. It cannot be denied that during the past few years the game in South Africa has advanced immensely, and that, if the improvement is maintained, the time will very soon arrive when Englishmen will experience as much difficulty in defeating the South Africans as they do the Australians. But there is neither need for panic nor reason to fear that our cricketal supremacy is in danger, for what the Colonials accomplished on their own wickets against a non-representative team, they would find difficult to repeat in this country when opposed to the pick of English cricketers. The South Africans performed admirably in the recent series of matches, and have fully earned the right to expect three Test games to be included in their programme on the occasion of their next visit to this country. How unusual was the treatment experienced by the M.C.C. in their most important fixtures will be apparent from the appended short table which shows at a glance the R esu lts of T est M a tc h es p l a y e d b y E n g l ish T eam s in S ou th A f r ic a . Team. Matches Played. Won by England. Won by South Africa. Major Wharton’s, 2 2 0 1888-89 ................. Mr. W. W. Read’s, 1 1 0 1891-92 ................. Lord Hawke’s 1st, 3 3 0 1895-96 ................. Lord Hawke’s 2nd, 2 2 0 1898-99 ................. M.C.O.’s 1st, 1905-06... 5 1 4 Totals .......... 13 9 4 A curious incident occurred during South Africa’s first innings in the third Test at Johannesburg. It will be remembered that every player reached double figures, the lowest score being 10 by R. O. Schwarz, and the total reaching 385. Whilst G. C. White, A. D. Nourse, L. J. Tancred and J. H. Sinclair were batting, a spider spun its web at the top of one of the wickets. One South African paper represented two spiders in the midst of the web, just below the bails, and reported the following conversation :— S he : “ But isn’t this a dangerous place to make love in? ” H e : “ Ikona, my sweetheart, South Africa is batting.” —a pleasing little fable which will in future doubtless be often quoted as synchronising with the commencement of a new erain South African annals. “ In another place ” of the present issue a reproduction is given of an old painting, in a remarkable state of preservation, and dated 1761, representing a match played at Bem- bridge, in the Isle of Wight. The canvas is to be sold at Christie’s this month, and all cricketers will hope that it will pass into the possession of the M.C.C., and so have a permanent resting-place at Lord’s. The late Charles Box, in his English Game of Cricket (London, 1877) refers to this picture in the following words (p. 187):—“ Not many years ago a gentleman, living in the neighbourhood of Brighton, found it necessary to have his house put into thorough order, and during the process a ‘ lot of lumber ’ which had been stowed away and left undisturbed for—figura­ tively speaking—an age, got disturbed. Among other things, a piece of canvas, on a somewhat ricketty frame, and which had suffered from the Vandalism of a coarse whitewash brush and other barbarities, was brought into prominence. By a judicious experiment of cleansing, a beautiful picture of a cricket match, dated 1761, revealed itself. Yes, a real picture, painted more than one hundred years ago, and painted so well that all else of the kind that has yet come to light are trifles in comparison. It contains more than 200 figures, admirably grouped and artistically finished, which, with the landscape, present a perfect idyl on canvas. *The scene is said to represent Bembridge Down, near Brading ; the booths, spectators, and the general surroundings are just what may be seen at the present day. The figures will bear any amount of examina­ tion, and many of them appear as fresh as when they left the easel. The disposition of the fielders—and the width between wickets may be open to adverse criticism ; neverthe­ less, as a whole, the picture affords striking evidence of care in the choice of rich and desirable pigments, deep thought in their application, and great skill in the elaboration of every particular, however minute.” The Isle of Wight County Club, it may be added, was not formed until early in 1902. Congratulations are due to “ W.G.” for his innings of 120 at the Palace on Saturday last for London County against Kensington. A friend who took part in the match told me that the “ Old Man’s ” display was in every way a capital one, and that he would not be surprised were he to top the hundred several times during the season. The champion certainly appeared very fit when we shook hands at the Oval a fortnight ago. The present season, be it remembered, is his fiftieth, his first recorded match having been for West Gloucestershire v. Bedminster, at Rodway Hill, in 1857, when he carried out his bat for 3. A quotation from Coriolanusy i., 4— “ A carbuncle entire, as big as thou art, Were not so rich a jewel.” —would serve as an appropriate motto for our ever-youthful champion. P.S.—Owing to an oversight, a curious circumstance was not mentioned in the con­ cluding portion of the article on “ Cricket Bats” in last week’s issue. It should have been stated that G. Gibson, who made 41 (top-score) for Victoria v. New South Wales, at Melbourne, in March-April, 1872, was, in consequence, presented with a silver-mounted bat, made from the willow of a tree grown in his own garden. The same player in the following match—at Sydney, in February- March, 1873—obtaineda silver cup for making 32 and 15 not out. Gibson was one of the comparatively few bearded men to participate in first-class cricket. In the Australian Sketcher of January 24th, 1874,’ a full-page picture appeared showing him keeping wicket whilst “ W.G.” was batting. *Bembridge is a village and watering-place situated at the eastern extremity of Brading, a parish of 10,000 acres. Brading is seven miles E.S.E. of New­ port. C RIOKET Report Sheets, lOd. per dozen, post free Order of Going-in Oards, 7d. per dozen, post free; Oricket Score Books, 6d. and Is. each; postage 2d. extra—To be obtained at the Offices of “ Oricket,” 168, Upper Thames Street, London, E.O.