Cricket 1906

6 CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. J an . 25, 1906. ■would became virtually extinct, the play would continue bright and the result remain open to the finish. Bowlers would be encouraged to keep trying to the very end, and the field would be inspired to perpetual alertness. As to the method adopted in awarding a win. Real cricket was mentioned just now, and it is worth while recalling what cricket is. A game played by two sides, of which each in turn tries to defend its wickets and get runs, whilst the other is endeavouring to get the wickets and prevent runs. The preservation of wickets and prevention of runs are as much a part of the game, it must be remembered, asthe dismissing of opponents and accretion of scores. If, then, the award were given either to the side scoring most runs (as some might propose) or losing fewest wickets (which is just as reasonable), encouragement would be given to a game which is not cricket. In the one case a premium would be put on batting only. A team of eleven crack cane wielders would get more runs in 180 overs than the best balanced team in the world could ever hope to equal. In the other event, the goose- game would become supreme; the inside would have no object but to “ keep their ends up,” which is as certainly not the whole of cricket. But to decide the award by the proportion of runs acquired to wickets lost in equal terms of batting would be to deal fairly and promote every purpose of the game. What the provision of this award would mean in diminishing the number of drawn games some figures will show. In the three seasons 1903-4-5, out of 476 games com­ menced, 173 were left unfinished. Of these drawn games, 39 lasted for upwards of 360 overs, and, under the suggested Law, would have been actually finished (some played out, the rest awarded) in less time. Forty others lasted so long over 300 overs that they could no doubt have been also slightly prolonged and completed, whilst the suspension rnle would probably have enabled another 20 of the shorter (jrawn games to be settled. So that, under the proposed scheme, the draws would have been reduced from 173 to 74, and the finished games increased from 303 to 402. Clause 1 E would prevent the award of victory from going to a side on the strength of its strongest batsmen only. When Jones and Jackson and Jessop were out, the inn­ ings could not be declared, and Jackson and Jessop and Jones came in again to amass a grand average per wicket. Nor could Foozle and Funk and Fritter retire unwell, or be accidentally absent, or forfeit their innings under Law 45 (three courses that always seem to render the closure superfluous) without their side suffering a corresponding debit of ducks’ eggs. The tail would have to go in and wag as well as the superior members, and the power of the whole animal be adjudged from a consideiation of its entirety. By this means the distressful bowler would come by a bit of his own that the closure has gone far to deprive him of, and bagging the tail-end wickets after pegging away for hours mayhap, with a great heart but little success against the batsmen who lay foundations, would give him a fillip that might restore something like the lost equality between batting and bowling. Under exception [a) it will be noted a side completing its first innings in less than 60 overs may not commence its second innings before the opponents have been in. But, thereafter, the innings may be practically continuous. Thus a side not all out in its first portion of play would resume the innings in its second portion and then, after the cus­ tomary interval, proceed with its second innings, so long as the two instalments did not exceed its apportioned allowance of 60 overs. This method of batting alternately for equal spells would obviate the use both of the closure and follow-on; hence their sug­ gested elision from the laws. Now, having expounded the reform, let us imagine that, by some fortunate happening, some 6uch laws as those adumbrated above have been entered upon the statutes at Lord’s. For an inkling of how those laws are working, let us clip this page out of the book of Wisden for 190x. BIGSHIRE v. LITTLESEX. Played at Turnham Hall Over, Monday , Tuesday , Wednesday , June 31, 32, 33.—A capital match, exemplifying the value of the new regulations. Bigshire won the toss, and, going in first on a slow wicket, had lost seven wickets for 180 runs when, their portion of overs having expired, the innings was sus­ pended. Littlesex gave a poor display, being all out for 128 in 47 overs, so that Bigshire had another 13 overs at the wicket. These sufficed to finish the first innings and to put up 10 in the second without loss. On Tuesday, Smyte and Holdard continued in possession till the second allotment closed, having carried the total to 108 for no wicket. Littlesex did better at their second attempt, scoring 162 for 3 wickets ere the suspension law came into operation. Before Bigshire could continue their second innings a storm broke over the ground. Further play being impossible, 13 extra overs had to be allowed for next day, and the captains agreed to start at 11 o’clock, so as to avoid prolonging play in the afternoon, in case of the match having to be decided by award. On Wednesday the wicket played, unex­ pectedly, easily, but, in spite of some vigorous hitting by Spritely, Bigshire added only 156 for the loss of three men before completing their third and final portion. Littlesex had now to get 169 without further loss to be on an equality, and the fact that they must not only keep in but get runs, made the game more lively. Mr. Slogg and Stiffen were soon out, and put their side still further behind, but then, in spite of the fine quality of the bowling and fielding opposed to them, Mr. Freeze and Padd kept together till the end, and raised the total to 416 for 5 wickets by some splendid batting. Thir­ teen extra overs had to be added to the last portion of Littlesex, in order to arrive at the award, and these provided perhaps the best cricket of the match, Littlesex laying about to secure what proved to be the winning margin of runs, whilst Lord Lashabout changed his bowling with judgment, and tried every expedient to effect a parting, as another wicket down would have transferred victory to his side. Games like this have led to a renewal of cricket’s popularity, and the huge attendance that witnessed this match each day were rewarded by witnessing a sturdy encounter in which the odds of victory trembled in the balance from start to finish. At the close, as the surging crowd were besieging the pavilion, one could not help conjuring up the tame finish that would have resulted under former conditions, one side probably running up a superabundant score against a spiritless attack, and then “ declaring” when too late to be effective. The other side, in its turn, playing stolidly to avoid being beaten, with its eleven opponents acting the part of bored spectators at the hollow ceremony, until released from further attendance (along with any audience that might have been present) by that former arbiter and bugbear of the game— The Clock. M atch awarded to Littlesex for scoring more runs than Bigshire, per w icket, after playing 180 overs each. B igshire . First innings. Second innings. Mr. G. J. Smyte c Padd b Shooter ........................64 b Twist ............75 W. Holdard b Mutchley ... 9runout ...........34 J. Blockwell b Shooter ... 7not out.................. 42 H. Goodfield c Freeze b T w ist..........................................................................21 Mr. Monketric st Padd b Stiffen......................................................................... 10 Lord Lashabout c and b Mutchley ...................................................................17 D. Glover st Padd b Stiffen 37 run out ............ 9 G. O. Spritely not out ...15 notout.................. 94 F. Lobb b Stiffen......................................................... 6 Mr. L. B. W. Trundle c and b Stiffen ................................................................ 1 H. I. Bumper b Twist ... 0 B 5, w 1, nb 2 .......... 8 Byes ..........10 Total ......................................................... 195Total...264 L ittlesex . First innings. Second innings. Mr. A. L.O. Cane b Bumper 0 c and b Lobb ... 35 W. G. Keeping not out ..50 b Trundle....... 22 Mr. S. L. O. Potter b Bum­ per......................................12 cGoodfieldbLobb 40 Mr. U. Slogg c Spritely b Trundle ........................ 4 c and b Trundle. 78 Mr. C. B. Freeze, retired hurt ............................... 7 notout..............143 L. O. Shooter c Glover b Bumper ........................ 3 Twist b Bumper.................12 H. Padd c Trundle b Bum­ per...................................... 0 notout...............89 E. V. Roller run out ..........11 Stiffen b Bumper................. 1 b Trundle......... 3 Mr. N. B. Wyld-Mutchley b Bumper ........................18 B 5, lb 3, nb 2 ..........10 B 4, w 2 ... 6 Total .................128 Total ...416 A U ST R A L IAN NOTES. The following notes are by an Austra­ lian correspondent who thoroughly understands the game :— E. F. Waddy, who is known to his friends as “ Mick,” is a most gifted batsman. Formerly, he used to stand at the wicket after the manner of Trumper, but now he stoops (also to conquer) somewhat. A beautiful bat to watch, he makes his strokes all round the wicket, his on-drive being as powerful as his off-drive ; he is also particu­ larly clever in forcing the ball to leg. The critics in the southern states praised his bat- ,ing last year, but they never saw him going properly—he was playing for a place in the Australian eleven. In club cricket he reminds one very much of Victor Trumper. He stands about 5 ft. 10 in., and is very thin. At the time of selecting the last Australian Eleven he was, in my opinion, not “ fit” enough to go through an English tour. As a wicket-keeper he is not in the same class as Carter, whose form during the past two seasons has been marvellous—quite up to the Blackham standard. Carter is somewhat acrobatic in his movements. “ Sunny Jim” Mackay is a naturally gifted player. H is footwork is rather defec­ tive, but he israpidly improving. In making the clip past point I have seen him throw his left leg back, i.e., bring his chest facing the bowler, with the inevitable result of a stroke made under such conditions. He has another weakness. Like all great batsmen, his best stroke is his weak point, for the ball has to be pitched very wide of the off-stump to pre­ vent Mackay from hooking it to leg. In the interstate matches and local games last season he “ edged ” the ball several times into his wicket in attempting this stroke.