Cricket 1906

186 CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. J d n k 1 , 1906. have had a more interesting experience than when they were dismissed for 9 last Saturday at York by Leeds Springfield. The score of the innings is as follows:— Y orkshire G entlem en . H. P. Marriott, c Hare, b Barrett................. 0 Major Raitt, b 'Whitta­ ker ........................ 0 W. Y. Woodbum, b Whittaker .......... 4 Capt. Robertson, b W h ittak er ............. 1 E. M. Lawson-Smith, b Whittaker ......... 0 Capt. Barstow,run out 0 J. M. Dawson, b Whit- B. White, b Barrett... V. A. Jackson, not out ........................ Capt. Barlow, c Whit­ taker, b Barrett ... B. Neame, absent ... Extras .......... Total ......... A glatcce through the averages which appeared on Monday shows that up to Saturday no batsman bad scored a thousand runs, but that Hayward had made 854, Hobbs 650, and Hirst 555. No one else except Hayes (404) had made over four hundred. Hayward is the only man who has as yet played an innings of two hundred this season. In bowling, Hirst, and N. A. Knox are the only men who had taken over fifty wickets. From the Daily Telegraph :— A good many people seem to imagine that the game should be played entirely for the crowd, or, in other words, that it is a spectacle pure and simple. This view is, of course, far from the true one. Inspiriting as is the presence of a crowd, cricket is just as great a game when watched by 600 people as by 20,000. A ll its fine points would be lost & nothing were considered beyond the desire of the spectators for constant excitement. It is a mere truism to say that cricket, with a match in fine weather lasting three days, cannot always be at the same tension as an hour and a half’s football. There must, in the nature of things, be quiet periods which impatient modern critics invariably describe as dull. T o those who really know and love the game, some of these quiet times, when the bowling is particularly good, afford the keenest enjoyment. T h e Bank Holiday crowd at Leyton on Monday was one of the largest ever seen on the Essex county ground, and it would not have been easy to find room for many more people. Only in the pavilion was there a vacant seat here and there. Doubtless the popularity of the Gloucestershire team had something to do with the size of the crowd, but the return of Mead to the Essex team has given unbounded satis­ faction, and the eleven seems to have im­ proved all round, even in fielding, so that the future success of the club seems assured. S c e n e : County ground at Layton on Bank Holiday. Gloucestershire have made 173 and McGahey has just been bowled before a run has been scored for Essex. First spectator: “ That’s a bit sad, ain’t it ? ” Second spectator: “ Cheerup. There’s better things in store.” First spectator: “ I dunno. We haven’t Baved the follow-on yet.” T h e fielding of Gloucestershire on Monday, more especially in the country, was brilliant, and many a hard drive which with most county teams would have reached the boundary were con­ verted into singles or twos. Jessop must surely have stood at extra cover farther away from the wicket than any one else has ever done, and yet nobody ventured to run to him, however slowly the ball might be going. Once, 8 ‘range to say, he let the ball go between his legs, and the crowd applauded, not in tbe least ironically, but merely because Essex had scored a most unexpected two by the hit. T he veterans, K. E. Burn and C. J. Eady, who will both be well remembered in connection with previous Australian visits, still retain a good deal of the resource whioh gave them their reputations, the former as a bat, the latter as an all all-round cricketer. In the batting averages of the season just over in South Tasmania, Bum was fourth with an aggregate of 590 for thirteen and Eady sixth with 581 for fourteen completed innings. Eady, in addition, took the largest number of wickets (69), having bowled in all 1,766 balls for 788 runs. Burn and Eady, by the way, are also conspicuous in football work, for I notice their recent appointment as goal umpires in connection with the South Tasmanian Football Association. C r io k e te b s of every class will be delighted to see Major Poore in first- class cricket again, and, to judge by his double score this week for Hamphire v. Derbyshire, in his best vein for run-getting. What a variety artist as an athlete he is, by the way. Only on Saturday last he registered apopular and well-deBerved triumph as the best man- at-arms at the Naval and Military Tournament. His record there was a double first in Lemon Cutting and Sword v. Lance, and third prize in Sword v. Sword. T h e Adelaide Chronicle of May 5th gives a brief account of the meeting of the Victorian Cricket Association, at which the Melbourne Club formally notified its withdrawal from that body. The chief business had been to consider a letter from the South Australian Associa­ tion explaining the position it had taken up with regard to the Board of Control for International Matches. It is hardly necessary to repeat the objections of the South Australians, though in the letter in question they took exception only to the provision that teams goingto England should be financed by the Board of Control instead of by the players them­ selves. A MOTION:— “ That thisassociation regrets that it cannot agree to the words ‘ if necessary, ’ before the word ‘ finance,’ in the objectB of the Board of Control on the ground that the alteration will effect one of the most import­ ant principles of the hoard.” was carr ed by 11 votes to 9. As a consequence of this resolution, Air. McLaughlin, who is, if I remember rightly, aVice-President of theMelbourne Club, said the M.C.C. could no longer retain its membership of the association. A n o t h e r professional cricketer of the good old type has just passed away. I happened to be actively in touch with Joseph Potter, who died in his native town of Northampton on Saturday, during his short career in first-class cricket. He was engaged at the Oval in the middle of the seventies, and, when qualified by residence, was tried for Surrey, for which county he did good service later on. He was already old, from a cricketer’s standpoint, when, in 1875, he first appeared for Surrey, being then thirty-six years of age. Then unsuc­ cessful, he did not reappear till 1879, and, indeed, his connection with Surrey cricket practically extended over a period of only three years, from 1879 to 1881. Still, he was of great service, particularly iu 1880, when he bore the brunt of the bowling with Blamires. A good right- handed bowler of medium pace, he had an excellent length, and kept the bats­ man continually playing. A cheery and conscientious worker, he was always to be relied upon to do his very best for the side. Latterly things had not gone well with him, though a fund raised for him in Northampton a year or two ago no doubt relieved him of a good deal of anxiety. In 1871 he played a few times for Kent, whilst he had also appeared for Northants. In consequence of play being sd fre­ quently suspended on appeals against the light, the Committee of the M.C.C. have, acccording to presumably an official pronouncement, decided that the follow­ ing rule shall now prevail: “ The umpires may decide upon appeal from the captains, they having disagreed, that there is not sufficient light for play.” It will be seen that the new rule is more specific, iu that it is no longer possible for the batsmen to appeal direct to the umpires, but it is open to doubt whether the change will be any real improvement on the old system. As a matter of fact, it would be quite easy to point to possible, one might indeed almost say probable, difficulties. ------ T h o u g h the seaBon is now only just a month old, Hayward’s second score of 100 for Surrey v. Notts, yesterday brought his aggregate into four figures. In this respect he is an easy first, as he has far outdistanced all other competitors, having scored 1,098 runs in sixteen com­ pleted innings. His double hundred of this week, I may add, is not the first recorded to his bat. He did that in 1904, at Brighton, when he scored 106 and 112 for Surrey v. Sussex. F OR SALE.—Valuable Cricket Books.—Set of Scores and Biographies, 14 Vols., 1744 to 1878, price £10; Wisden’s Cricketer’s Almanack, complete set, 1864 to 1906,price £10; Fred Lillywhite’s Guide, complete set, 1849 to 1866, price £9; John Lilly­ white’s Companion, complete set, 1865to 1885, £ 2 10s.; set of Cricket, Vols. 1 to 24, price £9; Duplicates of Wisden’s Cricketers’ Almanack for 1865,’67,’68,’69, ’70, ’71, ’72, *73, ’76, cheap; also many rare books, including Love’s Poem, 1770, Lillywhite’s “ Illus­ trated Hand-Book of Cricket,” 1844, 1st Edition (4 copies), “ Felix on the Bat” (1st Edition), Lord Charles Russell’s “ Recollections of Cricket,” etc., etc.—Address, C rickbtana , c / o Mi. A. J. Gaston, Preston, Brighton ;