Cricket 1906

THE FINEST BAT THE WORLD PRODUCES J uly 12, 1906. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 259 BUSSEY’S * - eo P O H (0 BUSSEY’S AT THE SIGN OF THE W ICKET. B y F . S . A bhlby -C o o pbb . It is no exaggeration to state that, if nothing of note occurs during the rest of the summer, the season of 1906 will always be remembered on account of Fielder’s wonder­ ful bowling at Lord’s on Monday last. No other cricketer had ever before obtained all ten wickets in an innings of a Gentleman v. Players’ match, and that the feat should be performed by a person making his first appearance in the contest, andin the centenary match, will combine to make the game historical. Furthermore, he met with his success whilst John Gunn, Haigh, Lees and Rhodes were on at the other end, and had three chances—all offered by Foster—missed off him. A certain amount of luck must always attach to the feat of taking all ten wickets in an innings, but Fielder is, none the less, deservedly entitled to the greatest credit for his wonderful and unique accomplishment. Where he has succeeded greater bowlers have failed, for suchmen as David Harris, William Lillywhite, Redgate, Hillyer, Morley and Spofforth—to mention only a few names— never succeeded in obtaining all the wickets in an innings of a great match, whilst Mead, of Essex, although he twice took as many as 17 in a match, on each occasion claimed eight in one innings and nine in the other. Fielder’s performance reminds one that, at the Oval in 1859, Mr. V. E. Walker took all ten wickets of Surrey for England at a cost of 74 runs, with Jackson and Bickley bowling from the other end, and also had the not out batsman missed oft him. Hinkly, when he obtained all the wickets in an innings for Kent against England, at Lord’s, in 1848, had Martingell, Alfred Mynn, Hillyer and C. Harenc on the same side, but whether they all bowled it is impossible to state as no analysis has been preserved. A glance through the scores of matches which have taken place between the Gentlemen and the Players reveals the fact that on only eight previous occasions had a bowler taken as many as ten wickets whilst making his first appearances in the match. Appended is a short table showing brief particulars of the successful performances:— Wkts. Huns. Year. D. Buchanan, at the Oval Warrants, F. H., at Lord’s Fielder, A., at Lord's ... Gunn, J., at the Oval ... N. A. Knox, at Lord’s ... LiUywhite, W., at Lord’s P. H. Morton, at the Oval H. Pigg, at Hastings ... S. M. J. Woods, at Lord’s 1 for 29 * 9 n 82 I 8 n 94) 2 59 f 4 n 65 i 6 23 i 10 90* 4 131 f 5 73) 6 61 i 5 n 731 7 n 110 i 8 »» * j 6 ” * 6 50 i 6 41 i 4 u 57 1 7 65 j 5 49 5 1) 27 j . 1896 tl870 . 1906 . 1900 1906 . *1829 . 1880 . 1889 . 1888 At the age of 38. t His only appearance; aged 34. * No analysis preserved. As a given man to the Gentlemen, he helped to dismiss the Players for 24 and 37. The late Mathew Kempson, on his first appearance for the Gentlemen—at Lord’s in 1853— bowled unchanged through both innings of the Players with Sir Frederick Bathurst, whose twentieth match it was, whilst at Lord’s, in 1871, George Freeman, on the only occasion upon which he played against the Gentlemen, performed the hat- trick at the expense of W . H. Hadow, Arthur Appleby and 8. E, Butler. Fielder’s success was so pronounced as to overshadow every­ thing else seen in the game, but Knox’s bowling and Spooner’s second innings were both of a very high standard, being worthy even of so historic an occasion, and higher praise than that it would be impossible to bestow. From the short table given above it will be seen that no amateur had ever before performed so well as Knox in his debut for the Gentlemen. Fielder’s recent success recalls to mind a notable feat he performed in a small match in Kent three years ago, when, for St. Lawrence v. St. Peter’s, Thanet, at St. Peter’s, on May 23rd, he took five wickets in five balls, seven in eight, and altogether, nine in thirteen. Last week’s University match was full of interest frum the time M. W . Payne com­ menced his hurricane hitting until the pro­ longed stand between Martin and Curwen at the end of the second innings of Oxford terminated. That the better side won can scarcely be doubted, for throughout the season the form shown by the Light Blues had been of a much higher standardthan that of their opponents. The honours of the match presumably belong to Young, on account of his splendid innings of 150, but both Udal and Napier bowled capitally, whilst the wicket-keeping on both sides was above tho average. It was certainly curious that the game should commence by a fresh batting record for the match being set up by Payne, of Cambridge, and terminate by another being established at the very end by Curwen and Martin on behalf of Oxford. Speaking from memory there are very few parallels indeed in the whole history of first- class cricket to Payne’s feat in scoring the whole of the first 45 runs made by his side from the bat. But the following instances can be recalled :— 56 runs out of 56,0. E. De Traftord, Leicester­ shire v. Australians, at Leicester(Madein36mins.) 1905 46 „ „ 46, Bates (WJ, England v. New South Wales, at Sydney. . (On a terribly difficult wicket against Turner and Ferris. Barlow batted over an hour for 0.) February, 1887. 45 „ „ 45, M. W. Payne, Cambs. Univ. v. Oxford Univ., at Lord’s. (Off 7 overs in 15minutes). 1906 44 „ „ 44, A. N. Hornby, Lancashire v. Notts., at Nottingham. 1876 For Gloucestershire v. Sussex, at Bristol, in 1901, Jessop and Rice added 66 together in twenty-eight minutes for the sixth wicket, the whole of the runs being made by the former. It was only to be expected that some criticism would be made concerning the decision of Cambridge to go in again them­ selves in preference to making Oxford follow- on, as well as to the time at which Eyre put the declaration in force. But such criticisms were very few, and, in any case, the Cambridge captain had the satisfaction of knowing that his policy resulted in victory. In another part of this issue an appeal is made by Lord Harris and the Earl of Winter- ton on behalf of Charles Payne— “ A fine old English cricketer, One of the olden time.” Payne was born at East Grinstead, in Sussex, on May 12th, 1832, and is, therefore, now in his seventy-fifth year, Mr. Haygarth, in Scores and Biographies (Vol. 5, p. 326), described himas “ A fine, free, but very steady forward player, having a great reach, besides being a good hitter, and he has made long scores in the best matches; also a splendid field at short-leg, in fact he was considered the ‘ best out ’ at that post.” He played for both Kent and Sussex, and scored as follows