Cricket 1907

132 CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. M ay 16, 1907. Full details of the construction of the Demon=Drivers and other information of interest to GricKeters, w ill be found in the booKlet entitled The Evolution of a Cricket Bat, which may be obtained upon application, and from which the following extracts are taK en: — D OI'BTLESS buyers frequently wonder why it is that gome bats are sold as low as 5d., while others cannot be bought for less than 27s. 6d., both being made of similar material. The reason is very simple. The higher-priced bats, which must relatively be few in number, have to provide for the loss incurred in manufacturing the lower- priced bats, which are necessarily numerous. The figures here given approximately show the proportions of the various grades for 1,000 bats. They are based upon the average results produced in the ordinary course of manufacture. First or Best Division. 1st grade 2nd grade 3rd grade 4th grade 20 50 100 150 Second or Common Division. 5th grade Lower grades 250 430 1,000. It will thus be seen that the manufacturer who intends to meet the ever-increasing demand for rtally good cricket bats must carry an enormous stock of timber. The stock held by Geo. G. Bussey & Co., Ltd., represents 100,000 bats. The question is sometimes asked why the “ Demon Drivers” are not more associated with the names of leading cricketers. It may be said, without presumption, that the answer involves a question of ethics which it is rot intended to enter into beyond mentioning the fact that Geo. G. Bussey & Co., Ltd. (or their predecessors, Geo. G. Bussey & Co.) have never published a testi­ monial relating to a cricket bat not purchased and paid for in the ordinary way of business. Cricketers all over the world are informed that orders for Bussey’s goods should be placed with Dealers on the spot. Their manufactures are graded according to a properly devised system, which provides for cricketers purchasing from the dealers in the provinces or colonies receiving the same selection as if sent direct from the Factory, which is the largest and most up-to-date for the manufacture of Requisites for Sports and Games. GEO, G, BUSSEY & CO., LTD., 36 & 38, Queen Victoria St., LONDON. Manufactory : , Timber Mills: PECKHAM, S.E. ELMSWELL, SUFFOLK. A T T H E S IG N OF T H E W IC K E T . By F . S. A shlby -C oopbr . The proceeds of the match between Middle­ sex and Somerset which commences at Lord’s on Monday next are to be set apart as a benefit for Albert Trott, who is now taking part in his twelfth season in England. He first came into note by his performances against Mr. A. E. Stoddart’s team in Aus­ tralia in 1894-5, when, in the eleven a-side matches he scored 331 runs, and, with four not-outs to help him, averaged 66, whilst as a bowler he came out fourth, his nineteen wickets costing 24 runs each. In the Test match at Adelaide his all-round success was astonishing, seeing that he scored 38 not out and 72 not out and took eight wickets in the second innings of England for 43 runs. Lika Joko celebrated the achievement as follows:— THE KANGAROO TO MR. STODDART. You didn’t expect it, my sonny ? Yet, truly, complain you must not; For you wanted “ a run ” for your money, And, complying, we gave you A. Trott. After his brilliant performances it was regarded in this country as a certainity that he would visit us as a member of the Austra­ lian team of 1896, but for some reason, which has never been properly explained, he was passed over. He came to England that year, however, with the idea of qualifying for Middlesex, and was at once given a place on the ground-staff at Lord’s. In 1897 he bowled extremely well in the comparatively few first-class matches he was able to play in, and in the following year, when his qualifica­ tion for Middlesex was completed, took 104 wickets for the County at a cost of just under 18 runs each. In all first-class matches in which he participated in 1899 he scored 1,175 runs and took 239 wickets, whilst in the following year his figures were 1,337 and 211 respectively. These two seasons saw him at his best, and although he has not since once succeeded in making over a thousand runs and taking more than two hundred wickets in a single year, he has always been recognised as one of the chief all-round players in the country. When he is at his best there are few, if any, players more interesting to watch, whether in the field, at the wicket, or at the bowling-crease. The following two short tables will show at a glance for which sides he has made his runs and taken his wickets in first-class matches in England. (a).-BATTING AVERAGES. . o S a5 § o | a ® » 2 3 § For. £ $ Eng. (v. Kent & Sussex) ... 4... 1...102 .. 142...47*33 England (v. Yorkshire) ... 2... 0... 1... 1... -50 England XI. (v. Australia) .. 2... 0... 17... 26...13*00 London County ................. 6... 1... 33... 85...17*00 M.C.C. and Ground ..........127... 6... 75...2340...19*33 Middlesex ........................250...24...164.. 5015...22*19 Players (v. Australians) ... 2... 0... 6... 7... 3*50 Players (v. Gentlemen) ... 17... 2... 44... 215...14*33 Players of South................. -J... 0... 17... 23...11*50 South (v. North) ................. 4... 0... 75... 95...23*75 South (v. South Africans)... 2... 0... 12... 12... 6*00 Thornton’s X I . Mr. C. I. ... «... 1... 58... 179...22*37 Webbe’s XI., Mr. A. J. ... 5... 0... 24... 27... 5*40 Totals ................ 432...35...164.. 8167...20*57 (b ).—BOWLING AVERAGES. For. Balls. Mdns. Runs. Wks.Av. Eng. (v. Kent & Ssx.)... 330... 11... 195... 3...65*00 England v. Yorkshire 370... 12... 187... 14.. 13*35 Eng. XI. (v. Austr’lins) 240... 10... 168... 3...56*00 London County......... 907... 41... 463... 21...22*04 M.C.C. and Ground ...13132... 566. 6985...370...18*87 Middlesex .................35101...1626...16812...802 . 20*96 Players (v.Australians) 102.. .1.. 51... 2...25*50 For. Balls. Mdns. Runs. Wks. Av Players (v. Gentlemen) 2169... 78... 1271... 41...31*00 Players of South... ... 265... 10... 119... 10...11*90 South (v.North).......... 468... 10... 335... 6...55*83 South (v. S. Africans) 126 .. 7... 63... 3 ..21*00 Thornton’sXL.Mr.C.l. 1128... 55... 636... 21...30*28 Webbe’s XL, Mr. A. J. 1099... 63... 556... 23...24*17 Totals.......... 55140...2490.. 27841..1319...21*10 His highest score—164—was played for Mid­ dlesex against Yorkshire, at Lord’s, in 1899> the year in which he drove a ball from Noble over the Marylebone Pavilion. In the follow­ ing season, in the Middlesex v. Somerset match at Taunton, he took all ten wickets in the latter’s first innings at a cost of but 42 runs. May his benefit be a success ! During the past week there have been two very curious instances of slow scoring, Sir Arthur Grey Hazlerigg carrying out his bat for a single after being at the wicket for 40 minutes, and Major H. M. Barnes scoring three not out at Lord’s in an hour, during the first three-quarters of which he failed to make a run. Tom Walker, Mr. Haygarth, ^cotton, Hall, and Alec Bannerman were laborious plodders on occasion,but it seems that present- day cricket can boast as skilful exponents of the goose game as there have ever been before. One of the most remarkable of the stone­ walling fraternity was the late General Pierrepoint Henry Mundy, of the Royal Artillery. The following concerning him appears in Bolland’ s Cricket Notes :— Captain Mundy has reminded us of an anecdote of which we here risk the insertion. In a match at Lord’s immediately before the one we have just recorded,* the gallant captain took a bet of twenty to one that he went in first and scored more than the rest of his side put together. He went to the wicket and remained there during the whole of the innings, scoring 25 not out; and this was the total amount obtained by the Eleven, for the other ten wickets fell for a round 0 each. We have told this quaint story at this period, because the success of Captain Mundy induced him to accept the same bet i,n the second innings of Gentlemen and Players — Captains should be bold — and in spite of the science of a Mynn, Felix, Ponsonby, and Grimston, he thought he had a chance of out-scoring them. He remained at the wicket for four hours, manfully assisting Felix in his brilliant innings [88]; and although he did not accomplish his task, he assures us that had he not been suddenly dazzled by a bright glare of sun falling upon the snowy whiteness of Fenner’s linen shirt, he might have been successful. As it was, this hero of the Artillery fell a victim to the cleanly habits of the Cambridge bowler. The Captain, in fact, was bowled as well as bold, for the score-sheet reads :—“ P. Mundy, Esq., b Fenner, 6.” For Royal Artillery v. Officers of the Guards, at Lord’s, in 1841, he scored 9 and 28, carrying out his bat on each occasion, going in first wicket down in the first innings and seeing the whole side out in the second. Recent events lead one to believe that Surrey will this season enjoy no small measure of success. The batting is reliable down to the ninth man, and with Crawford, Knox, Lees, and Smith in the side there should be no difficulty 80 far as obtaining wickets is concerned, whilst, now that Martyn has retired, the County probably possesses in Strudwick the finest wicket-keeper in the country. Both Hayward and Hobbs have given evidence of being in form, whilst the presence in the side of Marshal strengthens the team in all departments of the game. The latter has not yet had a perfect wicket to bat upon, but should we be blessed with a fine summer we shall doubtless be treated to many long scores from his bat. Although Hayward and Hobbs have been playing together for a couple of seasons only, they have already indulged in a dozen three-figure partnerships for Surrey’s first wicket:— 208, Hayward (135) and Hobbs (79), v. Leicester­ shire, at the Oval......................................1906 178, Hayward (143) and Hobbs (73), v. Leicester­ shire, at Leicester ...............................1906 ♦Gentlemen v. Players, 1842.