Cricket 1907

138 CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. M a y 16, 1907. 1and (109 and 165) by an innings and 381 runs. The total of 655 is stated to be a record for Queensland, and no apology need therefore be made for reproducing the score in Cricket :— R. Hartigan, c Wilkinson, b Broomfield 130 G. Brown, b Broomfield ........................ 31 W . B. Bayes, c and b W ilkinson.......... (17 E. R. Crouch, c Ryan, b O’B rien.......... 117 T. B, Fannce, b Wilkinson ................. 1 J. F. Shepherd. Ihw. b Boreham .......... 19 W . .T. Lewis, c Donahro, b Kellaway ... 57 W . T. Evans, b Broomfield ................. 131 J. Thomson, not o u t ............................... 43 J. W. Maclaren, b Broomfield................. 2 M. F. McCaffrey, c Donahoo, b Broom­ field ..................................................... 23 B 19, lb 15 ..................... 34 Total .......... 655 Wickets iell: 61, 232, 235, 236, 216, 387, 541, 601, 619, 655. T h e introduction to this country of foreign-made cricket balls is given by the masters of the Kent cricket ball industry as one of the reasons for reluctantly putting a low-class or cheap article on the market. It will be no excuse, however, comments the Evening Standard , for third man to put a soft one on the carpet. M. W. P a y n e , this year’s Cambridge captain, has already given ample—I almost said striking—evidence of being in form. In the Trial Match which ended on Saturday last he scored 61 and 76, whilst on Monday he played an innings of 129 against the Lancashire bowling. Three years ago, whilst still a Freshman, his wicket-keeping gained him a place in the Gentlemen v. Players match at Lord’s, but he now devotes practically all his attention to batting with the result that he has developed into one of the most brilliant hitters of the day. His batting in last year’s ’Varsity match, when he scored 64 out of 73 in half-an-hour, claiming all the first 45 runs made from the bat in 15 minutes, can seldom, if ever, have been excelled in a match of such importance. C. T h o kn eycbo ft , who celebrated his d/but for Northamptonshire, at Catford on Monday, by dismissing A. P. Day with the first ball he delivered, has been identified with League cricket in Lanca­ shire during the last few seasons. He took 51 wickets for Rochdale in 1904 for 16‘39 runs each, and 87 in the following year at a cost of 8'68 apiece. Last season he headed the Central Lancashire League averages with a record of 101 wickets for 717 runs—an excellent performance con­ sidering the class of cricket. I t has been decided to set apart the game between Middlesex and Essex, at Lord’s, on June 3rd, 4th and 5th, as a testimonial match to Mr. J. A. Murdoch, the Assistant-Secret ary to the Maryle- bone and Middlesex County Clubs. He has for some time past been in ill-health. The M.C.C. have headed the subscription list with a donation of £500. T h a t Ranjitsinhji, despite the proba­ bility that he will never again be able to play for Sussex, still retains the greatest interest in the County’s cricket is shown by the fact that the Committee have recently received from him a letter offering a donation of 200 guineas. (Cricketers will agree that it seems natural to associate these figures with his name.) Half the amount will form his first annual subscription, whilst the lemainder will commemorate his in­ stallation to the throne of Jamnagar. A l l who have the welfare of deserving cricketers at heart will be glad to hear that the Cricketers’ Fund Friendly Society have just received through their Secretary, Mr. Harry Luff, a donation of £250 from “ A Friend,” who is understood to be a well-known old University cricketer. The following interesting remarks were contributed by Mr. Alfred D. Taylor to the Sussex Evening Times of|Monday last, the 13th inst:— "Why do we associate the number 13 with all that is unlucky and evil ? From time immemorable thirteen has been dubbed “ the devil’s number,” but, like the wheel, its origination is lost in the mists of antiquity. Superstition is prevalent even in cricket circles. A black cat to cross the path of a cricketer predicts certain disaster to the indi­ vidual. But whatever the forebodings of the community in general, our new Committee have no qualms on the point. To-day is the thirteenth of May, and with it the initial home engagement under the new government of the Sussex County Cricket Club.* The old Committee was confined to three divisions of the County, but our new administration is divided into tbirteeen districts. The annual subscription of country members has been reduced to 10s. 6d., provided the said sub­ scribers live thirteen miles from Brighton, while, following the suggestion made at the Annual General Meeting, Lord Sheffield has inaugurated an association for the promotion of the game by promising a cup and thirteen sovereigns to the winning team. Here is food for reflection to those of a superstitious turn of mind. It was once the writer’ s privilege to belong to a club.limited to thirteenmembers, which rejoicedintheappellation, “ The Devils’ C.C. ” Matches were only indulged in when the thir­ teenth of the month fell upon a Friday. We waited three years for a fine Friday. The fates seemed to pursue us, and the generality of Fridays to fall on the 13th would persist in selecting one of the winter months for the event. Beverting to important cricket, the Sussex eleven was unchanged thirteen times last year, but of those thirteen games only a couple resulted favourably for the county. Yet the number thirteen is not always associated with ill-luck. The most successful season ever experienced hy Sussex was 1905, when the team won thirteen county games ; while the greatest number of centuries scored for that county in a single season was twenty-six (twice thirteen) in 1901. William Lilly - white, by general consent the greatest bowler who has ever lived, and who performed such doughty deeds for Sussex, was born on the 13th of June, 1792. No batsman has yet succeeded in compiling more than thirteen innings of 200 runs or more in first-class cricket, though curiously enough W . G. Grace, K. S. Ranjitsinhji, and C. B. Fry have each succeeded in registering thirteen such scores. The greatest number •Sussex lost by ten wickets.— Ed., Cricket. of centuries scored by a cricketer in first- class cricket (luring a single season is thirteen; C. B. fr y registering thirteen centuries in 1901, and Hayward securing thirteen three- figure scores in 1906. The greatest number of consecutive victories registered in inter­ county cricket is thirteen, Middlesex win­ ning their last seven engagements in 1898 and their first six in 1899. New South "Wales, who have secured the Sheffield Shield for six consecutive seasons, have curiously enough proved successful in their last thirteen games in this competition. Last season was con­ sidered the most exciting of recent years, and it was not until the final game that Kent was certain of the Championship. The pro­ gramme concluded on the 13th of September. Alfred Shaw, who has recently joined the great majority, was the most famous bowler Notts has ever produced, despite the fact that he was the youngest of a family of thirteen ! T he late Senor Anthony Benitez de Lugo, whose death was announced in the last issue of Cricket, died at Pau on March 16th. T he follow ing are some of the latest hundreds:— MAY. 9. H. W. Wheeler, Wanderers v. St. John’s School ..................................................... 100* 9. C. C. G. Wright, Pembroke Coll. v. Caius Coll............................................................... Ill* 9. V. R. Scully, Downing Coll. v. Trinity Hall 122 10. H ayward , S urrey v . E ssex ( at the O val ) 161 10. W hitehead , L eicestershire v. L anca ­ shire ( at L eicester ) ............................... 130* 11. A. E. Earnshaw, Bromley v. Nondescripts 111* 11. C. G. Hill, Bromley v. Nondescripts.......... 128* 11. H. W. French, Catford v. London and West­ minster Bank.............................................. 149* 11. H. B. Hugill, Southgate v. H.A.C............... Ill* 11. — Samms, London and County Bank v. Alleyn ..................................................... 110 11. J. C. Adams, Addlestone v. Bellevue ... 113* 11. C.P.Foley, Butterflies v. Household Brigade 140 11. A. J. Green, Epsom v. Banstead................. 106* 11. Harrison, Corby v. Queen’sWorks (Bedford) 105 11. B. Osbome, R.M.C. v. Old Wykhamists ... 110 11. F. A. Phillips, M.C.C. & G. v. Reigate Hill 132 11. J. Pugh, Swindon v. G.W.R......................... 104 11. W. S. Bolton, Cambridge Old Westminsters v. Westminster School ........................ 135 11. F. S. Fleuret, Cambridge Old Westminsters v. Westminster School ........................ 103* 11. W. H. Wood, Porthill v. Silverdale .......... Ill 11. R. Bousfield, Bishop Auckland v. Stockton 107* 11. A. A. Lilley, King’s Heath v. Coleshill ... 103 11 . — Woolley, Wanderers v. Players (Notting­ ham) ............................................................ 118 11. H. T. Bartlett, Eastbourne Wanderers v. South Lynn .............................................. 113 11. S. Douglas, Broadwater v. Charterhouse... 152* 11. J. W. H. T. Douglas, Wanstead v. Epping 149* 12. B. L. Bisgood, Thespids v. A. W.Parke’s XI. 102* 13. M. W. P ayne , C ambridge U niv . v . L anca ­ shire ( at C ambridge )............................... 129 13. H. F. Pink, Jesus Coll. v. Emmanuel Coll. 104* 13. R. G. Cruwys, Etceteras v. Perambulators 113 ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. E. W. W f . therell .— Middlesex won thirteen in succession in 1898-9. See previous column. THE DERBYSHIRE CRICKET GUIDE.* The 1907 edition of the above publication is a very interesting little production, and one which should prove most acceptable to all Derbyshire cricketers. Fixture-lists of all the chief local clubs in the County are included, as well as a great deal of informa­ tion concerning the doings of the Derbyshire Eleven. “ L. G. W .” contributes an article on First-class Cricket in 1906, and there is also an interesting biography of Joseph Humphries, the County wicket-keeper. * Till3Derbyshire County Cricket Guide, for 1907. Edited by L. G. Wright and W. J. Piper, jun. Bacon & Hudson, Derby, ‘id.