Cricket 1907

C R IC K E T i A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE SAME. M A Y 2 3 , 1 9 0 7 . “ Together joined in Cricket’s manly to il.” — Byron. no. 749 . v o l . x x v i . THURSDAY, MAY 23, 1907. p r i c e 2 d CHATS ON THE CRICKET FIELD. ALAN MARSHAL. Although he has not yet completed his twenty-fourth year, Alan Marshal has made more runs and taken more wickets than many cricketers twice his age. He was born at Warwick, in Queensland, on June 12th, 1883, and took to the game so early in life that he cannot recall the time before he commenced to play. What he will accomplish in first-class cricket the future alone can decide, but, if his doings in club matches during the last two seasons be any criterion, he should make many large scores, especially on fast wickets. For the London County O.O. in 1905 he scored 2,752 runs with an average of 56’ 16 and took 118 wickets at a cost of 16 41 runs each, whilst in the corresponding fixtures of the following year his aggregates were 3,678 (aver­ age 76'12) and 167 (average 14'10) respectively. In all matches in which he took part last season he scored 4 350 runs, making fourteen hundreds, and took 210 wickets — a most extra­ ordinary, if not unique, performance. The Croydon Club especially have strong reasons for remembering his doings, seeing that he made 300 not out against them at the Crystal Palace and 171 in the return. Among his many other large scores of the season may be mentioned 245 against Egypt at the Crystal Palace, 219 against Norbury Park at Norbury, and 204 not out against Cyphers at the Palace. His numerous successes, even apart from his useful bowling and brilliant fielding, were bound to make his doings for Surrey looked forward to with the greatest interest, for he had come over to England practically an unknown man and in a very short space of time had proved himself one of the most remark­ able club cricketers in the country. Dr. Grace, writing in the May issue of the Captain, says—“ Many of his strokes remind me of that fine batsman, Victor Trumper. He scores equally well against all kinds of attack, but, if anything, plays fast bowling better than slow. His driving and cutting are very fine, ALAN MARSHAL. whilst if aball isbowled a bit short between his leg and the wicket he pulls it to the square-leg boundary without the least effort. Marshal is also a good change bowler, and, delivering the ball from a great height, deceives the batsman in the flight of the ball. As a fieldsman he is magnificent, and either at slip or in the country is equally reliable............. I have every reason to think that he will do himself justice in the future.” Such praise, coming from such a source, is praise indeed. Marshal’s appearances in first-class cricket during the two years he was qualifying for Surrey were naturally restricted to a few extraneous matches, and in these he met with a very fair amount of success. In 1905 he took seven wickets for 87 runs for the Gentlemen of Eng­ land against Oxford Univ­ ersity, at Oxford, in addition to playing an innings of 94 and putting up 168 for the first wicket in partnership with “ W.G.,” who made 71. Last year the same pair scored 146 together at Cambridge in an hour and a-half for “ W.G.’s” X I. against the University, Marshal making 75 and the Doctor 64. In addition to his skill as a cricketer, Marshal also possesses con­ siderable ability as a sketcher with pen and ink, and several Australian publica­ tions have contained articles illustrated by him. “ Will you tell me some­ thing concerning your early years in Queensland ? ” “ My father was a Lincoln­ shire man by birth, but emigrated many years ago to Australia, where I hap­ pened to be bom. I was educated at South Brisbane State School and afterwards at the Brisbane Grammar School, but I learnt the game through watching Harry Boyle, Percy M’Donnell, 8. P. Jones and others who were engaged by the Graziers’ C.C. at Brisbane. This club, which was started by Mr. Francis, a very keen enthusiast and head of a large business firm, was very strong and played many good matches. I remember them once making 611 for seven wickets against South Brisbane, which was at the time a record for Queensland. Forturately, I bad not at that time begun to play for South Brisbane, so I was not obliged to be