Cricket 1907

154 C r ic k e t : a w e e k l y record of th e g a m e . M a t 23, 1907. team shall forfeit the toss, and the opposing team shall have the choice of innings. A team shall not he deemed ready to start until it can muster seven men. If neither team be ready to start at the appointed time, the one first ready thereafter shall be deemed to have won the toss. A team shall he allowed but four substitutes. A ccording to the American Cricketer, A . F. Spooner, who has played occasion­ ally for Lancashire, will assist the Staten Island C.C. this year. J. B. K ing has opened the season with a century. Playing; for Belmont against the University of Pennsylvania on April 27th, he hit up a hundred and then retired. He gave three chances, two of which were difficult, but the other should have been held. M r Guy E d e n , in his recently pub­ lished “ Bush Ballads and other Verses,” includes a tribute to Victor Trumper, of which the following is a specimen verse : Oh ! he’s just a dandy batsman, he’s a rajah, he’s a toff, Widout any fancy feelin’ for the “ o n ” or for the “ off.” He just takes his bat, and thin, wid one apologetic cough, Sets to work to play the divil wid the bowlin.’ T h e meeting of the second elevens of Kent and Surrey at the Oval this week provided an exciting finish, the visitors winning by one run. The total scores were :—Kent 2nd X I., 243 (S. J. Croft, 113) and 136; Surrey 2ad X I., 148 and 230 (Goatly, 137). T h e H am ilto n C.C., of Bermuda, have found themselves unable to accept the invitation extended to them to visit Philadelphia. W il l ia m W h it r ic k , of Bradford, has just taken his thousandth wicket for the Girlington Wesleyans. He commenced playing for the club in 1889 and, except in 1894, has played every season since, taking part in 240 matches. His 1,000 wickets have cost only 3,753 runs. L e ic e ste r sh ir e , having no match last Saturday, furnished “ the Parson” at Cane Hill with two of their players in the shape of B. T. and V. F. 8. Crawford. The former took five wickets for 47 and made 66, whilst V. F. S., who seems this year to have regained the terrific powers of hitting for which he was so especially famous at one time, rattled up 121 in 45 minutes, hitting three sixes and 19 fours before catching his train for the South African match. His “ retiring” dispo­ sition allowed someone else to have a knock, for which kindness Purley were very thankful. C rick eters have experienced a dull and cheerless Whitsuntide this year, cold winds and an absence of sunshine com­ bining to make things far from agreeable to spectators and players alike. As a result, a large number of enthusiasts preferred to study their Wisden by the fireside to attending any of the great matches. This was very unfortunate for Trott, who was taking his benefit, for had the weather been fine probably twice as many people would have gone to Lord’s to see the Somerset and Middlesex match. M r. C. A. S t e in , whose services to Surrey cricket all Surrey know, writes to me as follows :—“ If it is possible, I shall take it as a favour if you can give me a few lines in “ Pavilion Gossip ” to thank those kind friends who have been so un­ remitting in their enquiries and were so attentive on the occasion of my unfor­ tunate seizure at the London Football Association Smoking Concert. 1 cannot find out who they were, and it is only through the kind help of the Press I am able to return them my sincere thanks. I have been very ill indeed, and am only just now able to get about again.” I am sure that I am but actiDg as the mouth­ piece of all Cricket readers when I wish Mr. Stein a speedy and complete recovery. T a k in g everything into consideration, it cannot be said that the South Africans played up to expectation in the opening match of their tour, despite the fact that they won by 98 runs. Although the con­ ditions were far from favourable, and they had not perhaps become altogether accustomed to the turf wickets, it must not be overlooked that they placed their strongest side in the field against one of the weaker counties. The following press opinions of the form they showed on Monday may prove interesting:— At the end of a fortnight’s practice the South Africans might, it is scarcely too much to say, have shown better form than is sug­ gested by such a position. They took no risks, pitting against the Midland county what may be described as their strongest eleven, or the same side, except in the sub­ stitution of Kotze for Shalders, that in South Africa, in the early part of last year, won four out of the five test matches with the team sent out by the M.C.C., and yet they accomplished strangely little upon which they could congratulate themselves.......................... Without attaching too much importance to the result of a single day’s cricket, it is im­ possible to escape the conclusion that the Colonials will have to show vastly better form if they are to seriously challenge England’s supremacy at the summer game. — Daily Telegraph. A certain degree of excuse must be made on account of the unfavourable climatic con­ ditions which prevailed, yet at no department of the game can the visitors be said to have fulfilled the expectations formed of them.— Sportsman. The batting of the South Africans in this, their first essay on a turf wicket, must be summed up as disappointing, and the only consolation is that they were greatly below form .—Morning Leader. Though it would, of course, be absurd to judge the South Africans from a single day’s cricket, there is no getting away from the fact that in opening their tour, at Leicester yesterday, they gave a disappointing dis­ play .—D aily Chronicle. Criticism on a single innings is out of place, but our visitors showed us enough to prove that even on our wickets they have not bitten ofE more than they can chew.—E. H. D. S ew ell in the Daily Graphic. If to come in like a lamb is to go out like a lion, there is a bright prospect for the South Africans. They could scarcely have looked less like a great team than they seemed at Leicester, and they finished up a depressing day’s play with clearly the worst of the situation. . . . The South Africans have to be judged by a high standard, and this they signally failed to reach. . . . There is not the least doubt that over-anxiety and not the Leicestershire attack was the main factor in the failure .—Daily Mail. It must be remembered that they are hardly yet used to grass wickets, and much better results may be expected from them later on.— Daily Express. Interrupted so seriously as it was, yester­ day’s play furnished no trustworthy guide to the abilities of our visitors. The perform­ ance was, of course, a very disappointing start for the Colonials, and certainly in neither batting nor fielding did their cricket reach the high standard expected. Fully half-a-dozen times during the hour Leicester­ shire were at the wicket-i, the ball was mis- fielded, and apart from Schwarz none of their bowlers presented any special difficulties.— Sporting Life. The South Africans have not done them­ selves justice, though the conditions were such as to afford some excuse—albeit not for the terrible lack of judgment in running.— Evening Standard. T h e present is a very appropriate moment to mention that a life-like por­ trait of Sir Donald Currie, who in­ augurated the Currie Cup Tournament in South Africa, is to be seen in this year’s Acidemy. The artist is Mr. W. W. Ouless, E.A., who in previous years has p tinted the portraits of the Rt. Hon. Sir Spencer Ponsonby-Fane and Mr.A.N. Hornby. Mr. Philip Norman, the author of Annals o f the West Kent Oricket Club, is represented by a charming water­ colour depicting “ Old Housss, Paul’s Wharf, 1891.” Mr. G. Hiilyard Swin- ste id, the well-known Metropolitan cricketer, exhibits a portrait of a little girl entitled ‘ “ My Little B ird’ : Marj orie.” A coincidence ! After lunch on Mon­ day, at Leicester, the South Africans lost, their last six wickets in 40 minutes for 43 runs. After lunch on Tuesday, at Lord’s, Somerset lost their last six wickets in 40 minutes for 42 runs. A valued correspondent kindly sends me the following interesting note: —“ On May 4th Barwell played Whetstone in the South Leicestershire League. After the dismissal of Whetstone, the majority of the Barwell players adjourned for refreshment, leaving but three available batsmen. Two wickets quickly fell and, no other batsman appearing, in two or three minutes the umpires awarded Whet­ stone the game. Tttere was great excite­ ment and discussion and the matter is not yet settled, most people wrongly interpreting Law 45, assuming that the individual player loses his wicket if not up to time whereas it is plain that the