Cricket 1907

M a y 30, 1907. CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 163 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 taKen : — D OUBTLESS buyers frequently wonder why it is that some bats are sold as low as 5o., while others cannot be bought for less than 27s. 6d., both being made of t-imilar 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 really good cricket bats must carry an enormous stock of timber. The stock held by Geo. Ur. 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 ihe answer involves a question of ethics which it is not 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. 6. BUSSEY & CO., LTD., 36 & 38, Queen Victoria St., LONDON. Manufactory: Timber Mills : PEOKHAM, S.E. ELMSWELL, SUFFOLK. AT THE SIGN OF THE W ICKE T . B y F . S . A s h l b y -C o o p b b . Mr. Charles Absolon, who completes his ninetieth year to-day, was born at Walling­ ford, in Berkshire, and played his first important match, against Oxford Union, on Cowley Marsh in 1834. Appearing against him on that occasion was W . Bacon, who in later years played successfully against the various touring elevens, and who was still living a few seasons ago ; if he is still alive he is probably the oldest-living cricketer, being two years older than Mr. R. J. P. Broughton, the old Harrovian, and Col. H. F. Jenner, of the Kent Eleven of 1835. It was, by-the-way, in 1835 that Charles Absolon made his first three-figure score—127 for Wallingford v. Berwick, in Oxfordshire,— whilst five years later he appeared for the first time at Lord’s. He was never quite first-class as a cricketer, but he probably took part in many more matches than any­ one else, not excepting E. M. Grace, has done. It would have been interesting to have given a complete record of the runs he made and the wickets he took during his remarkable career, but particulars of all his early, and therefore probably his best, feats have been lost. During the quarter of a century, however, from 1868 to 1893, when he was seventy-six years of age, he performed as follows :— Year. Runs. Wkts. Year. Runs. Wkts. 1868 ... 1155 .. 441 1881 ... 924 ... 230 1869 ... 635 .. 262 1882 ... 1047 ... 289 1870 ... 824 .. 453 1883 ... 1049 ... 222 1871 ... 821 .. 433 1884 ... 1190 ... 263 1872 ... 1109 .. 519 1885 ... 1021 ... 320 1873 ... 1043 .. 420 1886 ... 1075 ... 204 1874 ... 10(i6 .. 500 1887 ... 1070 ... 222 1875 ... 658 .. 233 1888 ... 1055 ... 129 1876 ... 1151 .. 256 1889 ... 1052 ... 65 1877 ... 1179 .. 362 1890 ... 848 ... 84 1878 ... 974 .. 300 1891 ... 603 ... 191 1879 ... 685 178 1892 ... 510 ... 200 1880 ... 910 .. 254 1893 ... 532 ... 209 The matches he took part in were of a very inferior class, but his record is, nevertheless, a remarkable one. In July, 1872, he had a hand in obtaining all twenty wickets of his opponents when playing for Wood Green against United Wiilesden, and in a match in Tufnell Park against the U.A.E.E. the sann year he dismissed W. H. Iddison, John Smith (of Cambridge), and Hayward with consecutive balls, and Luke Greenwood with the next but one. In the following season, in a single­ wicket match, he accounted for W . G. Grace, Gilbert, and Charlwood for six runs in nine­ teen balls. What he would have accomplished had his efforts been restricted to first-class cricket can only be surmised. The season so far has been full of surprises, both Kent and Surrey, who were generally thought to possess the best chance of securing the Championship, having experienced defeat. Considering that they were without Spooner, MacLaren, and Poidevin, Lancashire’s success over Kent at Old Trafford was a veritable triumph. Had the match been played on a hard wicket Kent would in all probability have won with ease, but the Lancashire bowlers proved very deadly after the rain and their success brought victory to the side. Without in any way attempting to belittle the triumph, emphasis should be laid on the fact that what luck there was in the match went all against Kent. Thus, on the first evening they had to commence their innings in a very poor light, the consequence being that they lost three wickets for 21 before stumps were drawn, and in similar circum­ stances on the following evening their first four wickets fell for 26. In these two unfor­ tunate periods, therefore, seven wickets went down for 47. Furthermore, on the second day rain came on during the luncheon interval after Lancashire had lost half their side for 52 and so eased the wicket that the total reached 171. It is but justice to Kent to point out these facts, for it is possible that their defeat may prove to have an important bearing upon the destination of the Cham­ pionship. Of the sixty-seven matches played between the two counties Lancashire have won 39 and Kent 18, the remaining ten having been unfinished:— Date of Won Won i-3 First by hy os? Ground. Match. Lancs. Kent. Drawn. p Beckenham 1890 .. 1 . . 0 .. 0 ... 1 Canterbury 1879 .. 3 . . 2 .. 5 .. 10 Castleton ........ 1876 .. 1 . . 0 .. 0 .. 1 Oatford ........ 1875 .. 1 . . 0 .. 0 .. I Gravesend........ 1871 .. 2 . . 4 .. 0 .. 6 Maidstone . . . 1874 .. 4 . . 3 .. 0 .. 7 Manchester 1871 .. 21 . 6 .. 5 .. 32 Tonbridge........ 1892 .. 4 . . 2 .. 0 .. 6 Town Mailing 1878 .. 1 . . 0 .. 0 .. 1 Tunbridge Wells 1901 ... 1 .. 1 .. 0 .. 2 Kent Grounds . . 1871 ... 17 .. 12 5 34 Lancs. Grounds . 1871 ... 22 .. 6 .. 5 .. 33 Totals . 1871 ... 39 .. 18 .. 10 .. 67 Hampshire had done so well against Middle­ sex and Derbyshire that it is to be regretted that it was upon a “ freak” wicket at Chichester that they experienced their ten- wicket defeat at the hands of Sussex. Whether they would have done better upon a wicket which had not been covered can only be surmised : the fact remains that, if they choose to do 60 , they can console themselves by the knowledge that their downfall was not brought about upon a pitch as generally prepared. At the same time one must not under-rate the very successful bowling by Killick in the first innings of the visiting side. For a player to take five wickets for a couple of runs in a first-class match is an event of the rarest occurrence, and one which calls for more than passing notice. A glance through the ten thousand pages of Scores and JJia- graphies and various volumes dealing with the game since 1878 furnishes the following list of remarkable performances with the ball in great matches:— Wkts. Runs. Year. 7 for 0 Tarrant, England v. XXII. of New South Wales, at Sydney... 1864 5 ,, 0 Pougher, M.C.C. and Ground v. Australians, at Lords .......... 1806 4 ,, 0 Sir F. Bathurst, England v. Kent, at Lord’s...................................... 1844 4 ,, 0 J. R. Napier, Lancashire v. York­ shire, at Sheffield ................. 1888 4 ,, 0 Hearne (A.), Kent v. Somerset, at Taunton ............................... 1894 7 „ 1 Caffyn, U.E.E. v. XVIII. of Ire­ land, at Phoenix Park .......... 1856 6 ,, 1 S. Cosstiek, Victoria v. Tasmania, at Melbourne ........................ 1869 5 ,, 1 A. Mynn, The England XI. v. XXI I. of Scotland, at Edinboro’ 1850 5 ,, 1 Tate, Sussex v. Kent,at Tonbridge 1888 9 ,, 2 G. Elliott, Victoria v. Tasmania, at Launceston ........................ 1858 5 ,, 2 Sharpe, Surrey v. Hampshire, at the Oval...................................... 1S90 5 ,, 2 Killick, Sussex v. Hampshire, at Chichester .............................. 1907 If Killick could this year reproduce his all­ round form of 1905, when he scored 1,392 runs and took 108 wickets, he would, in the absence of Kanjitsinhji and Fry, prove the strong man of the Sussex eleven. The meeting of the South Africans and M.C.C. at Lord’s produced one of the most interesting struggles of the season. That the better side won cannot be doubted, but, whilst heartily congratulating our visitors upon their success, the fact must not be lost sight of that the M.C.C., owing to the num­ ber of county matches being played, were able to put onty- a moderate side into the field. Every day the South Africans are showing improved form, and if