Cricket 1907

276 CRICKET A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. J u ly 18, 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 taKen : - D OUBTLESS buyers frequently wonder why it is that tome bats are sold as low as 5c., 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 60 100 150 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. 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 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, G, BUSSEY & GO, , LTD , 36 & 38, Queen Victoria St., LONDON. Manufactory: TimberMills: PEOKHAM, S.E. ELMSWELL, SUFFOLK. AT TH E SIGN OF THE W ICKE T . Ity K. S. A s h l b y -C o o p b r . Without in any way wishing to appear ungallant towards our visitors, the very great majority of Englishmen will be glad that a county has at last succeeded in defeating the South Africans. Cricket is still the national game of England, and whilst it remains so it is to be hoped that we shall be able to find at least one side capable of beating any team which may visit us from over the 6eas. Whatever else they may do during their tour, the South Africans have already accomplished sufficient to stamp themselves as a very fine side. It would be premature to compare them with the Australians until they have played a few times on hard run- getting wickets, for it must be remembered that practically all of their victories have been gained on wickets affected by rain, and that it is upon perfect pitches that they expect to be seen to the best advantage. In this connection it is interesting to note that they met with their reverse upon the best wicket they had been called upon to play on. They struggled heroically on the last day of the Surrey match, but the odds against them were very heavy, and their defeat by 85 runs was, in the circumstances, more meritorious than many a victory. The batting of Hayward and the bowling of Knox were the chief factors in their reverse: that it was not due in any way to staleness was plainly shown by their handsome victory over Yorkshire at Bradford on Tuesday. It has frequently been taid that Schofield Haigh is the most under-rated bowler in England, and there is much truth in the remark. Considering how much excellent work he has accomplished for Yorkshire, it is surprising that he has not more often been chosen for representative matches. Had he belonged to almost any other county his worth would probably have received due recognition, but, being identified with York­ shire, he has to a certain extent been over­ shadowed by Hirst and Rhodes. In the first innings of the recent match with Essex at Leyton he took five wickets for 9 runs— a feat which compares very favourably with anything he had previously accomplished for the County. His dozen best analyses for Yorkshire are as follows :— Wkts. Runs. Year. 8for 21, v. Hampshire, at Southampton ... 1898 8 ,,24c, v. Essex, at Sheffield ................. 1903 7 ,, 17, v. Surrey, at Leeds...................... 1897 (j ,, 18, v. Derbyshire, at Bradford ........ 1897 5 ,, 9, v. Essex, at Leyton....................... 1907 5 ,,13a, v. Essex at Sheffield ................. 1903 5 ,, 13, v. Cambridge University, at Cam­ bridge ..................................... 1907 4 ,, S, v. Notts, at Nottingham ........ 1901 4 ,, 10, v. Gloucestershire, at Cheltenham 1902 4 ,, 11, v. Somerset, at Bath ............... 190(5 4 ,, 12, v. Warwickshire, at Scarboro' ... 1899 4 ,, 12, v. Gloucestershire, at Cheltenham 1904 a Signifies 1st innings ; c both innings. Haigh played his first match for Yorkshire in 1895, and is now in his thirty-seventh year. Although the bone-setter or joint specialist is regarded as unorthodox by the average surgeon, it is beyond dispute that many wonderful cures have been effected by the manipulative surgery which the said “ bone- setters” (the term is really an obsolete description) practice. Mr. F. Matthews is the special friend and manipulative surgeon of the cricketer. He has had N. A. Knox, Seymour (Kent),'Strudwick (whose hands he “ fixed u p” last winter), Capt. Wynyard, Lees, and others through his hands with most excellent results. The other day he fixed up Blythe’s hand in such a way that he could bowl with effect an hour or so after the injury—a deep split between his bowling and middle fingers sustained in trying to catch Faulkner in the first Test Match. Gilbert, the Oxford bowler, would not have been able to bowl but for his attentions in the ’ Varsity match, while he has at present another difficult case on his hands, that of my friend, Hamish Stuart, who got the bone of the middle finger of his right hand fractured lengthwise in playing hard forward to Faulkner, the South African, in a club match some time ago. If he succeeds in straighten­ ing Mr. Stuart’s finger by manipulation, it will be a wonderful surgical feat. As a full detailed account of the Eton v. Harrow match appears on another page, there is no necessity to dwell at any length upon the subject here. But the wonderful all­ round cricket of the Harrow captain demands notice. Bird, who led his side with much skill, made a hundred in each innings—a performance quite without parallel in the history of the match — and obtained five wickets for 20 runs apiece in a heavy-scoring game. Futhermore, he made his runs at a time when they were wanted, and it was due chiefly to his fine hitting on the Saturday that it was found possible to declare the innings closed — a policy which enabled Harrow to eventually gain a splendid victory by 79 runs. It would, indeed, be difficult to imagine any cricketer rendering better service to his side. In inter- college cricket there are now five instances of a batsman obtaining two separate hundreds in a match, the list being as follows :— Runs 100* i 131 f 117 118 105 118 10' 113 13; 137 } Year M. C. Bird, Harrow v. Eton, at Lords’ 1907 A. Campbell, Newington College v. Sydney Grammar School, at Stan­ more, Sydney...................................... 1897-8 H. R. Gregg, Sydney Grammar School v. Melbourne C.E.G.S., at Sydney... 1906-7 W. D. Llewelyn, New College v. Oriel College, at Oxford................................ 1890 A. G. Richardson, Corpus College v. Emmanuel College, at Cambridge ... 1895 * Signifies not out. Bird’s brilliant batting — he did not give a chance in either innings—quite overshadowed that of Cowley, who made 50 and 75, and who did not, perhaps, receive quite so much praise as he merited. Harrow’s success was as deserved as it was popular, but Eton have, to some extent, only themselves to blame for tht-ir defeat, their fielding being often at fault, whilst an error in running during their second innings had a very disastrous result. MARLBOROUGH BLUES v. TEDDINGTON. Played at Teddington on July 13. T eddi NOTON. N. C. Jacks, c and 1) Harvey ................. 0 R. Gibson, bHarvey 6 G. B. Crowder, b M. S. Rogers .............10 R. N. Andrew, b Har­ vey ......................... 0 F. E. Johnson, c V. Rogers,bM.S.Rogers 44 C. Mason, lbw, b M. S. Rogers .............36 N. C. Coalbank, c M. S. Rogers, b Coast ... 0 0 C. Hunter, b M. S. Rogers ................. A. V. Crump, c Gatey, b M. S. Rogers ... 14 G. T. Kinross, not out 12 G. Farr, b M.S.Rogers 2 E. Hunter, c &b M. S. Rogers ................. 0 Extras ..........19 Total ..........143 M arlborough B lues . A.M.Black, c Johnson, b Jacks ................. 1 L. N. Rogers, c Farr, b Crowder .................00 M. S. Rogers, c Farr, b Jacks........................ 5 K. Gatey, b Crowder 23 H. Church, c Hunter, bJacks ................. 8 A. W. Dickinson, c Crowder, b Andrew 18 H.L. Wynne,bCrowder 10 L. R. Lewis, not out 6 J.C.Harvey,bCrowder 0 J. P. C. Coast, not out 8 Extras ..........24 Tosal (8 wkts) 152 N. Rogers and V. Rodgers did not bat.