Cricket 1907

A ug . 1, 1907. CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 307 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 somehats are sold aslow as 5o., while others cannot he bought for less than 27s. 6 d., hoth being made of similar material. The reason is very simple. The higher-priced hats, 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 hats. 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 he seen that the manufacturer who intends to meet the ever-increasing demand for really good cricket bats must carry an enormous Btock of timber. The stock held by Geo. G. Bussey & Co., Ltd., represents 100,000 hats. 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 ethios which it is not intended to enter into heyond 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 he 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 & CO,, LTD,, 36 & 38, Queen Victoria St., LONDON. Mavu/actory: Timber Mills : PEOKHAM, S.E. ELMSWELL, SUFFOLK. AT THE SIGN OF THE WICKET. By F. S. A shlby -C oo ^ bk . England’s success at Leeds yesterday will doubtless have come as a great relief to many who desired such a result, and who had naturally been very apprehensive throughout the game. During the past year many championships have been carried off by colonials and foreign visitors, and it is a matter for much satisfaction that England has not been beaten at her national game. Fdr some time to come it will probably be argued whether a mistake was not made in giving the preference to Knox over Craw­ ford : it is certainly difficult to see why the latter was not played, especially as he is so much the better batsman and the wicket gave every evidence of being suited to his bowling. It was a thousand pities that the match could not be played on a perfect wicket, but in our fickle climate one must not expect too much of the weather. On the opening day the cricket was exceptionally exciting, not to say dramatic, and in obtaining a lead of 34 on the first innings the South Africans accomplished a very great performance. To Blythe, whose superb bowling brought about the victory which Fry’s batting had rendered possible, the chief credit of the triumph is due. In each innings he was at his very best, and, such being the case, high scoring, considering the state of the wicket, was out of the ques­ tion. The South Africans again proved themselves to be an exceptionally strong side, and thoroughly worthy of meeting England upon equal terms. If, in the match at the Oval on Monday fortnight, play takes place on a perfect wicket, it will probably be found an even greater task to beat them than it was at Leeds. Englishmen now have the satis­ faction of knowing that the rubber cannot be lost, but, in order to regain the 44 ashes” which were lost eighteen months ago it will be necessary to prove successful at Kenning- ton as well. During the past week the match which Lancashire abandoned at Lord’s has con­ tinued to provide a topic of conversation amongcricketers. The fact thatthewicketwas fit for play on the third day makes one regret the action taken by the visiting captain, for those who had been looking forward to the match were, in consequence, deprived of a day’s play. Writing on the matter in the Morning Post, “ W. G.” said :— It is to be regretted that MacLaren, in the heat of the moment, should have withdrawn his team from taking any further part in the match. If both cap­ tains did not agree it was the duty of the umpires to decide whether the ground was fit or not for further play, and no umpires ought to have decided this until the following morning. As everyone accus­ tomed to look after cricket grounds knows that, although a pitch may be badly cut up and look ruined, it can sometimes be made all right again by careful attention and rolling. From what I am told the ground was quite fit for play on Wednesday morning, and it is a great pity that any decision was come to before then. Mr. R. D. Walker, in a letter to the Field , also lamented the procedure which took place. Like a great many people, he surmises whether the resolution of the Lancashire captain to abandon the match docs not entail its loss:— I can testify, from an examination of the pitch to-day (i.e., Wednesday, the third day) that it was quite in good order. Had the Middlesex captain brought his team to the ground to-day, “ play” would have been called, and in the absence of the Lancashire team Middlesex would have rightly been able to claim the match.” Mr. Warner, writing in the Westminster Gazette , remarks :— If county cricket be such a serious and solemn thing that a match is to be abandoned because a rebellious spectator has walked across the pitch, then some of us may be driven to think that the cryptic phrase may for once be bluntly applied, “ It’s not cricket.” Mr. MacLaren, in acting as he did, certainly established a very dangerous precedent: furthermore, he was not only mistaken con­ cerning the way in which the wicket would roll out, but can point to nothing in the laws to support his action. There would seem to be no reason why the match should not, in the circumstances, be awarded to Middlesex. If we cannot have the rigour of the game, cricket will be despoiled of one of its best and most manly attributes. Mr. John Patrick Murphy, K.C., who died at Norwood on Thursday morning last, had been for several years a member of the Surrey County C.C., and at one time his figure was a very familiar one at the Oval. He was often described as “ The weightiest advocate of his time : ” he owned to twenty stone, but must have been far heavier during recent years. Many amusing stories have been told concerning him. There was one to the effect that he was once set upon by a footpad. “ I simply fell on him,” said Mr. Murphy, “ and never saw him again.” Another told how he once accepted a small bet to run a fifty yards race, he being allowed twenty yards start and to name the place and time. He choose one of the corridors of the Law Courts, and had no difficulty in winning, for his opponent found it impossible to get past him owing to his Mynn-like proportions. Like the late Mr. Pope, K.C., he was granted the privilege of addressing the Court seated, his weight and size rendering it a difficult matter for him to remain standing for long together. Frank Lockwood, as all who knew him can readily believe, found in him a splendid subject for his sketch book. Lock­ wood was present at a case in which the two great men mentioned were in opposition, and, to use his words, “ it was most amusing to see Murphy and Pope trying to get round each other.” Mr. Murphy was interested in less important cricket as well as the great matches, and often watched the Club and Ground games at the Oval. An old subscriber to Cricket kindly sends me the score of a curious match, which I reproduce in extenso :— Played at Seal on July 20. S eal . H. Pearch, c Heath, b F u lbrook......... 20 R. Welstead, c and b Edwards............ 5 W. Baylis, b E d w a rd s......................... 2 J. Shelton, c Rogers, b Edwards ... I A. Smith, c Fulbrook, b Oobb ... ... 18 F. J. Ansell, c Glover, b Fulbrook ... 9 O. Pearch, b C o b b .................................. 4 R. Ragge, b F u lb ro o k .......................... 0 H. Taylor, b F u lb ro o k .......... .......... 1 E. O. Painter, c Borrman, b Oobb ... 7 F. Smith, not out .................................. 0 Extras ..........................11 Total. . .. 78 H olhesdale . G. Steer, not out ..................................31 G. Cannon, b H. Pearch .................. 3 W . Dickman, b H Pearch .................. 0 G. Rogers, b H. Pearch ....................... 0 H. Fulbrook, b H. Pearcli .................. I W . Edwards, b H. Pearch .................. 0 F. Oobb, b H. Pearch .......................... 0 O. J. Heath, b H. Pearch .................. 0 F. O. Smith, b H. Pearcli .................. 1 W. Glover, b H. P earch......................... 4 F. Borrman, b H. Pearch .................. 0 Extras .......................... 5 T otal.........45 It will be seen that H. Pearch not only made the highest score for his side, but also bowled down all the wickets of his opponents—at a cost of 16 runs. My correspondent asks whether this double performance constitutes a record. At the moment I cannot recall a