Cricket 1907

A ug . 15, 1907. CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 339 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 j— D OUBTLESS buyers frequently wonder why it is that some bats are sold aslow as 5o., while others cannot be bought for less than 27s. 6 d., 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. / ■ " --------------------- x 1st grade 2nd grade 3rd grade 4th grade 20 50 100 150 Second or Common Division. 5ih 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 & CO,, LTD,, 36 & 38, Queen Victoria St., LONDON. Manufactory : Timber Mills: PEOKHAM, S.E. ELMSWELL, SUFFOLK. AT THE SIGN OF THE WICKET. By F. S. A shlby -C oopbb . Everyone, both in this country and the colonies, must deplore the difficulty which the M.C.C. are experiencing in getting to­ gether their team for the trip to Australia in the autumn. The decision of Hayward, Tyldesley, Lilley, and Hirst not to undertake the journey makes it an assured fact that, whatever the constitution of the side which goes out, it will be one far from representa­ tive of the full strength of England. In the circumstances, a series of heavy defeats in the Test Matches would neither bring discredit upon English cricket nor add to the laurels of the Australians. On the other hand, in the event of the tourists winning the rubber—a not improbable occurrence when the perfor­ mances of the last team which went out are remembered-it would be little less than a humiliation for Australian cricket. It is difficult to imagine anything more regret­ table than the present state of affairs. It would, perhaps, be too much to say that the four players named are standing out for more generous terms, but it is probable that, if it had been made more worth their while to leave their business affairs for the seven months which the tour would occupy, they would have accepted the invitation extended to them. An exception might, however, be made in the case of Hay­ ward, for the health of his father is causing some anxiety. It is only natural that pro­ fessional players should regard the matter from a business point of view: if the best terms that can be offered them are not deemed adequate, there is nothing to be done but for them to decline the offer made, for one cannot expect a man who makes a business of the game to consent to work for a sum which he does not consider sufficient. It certainly appears that, in the absence of F. S. Jackson, K. E. Foster, Hayward, Tyldesley, Lilley, Hirst, C. B. Fry, and R. H. Spooner, we shall be represented by a makeshift side at best, and one not worthy to meet the full strength of Australia on their own ground. I ftar that the M.C.C. are fully committed, or it would be better to abandon the tour for the time, especially as the Aus­ tralians have notified their willingness to come over next season if agreeable to the English authorities. If efforts to send out a team at all costs are persevered in, the Melbourne Club may find themselves out of pocket in having guaranteed £ 10,000 for the tour, for Australians can hardly be ex­ pected to flock in their thousands to see a very non-representative side perform. The Canterbury Week, though favoured throughout with fine weather, was, in the absence of Kent achieving victory in either match, scarcely so successful as supporters of the home county could have desired. But the cricket was of the very best. Reference to the Sussex match was made in last week’s issue, so the matter need not again be alluded to. The visit of the Lancashire team proved a great attraction, notwithstanding their defeat by nine wickets at the hands of York­ shire on the previous day. MacLaren, for once, failed to make many runs there, but Spooner, as though to atone for his pair of spectacles in the corresponding match of last year, fully compensated for his captain’s shortcomings by a beautiful innings of 134. Hutchings, too, aroused great enthusiasm by his innings of 108, whereby he exceeded the hundred for Kent for the third time in six days. As meritorious in comparison as Spooner’s batting was the bowling of Cook and Dean. Last year the latter took just over fifty wickets for Lancashire in Champion­ ship matches at a cost of 27'35 runs each, but, judged from his bowling on Saturday last, he has improved considerably since then. He is left-hand, medium pace, and at times makes the ball swerve considerably. His analysis of six wickets for 61 in Kent’s second innings was a great factor in Lan­ cashire’ s success by 87 runs. Regular readers of this column will remem­ ber that in the issue of May 16th I invited Mr. F. J. Ironside to place before the English authorities the evidence upon which he accepted as authentic a score of 1,238 made in a small match in Sydney thirty- three years ago. The last Australian mail has brought his reply, which is inserted ipsissima verba on another page. A few years ago Mr. Ironside wrote—“ This match has cropped up again in the Colonies, and I have given evidence so conclusive that I am not likely to hear anything more of, as was asserted, ‘ the match played in some back parlour ! ’ ” It was in order that this “ evidence so conclusive ” might be brought to the notice of cricketers in England that an offer was made to place the columns of Cricket at his disposal. The authenticity of the score has been so frequently questioned that it was considered advisable for the matter to be settled once for all. It will be seen that Mr. Ironside entirely fails to supply any of the “ evidence so conclusive” to which he had previously referred, and there­ fore the score can only be regarded as a myth. As Mr. Ironside has never stated that he saw the score made, it is safe to surmise that somebody has perpetrated a joke at the expense of his credulity. A considerable amount of surprise was ex­ pressed when it became known that the M.C.C. had invited S. F. Barnes, of Stafford­ shire, to visit Australia this autumn as a member of their team, a great many people evidently forgetting the fact that there are very many first-class cricketers in the country who do not take part in the leading matches of the day. Barnes’ record as a cricketer has been a curious one. In 1895 and 1896 he played for Warwickshire, in the three following years for Rishton, and in 1900 and 1901 for Burnley. In 1899 he was given a trial for Lancashire, but did not make his mark, and so was not persevered with. In 1901, although he took only six wickets for the County for 99 runs, he performed so well for Burnley that he was taken to Australia in the winter, and, until his knee gave way when the tour was little more than half over, quite justified his inclusion in the side by taking 41 wickets in the eleven a-side matches at a cost of 16-48 runs each. He obtained 82 wickets for 21-43 in County Championship matches in 1902, and 131 for 17'85 in the following year, since when he has been identified with Staffordshire, for whom he has performed excellently with both bat and ball. Last season he was seen at his very best, heading the County’s bowling averages with 119 wickets for 7-83 runs each, and being fifth in the batting with 30-78 runs an innings: in addition, he headed both tables in the North Staffordshire League for Porthill, obtaining 103 wickets (average 5-14), and taking 652 runs (average 43-46). This year he has so far taken 93 wickets for 363 runs for Porthill, and made 326 runs with an average of 20-37, whilst for Stafford­ shire he took all ten wickets in an innings for 26 runs against Yorkshire 2nd XI., at Wakefield, and twelve for 30, including four with consecutive balls, at the expense of Durham County, at Stoke on Monday last.