Cricket 1907

372 CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME A ug . 29, 1907. became Jenner-Fust. Charles Absolon, born on May 30th, 1817, completed his ninetieth year quite recently, and has only given up the game during the last few seasons. At the present time We certainly have with us several energetic veterans who bid fair to become centenarians. Canon Beadon, who died in 1879 at the patriarchal age of 101 years and six months, had, in his young days, “ managed” the famous Bullingdon Club, at Oxford, with Stephen Lushington, afterwards the well-known Judge. He and his father held the living of North Stoneham for more than 118 years. Herbert Jenner died three years ago at the age of 98, whilst T. S. P ix, who was contemporary at Harrow with Charles Wordsworth and Cardinal Manning, and a member of the Eleven in 1824, survived until 1900. Mr. Stanley Mease Toyne, who scored 110 and 102 for Hampshire Hogs v. Somerset Stragglers, at Taunton last week, was bom at Bournemouth on June 13th, 1882, and was educated at Haileybury, where he is now a master, and at Oxford. He was a member of the Haileybury Eleven in 1901, when he scored 221 runs in eleven completed innings with an average of 20’09, his highest score, 58, being made in the match with Cheltenham at Lord’ s. He makes the majority of his runs between extra-cover and mid-off, and is partial to slow bowling, whilst in the field he either keeps wicket or goes in the long-field. Whilst at Oxford he was captain of Hertford College, and in 1905 played in the Seniors’ match. He has also captained the Bourne­ mouth C.C., for which he made 200 not out v. Old St. Edwardians two years ago. Last year, among many good scores, he oblained 168 v. Public School Nondescripts and 146 for Hampshire Hogs v. Channel Islands. At Bournemouth, in 1904, he fielded substitute in the second innings of Hampshire’s match with Warwickshire, and dismissed Quaife and T . S. Fishwick by means of brilliant catches, and thereby had a good deal to do with Hampshire’ s success by 40 runs. In 1905 he was tried against Yorkshire, when he scored 1 and 9, but has not since been included in the side. On each of the last three Saturdays the Sussex team have taken part in a very exciting finish. At Leyton on the 10th inst., the last Essex man went in when five runs were still required, and Sussex lost by a wicket. A week later, at Worcester, the home side, when stumps were drawn, required only 3 runs to win and had two wickets in hand, whilst at Lord’s last Saturday Sussex were beaten by Middlesex by the narrow margin of 11 runs, after being set only 96 to win. Three such close finishes in so short a period cannot surely be far from a record of its kind. It is pleasing to find that Alan Marshal has not allowed his first season of inter-county cricket to pass without making a three-figure score. Luring 1905 and 1906 he made so many thousands of runs in minor matches that it was generally thought he would quickly make his mark in first-class company. The wickets have been against him to a great extent this year, and he seems to have departed from the dashing methods which had brought him such success earlier in his career. That he is destined to score well under favourable conditions must be obvious to those who have followed his cricket closely. As a fieldsman, he has very few superiors in the whole country, whilst his bowling is better than is generally supposed: this year he might certainly have been tried more often with the ball with advantage to his county. He gives promise of developing into a cricketer of the very front rank. As though in celebration of the decision, arrived at on Friday la£t, that their County Club should not be dissolved, the Derbyshire Eleven gave one of their best displays of the se .son in their match with Lancashire at Manchester this week. The result—a win for the home side by the narrow margin of a wicket—came quite as a surprise, a most welcome one, after the poor form Derbyshire had been showing for sotne time previous. The unfortunate thing in connection with the result is that in the County Championship table Derbyshire and Lancashire will respec­ tively lose and gain as much as though the difference between the sides at the finish had been as much as an innings and 500 runs instead of a single wicket merely. So long as such a state of affairs exists the method of deciding the Championship must neces­ sarily remain far from perfect. Mr. J. B. Payne has suggested that the plan by which the best index to the strength of the various counties is to be obtained is by deducting the “ average number of runs per wickets against ” from the “ average number of runs per wickets for ” in all inter-county matches played during the season, but he himself has recognised that if such a method were sanctioned it might tend to make some sides think more of obtaining runs than of dismissing their opponents, besides which it would be possible for a side to obtain the Championship without winning a single match. If any other plan than the present is ever officially sanctioned, it must be one which attaches value to a win. OBITUARY. M r . B. S. STILL. The veteran cricketer, Mr. Bobert S. Still, who passed away in July at the good old age of 85, was in his day tho recognised champion all-round player of Tasmania, and in New South Wales, where he chiefly learnt his cricket, his reputation stood very high. “ Bob ” Still was at all times a powerful and hard-hitting batsman, and in his early days a bowler of great pace, with consider­ able bias, particularly difficult on a wicket not too carefully “ ironed.” These qualities made him a most efficient and much sought after player in the single-wicket matches, which were popular in the early colonial days. Although he commenced as an under­ hand bowler, he had so high a delivery that on some of the wickets which were occa­ sionally pitched in an unprepared paddock, his bowling got up so much as to be almost dangerous. Cricket grounds were then scarce, and it was in such a paddock that, in one of his single-wicket contests, he met a noted player of one of the country towns in New South Wales. Two fielders were allowed on each side. In the game only four balls were delivered, and it was won in one innings. Bob won the toss, and, as was then the almost invariable custom, sent his opponent in to bat. He played forward at the first ball, a good length, which, finding a favour­ able spot, “ got up,” hit the batsman on the jaw, and fell on to the wicket. The first ball Bob received was driven hard, and three runs were scored ; the second was apparently following the track of the first, but struck a gigantic stump of a deceased gum tree stand­ ing in the position of deep mid-off, and rebounded into the bowler’s hands. The umpire’s decision was “ O u t! ” One ball was enough for the second innings of the Welshman, who, in his anxiety to guard his jaw, failed to guard his stumps. On going to Tasmania, Mr. Still took part in many matches, playing for the Evan- dale Club. When the first English eleven played at Hobart, Mr. Still was one of the Northern contingent. Of the jovial party who went by coach to Hobart, I think the only players now left are Mr. W. Sidebottom, senr., “ the” longstop of that time, Mr. H. B. Dumaresq, the smartest of all cover-points, and Mr. H. G. Spicer, of Stanley, an excellent bowler, who became famous as the first in the colonies to break through the defence of that most wondrous batsman of the All England Eleven, William Caffyn. Attempts to revive single-wicket matches were made in 1872, when four players of the Prince of Wales Club, Messrs. B. S. Still, E. T. A. Fuller, T. Daly, andM . A. Cleary, twice met Messrs. T. Hogg, G. H. Bailey, W . A. Collins, and J. Arthur, representing the Laun­ ceston Club. The Launceston Club had much the best of the games, which were both drawn. Some of Mr. Still’s early bowling feats were remarkable. I mention only one to show the accuracy of the fast underhand bowlers. In three successive balls he sent the batsmen’s middle stump flying, leaving the other two standing. He latterly played for the Prince of Wales Club in Launceston, took part in Town v. Country and North v. South matches, and played against visiting teams. He was one of the earliest and most successful of our round-arm bowlers, and one who introduced a great deal of variety into his bowling. He took all positions in the field; he was very good in the out-field, being a fine thrower, and keeping wicket was also a favourite post. He was cordially liked for his good-fellowship as well as admired for his fine play. J. M. M artin . [It is probable that the above-mentioned cricketer was related to Mr. W. C. Still, who played for New South Wales against Victoria in 1857 and 1859. Mr. B. S. Still introduced round-armed bowling into Australia, at Sydney in March, 1843, in a match between the Australian and Victoria clubs.—En. Cricket.'] LONDON SCOTTISH v. CHARLTON PARK.— Flayed at Brondesbury on August 24. L ondon S cottish . First innings. S. Licnard, b A. Mascall ... 19 A. H. Read, b A Mascall ... 1 E. A. Bennett, lbw, b H. Sargent ........................19 W. G. Henderson, c S. Sar­ gent, b A. Mascall........ . 5 T. B. Porter, st S. Sargent, b H. Sargent ... .......... 4 E. Hogg, b H. Sargent ... 1 A. E. Begg, b H. Sargent 11 C. C. Tollit, b A. Mascall... 8 R. A. Bennett, not out ... 14 H. C. Hodgson, b A. Mas­ call ........................ 10 F. R. Connell, lbw, b H. Sargent ......... ......... 0 B 7, lb 1 ................. 8 Total Second innings. c Bumpus, b S. Sargent ....... 10 st H. Sargent, b Pearse ... ... 10 not out ......... 6 b G. Bumpus ... 7 c Sub, b Cross ... 11 not out .......33 B 10, w 1.......11 ,.100 Total (4 wkts) 88 C harlton P ark . S. Sargent, lbw, b Lienard .........._ ... 17 — Crummick, b Lien­ ard ........................ 7 H. Mills, lbw, b Con­ nell ........................13 G.Bumpus,c Hodgson, b Lienard................ 11 H. Sargeant, b Lienard 0 A. N. Other did not bat. H. C. Cross, c Porter, b Lienard ... ... W. McCanlis b Lien­ ard ........................ S. Mills, not out.......... A. Mascall, run out... A. Pearse,b Connell... Byes, etc............ Total.................