Cricket 1907

S e p t. 5, 1907. CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 387 BUSSEY’S CRICKET IMFROVEDMAKE KEEPTHEIR SHAPE LAST LONGER _ BALLS JOfe 1 DEMON DR IVERS I A L ARE OUTAND OUT THE BEST. | L / 0 OTHER GRADES 7-6-5'3-A'e~A-L3r6-3r~2'e-2f- GEO, 6. BUSSEY & CO, , L TD , , 36 & 38, Queen Victoria St., LONDON. Manufactory: Timber Mills : PEOKHAM, S.E. ELMSWELL, SUFFOLK. AT THE SIGN OF THE WICKET. By F. S. Ashlby-Coopbr. The dismissal of Mr. V . F. S. Crawford in the match with Lancashire at Blackpool last week was brought about in an unusual manner, his wicket being put down whilst he was patting the pitch after having made good his ground. Some newspapers, in discussing the incident, have described it as an un­ sportsmanlike proceeding on the part of the fielding side, but with this expression of opinion I am quite unable to agree. How­ ever unsatisfactory it may be to see a player dismissed in such a manner, the fact remains that it is strict cricket. When S. 1\ Jones was run out in a similar way in the Test Match of 1882, the proceeding gave rise to much heated comment, and the whole incident was dealt with in so interesting a manner by the late Mr. Chas. F. Pardon in his book describing the tour that no apology is necessary for reproducing his remarks in extenso :— Murdoch hit Steel to leg, a fluky half-hit that went up in the air, and might have been a catch had we been playing a sliort-leg sharp. As it was Lyttelton ran for the catch, but could not quite get to it. The batsmen ran, and after the first ran had been com­ pleted Jones strayed out of his ground, Lyttelton returned the ball, and Grace put the wicket down and appealed for the run out. Thoms, the umpire, immediately gave Jones “ out,” as he was bound to do. It was reported to me that Thoms, on being appealed to, answered: “ If you claim it, sir, o u t!” •Now, 1 thought this unlikely, so I took the first opportunity, after the match was over, of asking Thoms what he really did say, telling him at the same time what I had heard. He, as I expected, denied having said anything more than the necessary word, *•Out!” Thoms told me the point was a very simple one, the ball was not dead, and the batsman was run out If Grace, instead of going up to the wicket and putting off the bails, had thrown at the stumps and missed them, the batsman could, and probably would, have run again, and then every one would have said what a smart thing the Australians had done. Jones did a foolish, thoughtless tiling in going out of his ground, and he paid the penalty of his rashness. Grace did what he was perfectly justified in doing, and there can be no doubt that the run out was legal and fair. It was in my hearing called “ Cricket, but dirty.” 1can’t agree in this opinion. It may not have been a particularly courteous or generous action, and if England had won a close match we should never have heard the last of the matter. The thick-and-thin supporters of Australian cricket would have talked about sharp practice, and ungentlemanly play, and there would probably have been some revival of the old ill-feeling. 1don’t mean that the Australians themselves would have been weak enough to make a serious complaint as to an action which could not be attacked on any but sentimental grounds. But Murdoch expressed his disapproval openly in the field, and was evidently angry, and we all know how strong sentiment iSj and how easily a grievance grows and spreads. I per­ sonally cannot say I approve of what Grace did. It was strict cricket, but it was taking full advantage of the thoughtlessness of a young player, and 1 am sorry that anything should have been done to give any one a chance of saying with any basis of truth, however small, that a member of the picked eleven of England played a discourteous game. Australia gained a memorable victory by 7 runs. Had the boot been on the other leg the incident would probably have given rise to even greater discussion than it did. Jessop’s wonderful innings of 191, which will be found referred to in Gossip , reminds one of the pronounced partiality some batsmen havefor certain grounds. Ephraim Lockwood, of Yorkshire, always regaided the Oval as his happy hunting ground, and reference to old gcore-sheets shows that he generally did very well there. It was there that, against Surrey in 1868, he made his first appearance for Yorkshire, when, opening the innings with his uncle, the late John Thewlis (108), he scored 91 and helped to make 176 for the first wicket. In the corresponding match of the following year he played an innings of 103, and could invariably be relied upon to acquit himself well there. The Oval was also the favourite ground of the Rev. W . B. Money, who scored 134 there for Cambridge University against Surrey in 1870, and later in the same season made 70 and 109 not out for the Gentlemen v. Players in the match wherein “ W .G .” obtained 6 and 215. Jessop more often than not scores largely at Hastings, and it is worthy of remark that Perrin, who played a three-figure innings there during the past week, last year scored 150 and 60 on the same ground in the match between Essex and Sussex. There is an old time ring in the title of a match between Gentlemen of South and Players of South which mu9t always recall memories of wonderful batting feats to those who can recall the doings of thirty to forty years ago. It was in such a match at the Oval in 1866 that “ W . G .,” then only eighteen years of age, played a remarkable not-out innings of 173, four weeks after obtaining his historic 224 not out for England v. Surrey on the same ground. It was the form he displayed in making those two fine scores which gained for him the title of Champion. In the corresponding match of 1869 he made 180 and, in partnership with B. B. Cooper (101), put up 283 for the first wicket, which for over two decades remained a record for first-class cricket. On two other occasions he reached three figures in such a match at Kennington, making 134 in 1873 rind 150 two years later. In the 1871 game C. I. Thornton made two hits over the old Pavilion, one over the scoring-box, and a two off a four-ball over from Southerton, whom he shortly afterwards hit over the old Racquets Court—a distance of 140 yards from hit to pitch, whilst in the corresponding match of the following year the same player scored 63 out of 67 in fifty-five minutes whilst in with Mr. M. Turner. It was for X I Players of the South against X IV Gentlemen of the South that Jupp scored 216 at Southampton in 1865. OBITUARY. M r . S. W e l s h . Mr. Samuel Welsh, whose death occurred at Philadelphia on August 9th, was born on April 22nd, 1864. His father, also Samuel Welsh by name, was prominently identified with the German­ town C.C., of which be was captaiD, whilst his grandfather, John Welsh, was at one time Minister to Eagland. Mr. Welsh, like his father, belonged to the Germantown C.C., and was also a mem­ ber of the team known as the Daisies, which included such well-known players as Patterson, Brockie, Noble, BobleD, Ralston, Morgan, Brown, Wister, and others equally well-known. In 1893 he joined the Philadelphia Club, of which he was cap'ain for a number of years and a member of the Board of Directors from 1894 until his death. In 1891 he played for United States v. Canada, and for the Gentlemen of Philadelphia against Lord Hawke’s team. His decease is a very severe blow to the Philadelphia C.C. and the game in general in thw Qu»ktr City. F.F .K .