Cricket 1907

402 CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. S e p t. 12 , 1907. latter match Schwarz and I opened the innings togeth er: he scored 59 and did not bow l, whilst I made 9 and took eleven -vsickete. Those were pre- ‘ googly ’ dayB.” “ When was it you first began to be known on account of your hitting powers ? ” “ My father had always encouraged me to put plenty of wood behind my strokes, and I suppose I always hit more or less. But my first big success in that way was at Cane H ill at the beginning of 1895, when, in a scratch match, I hit a couple of 6’s, three 6’s, and twenty-five fours in making 189 not out in a total of 270. A year later I again managed to start the season well, scoring over 200 before lunch in a match at the Oval between the Y oung Amateurs and Y oung Professionals.” It should be mentioned that Mr. Crawford scored 218 out of 296 (including five extras), and hit out of three sides of the Oval. “ Speaking of hitting’,” continued the subject of these remarks, “ reminds me of a story told of C. I. Thornton in connection with old Jimmy Scutherlon, who were opposing one another in a Kent and Surrey match on the Bat and Ball Ground, at Graves­ end. Old ‘ Farmer ’ Bennett was in with Thornton, and Southerton w p .s bowling to the b ig 1itter. Jimmy bow led him one with loo much break on it. Thornton rusl ed out at it, but missed it, wl ile Pooley also missed stum piDg him for the same reason—that he could not get near enough to handle the ball. Southertor turned round to Bennett, and faid, ‘ What shall I bow l him this time, George ? ’ ‘ Don’t know, Jim, I ’m sure,’ said Bennett, ‘ he do look so precious wild, you ’d better leave it to Providence.’ Southerton decided to leave it to Provi­ dence on ‘ the Farmer’s ’ recommenda­ tion, but Providence did not interfeje that time at any rate, for the ball was fent out of the ground over several streets, and a new one was called for as it could not be found. C. I. Thornton, I have been told, accomplished nearly all his best performances at the expense of tip-top bowlers, and that the greater the reputation of the b ow h r was, the harder he seemed to hit. W ith most players, I fancy, it must have been the other way about. I well remember, some yeart ago, a friend of mine taking a team, including Lohmann and another bowler frcm the Oval, down into the country. The 1 ome side went in first, and Lohmann and 1is ccmpanicn had no terrors for the unsuspecting yokele, who headed the visitors by some 60 runs on the first innings. Just before they went in the secoLd time it cim e out who the bowlers were, and the frightened countrymen collapsed for 30, and w<re easily beaten.” “ What is your largest measured hit P” “ A hundred and sixty yards in the Surrey v. Gloucestershire match at Bristol seven years ago. I t was a drive off Paish in the second innings, the lu.11 going over the Pavilion and out of the ground. The curicus thing about the stroke was that I did not lay myself out for a b ig hit. I stepped out to the ball, and hit it, as I thought, fairly hard. F. H . B. Cbampain was on the boundary, but the ball went clean above him, and soared over the Pavilion into a garden. I believe I have made some hits quite as big on our Cane H ill ground, but they have not been measured.” “ H ow do you account for Leicester­ shire occupying only eleventh place in the Championship table ? ” “ I can’t account for it. We have some really good men, and, with a little luck, should do much better. But our record this season has been an improvement upon last year’s. We have great hopes of Astill, a fairly fast right-handed bowler, who turns the ball both ways. In my opinion he is the best Leicester­ shire have had since Pougher, and in another year or two should have become used to the different batsmen’s strokes and so more effective. Jayes, our fast bowler, is unplayable at times, and once he gets a start there is no stopping him. Against Derbyshire two years ago he took nine wickets in an innings—five bowled, two leg-before, and two caught and bow led— and caught the tenth man off C oe: this was in addition to scoring 74 and 15. I certainly think the outlook is promising for us.” “ Y ou have played against the South African bow ling this year, I believe ? ” “ Yes, snd I regard it as the most wonderful I have ever seen. So far as I can learn, no one ever tackled them properly, and I doubt whether anybody will. Faulkner seemed (o me to disguise bis break the best of all. After they had played us at Leicester, I went up to Lord’s to see what the M.C.C. men could do against them. Most of us bad made exhibitions of ourselves against Yogler and Schwarz, and the majority of the Lord’ s men did no better. In theii second innings it was very interesting—to a spectator — to watch V rgler going through the side: he had even body, who stayed long enough, in difficulty, and at one period took seven wickets for twelve runs. Given a good, hard wicket, I think the South Africans would dismiss the best side for 160 or 170.” “ Did you not recently keep wicket whilst on tour in Sussex ? ” “ It was for the Wanderers against Eastbourne and Bexhill. Brooks, un­ fortunately, had met with an injury, and in a weak moment I consented to take the gloves. It was thrilling work to a novice, keeping wicket against the ex­ presses of Pawling. First of all I got a blow on one foot, then made a catch, after which my other foot got in the way, and, to wind up with, I received a blow under the am -pit. I was as lame as a duck with a broken leg for some time afterwards, and shall never again be surprised at a wicke'.-keeper missing a catch. In some of the small matches at the Crystal Palace old “ W .G .” has kept wicket, and really well at times, too. Did you ever hear about the first visit he paid to the Cane H ill neighbourhood P The ‘ Old Man ’ had tramped through several country lanes and over many fields, and at last looked over a hedge and saw a man working in a plantation. The follow ing conversation then took p la ce :— ' W . G . ' : “ H i ! Have you seen a hare anywhere about P ’ Labourer (slow ly): *Whe-at ? ’ ‘ W . G ' : ‘ Have you seen a hare ? ’ Labourer (slow ly ): ‘ Y e-es.’ ‘ W.G.’ Expectantly): ‘ H ow long a g o ? ’ Labourer: ‘ A boot fifteen years—afore they kidnapped me and put oi in here ! ’ The man was one of the inmates of the Asylum .” From a figure point of view the follow ­ in g have been some of Mr. Crawford’s most noteworthy batting performances in first-class matches :— 100 out of 173 in 55 mins., Surrey v. Oxford University, at the Oval........................ 1900 101 out of 133 in 75 mins., Surrey v. Lanca­ shire, at the Oval ............................... 1900 77 out of 95 in 50 mins., Leicestershire v. Yorkshire, at Leicester........................ 1903 50 out of 69 in 40 mins. i Leicestershire 100 out of 135 in 95 mins. > v.Warwickshire, 1905 119out of 164 in 105 mins. ) at Edgbaston 51 out of 63 in 35 mins., Leicestershire v. M.C.C. and Ground, at Lord’s .......... 1905 102 out of 153 in 75 mins., Leicestershire v. Worcestershire, at Worcester .......... 1906 84 out of 93 in 60 mins., Leicestershire v. Yorkshire, at Leicester........................ 1907 114out of 168 in 120 mins., Leicestershire v. Derbyshire, at Derby ........................ 1907 51 out of 76 in 60 mins., Leicestershire v. Kent, at Maidstone............................... 1907 For Surrey v. Kent, at the Oval in 1901, he scored five 4’s and a single off an over from Blythe, whilst in last year’s match between Leicestershire and the West Indians he hit five boundaries in an over from R. A. Ollivierre. In minor cricket he has performed many noteworthy feats, the most remarkable perhaps being that accomplished in a match at Cane H ill in 1899, when, playing for his own eleven against one got together by his father, he scored 180 out of 215, completing his first hundred in nineteen minutes. No wonder he has been c illed Mr. Very Fast Pcoring Crawford ! His complete record in all kinds of cricket may be summed up thus :— Runs Wkts. Runs Wkts. Year. Made. Taken. Year. Made Taken 1888 . 14 — 1899 ... 2.822 .. 51 1889 . 25 — 1900 ... 2,913 .. 57 1890 .. 32 — 1901 ... 1,956 .. 15 1891 . . 140 .. 28 1902 ... 1,602 .. 35 1892 . . 283 .. 21 1903 ... 1,161 11 1893 . . 1,006 .. 107 1904 ... 991 5 1891 . . 1,437 .. 217 1905 ... 691 1 1895 . . 1,780 .. 200 1906 ... 1,545 4 1896 . . 1,963 .. 128 ♦1907 ... 2,328 .. 48 1897 . . 3,161 .. 159 1898 . . 2,665 .. 101 Total. 28,575 .. 1,188 * TJp io and including September 7th. Sixty three-figure innings were played in making the above runs. Seung how many wickets he has obtained in past years, it seems rather curious to find that during this season he delivered only a ccuple of balls in inter-county cricket. The AMERICAN CRICKETER. Foundbd 1877. Published by H. H. Cornish on behalf of The Associated Cricket Clubs of Philadelphia. An Illustrated Journal of Cricket, Association, Football, Tennis, Golf, and Kindred Pastimes. No. 632, Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa., U.S.A. pbiok :— 10/- per annum, post paid anywhere. Specimen copies mailed on request.