Cricket 1907

CRICKET ! A WEEKLY RECORD OF TH E GAME. APRIL 11, 1907. Sc — || m 11 | j ■ |%g[ — 6 “ .. ) J © 8 c _ 3 - H @ 8 — € — >s©5<— =3— “ Together joined in Cricket’s manly to il.” — Byron. No. 7 4 2 . VOL. X X V I. THUKSDAY, APRIL 11, 1907. p b i c e 2d. CHATS ON THE CRICKET FIELD. MR. W. FINDLAY. s o e k e t ’ s n e w s e c r e t a r y . The selection of a Secretary to either of the two great London Clubs is always a matter of great interest to cricketers generally, for the position, especially in these days of heavy fixture- lists and large memberships, is one of considerable im­ portance. Until the Surrey Committee formally an­ nounced their decision, speculation was naturally keen as to who would be the person of their choice; but, although several names were bandied about, it can be said without fear of con­ tradiction that not one person in a thousand antici­ pated that the honour of succeeding Mr. Alcock would fall to the lot of Mr. Findlay. This, however, was due solely to the fact that it was known only to a very few indeed that the old Etonian was a candidate for the post. That he will prove fully capable of filling the position with credit to himself and advantage to the Club is confidently main­ tained by all those best qualified to express an opinion. As he is still only in his twenty-seventh year, he has youth on his side, and should, in the ordinary course of things, retain the Secretaryship for a-quarter of a century at least. Furthermore, he has the advantage of a sound know­ ledge of the game, and, in addition to being a very great lover of cricket and of every­ thing connected with it, is the fortunate possessor of a bonhomie which is bound to make him popular with all whom business or pleasure may bring him in contact. His appointment must natur­ ally have come as a blow to Lancashire, for whom he has rendered capital service during the past five seasons both as wicket-keeper and batsman. With the single exception of Martyn, no finer amateur wicket-keeper has been seen in first-class cricket for some years; the late Mr. W. J. Ford, indeed, described him as being “ practically first-rate” even whilst at Eton. He has made many good scores, but it cannot truth­ fully be said that he is an entertaining batsman to watch. Hig defence is very strong indeed, but his methods lack grace; in this connection, however, he has the satisfaction of knowing that so great a batsman as Canon the Hon. Edward Lyttelton has laid it down that “ Effective play is the only good style.” That Mr. Findlay’s batting has often been effective the score-books of Oxford and Lancashire testify; thus, for Lan­ cashire last season he made successive scores of 42 v. Nottinghamshire, at Trent Bridge; 70 not out v. Warwick­ shire, at Edgbaston ; 68 v. Somerset, at Liverpool; and 81 and 24 v. Sussex, at Manchester. Although generally a most steady and painstaking batsman, he has at times taken part in some very fast run-getting. In 1905, when playing against Somerset, at Manchester, he and A. H. Hornby added 113 for the ninth wicket in half-an- hour, whilst v. Kent, at Canterbury, later in the season, he and Sharp put on 52 for the eighth wicket in 15 minutes at the end of the first day without being separated. Asked when it was that he first took to the game, Mr. Findlay replied:— “ When I was four years of age my family were stay­ ing in Wales, and I believe it was then that I first handled a bat. In any case, I can well remember stand­ ing up to the over-arm bowling of an elder brother on that occasion, for a blow received on the hand re­ minded me unpleasantly of the circumstance for some time after. Following that I played rustic cricket for some years, and, although I used to read Cricket when quite a boy, it was not until 1 met the Rev. E. B. Brutton that I paid any serious attention to the game. He it was who really taught me how to play. Although a very good cricketer, he failed to obtain his Blue at Cambridge. To many tour­ ing teams in Devonshire he is well-known, as he has been very prominently identi­ fied with Sidmouth cricket for a number of years.” “ Did you ever receive much profes­ sional coaching ? ” “ Not a great deal, for at Eton we had C. M. Wells and R. A. H. Mitchell to look after us. The latter I did not