Cricket 1907

50 CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. A p r il 11, 1907. see very much of, for he did little coach­ ing at the time I got into the Eleven, though his interest in the boys never waned in the least. Among the pro­ fessionals engaged were William Shrews­ bury, brother of Arthur, and F. Etheridge, who played for Sussex once or twice in 1896. I went up to Oxford in 1900, but did not get my Blue as Martyn, who was, and is, in a class apart as a wicket-keeper, was in residence. Next year, however, when he had gone down, I played regularly. My first match was against A. J. Webbe’s X I., and very interesting it was. H. B. Hayman, of Hampstead, was playing against us and made some terrific drives. He hit twenty-two 4’s and half-a-dozen 6’sin his innings of 165, and got 39 offF. P. Knox and White in a couple of overs. I was naturally anxious todo well, and suc­ ceeded in not allowing a single bye in either innings, which amounted to 251 and 309 for nine wickets. That year I was rather prominently concerned in two matters affecting the substitute question. When Somerset were playing against us, at Oxford, I had to give up the gloves owing to an injury, and Wickham, who was allowed to take my place, had the experience, which I should think must be unique, of keeping wicket for both sides in a first-class match. Later in the season, when we met Sussex, at East­ bourne, I retired from the game on the last day, and Bomford, who, until then, had taken no part in the match, took my place behind the wicket, the Sussex captain sanctioning the proceeding. I believe there is no rule to prevent a sub­ stitute from keeping wicket, but the incidents attracted considerable attention at the time.” “ In the next year you were very successful, I believe ? ” “ Undoubtedly, 1902 is the best season I have had. That year I headed the Oxford averages, and, although Wisden said, quite truly, that I was ‘ scarcely more than a careful plodder,’ it kindly added that I was ‘ blessed with in­ exhaustible patience.’ In the University mated Dillon and I made 118 for the first wicket in the first innings and 86 in the second, but we lost by five wickets. I think that, ordinarily, we should have made a hundred together in the second innings as well, but I was taken unwell and was obliged to go to the Pavilion for brandy, and on my return was caught at once. In the same season I made my first appearance for Lancashire — v. Middlesex, at Liverpool—and was chosen for Gentlemen v. Players, at Scarborough, and for England against Yorkshire iu the match played at Lord’ s for the benefit of the Cricketers’ Fund. In the Scar­ borough match the wind was so high that bails were dispensed w ith; it was suggested that some iron bails, which had been used in pre-historic times, should be requisitioned, but the proposal was not acted upon.” “ Were you not Captain of Oxford one season ? ” “ Yes, in 1903, my last year. The wickets were very slow, and our reoord was somewhat disappointing; but we beat Cambridge, which was the great thing, by 268 runs. Baphael made 130 and 19 for us, and Evans, besides taking eleven wickets for 86 runs, scored 21 and 60. It was fortunate for us that our best batsman and all-round player were at the top of their form for the occasion. Evans was a very fine cricketer indeed, and would, in all probability, have reached quite the top of the tree if he had been able to keep up the game. One of the best innings I saw him play was against Sussex, at Brighton, in 1902. Fry declared the County’s second innings closed, leaving Oxford 381 to win and five hours in which to get them. Evans scored 142, and we not only won by five wickets but had almost an hour to spare.” Mr. Findlay, it should be added, con­ tributed in no small measure himself to the victory, seeing that he carried out his bat for 57. “ Have you taken part in any other good finishes ? ” “ There was considerable excitement attending the close of Lancashire’s match against Middlesex, at Lord’s, the year before last. When our eighth wicket went down, three-quarters of an hour before time, we had 158 to win and only Kermode and Brearley to come ia, and, to make matters worse, the latter could not be found, so we had practically only one wicket to fall. Kermode joined me at this critical point, and, somehow, we managed to play out time, but I more than once wondered whether the clock had stopped. Middlesex, however, ought to have won, for some time before stumps were drawn George Beldam missed me at mid-on from a skyer. Almost as trying for me was our match at Leicester last year. Leicestershire, when their eighth man left, required only a single to escape defeat, but, as they failed to obtain it, Lancashire just scrambled home. I was keeping wicket, and the knowledge that if I let a ball pass me the match would be lost was not very pleas mt. But all ended well. MacLaren was playing for us, and it is wonderful the amount of cjnfidence he gives the side, even if he fails to score largely. He is a splendid captain, and no one that I have ever seen has managed his bowling more advantageously. Last year he was not very successful as a batsman, but when he was at his best it was generally at a time when runs were of great moment. Nothing, in my opinion, can be finer than seeing him do some tip-toeing on a tricky wicket.” “ You do not bowl much, I think ? ” “ Last year I bowled a good deal at Aldershot and Woolwich and obtained several wickets, but in first-class cricket I have been on only once—against Sussex, at Brighton, in 1906—when I sent down 42 balls for 15 runs against K. B. Relf and Vine. In the Essex match at Leyton, in 1904, MacLaren suggested that I should bowl—perhaps because I didn’ t bat; we declared with six wickets down for 505, and Essex topped our score with 559. Even Spooner went on, and as his lobs were punished for 110 in nineteen overs I congratulated myself that my efforts had not been utilized.” Mr. Findlay’s performances during the six years in which he took part in first- class matches may be summarised as follows:— (n.)—BATTING. Most Not in an Year. Inns. out. inns. Total. Aver. 1901 ... 8 ... 3 ... 28* ... 91 ... 18-20 1902$ ... 21 ... 4 ... 81 ... 185 ... 24*25 1903 ... 25 ... 6 ... 70 ... 327 ... 17-21 1901 ... 13 ... 3 ... 31 ... 118 ... 11-80 1905 ... 25 ... 8 ... 50* ... 363 ... 21:35 1900 ... 32 ... 5 ... 81 ... 568 ... 21*03 Totals.. 127 ...29 ... 81 ... 1,952.. 19*91 §Top of Oxford Averages. H e has made his highest score, 81, tw ice— v. G lou cjstershire1at Manchester, in 1902. and v. Sussex, on the same groiiud, in 1903. (£.) - WIOKET-KEEPING AVERAGES. Total Per- Mchs. wkts. cent- Year. “ kept” in. Ct. St. Total. fell. age. 1901 ... 5 ... 7 ... 1 ... 8 ... 77 ... 1038 1902| ... 14 ... 17 ... 11 ... 28 ... 163 ... 17*17 1903 ... 15 ... 28 ... 3 ... 31 ... 234 ... 1324 1901 ... 11 ... 14 ... 4 ... 18 ... 156 ... 11*53 1905 ... 17 ... 33 ... 2 ... 35 ... 282 ... 12*41 1906 ... 21 ... 39 ... 6 .. 45 ... 370 ... 1216 Totals 83 ... 138 ... 27 ...165 ...1282 ... 12*87 t Second in all lirst-class averages. In the ma*ch between O xford U ni­ versity and Surrey, at O xford, in 1903, he caught six o f the latter and stumped o n -*, whilst when he played for L m c a - shire at the Oval last year, he not on ly allow ed neither byes nor leg -b y es in the second innings of Surrey, bu t made four catches. It may prove o f interest to add that M r. F indlay is the fifth Secretary the Surrey C ounty O.C. have had since the Club was form ed 62 years ago. W . D enison held office from 1845 to 1848, J . Burrup from 1848 to 1855, W . Burrup from 1855 to 1872, and C . W . A lcock from 1872 to 1907. There w ou ld seem to be no reason w hy M r. F in d lay’s reign at the Oval should not be as lon g and as brilliant as that of his great p re­ decessor. F loreat ! F . S. A .-C . CR ICKET IN PORTUGAL . CAIICAVELLOS v. This match was played March 29th, and was won by 138 runs. L isbon . First innings. D. Rawes, b Godricli.......... 9 R. W.*P. Henery,c Strange, b O’Connor ................ 9 J. A. Read, b Perkins ... 26 R. W. Frazer, b Godricli... 0 J. N. Rankin, b Godrich ... 0 S. P. Mascarenhas, run out 15 E. M. Waite, lbw, b Bur- temshaw ........................ 2 E. A. H. Dawson, b Perkins 4 C.: 1). Barley, uot o u t.......... 5 W. H. Mills, b Burlemshaw 0 J. Dawson, jun., b Perkins. 7 Extras ................. 3 LISBON, at Carcavellos on by the home side Second innings, not out................. 4 not out... 0 c Westcott, b Perkins ..........13 lbw, b Bishop ... 14 b Burtemshaw... 26 Total ..............80 C arcavellos . Extras.......... 9 Total (3wkts) 66 H.C.Wallich, c Frazer, b Rawes .................25 D.J.O’Oonnor,bRawes 21 A. R. Godricli, not outl04 P. Burtemshaw, c Bar­ ley, b Henery......... 0 R.L. Perkins, b Rawes 0 \V. Wyse, c Barley, b Waite .................13 J. Westcott did not bat. M. H. Peile, b Henery 3 D. Johnson, b Read... 9 R.E. Bishop, b Henery 1 L. F. Strange, not out 24 Extras.................18 Total (8 wkts)*218 ♦Innings declared closed.