Cricket 1907

66 CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. A p r il 18. 1907. Nottingham, who had Alfred Shaw, Morley, Wright, Barnes, and Flowers to bowl for them. It was trying a new man rather severely, and when I was bowled by Shaw’s first ball, I was not surprised, although I believe it was a long-hop! On my return it seemed such a long way from the wicket to the pavilion that I began to wonder whether I should ever reach it. In the second innings I made four, and so escaped a pair. My next match was against Middlesex, at the Oval, where I was more successful, for my score of 63 was the highest in the first innings of Surrey. I played for the County a few times after that, but never did much. Altogether I appeared for Surrey six times in 1882 and once in 1888. In 1899 “ W.G.” got me to play for Lsndon County against Worcestershire. We made about 250 ourselves, and, after getting a couple of the County’s wickets down, had our bowling collared by H. K. Foster and Arnold. Things came to look so unpleasant that I was put on to bowl. Fortunately for us, my first ball got a wicket—Foster’s—and Arnold was caught off me directly afterwards. Next ball I appealed for leg-before-wicket against Straw, their wicket-keeper, but the um­ pire gave it not out. This rather upset “ W .G.,” but the Old Man made 175 not out in his second innings and quite regained his happiness iu consequence. When I was in Switzarland I endeavoured to make the game popular with the natives, but without success, although they took readily to Rugby football.” “ Most of your cricket of late years, I think, has been played with the Wanderers ? ” “ Originally they were known as the Clapham Club, which changed its name to the Clapham Wanderers, and after­ wards to the Wanderers. Except when I have been laid up through an accident, I have never missed one of their matches. Although it is, as its name implies, a club without a ground of its own, we have always had a good side. The Wanderers always elect their captain before each match, and for the last 15 years or so I have had the honour of b ing chosen on every occasion. Jephson has done great things for us both in batting and bowling, and is a splendid club cricketer. In first-class matches he also did very well, but I think he would have been even more successful had he always opened the innings. For the Wanderers he made some very large score?, including one of 301 not °nt, whilst making whioh only 89 other runs were obtained from the bat. He is, beyond doubt, the best all-round player the club has ever had, and has proved a tower of strength to ua during our tours in Kent and Sussex.” “ Will you tell me something concern­ ing your chief run-getting feats ? ” “ In my early days I was a hard hitter, but a sprained wrist, met with at football, made me change my game, and, although I have never been quite so slow as some people like to state, I certainly developed a more sedate style. In August, 1882, S. H. Evershed and I were playing on the Lakenham ground for Carrow against Holkham: he made 173 not out and I 112 not out, and together we put on 310 for the second wicket in 135 minutes, which was fast scoring, especially for those days. Ten years later P. Coles, of Blackheath, went in first with me for Devonshire Park against G. W. Morri­ son’s Eleven, at Eastbourne, and the score had reached 472 before I was bowled for 209. Coles carried out his bat for 247, the innings was declared closed, and we won by 380 runs. A week earlier Hewett and Lionel Palairet had set up a record for first-class cricket by making 346 together for Somerset against York­ shire, at Taunton, and Coles and I not only succeeded in beating those figures, but also passed the 470 made seven years earlier by Leslie Wilson and the late W. G. Wyld at Beckenham. The 346 has since been exceeded several times in great matches, but I believe the 472 still re­ mains unbeaten so far as club cricket is concerned. In July, 1900, Jephson helped me to put up 349 for the first wicket of the Wanderers against Tonbridge, and in August, 1894, exactly 300 for the Crystal Palace against Seaton ; in these matches his scores were 226 and 157 respectively, and mine 100 not out and 121. One of the most fatiguing performances I ever took part in was whilst playing for the Wanderers against the South Saxons, at St. Leonard’s. The ground was so slow that, although the late F. E. Saunders and I scored 222 for the first wicket, neither of us made a boundary hit.” “ Doubtless you have seen many exciting matches at the Oval and else­ where '? ” “ The first great match I saw was that between England and Australia in 1880, when “ W.G. ” scored 152 for the former and Murdoch 153 not out for the other fide. It proved to be G. F. Grace’s last important game, and, although he was unfortunate enough to fail to score in each innings, he made a marvellous catch in the long-field off Alfred Shaw which dismissed Bonnor. It was the first match ever played over here between the sides, and the three Graces were all included in the Eugland team. Although Eng­ land were left only 57 to win, there was considerable excitement before the runs were made. “ W. G .,” rather unwisely as it was thought afterwards, altered his order of going in, the result being that half the wickets went down very quickly. “ W. G.,” who had held himself back, then went in, and he and Frank Penn made the balance of the runs without further loss. In the cor­ responding match of 1882, England were again set alight task—just over 80 runs— to win, and again the batting order was changed. But this time there was a different result, England being beaten by 7 runs. Charles Studd went in so late that he did not receive a single ball, and he had made 118 against the Australians’ bowling at Cambridge earlier in the season, and 114 at Lord’s ! Test matches have always interested me more than any others, and I am looking forward to those with the South Africans this year.” Do you thi-ik they will succeed in winning either of the three arranged P” “ I hops England will win them a ll! But I should like to see them beat some of the leading counties. To my mind, it is impossible to estimate with any degree of certainty the amount of success with which the side will meet, for matting, on which they have been accustomed to play, is so different from turf. Bat they have a good batting side, and should make runs, especially when the wiokets are hard.” “ Have you agreed with all the sug­ gestions made as to alterations in the iaws, new methods of deciding the County Championship, etc. ? ” “ The question I feel most strongly upon is that which might cause the Championship Competition to be decided on the Football League principle—the last three sides in the first division chang­ ing places with the three leaders in the second. If this plan were adopted, a bad year would probably mean bank­ ruptcy to a side like Surrey, Yorkshire or Lancashire. A match between Surrey and Yorkshire might have to be substi­ tuted for one in which Surrey met Cornwall! Crowds certainly would not flock to the Oval in their thousands to see such a game.” F. S. A.-C. OLD BOYS’ M A T C H : AM ER SH AM H A L L SCHOOL. I long have nursed, an old boy I, A gouty leg upon the pillow ; Yet was i, in the days gone by, No mean performer with the willow. And so was asked (no doubt my years Secured for me the invitation) To travel down to X ., good sirs, And play the rising generation. I came, I saw, I fielded point Till Buggins minimus, by Jingo, Knocked my forefinger oat of joint, And chirruped, “ Hold it, Old Flam ingo! ” It made me hop ! A substitute I signalled witb the wounded digit, And that young Buggins, little brute, Ran on like a demented midgit. “ Retired hurt,” 1 sat and told Oi ancient days when there was cricket, And Birrell slogged, and rfpokey bowled, And Winterbotham kept the wicket. Ripe legends—much improved upon!— I babbled of the great “ Matrics,” And how I caught, at Iona long-on, A ball Jim farry hit for six. I did indeed ; “ Lost ba ll! ” was cried ; The hero o’er his bat was bending, When overhead, supremely skied, I saw that awful ball descending, And ran, like any acrobat, Three hundred yards if ever man did, And cleared the fence, and had him pat Two inches from the ground, left-handed ! I paused, and heard, it touched my pride (It was unfeeling and improper), A fat boy, nicknamed “ FulUinside,” Gasp out—“ .Jemina, wot a wopper ! ” E rnest R adford . R ICHARD DAFT’S “ Nottinghamshire Marl.”— Particulars apply, Kadcliffe-on-Trent, Notts. [A dvt .