Cricket 1907

A p r i l 18, 1907. CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 73 Dillon, Mr. Edward Wentworth. Born atPenge, February loth, 1881. Fairservice, William John. Born at Nunhead, May 16th, 1881. Fielder, Arthur. Born at Plaxtol, Kent, July 19th, 1878. Huish, Frederick Henry. Born at Clap­ ham, November 15th, 1870. Humphreys, Eiward. Born at Ditton, Kent, August 24th, 1881. Hutchings, Mr. Kenneth Lotherington. Born at Southborough, December 7th, Hardinge, Harold Thomas William. Born at Greenwich, February 25th, 1886. Hearne, Alexander. Born at Ealing, July 22nd, 1863. Hubble, John Charlton. Born at Water- ingbury, February 10th, 1881. 1882. Marsham, Mr. Clou leslflv Henry Bullock. Born at Stoke-Lyne, Bicester, Oxford, February 10th, 1879. Mason, Mr. John Richard. Born at Blackheath, March 26th, 1874. Munds, Raymond. Born at Lydd, December 28*.h, 1882. Seymour, James. Born at Brightling, October 25th, 1879. Woolley, Frank Edward. Born at Ton­ bridge, May 27th, 1887. W h e n glancing through an old book of newspaper cuttings the other day, I came 8 cross the follow ing from the Nottingham Daily Guardian of April 27th, 1885: - BELPEK MEADOWS CRICKET CLUB. This club commenced the present season with a match on the handicap principle on Wednesday last, which was won by Mr. W . T. Palmer, with 38 runs, not out, from scratch. Mr. J. Eeader, an old veteran, who had 15 start allowed, obtained in addition 20 runs, and took second honours. It would be interesting to hear whether any clubs indulge in such handicap trial matches in these twentieth-century days. A report of a single-wicket match played on the principle was published in The Daily Post of August 4 ‘h, 1741, and is so quaintly worded that I reproduce it in extenso :— Last week a whimsical Cricket Match was plaid in the Artillery-Ground for a round Sum of Money, by iour lean Gentlemen against five fat Men of a neighbouring B orough; which was won by the former with considerable Odds; tho’ , the Disparity of Years consider’d, there was no great Reason for Triumph on the Victory. ’Twas given out they were to play this Match on Walworth Common, on which Occasion abundance of People resorted thither, and were disappointed; hut this arose not from an Intention in the Sportsmen to balk their Acquaintance, but from a Desire to exercise their Agility without Obstruction, which they so well display’d, that the Gentleman who was prevail’ d upon to be the Marker of the Game, with the laborious Task of cutting the Notches, has been depriv’d of the free Use of his Hands ever since. In the Course of the Match a Wager was laid between a jolly Boy and a spare one, which of the two got most off their own Bats, and was pleasantly won by the lusty Gentleman, though he did not strike one stroke; his Antagonist, thro’ a fond Humour for the Bet, allowing him one Notch, which by that one was more than they both got. This comedy of the “ lean Gentlemen ” and the “ fat Men ” is, I notice, not referred to in Mr. Waghorn’s recently- published The Dawn o f Cricket. T h e Lambeth Guardians, at their meeting on the 10th inst., decided that the boys under their cire should be encouraged to learn cricket by the pur­ chase of four cricket bats, niue cricket halls, a practice net, one pair of wicket- keeping gloves, two pairs of pads, and two pairs of batting gloves. A n invitation to practise at Lord’s has been extended to the South Africans, who will reach England within the next ten days. They open their tour at Leicester on Whit-Monday. LoaD H a w k e arrived at S mthampton on Saturday last from South America in the Royal Mail liaer Araguaya. He has therefore returned in plenty of time to captain Yorkshire in their first match. A comparison of the doings in all matches ever played by Yorkshire and Kent, probably the two strongest sides in the country at the present time, may prove of interest. Yorkshire, commenc­ ing in 1833, ha?e played 968 matches, of which they won 469, lost 240, and drew 259, whilst Kent, since 1719, have taken part in 954 matches, winning 365, losing 413, and leaving 159 unfinished: the results of the remaining 17 are unknown. Three tie games, I should add, are in­ cluded in the 159 drawn matches of Kent. L ord K in n air d , in the absence of the Chairman, the Hon. Sir E. Chandos Leigh, presided at the monthly meeting of the London Playing Fields Society, held at the Sports Club, St. James’ Square, on the 9:h inst. Very satisfac­ tory progress was reported in the laying out of the playing-field at Mottingham, presented by the Goldsmiths’ Company, twelve criek-t pitches being available for play during the coming season. On the other hand the Society is losing part of their Willesden Ground, and the necessity of obtaining funds to enable the Society to become owners, and not tenants, of their grounds was recognised by the Meeting. The work at Fairlop playing- fields, Hainault, is proceeding, and the Secretary, Mr. G. J. Mordaunt, of 45, Gloucester Street, S.W., was able to place the statement of receipts and expenditure on the table. L a st week a three-days bazaar was held at Taunton on behalf of the Somer­ set County C.C. The receipts, which amounted to £1,030, will enable the club to start the season with a balance in hand. Mr. A. J. G asto n , whilst lecturing on “ Cricket and Cricketers ” at Hurstpier- point last week, naturally touched upon the cricket abilities of famous Hurst Johnians. One of the hits of the evening was the production of the original tele­ gram from the old Cantab, Mr. G. H. Longman, to Mr. F. J. Greenfield, of St. John’s College, Hurstpierpoint, Sussex, on the 23rd of June, 1874. The wire stated:— Want you to play for Cambridge against Oxford. Come up to practice at Lord’ s by the train leaving Brighton at eight ten. I will meet you at Victoria. Cricket readers will remember that the late Rev. F. F. J. Greenfield, who was Ciptain of the Cambridge X I. in 1876, and played for Sussex 1873 83, died from pleurisy at Dander, South Africa, in 1900. A correspondent of the Sydney Referee writes as follows in the issue of March 6th : — On Saturday last, February 23rd, in a match Lostock v. Eccleston, at Eccleston, E. Tomkins went in first in the former’ s first innings and remained in till the end, being the tenth wicket to fall, having made 49 out of 63, of which 5 were sundries. In the second innings he again went in first, and played right through, being not out 24 out of •53 ; that is, he saw nineteen wickets fall in one match. He scored very fast in the first, but more slowly in the second innings owing to an injury to his left thumb, caused by falling when getting back to save himself from being stumped in the first innings. The same batsman a few years ago, for Gooran- goola C.C. v. Bushgrove C.C., went in first and carried out his bat for 26 out of 39, and in the second innings went in first and saw either eight or nine wickets fall, getting 22 out of 48. Harry Jupp, I may add, carried his bat through each innings for Surrey against Yorkshire, at the Oval, in 1874. In minor matches the same feat has often been performed. A n extriordinary incident occurred in the St. Kilda v. Williamstown game at Melbourne on February 23rd, according to the Argus. Homewood, of Williams­ town, bowled Inskip, knocking the middle stump out of the ground. One bail hit the Williamstown wicket-keeper in the eye. The leg and off-stumps fell towards one another, and the other bail rested on top of them. M elbourne C lu b batsmen were in a run-getting vein on March 2nd. The First Eleven, playing against Richmond, on the latter’ s ground, totalled 542, V. Ransford scoring 138, Tuckwell 106, and Armstrong 72, whilst the Second Eleven made 569 on the M.C.C. Ground at the expense of Coburg, the highest scores being 168 by Woodhouse and 98 by Down. The First Eleven won by 462 runs on the first innings, and the Second Eleven by 501. St. J oh n ’ s , Parramatta, playing against Linnwood, at Linnwood, on March 2nd, scored 258 for two wickets in 80 minutes, Ayres making 124 not out and Cox 81: Linnwood had previously been dismissed for 112. On the same afternoon Blundell (204 not out) and Law obtained 249 in 100 minutes for the first