Cricket 1907

A p r i l 25, 1907. CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 89 S ubject to the conditions which the M.C.C. have already laid down, and which appear to have been accepted by the Biard of Control in Australia, the M.C.C. have definitely undertaken the responsibility of sending out a team in the autumn. A t last week’s Annual General Meeting of the Essex County C.C. it was stated that a year ago there was a deficit of £370 5s. 7d. This, however, has been entirely wiped off, and there is now a balance in hand of £186 1 1 s. 2 d. T h e Rt. Hon. W. St. John Brod- rick, of the Surrey County C.C. Com­ mittee, has,through the death of his father at Peper Harow, Surrey, on Thursday last, be­ came 9th Viscount Midleton. T h e testimonial which was organ­ ised in honour cf Mr. S. M .J. Woods, on the occasion of his retirement from the captaincy of the Somerset X I., has reached over £1,600. The pre­ sentation will be made during the luncheon interval on the first day of the match with Yorkshire, at Taun­ ton, on May 9th, and will include a handsome illumi­ nated address re­ cording the sub­ scribers’ apprecia­ tion of his services to sport in general and to cricket in particular. T h e Re v . L . Robinson, of Natal, who was chosen as wicket-keeper of the South Africin team when it was found that Halli- well could not undertake the journey, sailed for England last week from Cape Town in the s.s. “ Norman,” P l a y in g for Greyville v. Queen’s Park, at Durban, on March 28th, A. D. Nourse, carried out his bai for a faultless 102, made on a slow ground. His chief hits were a 6 , five 4’s, and two 3’s. He also took four wickets for 47 runs, and was decidedly the chief factor in the success of his side by eight wickets. N ortham ptonsh ire during 1906, their first season as a first-class county, experienced a loss of £352 Is. 4d. The total receipts amounted to £2,362 10s. 10d., the chief items being Subscriptions £1,301 9i. 6 d., and Gate-money £656 18s. 6 i. The match with Surrey yielded the largest gate, the takings being £209 13s. 31. On the other hand £1,376 7s. 3d. was expended in County matches, £336 83 . lid . in wages, £134 in retaining fees for Thompson, East, and Cox, and £125 in Club and Ground matches. I t is pleasing to hear that this year Hampshire will again enjoy the services of Mr. H. W. Persse, who played for the County in 1905 but was unable to do so last season owing to his absence in Canada. In 1905 he took 35 wickets in Championship matches at a cost of 33'20 runs each. Wisden, in its summary of Hampshire cricket for that year, re­ marked that—“ Persse and E d e ............. gave promise of becoming good bowlers, aud should they fulfil expectations they will form a useful contrast, the one bowling rather fast right and the other slow left hand.” Persee is still quite a voung man, having been born on September 19th, 1885. D r . E. M. G race , who has had a sharp attack of illness during the winter, has made a good recovery, and is looking forward to the season with his usual eagerness. For the Thornbury Club last year be made 351 runs (average 18'47) and took352 wickets (average 9 70). In all matches during his career he has made 76,449 runs and taken 11,747 wickets. “ W. G .” has scored about as many runs as his elder brother, but has obtained only about half the number of wickets. M r A G. T h a c k ­ e r a y , who had been elected as Glamorgan’s cap­ tain for 1907, broke his collar-bone last Thursday whilst riding his own horse in the Cow- bridge races. Last year he headed his County’s batting averages with 34 00 runs an innings. O n F ebru ary 18th the Committee appointed by the N ew Z e a l a n d Cricket Cjuncil to control the tour of the M.C.C. in New Zealand received a letter from Mr. C. E. De T the effect that he could not, under any consideration, a g r e e t o t h e Council’s sugges­ tion “ That the side which loses the toss in the first Test match shall have choice of innings in the second.” Mr. De Trafford pointed out that one of the Laws of Cricket explicitly states that the choice of innings shall be decided by tossing. I t may be recalled that two years ago —on February 7th, 1905, to be exact— the Board of Control passed a resolution to the effect that it would be advantage­ ous for all classes of matches if the last sentence in Law 1 read as follows—“ The choice of innings shall be decided by tossing, unless otherwise arranged ” (the last three words being added). On February 20th, the recommendation was RULES, ARTICLES, AND REGULATIONS of the H E N F I E L D C B I C K E T C L U B , Established May 3rd , 7837. R ule I.—THAT the Society shall consistof Members subscribing yearly, Five Shillings each, to be paid on admission, and the Subscription shall become due on the first Wednesday in May in each year. II.—That the Members shall meet every Wednesday at 5 o’clock precisely, for the purpose of playing, and any Member not present at that hour, shall not be admilted to play in the first game if commenced, which shall be a single innings game. If the Wednesday afternoon be wet, the meeting shall take place on the Monday afternoon following. Any Member if not present once in three weeks shall forfeit sixpence. III.—In all practice matches every Member not fetching five runs each innings, shall forfeit one penny, and the same in missing a fair catch, these fines are to be paid to the general fund. IV.—Each Member to have the privilege of introducing a friend, being a non-resident of Henfield, for the purpose of playing, if there shall not be a sufficient number of members present to form the game, and shall be strictly answerable for his conforming to the Rules of the Club. V.—All disputes in play shall be submitted by the Bowler or Wicket-keeper to the Umpire, whose decision shall be final. VI. A Treasurer, Secretary, and Committee of Seven Members shall be elected annually at a General Meeting of the Members, to be convened by the Secretaiy for that purpose in the first week in May in each year. VII.—The Committee (of whom four shall be a quorum) shall have the direction and management of the affairs and finances of the Club. VIII.—'The Treasurer shall receive the Subscriptions, and thereout pay the expenses incurred by the Club. IX.—All Matches shall be submitted to the Committee who shall select the Players and fix the time and place of playing, and in the selection shall have regard only to the efficiency of the players. Any Member not consenting to play in a Match shall give at least two clear days notice thereof to the Secretary, or pay a forfeit of Two Shillings and Sixpence. X .—Any Member not conforming to the Rules of the Club shall be liable to be expelled upon any other Member moving to that effect, and being seconded, and the Meeting shall so decide. XI.—That any person wishing to become a Member of this Club shall be first proposed by the Committee, and if seconded by the same, his Election shall forthwith take place. XII.—No alteration or modification of these Rules shall be made except by a General Meeting of the Committee, of which the Secretary shall give a week’s notice, stating the special purpose of that meeting XIII.—That any Member degrading himself and party by geting in liquor before the match is played out, is under the forfeit of Two Shillings and Sixpence. X IV .- That Mr. E. BIGNELL be T reasurer and S ecretary to the Club. C. PELL, Printer and Stationer, 2, Pool Lane, Brighton. The above Rules, Articles, and Regulations of the old Henfield Club have been kindly forwarded by Mr. Alfred J. Gaston, of Brighton. The third is very quaint, and the words in the thirteenth “ before the match is played out” remind one of the curious effect the “ salmon” had upon Mr. Snodgrass after the Dingley Dell and All Muggleton match, which had been played a year or two before the above Rules, etc., were drawn up.