Cricket 1908

cRicktet A WEEKLY RECORD Ofr t t lE GAMfe. M ay 28, 1908 H. GRADIDGE And SONS, Manufacturers o f all Requisites for Cricket, Lawn Tennis, Racquets, Hockey, Football, an d all British Sports. C r i c k e t : A W E E K L Y RECORD OF TLIE GAME. 168 , UPPER THAMES STREET, LONDON, E.C. PATENTEES AND SOLE MAKERS OF THE Of all First=Class Outfitters and Dealers. Reblading a Speciality, Factory ; Artillery Place, WOOLWICH. IMPORTANT NOTICE, Commencing with the Spring number of “ C ricket ” the price of the journal was permanently altered to ONE PENNY. The paper will continue to'he conducted on the lines which have proved so successful during the past 26 years. W ith the Spring issue was presented to all readers the usual SUPPLEMENTARY SHEET, containing the revised First-Class Fixtures, with Portraits of some of the leading players of the day. THE ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION, post free, to all parts o f the w orld Is 3/9 per annum . The Subscription for the 24 Summ er Numbers only 3 1 ; payable in advance. Subscribers w ho have prepaid at the old rate w ill have their subscriptions adjusted; accordin g to the new terms. Offices: 168 Upper Thames St., London,E.C. THURSDAY, MAY 2 8 t h , 1908. Pavilion Gossip. The abstract and brief chronicle of the time. — Ham let. I f , as stated, the Worcestershire bats­ men took the field against Surrey last week with scarcely any preliminary prac­ tice, the side may safely be depended upon to score heavily as soon as they have once settled down. They have certainly lost both matches already plajed, but in their four innings they scored 1,016 runs for forty wickets, and H. K. Foster, Cuffe, and Bowley have each played a three- figure innings. Furthermore, the side’s two highest totals were made in the fourth innings of a match ; against Surrey at Worcester they scored 292 when set 307 to win, and in the M.C.C. match at Lord’s made 283 of the 372 required for victory. So the side’s failure was, in either case, somewhat in the nature of a triumph. T iie wicket at Worcester generally proves such a paradise for batsmen that the strength of the County’s bowling is generally under-rated. Yet, with such players as Cuffe, Arnold, Burrows, Pear­ son, and Mr. Simpson-Hayward at com­ mand, the attack should in the ordinary course of things prove quite equal to the task before it. It is worthy of remark that in the two matches played this season Mr. Simpson-Hayward’s lobs have ac­ counted for nine wickets at a cost of 18.22 runs each in innings which amounted to 229, 334, 402, and 153. The decadence of lob-bowling is one of the most regrettable features of modern cricket. The majority of players appear to imagine that a lob- bowler should be put on only when a wicket cannot be obtained and then in order to induce the batsmen to hit out and be caught. I believe that if any cricketer seriously set himself to cultivate the art of lobbing, he would prove a great treasure to his county, provided he was supported by good fielding. But lob-bowl­ ing is not learnt quickly, and perhaps it is this fact which is chiefly responsible for the very rare occasions upon which one sees that form of attack made in a match of any importance. One of the most in­ teresting sights seen by the present genera­ tion, at least to my way of thinking, was the manner in D. L. A. Jephson skittled out a very strong side in the Gentlemen v. Players match at Lord’s in 1899. F ro m the Morning Post :— “ It is a curious fact that the visit of the South Africans last year has not yet caused the appearance of a bowler who can imitate the peculiar style of slow bowling which they found so successful. The art of making a ball break back though delivered with a leg-break action is not unknown in England. In point of fact it was discovered by an Englishman, Mr. Bosanquet, and almost every County team includes at least one man who can and does make the ball cut curious capers after the fall of a wicket. But when a new batsman arrives these men are not invited to go on to bowl. The reason why a trick, which has been proved to be remarkably successful, has not been developed over here can hardly be that the English climate and English wickets are not suited to its use. The cause is rather to be found in our insular conservatism. Fortunately conservatism, even when it is insular, is generally righ t; and so it may prove to be in this case. It is very doubtful if the efficacy of “ googly ” bowling is destined to last long. Quickness of foot is the out­ standing virtue of modern batting, and it is a virtue which tells most against slow bowling. No amount of break, expected or unexpected, is of use if the ball is not allowed to touch the ground, or if the bowler has to drop them short in order to avoid being hit full pitch. In the latter case the batsman, having threatened to run in, steps back to his original place and has a long hop to deal with. It is hardly too much to say that a really slow bowler can with difficulty bowl a good length ball to Tyldesley when he means business. Mr. Jessop used to be still more disconcerting, for even the fast bowlers did not always know exactly where he was at any given moment; just latterly he seems to prefer to hit fast-footed when possible.” I t was a pity that the match between Essex and Yorkshire failed to produce a definite result, for the play throughout had been very keen. The scoring was at times very slow—only 850 runs were made during three full days—but the game never became wearisome, although one could scarcely help feeling that Douglas’ most pronounced defensive tactics at the start of the match were unnecessary. On paper Yorkshire certainly held the advantage at the close, but, had another day been avail­ able for play, the score-sheet would pro­ bably have told a different tale, for Essex would have played more carefully in their second innings and more keenly in the closing stage of the match than they did when a draw became a certainty. Had not Iiirst and Myers been missed in the first innings when each had made a single, it is more than possible that Essex would have pulled off the match ; but, as I have said before, missed catches are all part of the game. It was a match which, although unfinished, probably gave satisfaction to both sides—to Essex, on account of the form shown by the Eleven and the amount of the gate; and to Yorkshire, because of their good display on a true pitch after playing on a succession of wet wickets. I f the Rev. F. H. Gillingham could play in every match for Essex this year the side might be able to make a good fight foi*