Cricket 1908

194 CR ICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. J u n e -n, 19.08. the regular journalists write, but there are m any things that they will not have said by one w ho is not a hack and who him self has not played first-class cricket. In fact they will not be criticised except by cricketers.’ O f course it is only one small section who are so thin-skinned ; just a few w ho want to m ake a livin g out of the gam e and to indulge in self-glorifica­ tion and mutual log-rollin g. If criticism is only to be from first-class cricketers, then only ex-C abinet M inisters ou gh t to criticise Parliam entary Bills, only actors should w rite on the dram a, only jockeys on racing, only professionals on m usic. It is too absurd. But, o f course, it is only an interested few who are o f this opinion. As a m atter o f fact the looker-on sees m ost of the gam e o f cricket, and those in it may be w orse judges than those w atching i t ; anyhow , m ost cricketers actually playing to-day have had less experience than those o f us w ho have seen in their prim e Grace, D aft, Shrewsbury, Spofforth, M urdoch, Pillin g, B lackham , Shaw , and Percy M cD onnell. It is quite easy to write sugared nothings, but they do not benefit Im perial sp ort.” “ D o you think cricket has deterio­ rated ? ” “ C ertainly not, but I think w e are at a critical period in its history, when m odifi­ cations will have to be introduced to m ake it m ove w ith the tim es. T h e Comm ittee of M .C .C . seem thoroughly alive to this, and I think trem endous praise ou gh t to be given to the Press for their judgm ent, sin­ cerity, and accuracy. All that dam ages the g am e is the self-com placency of a very few , each with his grou p o f toadies, who are so anxious to m ake a little out of cricket that they will cause it to lose popu­ larity and thus create a general a pathy.” “ Then you think--------? ” “ I consider there is far too m uch first- class cricket of a sort that is o f little interest. T h e Cham pionship is the main thing. W hat genuine effect on that have the m atches between Derbyshire, N orth­ am ptonshire, Som erset, Sussex, H am p­ shire, Leicestershire, Gloucestershire, and W arw ickshire — tak in g just half the cou n ties? But these eight could play a keen inter-cham pionship B D ivision set of m atches all of which must bear on their ow n prem iership, whilst the head of the poll could each Septem ber play out and hom e engagem ents with the low est county in the A D ivision for position in next season’s classification. T he w hole o f cricket is a financial speculation, and, as half the counties are barely solvent, as a gate- m oney principle this A and B D ivision will be adopted in time. It also furnishes a m ethod whereby the Second-C lass Counties can com e into first-class rank, because their cham pion could each Septem ber play the low est county in the B D iv ision .” “ Surely that would assist in getting m ore amateurs to play, because there would be few er m atch es?” “ E xactly, and that is the cryin g need of contem porary cricket. T he m odern profes­ sional is a very fine type o f man, but the pseudo-am ateur w ho plays the gam e for what w e can m ake out o f it is a craft sailing under false colours. W hen an am ateur’s ‘ expenses ’ are returned at a sum double the professional’s fee, and when am ateurs’ w ashing bills are paid, these things becom e a d ra g on the sportsm an­ ship of cricket. T h e pressure o f life m akes it difficult for genuine amateurs to find tim e to play regularly, and any schem e, such as the A and B Division, which will render it easier for them , deserves atten­ tion. T hat is why I like m atches to begin on a Saturday (because amateurs in many cases m ight get back to their professions on the Tuesday), though I think the Sun­ day in out-m atches m ay often prove diffi­ cult to fill u p .” “ Y ou are especially keen on University cricket ? ” “ Because it is so bona-fide amateur. In the N ational R eview for June I have pro­ posed a som ewhat drastic schem e for re­ form ation of University cricket, which is the outcom e of m uch th ou g h t.” “ W hat would you say most influences c r ick e t?” “ Firstly, the personal m agnetism of leaders, like Lord H aw ke or H . D . G. L eveson-G ow er, which exercises enorm ous influence for g ood— the reverse in other cases has had an adverse effect. Secondly, co-operative cricket : men playing for their side and not for their averages. Thirdly, bright cricket, for dull cricket, excep t against the clock, is against the spirit of the gam e. Fourthly, good fielding. This is the practical point. If all the catches are held the bow lers can take care of them ­ selves and need not trouble about how the w icket is. T he ball will never be long beaten by the bat if every chance is taken. W hat is detrimental to cricket is a listless match with slow batting, off-ball bow ling and slack fielding, stopping the ball with the feet without tak in g hands out of pocket— I have seen a county captain do th a t.” “ W hose cricket have you m ost en­ jo y e d ? ” “ Unquestionably T rum p er’s. N ext to his R an jitsinh ji’s, Stoddart’s, and Jessop’s. In bow ling, Shaw, Spofforth and Lohm ann of course com e first. But, really, Schwarz last season baffled batsmen in splendid fashion, and I have witnessed hours when Richardson, L ockw ood , W oods and K nox were all unplayable. I can look back on m any hours of undimm ed pleasure and on som e w eary with ennui, but cricket to me is a joy which all m y life lon g I regard as being inexhaustible.” B R IX TO N W AN D ERERS v. LONDON AND W ESTM INSTER B A N K .— Played at East Dul­ w ich on May 30. L ondon a n d W estm inster B a n k . H. E. Power, b B ry­ m er .............................. A. G. Gough, c Sim ­ m ons, b Brym er ... F. W. N ew com be, b Sim m ons ................ W. Bradbery, b Sim ­ m ons .. ................ L. G. Black, b Sim ­ m ons ............................. G. P. Rhodes, c B ry­ m er, b Simm ons W AN D ERERS v. CH ARLTO N P A R K .— Played at Charlton Park on June 3. C h arlto n P a r k . S. R. Sargent, c Bull, b Batchelor ... 11 H. C. Sargent, c Sloper, b Batchelor 8 L. N icholls, e Beres- ford, b Batclielor ... 22 H . M ills, st Fischer, b B u l l.............................. 8 Leslie H olland, b Bull 9 R.G. Cow ley, c Batchelor, b S. Stafford ................17 W. McCanlis, lbw , b Colman ... ... 25 C. J. Turpin, b Batchelor ................ 7 A. L. M cCanlis, c Sloper, b Colm an ... 27 S. K. M ills, c Sloper, b B a tch elor............... 7 J. Sanderson, not out 0 B 9 ,1-b 3, n-b 1 ... 13 S. Colman, b N icholls 9 H on. S. R- Beresford, b N ich o lls................ 59 E. H . Fischer, c and b N ich o lls ................ 5 T. C. Stafford, c W. M cCanlis, b Turpin 55 P. P. Lincoln, b N icholls ................76 W .T . Clarke, b Cow ley 12 T h e W a n d erers . Total ..154 S. Stafford, st Sander­ son, b N icholls ... A. L. Sloper, not out B. Batchelor, b Cowley H . T. Bull, c M ills, b Cowley ................ N. A. Dam ian, n o to u t B 8 , 1-b 1, n -b 1 Total ...257 H A M P S T E A D v. SO U T H G A T E . — Played at Southgate on June 3. HAMPBTEAn. E. E . Barnett, c sub. bC ranlield.. .. 11 E, W . Sutton, b Cranfield ................ 1 B. S. Foster, b Cran­ field ............................. 0 J . G. Donaldson, c Cranfield. b Hu*»ill 54 J. G ibbon, b Lew is . 1 A . R . Trim en, c Lew is, b Cranfield 0 S o u th g a te . F. S. Lewis, c Orr, b J. G ibbon ................41 H . B . H ugill, b B . S. F W . Orr, b Cran­ field .............................. 0 L . J. M arcus, c Miller, b Cranfield 16 J . Greig, b H ugill ... 12 A. M yford, n ot out . 12 J.Y . Nurim at, cC ran- tield, b L ew is ... 0 W i d e s ................ 4 111 F oster ... ... 4 C. Browning, b J. G ibbon ....................33 R . A . M ilton, st Sutton, b E. C. Barnett .................122 R . S. D ickson, b J. G reig ....................21 Rev. H . G. Spain; c sub, b E . E. Barnett 5 G. F. M cGrath, not not ... .................19 C. M uller, lbw , b F. W . O r r ................ 2 E. P. Birch, c sub, b F. W . O r r ................23 B 25, 1-b 2, w 1 ... 28 Total (8 w kts.) ...301 G . W . Cranfield and H . N . Ford did not bat. H A IL S H A M v. B R IX T O N W A N D E R E R S — Played at Hailsham on June 6 . B kixton W an d erers . N .J.W hyte, c Burten- 8 haw. b L uxford .. 48 H . E. Smith, b Ben­ nett .............................37 1 F. P. Rider, st Jones, b Press ................17 I F. Odell, st Blaber, b P re ss................ . 73 i J. N. Goldsmith, J. W . E. M urray, S. Thurston and B. A . Glanvill did not bat. H ailsh am . C. J. Sm ith, n ot out.. I ll E. A . Bryner, c Jones, b L u x f o r d ................ 2 W . A . Gilligan, b Press ................ 2 B 9 ,1-b 1, n-b 1 .. 11 301 G. Alexander, b Sim ­ m ons... ... ... 1 C. J. Crosslcy, b Sim ­ m ons..............................5 H . D. Dear, n ot out... 5 S. G. Ty tc, b Sim m ons 1 Byes A. E. W ilson absent. L ondon and W e stm in ste r B a n k . II. E. S m ith,b Alexan­ der .............................17 A. J. W hyte, Dear ... 33 F. O dell, b N ew com be 46 R. J. Burlington, c Dear, b Alexander... 26 L. M. Simm ons, csub, b Pow er ................ 1 C. G. Sm ith, b N ew ­ com be ................19 E. A. Brym cr, b A lex­ a n der.............................63 H. Goodall, c sub, b A le x a n d e r................14 F. P. Rider, b Pow er 1 J. N. Goldsm ith, run out .............................. 0 B. A. Glanvill, not o u t ............................. 2 B 7, w -b 2 ... Total ... H . C. Edm onds, c Glanville, b G old­ smith ............................. C. Paine, not out E. L ongley, c and b Brym er .............. C. Jones, c H . E. Smith, b Brym er ... ...231 FROM H.M. D O CKYARD.—Splendid strong Naval Canvas HAMMOCKS, suitable for Gardens, Cam ping, etc. ; white, 5s. 6 d. e a ch ; can be sent on approval.—H . J. Gasson, Naval Contractor, Rye. J N. Burtenshaw, b Brym er ................30 R . E . H ill, c G old­ sm ith, b Brymer ... 0 J. M . C. Coles, b G o ld sm ith ................ 1 C. L uxford, c H . E. Smith, b Goldsm ith 7 F. P. Press, c M urray, b Brym er ... ... 20 M . Blaker, c H . E. Smith, b G oldsm ith 14 Byes ................ 3 C. H . Bennett, b Goldsm ith .. ... 6 T otal ... 91 Second in nings: R.E . H ill, c G illigan, b Thur­ ston. 2 ; J. M . O. Coles, c Brymer, bThurston, 10;F. P. Tress, not out. 7 ; C. H .Bennett, cBrym er, b Gilligan. 0 ; C. Paine, b Thurston, 11 ; C. Jones, not out, 9. - T otal (4 w kts.), 39. The AMERICAN CRICKETER. F ounded 1877. Published by H. H. Cornish on behalf of The A ssociated Cricket Clubs of Philadelphia. An Illustrated Journal >i ( ricket, Association, Football, Tennic. (i<n and Kir dre<’ Pastimes. N o. 632, Chestnut Stree. Philadelphia, Pa., U .P .A p rio e 10 per annum, po&t paid anywhere. Specimen copie mailed on reqi^tsst.