Cricket 1908

CR ICKET : A W EEK LY RECORD OF T H E GAME. JUNE 25, 1908. “ Together joined in Cricket’s m an ly toil.”— Byron. N o. 7 8 4 .v o l . x x v i i . THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 1908. one p e n n y . A CHAT ABOUT MR. A. C. MacLAREN. T he return o f M r. M acLaren to the Lancashire team has been one o f the most w elcom e features o f the past w eek’s cricket. H is reappear­ ance was adm irably timed, for the C ounty appears to be experiencing one o f those periods o f non-success which com es sooner or later to every side. If he could play again regularly he would doubtless cause the side to enjoy a successful season, for the am ount o f enthusiasm and confidence his presence infuses into the eleven could not easily be over-estimated. No up-hill gam e is ever hope­ less whilst he is at hand, for the harder runs are to ob­ tain the better he seems to bat, and his captaincy is always sound and frequently brilliant. In the field he can hold his ow n with the best, being especially good in the slips, where he has brought off many an excel­ lent catch. In the long-field, too; he must have saved hundreds of runs. One o f the best displays o f fielding he ever gave w as in the match between Gentlem en and Players at L ord 's nine years a go. M r. Jephson, put on third change against a very strong batting side, took six wickets with his lobs for 21 runs, and was supported by fielding which he afterwards described as the best he had ever seen. M r. M acLaren, by his wonderful activity, attracted m ore attention than anyone else, and the catch by which he dism issed H irst at square-leg, whilst running at full speed, was a brilliant effort which did not fail to receive the applause it merited. Mr. M acLaren, who learnt his cricket at Elstree, was still quite you ng when he first cam e prom inently before the public, being, in fact, only fifteen years o f age when he played for H arrow against Eton Photo by\ atL ord ’s in 1887. Elon won by five second. H e played three m ore times w ickets, whichwas scarcelysurprising against Eton, and, in 1890, when he was seeing that inthefirst innings ofH arrow captain, made a superb 76, being first there were onlytw odouble-figure scores, in and seventh out. On the strength of his perform ances at H ar­ row he was given a trial for Lancashire, and in his first match for the County— against Sussex, at B righton, in 1890— played a faultless innings of 108. In the follow in g year, when Lan­ cashire occupied second place in the C ounty Championship, he headed the averages with over 44 runs an innings, and in 1893 w as chosen to appear for the Gentlemen against the Players at L ord ’s. H e paid his first visit to Aus­ tralia in the winter o f 1894-5 as a m ember o f Mr. Stod- dart’s team, and at onCe showed his appreciation of Australian wickets by m ak­ in g 228 against V ictoria on the M elbourne ground in his first great match in the C olonies. H e made tw o other hundreds during the tour and cam e out second in the aver­ ages with over 47 runs an innings in eleven-a-side m atches. Since then he has .gained _ .many, triumphs in Australia, and especially at Sydney, where he m ade very large scares with a regularity which was rem arkable. T he m ajority o f Australian critics regard him as the best bats­ man on their wickets Eng-, land has yet sent out, and they certainly have good reason for their opinion. Essentially a man who can be relied upon on great occa ­ sions, his nerve, skill, and sound judgm ent appealed s'ron gly to Australians, than whom there are none quicker to. recognise and appreciate greatness, whether it be in friend or foe. An am using storv o f him is told in con­ nection with a Test match on the Sydney ground. H e was fielding close to the boundary, when suddenly one o f the batsmen hit the ball [. Hawkins , Brighton. M r . A. C. M a c L a r e n . A lthough he was on the losing side, the match was a triumph for M acLaren, who made 55 in his first innings and 67 in his to an enormous height in his direction.