Cricket 1908

3 88 CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. S e p t . 3 , 1908. LEG BEFORE-WICKET. There have been rather many drawn games this season, and these one is inclined to attribute to the art of the preparers of wickets and to the development of leg play. Some of the grounds seem to have forgotten the kind of virtual compact that was made when highly artificialised processes for wicket- making were renounced. This being the case, it seems rather oppor­ tune for the M.C.C. Committee to again attempt a drastic amendment of the leg- before rule; to at last do something for the amelioration of the bowler; the bats-man has been the one considered person in all the amendments that have been made in the laws of the game. There are no degrees in dishonour. Leg play is therefore quite as unfair as throwing. Some seven years ago the M.C.C. got a majority at a general meeting, though not the necessary two-thirds, for the amendment of the rule to read th u s:—“ If with any part of his person (except the hand), which is between wicket and wicket, he intercept a ball which would hit his wicket, ‘ Leg-before-wicket One was impressed by the deliberate leg play of certain batsmen in the Middlesex and Kent match at Lord’s. The umpires ob­ viously satisfied their consciences by giving one man out, and for the rest of the innings hardened their hearts against the bowler. The late Arthur Shrewsbury developed the art of leg play, and with all his princely genius as a bat it now seems a case of the evil which men do living after them. The dependence on the ball’s pitching in a straight line between wicket and wicket was equitable before leg play became an accomplishment of the highly defensive batsman. Were the leg before rule altered there might be no clamouring among the spectacular element in cricket for unlimited time for Tests, and county matches would not so often occupy three full days, only to be unfinished. It will be said that the second-class counties, which tentatively tried the M.C.C. proposed rule in 1902, found it unsatisfactory. But, then, 1902 was a wet season. Mr. P. J. de Paravicini, of Eton and Cam­ bridge and Middlesex, a fine cricketer and a particularly glorious field, stated in “ Wisden ” that :— “ Personally, I think it a good rule, as anything that will make a batsman play at a ball instead of putting his leg across and not attempt to play the ball must be of service to the now hard-worked bowler...................I do not agree that it would make no difference on good wickets, as it would make the batsman play at balls two or three inches outside the off stump which he very frequently leaves alone now and steps in front of bis wicket. B y having to play at these balls he would very likely give a chance to the wicket-keeper or slip. I do not con­ sider that the rule has had a fair chance.” Wrist and eye would come to their own again were the old superstition about the ball’s pitching straight deleted from the rules ; the deletion would be the red light to ihe htone-waller, who would find that his forearm aud shoulders and legs were not so responsive to the eye’s judgment as the w rist; he would have to develop a stroke vith the bat, and then equity between attack and defence would be established. It can never have been meant that the legs were to foim an important means of defence of the stumps. And leg play is largely at the root of much of the immense scoring of to-day. A batsman with one stroke, or at the best perhaps two, is able to get his 10 0 ‘s easily in these days ; he has the straight bat for the half-volley and can push a ball off his leg s; with his legs he protects his off stump from the off theoiists in bowling, for he has no wrist for the cut —The Observer. SU SSEX v. YORKSH IRE. Played at Brighton on August 27, 28, and 29. Drawn. For their last county match of the season York­ shire had to forego the services of Rhodes, who had injured his thumb. Sussex batted first and, after the heavy rain, found run-getting no light task. Fry was caught at short-leg, Vine at the wicket, Young was lbw and the Jam Sahib bowled by a leg-break during the first hour, the total when the fourth wicket fell being only 33. Killick batted seventy minutes for 23, and the younger Relf in the same time made 33 out of 54without giving a chance. The last five wickets, however, went down for 28, and the innings closed for 105 after lasting two hours and three-quarters. Rothery and Hardisty scored 34 for Yorkshire’s first wicket in three- quarters of an hour, and Denton,,after being twice missed before making a run, was lbw at 55. Hirst and Wilkinson put on 21 without further loss, the total when stumps were drawn on account of bad light being 76 for three wickets. On Friday play was limited by the weather to thirty-five minutes, during which time a further 30 were added, whilst on Saturday the game was given up for the same reason after 5 runs had been made off four overs. Both Hirst and Wilkinson batted on each of the three days for their runs. Score and analysis :— S u ssex . Capt. Luther,b Haigh Relf (A. E.), cWatson, b Hirst ................... Cox, lbw, b Haigh ... Vincett, b Haigh Butt, not out ........... B 3, lb 1, nb 3 ... Total ...........] C. B. Fry, c Newstead, b Haigh ................... 7 Vine, cWatson, b H irst 1 Killick, lbw, b New­ stead .......................... 23 R. A. Young, lbw, b Haigh ................... 5 H. H. The Jam of Na- wanagar, b H aigh... 0 Rclf (R), c and b Hirst 33 Y o r k sh ir e . Rothery, c and b. A. Hirst, not out ...........30 Relf ...........................15 i B 8, lb 3 ............. 11 Hardisty, b Killick ... 10 — Denton, lbw, b Killick 9 Total (3 w kts)lll Wilkinson, not out ... 36 Myers, Newstead, Bates, Haigh, Lord Hawke and Watson did not bat. S u ssex . O. M. R. W. O. M. R. W. H irst ... 22 5 37 3 I Newstead.. 5 41 1 Haigh ... 22 3 3 60 6 | Newstead bowled two no-balls and Hirst one. Y o r k sh ir e . O. M. R. W. O. M. R. W. Relf......... 22 10 26 1 I Cox'... ,..10*4 0 19 0 Vincett ... 9 4 15 0 Nawanagar 1 0 9 0 Killick ... 22 12 31 2 SOM ERSET v. SU R R E Y . Played at Bath on August 27, 28, and 29. b b a u n d ’ s b e n e f it . • Drawn. Somerset put a very attractive side into the field, but, unfortunately, the weather played havoc with the cricket, only two hours and three-quarters’ play being possible during the three days. Surrey lost Hobbs, caught at long-on, and Hayward, dismissed in the same manner, for 26, whilst Crawford was run out at 53, and Marshal caught at cover-point three later. Spring and Hayes then added 42 in twenty-five minutes, the former hitting well, mak­ ing his 38 in forty minutes. The seventh wicket fell at 108, but Davis and Leveson-Gower remained together during the last fifty-five minutes of the day, adding 72 without being parted, and quite mastering the bowling for the first time. No play took place on either of the two following days, which was very regrettable as the match had b- en given to Braund as a benefit. Score and analysis Hayward, c Johnson, b Greswell ........... 9 Hobbs, c Johnson, b G resw ell................... 5 J. N.Crawford, runout 13 Marshal, c Robson, b Daniell ...................22 Spring, c Lewis, b Robson S u r r e y . Hayes, c Phillips, b Robson .................. 7 Davis, not o u t ...........44 Blacklidge, b Lewis... 0 H. D. G. Leveson- Gower, not out ... 20 B 11, lb 5, nb 6 ... 22 Total (7 wkts.) 180 Strudwick and Rushby did not bat. S o m er set : J . Daniell, L. C. H. Palairet, S. M. J. Woods, P. R. Johnson, H. Martyn, W. T. Greswell, F. A. Phillips, V. T. Hill, Braund, Lewis, and Robson. S u r r e y . O. M. R. W. O. M. R. W. Greswell... 16 2 56 2 I Robson... 18 11 1» 2 Lewis ... 25 8 78 2 | Braund... 1 0 5 0 Lewis delivered six no-balls. HAMPSH IRE v. G LOU C ESTER SH IRE. Played at Bournemouth on August 27, 28, and 29. Gloucestershire won by four wickets. Although without Jessop, Gloucestershire suc­ ceeded in winning by four wickets, but the result was not arrived at without some little excitement, six wickets falling before the necessary 49 runs were made in the fourth innings. W. S. A. Brown reappeared for Gloucestershire after an absence of three years. After Hampshire had lost three wickets for 36 runs, Sprot and Llewellyn in a partnership of an hour’s duration put on 103 by excellent cricket, but the last six wickets added only 37 more. Sprot, sixth out at 146, was in an hour and a-quarter for 57, iu which were nine 4’s, four of which were obtained in an over off Du Boulay. The visitors commenced their innings in fine form, Board and Champain making 31 for the first wicket and the latter and I^angdon 54 for the second. Champain played bright cricket, and made some very good strokes to the off. The latter part of the innings was marked by a fine display by F. B. Roberts, who played a capital game for 5 1: with Brown 26 were added for the seventh wicket, and with Parker 2S for the ninth. On Friday showers prevented the match being resumed until half-past two, but the bowlers then had so much the upper hand that the game was finished the same day. Although Llewellyn made 33 in forty minutes, Hampshire lost half their wickets for 45 runs, and were all out for 81. Dennett made his record for the match twelve wickets for 88 runs, and Mills took three for 10. Gloucester­ shire were left only 49 to win, but it was only after a desperate struggle that the runs were made. The fifth wicket fell at 29, but Dennett and F. B. Roberts put on 16 for the sixth, and made the result a certainty. Score and analysis:— H a m p sh ir e . First innings. Capt. W.N. White, c Brown, b Dennett......................... 29 Bowell, st Board,b Dennett 5 Second innings, c F. B. Roberts, b D en n ett.......... 0 c and b Dennett 5 b Dennett ... ... 5 c Langdon, b D ennett........... 5 c Mills, b Dennett 33 Mead, c F. B. Roberts, Mills ................... ........... 1 E. M. S p ro t, lbw, b Dennett ...........................57 Llewellyn, run out ...........47 G. N. Bignell,c F.B. Roberts, b Dennett........................... 0 c and b Mills ... 17 Stone, uot out ............13 b Mills . ........... 7 A. C. Johnston, c Langdon, b Dennett...................... 0 Langford, b F. B. Roberts 18 Badcock,cBrown,bDennett 0 Newman, c Langdon, b F. B. R oberts.............. 0 b M ills................... 1 B 5, nb 1 .............. 6 Lb ..................... 2 Total .......... 176 Total .................81 lbw, b F. Roberts 0 cBoard,b Dennett 0 not out.................. 6 G lo u c este r sh ir e . First innings. F. H. B. Champain, b New­ man ..................................42 Board, c Bignell, b Mead... 20 Langdon, b Newman ... 24 A. W. Roberts, b Mead ... 6 A. H. Du Boulay, b Newman 9 Dennett, st Stone, b New­ man .................................. 3 F. B. Roberts, lbw, b Mead 51 W. S. A. Brown, c Mead, b Newman ...........................17 Spring, cStone, b Llewellyn 2 Parker, b Mead ...................17 Mills, not out ................... 9 B 7, lb 1, nb 1 ........... 9 Second innings. b Newm an........... 2 c Sprot, b Mead... 2 b Newm an.......... 4 lbw, b Newman 5 b Newm an........... 3 not out.................. 10 lbw, bNewman... 12 not out.................. 4 B 6, lb 1 Total ...................209 Total (6 wkts) 49 HAMrsniRE. First innings. Second innings. O.M. R. W. O. M. R. W. Dennett.......... 28 10 48 6 ............ 14’4 4 40 6 Parker ........... 13 5 39 0 ............ Mills ......... 15 5 40 1 ............ 5 3 10 3 Du Boulay ... 3 0 36 0 ............ F. Roberts ...2 4 0 7 2 ............ 9 3 29 1 Du Boulay bowled a no-ball. G loucestershire . First innings. Second innings. O. M. R. W. O. M. R. W. Llewellyn ..1 6 1 59 1 ............ Newman ...18 4 82 5 ............ 6*5 2 28 5 Mead .......... 15-4 1 53 4 ............ 7 2 14 1 Badcock............. 2 0 6 0 ............ Newman bowled one no-bell. Walton-on-Thames scored 378 for five wickets in 130 minutes against East Molesey on Saturday. F. F. Stileman scored 187, included in which were five 0’s and twenty-five 4’s.