Cricket 1908

O c t . 29, 1908. CR ICKET : A WEEKLY RECORt) OF THE GAME. Kingscote C.C. issued an annual publica­ tion from 1826 to 1S30, copies of which are most difficult to obtain. I t is sad to learn that the present financial position of Essex is such as to make the continuance of the County Club a matter of uncertainty. It will be remembered that art the last Annual General Meeting Mr. C. E. Green stated that, unless about six hundred new members could be secured before the end of the season, he aud others concerned in the management of the Club would resign. Not only has the number of fresh subscribers been far from reaching that figure, but the Club suffered severely — especially so far as the Surrey match was concerned— through the weather not being fine during August. A special meeting has been called for the 1 0 th prox. to decide what shall be done. Should the Club collapse, or the ground be sold, it would be a lasting disgrace to the people o f Essex. The following recently appeared in the “ Answers to Correspondents ” column of The A thletic News : - CONSTANT READER (Shepherd’s B u sh ).-If the last two batsmen played for four hours for 1 run to save the game it would be correct cricket, and hardly unsportsmanlike, but such tactics would ruin the game by rendering it a farce. Certainly we would not willingly witness such an operation. It would be interesting to know what event gave rise to “ Constant Eeader’s ” query. A t the Guildford County Bench on the 3rd inst. A. C. MacLaren, secretary to the Jam o f Nawanagar, of Shillinglee Park, was summoned by the overseers of Dunsfold, Surrey, for non-payment of rates. The defendant maintained he was exempt as he was secretary to the Prince, whilst the overseers stated that the Jam was not liable, but that MacLaren was. The magistrate made the usual order. MacLaren paid under protest, and lodged an appeal on the ground that the Jam himself took the house, and that, as a ruling Prince, his Highness is exempt from rates. E. T e r r e l l , playing for Ilsington Wanderers v. S. Howell's X I., at Ilsington on September 19th, took all ten wickets in an innings at a cost o f only five runs. Eowell’s X I. were dismissed for 23 runs, and beaten by 14. Mr. W . B . D e la c o m b e , who has done so much for Derbyshire cricket, was recently the recipient of a presentation, in recognition of his services during the eighteen years he filled the post of Secre­ tary to the Club. When he took office the annvial subscriptions amounted to £290, a sum which by 1907 had increased to £1,250. The presentation took the form of a cheque for one hundred guineas, ac­ companied by an album containing the names of the subscribers. F. H u d s o n ’s batting average for the Kingston C.C. during the past season was 16 innings, 8 times not out, highest score 107, total runs 815, average 101’87. T h e Sussex County C.C. have issued an appeal for funds to enable them to establish a nursery for young players. H .H . the Jam Sahib of Nawanagar has promised an annual donation o f £150 for three years on condition that the remain­ ing sum requisite for placing the scheme on a firm basis is forthcoming. G. C. W in g h a m , the groundsman of the Garrison C.C., Shorncliffe Camp, who is in his seventy-second year, has this season taken three hundred and thirty-one wickets at a cost of 3,912 runs, or 8'79 each. In addition, he made 916 runs in forty-six completed innings, average 19'91. “ Boys will be boys.” G e o r g e H ir s t , as a result of his doings during the past season, stands credited with the largest number of runs ever scored for Yorkshire by one man. H is aggregate is 21,798, and Denton’s, which is the second highest, 20,740. Tunnicliffe, who comes third in the list, has made 20,230. T h e Hampshire County C.C., owing in a measure to bad weather during some of the more important matches, are saddled with a deficit of £1,000. In order to clear off this sum the Committee have issued a special appeal to the members of the Club. Next season both Cheshire and Notts. 2nd X I. will compete in the Northern section of the Second Division Champion­ ship, from which Lancashire 2nd X I., who were the winners in 1907 but this year occupied last place in their group, have retired. Lincolnshire will be transferred from the Northern to the Eastern group. A t Newton Abbott County Court on the 17th inst., His Honour Judge Lush-Wil- son, K.C., heard a case in which James Davies, proprietor of the Railway Hotel, Teignmouth, sued Geo. F. Puckle, match- secretary of the Paddington C.C., for £5 12s. for apartments and goods sold. Plaintiff stated that he was asked to reserve accommodation for seven mem ­ bers of the club from August 8 to 16, and that when they arrived in the night they refused to stay, as only two rooms had been set apart for them. The accom­ modation, they said, was insufficient, and they required separate rooms. The team would not stay, and put up at another hotel. H is Honour, without hearing further evidence, gave a verdict for defendant with costs, on the ground that the plaintiff had not offered reasonable accommodation fcr seven persons, who should not have been offered a less number of bedrooms than would force more than two of them to occupy one room. A t the Annual General Meeting of the Cambridge University C.C., at Cambridge, on Monday, the following officers for next season were appointed: Captain, J. N. Buchanan (Charterhouse and Trinity) ; hon. secretary, C. C. G. Wright (Ton­ bridge and Pembroke); assistant treasurer, M. Falcon (Harrow and Pembroke). C. S. Hurst has been elected captain of Oxford for 1909 and J. C. M. Lowe honorary secretary. In the course of his letter of apology for non-attendance at the banquet given to the Jam Sahib of Nawanagar at Cam­ bridge last week, Mr. S. O. Buckmaster, K.C., M.P., wrote :— “ The last time I had the honour of meeting his Highness was at a village cricket match fifteen years ago. The occasion will always be memorable in the annals of county cricket, for he was bowled by the village postman for nineteen runs. He never knew that the pottman had been put into careful training for the performance for weeks past, and that he had been driven all round this district so as to avoid the exhaustion of his energies by long walk­ ing, or too long lingering in the hospita­ ble kitchens of the country. I need say nothing of the pitch on the occasion, but I distinctly remember a bump about the size o f a football situated three yards from the wicket. This led to an alterca­ tion later in the day when I was hit on the head by a rising ball, and a dispute arose between the umpires as to whether the bowler had bowled at the buinp for the purpose of murdering me. His H igh­ ness also went on to bowl, but, like a good sportsman, avoided the hill, and was mowed persistently to the boundary by many of the members of the team who had learnt their cricket on the harvest field. I should much like to recall these events to his memory, but I fear it can­ not be.” I t is announced that W . W . Odell has obtained a business engagement which will prevent him from assisting Leices­ tershire at all frequently in future, though it is hoped that he will be able to appear during his holidays. He will be much missed, for, when at his best, he is almost irresistible with the ball, whilst during the last season or two he has shown great improvement in batting. G. N. F o s t e r will accompany the Jam Sahib o f Nawanagar on his return to India in order to act as private tutor to H .H .’s young relations in Jamnagar. Itis devoutly to be hoped that this will not mean the loss of G. N. Foster to county cricket, for he is one of the most promising young batsmen in England, and, in the opinion of many good judges, should develop into a Test-match player. C r ic k e t e r s may be interested to learn that the Jam has recently leased his pearl fishery off the port of Salaya, on the Arabian Sea, to a European company. This fishery— the only one in Kathiawar —has never yet been properly developed, although it is, as a matter of fact, a most valuable adjunct to the State. Most of the divers, who are very expert) are natives. The Jamnagar (Kanjitsiiihji’s) collection of precious stones, by-the-way,