Cricket 1908

A p r il 9, 190 8. CRICKET A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME 55 3 wickets down for 229. It seemed quite within the power of the remaining batsmen to make the 142 needed. But Jonah bowled Laver, Charles McLeod and Walters in four balls, and, after the elder McLeod and Lewis had made a stmd, ended by a catch by Jones off Giffen’s bowling, he finished off the match bv sending down the wickets of Lewis and James Carlton with successive balls. Albert Trott played his first game against S. A., but with small succ ss, 0 and 0 not out ; 0 for 32, 1 for 24 being his figuivs. The two matches of 1894-5 provided a com­ plete reversal of form, the home side winning by ten tickets in each case. At Adelaid-, Yictoiia led off with a modest score of 252, George Giffen taking six wickets for 87, and Worrall (47). Robert McLeod (46), Albert Trott (38), Blackham ar.d Harry (35 each) making most of the runs. “ Alberto ” and the great stumper added 70 for the tenth wicket by plucky hitting. South Australia had Lyons and Reedman out for 16 ; but then Darling (4'i) and R. H. Dyer offered a determined resistance. The latter, who might have kept his place in the team longer had his form developed earlier (he was 30 before he came to the front), scored a century by good cricket, though he gave four difficult chances, Giffen carried his bat for 94 ; and South Australia led by 106. Then the cham­ pion proceeded to go through the visi ors again. At one time he bowled four overs for three runs and five wickets! His full analysis was 6 for 60; Lyons had the other four for 25. Harry, with 45, was a long way the highest scorer. Clement Hill made his first appearance against Victoria in this match, going in ninth and scoring 21. The match-scores were now level, with nine all. In the retum at Melbourne, Victoria again had first innings, and this time better use was made of the privilege. Their total of 341 was largely the work of two men. Harry Trott played a splendid innings of 152 ; Frank Laver batted very steadily for 78. These two added 195 for the third wicket. Albert Trott’s 41 was the only other score of any note. The visitors fell for 118, the Trott brothers and “ Lightning” McLeod bowling finely ; Clem Hill’s 33 was top score. Follow­ ing on, South Australia made 245, of which the share of the burly Lyons was a dashing 135; while of the rest only Darling (45) did anything at all. Harry Trott and Trumble took most of the wickets. The fast bowling of Ernest Jones and Fred Jarvis put out Victoria for 220 at Adelaide in November, 1895, Graham (50) and Laver (42) batting best; but South Australia (C. Hill 60, G. Giffen 36) could only reply with 163, Harry and Roche bowling with effect. Then Jack Harry followed up his four wickets for 15 with a well-played 107, Graham (68) helping him to send up 151 before a wicket fell; Harry Trott made 56, Robert McLeod 35 not out, and Percy Lewis 34 ; and the home side were set 387 to win. Giffen and Lyons went before 20 had been scored; and, despite a stand by Darling (.50) and Hill (41) and a useful 32 from Arthur Jarvis, nine wickets were down for 226. But then Jones joined Fred Jarvis ; the pair hit brilliantly, and actually added 94 for the last wicket. Then Carlton bowled Jarvis for 68 ; Jones carried his bat for 66 ; and Victoria won by 66. W . D. Claxton, who had played once before, twelve seasons earlier, re-appeared in this game, but did nothing. The Melbourne game in 1895-6 wa- an unusually small-scoring one, but for th*t rain accounted largely. Laver’s 50 was a long way the biggest score in Victoria’s first; Reedman played finely for 60 and Clem Hill and Giffen for 43 each when South Australia went in. The lead of 34 gained did not look much; but Jones (6 for 15) and Fred Jarvis j (4 for 27) actually disposed of the home side for 43 in the second innings. Not often do two fast bowlers scuttle out a side in such fashion on a rain-spoiled wicket. The Melbourne game came first in 1896-7 ; and a sensational game it was. On a splendid wicket the bowling of Jones proved so deadly that eight Victorians were out fjr 141. Juhn O ’ H iH oran , making his first appear­ ance for Victoria, was joined by Roche, afterwards of Middlesex, and the pair added 7" for the ninth. With only Johns left to come the innings Feemed as good as over when the left-hander went; but Johns hit up the solitary fifty of his first-c’ass career, and he and O’Halloran actually added 136 for the last wicket, the lat’er carrying his bat for a brilliant 128. South Australia replied with 239, including a characteristic Lyons inn;ngs of 70, 40 from the bat of Giffen, and 39 from A. E. H. Evans, a man who shaped like a fine cricketer L»ut never met with great success for his colony. Hugh Trumble bowled three no-balls to the fence to prevent a follow-on. Long Hugh was top scorer with 82 after this somewhat questionable bit of strategy, of wrhich he himself had no great relish. Harry Trott made 63 ; but the rest was silence. Wanting 345 to win, the visitors made a brilliant start. Lyons hit while Darling played p ttience; and 143 had been scored when the big man fell at the wicket for 110. The remainder of the innings was dis^ppointi. g. Darling took his score to 65, and Jones hit well for 34; but the total fell short by 50 runs of the sum needed for victory. Lyons was the central figure of the re urn game. Victoria had two new men of note in the team, J. F. Giller (who, with better health, would have been an international player) and S. McMichael. Of the 279 with which the visitors opened the bill Harry Trott made 61, Charles McLeod 48 and Giller 42, and there were four scorcs of 20 and under 30. Lyons and Darling sent up 184 before the latter left for 75. His partner went on till he had made 113, bis sixth century in these games. Reedman made 49, ! he and Clem Hill adding just 100 for the third wicket. At the end of the second day’s play the score was 313 for three, and a record innings looked possible, for Hill and Giffen were yet to be disposed of, an I there were other good batimen to come. But r.iin spoiled all chance of this, and after the captain had gone for 47 (he and Hill added 92 for the fourth wicket) and Hill had been dismissed for a fine 95, nothing more of note was done. The state of the pitch suited Carracher, a new man on the home side, who goon af:erwards migrated to the country districts of Victoria ; lie took 5 for 24 ; Jones, with 4 for 28, did only less well; McMichael and Giller (22 and 24 not out respectively alone made double figures for the visitors; and Victoria suffered defeat in an innings. Rain could not be pleaded in excuse for them, for they had a whole innings on the good wicket 011 the first day, where*s seven of the ten South Australian wickets went down after it had beon spoiled. Perhaps South Australia was never stronger in batting than in 1896-7. Lyons and Giffen, Darling and llill were two wonderful pairs; and Rtedmau, though he did not score very heavily, was bitting in his best style, and looked likely to m ike a hun­ dred at any time; while Bailey and Evans seemed like training 011 into really valuable men. In 1897-8 Giffen lost the captaincy which he had held for years past, and, owing to a disagreement with those who were responsible for the English tour, played little first-class cricket. But he appeared in the game at Adelaide against Victoria ; and he and Jones bowled unchmged in Victoria’s first innings, which only realised 157. McMichael (35 not out) was top scorer. For the third time in succession Lyons and Joe Darling sent up three figures before a wicket fell, Darling being run out at 103 for 33. Lyons made 65 ; and Walter Giffen (63) and Fred Jarvis (92) added 149 for the seventh wicket. Giffen was very patient, taking three hours over his runs; Jarvis played as he seldom did. Without omitting to punish loose balls, he exerci-ed a discrimination too often badly lacking in his play. Could he havemaintained that form, he might have mad^ a big name. It was rathei' singular thtt Jarvis had only played once and Walter Giffen not at all for S.A. in the preceiing season. In Victoria’s second Giiler showed great steadiness for 81 ; McMichiel (46) he!p d him to send up 81 before a wicket fe ll; and Charles McLeod (44) and he had a very slow partnership of 88 , in two hours, for the third wicket. Jones and Giffen, the bowlers who had gone through the side at their first attempt, could not get a wicket this time; but the off- breaks of Evans met with great success, and Lyons, who might have been a better bowler than he was had he been keener on it, backed him up well. Tne hom> side won easily, by nine wickets. ( To be Continued.) T H E B A L L . Not mine to sing the praises Of “ Gutties,” dear to golfers— The ball that cuts the daisies A theme diviner offers : Away with fives and tennis ! When “ Play!” the umpires call, The ball we bow to then is The good red ball. O ruddier than the cherries In Kentish- orchards clustered, Thickly as autumn berries Thv votaries are mustered. The lovers thou inspirest— Bats bowlers, fieldsmen—all Attest the flame thou firest, O good red ball! Which of thy servants trusty His passion best expresses? The hitter, blithe and lusty, With drives for fond caresses? Or that more prudent player, Solid as e ’er stone wall?— Both he and batsmen gayer Love thee, O ball. Or eke the cunning bowler Who artful is in wooing, Whose wiles, begetting dolour, Lure bats to their undoing?— Fielders, keen-eyed, sure-handed, In wait to hold thee thiall When in their grip thou’rt landed, O Duke’s red ball? Nay, blush not so to hear me, Ball of the treble-seaming: With thy fair presence near me Ecstatic is my dreaming. And whether runs come for us, Or whether wickets fall, Thy praises we will chorus, O good red ball!