Cricket 1908

82 CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. A p r il 2 3, 19 0 8 . exceptional a nature—he headed both batting and bowling averages in the First Grade Competition—that a trial in the State Eleven the next season was practic­ ally assured him. It was at the commence­ ment of 1905-6 that the Gordon district was formed from part of the North Sydney area, and Macartney, upon the division being made, threw in his lot with the new club, which had its ground at Chatswood. That season he made 60 v. Waverley, 50 v. Redfern, 66 (in 70 minutes) v. Univer­ sity, and 114 v. Glebe, in addition to 125 against New England in the Country Week. In the First Grade matches he aggregated 354 in eleven innings, heading the averages, and took thirty wickets at a cost of 21.66 runs each. As was generally anticipated, he was accorded a trial in the State Eleven. His debut was against Queensland on the Brisbane ground, where he contributed 57 towards a total of 691 and took three wickets for 80 runs in an innings of 298. Chosen for the southern tour, he showed himself worthy of a place in the side by going in fourth wicket down in the match with South Australia and carrying out his bat for 70. He failed in batting at Melbourne but fielded well, and took four wickets for 62 runs in totals of 367 and 185. The outstanding match of the season was that between the Australian team of 1905 and New South Wales, played for the benefit of J. J. Kelly, who had been medically advised to give up first-class cricket. Macartney—only nineteen years of age, be it remembered—scored 24 and 25, both times run out, and obtained the wickets of Trumper, Duff, Noble, Darling, and Howell for 123 runs in a double-inn­ ings total of 691. He made so good an impression that “ Recorder,” of the Sydney Sportsman, in reviewing the season, boldly declared, “ He ought to find his way into the next Australian team if he still retains his form .” During 1906-7 Macartney again proved the chief mainstay of the Gordon side, heading both batting and bowling aver­ ages. With the ball he took 41 wickets for 435 runs, whilst with the bat his record was :—9 innings, 3 times not out, highest score 224 not out, total 672, average 112.00, his highest efforts being 224 not out v. Redfern at Chatswood, n o v. North Sycjney at North Sydney, and 102 not out v. Paddington at Chatswood. In first- class matches he averaged 29.90 with the bat—his largest innings was 122 against Queensland at Sydney—and 18.16, taking thirty wickets, with the ball. In the second innings of Victoria at Sydney his analysis was 10 overs, 7 maidens, 6 runs, 4 wickets, the visitors being put out for 31 ; as a matter of fact he obtained the four wickets in the course of five overs without a run being made off him. His many fine performances that season naturally caused great interest to centre in his doings against the English team during 1907-8, and here again he greatly distinguished himself. In fifteen innings, two of which were incompleted, he made 453 runs and averaged 34.84; with the ball his record was 16 wickets at a cost of 26.62 runs each. He did not have the personal satisfaction of making a hundred, but in the return with New South Wales he played fine cricket for 96, whilst in the Test matches he twice exceeded fifty, scor­ ing 54 in the second game and 75 in the third. Reference has already been made to the wonderful catch by which he secured the dismissal of Hardstaff at Adelaide, and it only remains to add that he should soon rank as Australia’s greatest cricketer and, in course of time, prove himself worthy of comparison with M. A. Noble and George Giffen at their best. [For the portrait of Mr. Macartney acknow­ ledgment is due to the New South Wales Cricket Annual for 1907, edited by Mr. Neville J. Davis.] CR ICKET IN 1722. The following letter appeared in The Weekly Journal: or, British Gazetteer of July 21st 1722 :— S ir , Trahit sua quemque volupias .— Every Man you know has a Taste to a par­ ticular or general Recreation; some love Hunting, others Hawking, others Shooting or Fishing, some love Chucking*, others Cricket, &c., on which last Subject I desire you’ll print the following Account, viz. On Friday the 6th Instant, at a Meeting (for that Purpose) at the three Tuns and Rummer, in Gracechurch-Street, a Match at Cricket was made between the little Parish of Dartford in Kent, and the Gentlemen known by the Name of the London Club, who are compos’d of several Parishes in London, Southwark, &c., and being compos’d of several Parishes, gener­ ously allow’d them of the little Town of Dartford, two Men from any other Parish in Kent; the Match for a Guinea per Head. Well ! But where shall they play ? or when? why these generous Gentlemen re­ solving to put the poor Dartfordians to as much fatigue as they cou’d (although the Match was formerly proposed on Wal­ worth-Common near Camberwell) now say they, we’ll make them walk four or five Miles further, we’ll meet at Islington— agreed,—but now the Time when? why we’ll give these poor Lads but little Time to pick out their two Men, Wednesday last was the Day appointed, and agreed on. The Day came, and these Lads came from Dartford that Morning, and were at the Place at eleven in the Morning. But now follows the Generosity of the London Club, the Field is to be seen ; the Da fordians play generally on a Place they call the Brink, a Place as smooth as a London Bowling Green, so say these Gentlemen, we’ll carry them to a Field as rough as if it was plough’d last Sum­ mer ; and they not being us’d to such rough Usage, when they see the Field will refuse to play; so we shall get the De­ posit, and come off with Credit. This fail’d, for after the Dartfordians had shewn r.ome small Resentment to such gross Usage, they condescended to play ; this un­ expected condescention put them on other Projects, one of which took ; ’twas this. Come let’s see your Men ! agreed ; and up cock’d a little Taylor, a Country Tav- lor good Lord ; who wou’d not once expect that these pretended Heroes wou’d objected [sic] against him, and disdainfully have said, You promis’d to bring eleven Men, but you have brought but ten, and one eighth [sic] Part of a Man ; we scorn to play, unless you take eight Taylors mere to compleat him a Man. But alas! I am asham’d to tell you. the Taylor, the Country Taylor, with his Batt Rampant and his Cucumber Couchant (which by the Bye they took to be a Ball) so affrighted them; they swore they wou’d not play unless the Taylor ty’d one Hand behind him, take me right, the Taylor was ♦This remark still holds good.—Ed., Cricket. a good Bowler, and they wou’d not suffer him to bowl, which being his Master-piece is the same thing as tying one Hand behind him. The Dartfordians insisted on their Man, their Taylor I mean ; the London Gentry was affrighted at his terrible vult, turn’d their Balls to Quips and their Batts to Quibbles, and wou’d not turn themselves to any thing, not even to play for half a Guinea, a Crown, nay half a Crown, which the Dartfordians offer’d rather than come in vain, so they were oblig’d to return. O Taylor! What have you done, thcu • tainly hast affrighted almost as many Men as thy Countryman Wat Tyler did, and perhaps with the same Weapon ? But rather O ye Londoners, what have ye done ? ye have made the poor Wee is mees of Dartford take a Journey of 36 Miles in vain. The Country has lost a good Taylor, who will certainly now believe him­ self to be a Man, and I hope he will put a Basket Hilt to his Buckram Needle....... Farewell. Revenge brave Taylor, this absurd Abuse, With Thimble, Needle, Shears, and War­ like Goose. MY S IRES OF OLD WERE CR ICKETERS . My sires of old were cricketers—a cricketer am I, And ’tis my boast that I can play a game I rate so high. I prize my peerless pastime for its free­ dom and its fun ; It revels on the grassy plain, and glows beneath the sun. I ’ve heard of foreign pleasures that are very fair to see, But cricket, glorious cricket, is quite fair enough for me ; And he that will not play or pay to help the manly game May lie forgotten in the grave—an unre­ membered name. We may not have th’ excitement that some other sports may show, The thrills that madden bettors when the horses form a row ; We may not boast the ardour that fills the huntsman’s breast When horse and hound sweep madly on, and he’s before the rest ; But we’ve ecstatic moments when we’ve hit a six or four, And proudly walk back to the tent when blest with a long score. And we have many hard fought games that tell of strength and pluck, And stout must be our hearts to stand against a run of luck. There’s not a land that on its plains a set of stumps will bear, But England’s sons are seen to play a game of cricket there ; I here’s not a clime so hot or cold but echoes to the shout Of “ Finely played!” “ Well bowled, my b oy!” “ Now run, and run it o u t!” Our ancient institutions, and our good old cricket laws, Have won from all the nations round their wonder and applause. Oh, he must be a duffer, boys, and cold must be his breast, Who won’t support the noble game, or in it do his best. G. W- K inq .