Cricket 1909

IO O CR ICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. M ay 6, 1909. Times Most not in an Total A. J. Hopkins .. S. E. Gregory ... F. Laver ........... A. Cotter ........... H. Carter ........... W. W. Armstrong. F. Laver ................ A. Cotter........... . V. T. Trumper M. A. Noble ... A. J. Hopkins S. E. Gregory... . H. Carter........... , Inns. out. inns. runs. Aver. 96 13 154 2,286 27-54 295 36 154 6,125 23-64 75 10 143 1,339 22-69 45 3 48 740 17-61 20 5 31 121 8-06 Signifies not out. Balls. Runs. Wkts. Aver. ... 10,327 3.698 211 17-52 ... 6,306 2,711 138 19-64 .. 4,525 2,460 124 19 83 962 448 21 21-33 ... 11,753 5,3S1 239 22-61 ... 3,013 1,494 65 22-98 242 216 1 216 00 6 7 0 — Gregory has already taken part in six English tours, Noble and Trumper in three, Arm­ strong, Hopkins and Laver in two, and Carter and Cotter in one. The present team is unusually strong in left-handed batsmen, Ransford, Bardsley, Carkeek and O’Connor between them practi­ cally assuring that there will always be a left and a right-handed player in together. [Whitty also, I believe, bats (as he bowls) left-handed.] Speaking of left-handed bats­ men reminds me that about three weeks ago I was at Haslemere, on the borders of Surrey and Sussex. My first act was to visit the churchyard and enquire for the tombstone of James Saunders. The sexton chanced to be handy, and, in reply to my query, re­ marked—“ Ah! you mean Saunders, the cricketer, don’t you ? ” Then he conducted me round the outside of the Church to where the stone stands—only three or four feet from the East end of the building. The inscription can still be traced, though with some difficulty,. Several members of the family, which died out about forty years ago, are buried close together, including the parents, grand parents and brothers and sisters of the cricketer. It was very pleasing to so keen an enthusiast as myself to find that the old-time player was still remem­ bered, for Saunders—by far the best left- handed batsman of his day—died seventy- seven years ago at the early age of twenty- nine. Although he died so young he made a great name for himself, and took part several times in the Gentlemen v. Players match at Lord’s. Scores ruled small in his day, but in 1825 he made 99 (run out) off the Gentle­ men’s bowling, and two years later exactly a hundred. It was written of him :— “ A fine flashy hitter, by few he’s surpassed ; And when he’s well in fetches runs very fast.” The sexton informed me that no portrait existed of the famous player—“ photos weren’t taken in his day ”—and, when asked whether he knew anything concerning his cricket, replied :—“ Aye ; I’ve heard tell that he always went in first and carried his bat out when the game finished, for no one could ever bowl him - leastways down here. ” And, bearing in mind what good scores Saunders made in the great matches, one can readily believe that in village games he proved a host in himself. I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Haslemere. A friend in Melbourne kindly sends me the following interesting note concerning one of the Australians now over here:— “ Hansford’s father, who was home not long back, used to play in Richmond paddock with a junior club. A friend of his used to play with another junior club in the same old paddock, which is now known as Yarra Park. 0 In this park is our beautiful Mel­ bourne ground. Well, Ransford’s father didn’t care for the team he played with. My friend was a bosom pal of Yerney’s father, who said to him ‘ Jimmy, I would like to get into your team.’ This team was composed of old school mates. They held a meeting and decided that as Yerney’s father was not one of their school, they could not let him in. So my friend had to tell the news. ‘ But,’ he added, ‘ I know a club that will let you in — the Union.’ My friend introduced him to Charlie Blazey, the Union captain, and he played with them. Charlie invited him to his house, and there Verney’s father met Charlie’s sister. Subsequently there was a union of hearts, and Miss Blazey became Mrs. Ransford. Verney is the eldest son. Mr. Ransford is a Customs Agent, and is very popular, like Verney himself. Mrs. Ransford is dead for some time, and was quite young when death took her. Charlie Blazey played a very good game, and got into the Richmond first eleven. He has been for some time Town Clerk at Richmond.” CANTERBURY CRICKET ASSOCIATION. The Canterbury Cricket Association met on February 20th for the purpose of dis­ cussing the question of the re-engagement of E. Humphreys, who had beeu coaching Christchurch cricketers during the past season. Among those present at the meet­ ing were:—Mr. F. Wilding (in the chair), Dr. Orchard, Messrs. F. C. Raphael, S. Orchard, D. Reese, 0. Caygill, J. Reid, E. Harper, H. Wyatt, J. B. Brinsden and D. H. Thomson (hon. sec.). The Secretary stated that there was a deficit of about £100 on the coach fund account. Mr. Reese said that he thought the Asso­ ciation should go ahead and bring Humphreys out again. Many people wouli be found who would be only too glad to subscribe. Humphreys had had a good influence on cricketers, bo‘h morally and otherwise, and he had done a very great deal for the game. Mr. Orchard thought the public would soon agitate to have Humphreys, for his cricket was clean and bright. Mr. Thomson sa;d that Humphreys could not give a definite answer as to his re-engage­ ment until be reached England and saw the Kent authorities. He did not think it was necessary to give Humphreys an answer straightaway; but, of course, it would bemore satisfactory to him if something definite was arrived at Mr. Reese moved:—“ That Humphreys be re-engaged at the same salary as last year.” He said that the aim of all cricketers was to increase public interest in the game, and if they iucreased that interest they would improve the finances of the Association. He thought that the Association would be able to raise sufficient money to re-engage Hum­ phrey s, and in so doing would be assisting the game. Mr. Caygill, in supporting the resolution, said that Humphreys had done a good deal for cricket this year, but the matter of the young players could not be judged in one season. He was satisfied that as far as Humphreys had gone he had done good work, and he (the speaker) would like to see him back as [long as the finances were all right. Mr Raphael moved as an amendment:— “ That the matter of the re-engagement of Humphreys be held over till the amount of his salary for the present year is subscribed.” After discussion the amendment was carried, the motion being withdrawn. TAXATION OF CRICKET GROUNDS. The following extract from an interview with the Chancellor of the Exchequer in last Monday’s Daily Mail cannot fail to interest those prominently associated with the County Cricket Clubs : — A point which has provoked much speculation is this: Will the new tax of a halfpenny in the pound on the capital value of undeveloped land apply to places of public recreation—race-courses. cricket- grounds, football grounds, golf links, tennis courts, and playgrounds? “ It will apply, ” said Mr. Lloyd-George, “ to all undeveloped land which has a special building value, unless that land is thrown open to the public on reasonable conditions. A good many gentlemen, with private parks near a town, throw open those parks to the people under fair restrictions for the protection of their amenities. I have made a special exemption in cases of that kind. “ As to racecourses, a clear test will be applied. If the course is private property, with a distinct building value, and if the proprietors make money out of the land, they will be liable to pay. Epsom Downs, being always opeu to the public, would, I take it, escape. Many of the racecourses in open country to which you refer have, I shoul I think, no special value as building sites. “ Where they have, then, of course, they are liable to the tax. But the land must be worth more than £50 an acre to begin with. That rules out all poor land without a special building value. “ The conditions I have defined will apply equally to cricket grounds and football grounds and golf links. They will not apply to public playgrounds, nor even to private playing grounds, when the proprietors give reasonable free access to the public for their enjoyment.” The definition suggested a further question. Lord’s and the Oval, the Chelsea football ground, and all other football grounds in the middle of large towns—these have a distinct special building value, they are worth more than £50 an acre, and they are not open to the public for enjoyment except when the public pay for admission. Are they liable to the tax? Mr. Lloyd-George replied: “ It depends entirely on whether they come under the head of ‘ public amenities,’ and that point will be decided, in each case, by the Com­ missioners of Inland Revenue. There are certain open spaces which it would not be in the public interest to build upon, and these will be exempted. But to ask me about any specific instance wou'd be like asking a judge to give bis views on a case before it had been argued.” GEORGE L E W IN & Co., (Established 1869.) Club Colour Specialists and Athletic Clothing Manufacturers. OUTFITTERS BY APPOINTMENT To the Australians, 1896,1899 and 1902 ; Mr. Stoddart’s XI., 1894- 1895, 1897- 1898; Mr. MacLaren’s XI.. 1901-1902 ; West Indian XI., 1900 and 1906 ; South Africans XI., 1901 and 1907; and M.O O., Lancashire, Kent, Surrey and London Counties, Wanderers, Stoics. Bromley, Sutton, and all Public Schools’ Old Bovs’ Clubs.—Write for E stim ates F r e e . TelegraphicAddress; “ Leotdde, London .” Telephone: P.O. City 607. 8, Crooked Lane, Monument, London Bridge, E.C.