Cricket 1909

M ay 6, 1909. CR ICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. entering Room III. by the sight of two por­ traits of the Jam of Nawanagar—153 and 168, the former the work of Mr. H. Weigall, the latter by Mr. Henry S. Tuke. And the shock is the greater because 1Ranji’s ’ figure differs so greatly in the two pictures. They remind one strongly of the familiar advertise­ ment of a gentleman before and after dining at So-and-so’s restaurant. In Mr. Weigall’s painting, the Jam is depicted a great deal slimmer than when we saw him on cricket grounds last summer ; he is more the ‘ Banji ’ of his Cambridge days. He is dressed in the robes of his order, but there is a simplicity about his loose white costume that seems to suggest lithe limbs and electric boundaries to leg. The figure is rather obviously posed, and the expression is a little strained, but it is a good, clear-cut piece of work, handled with strength and decision. Totally different is Mr. Tuke’s painting of the Jam, hung on the adjoining wall. There i-i nothing of the lithe athlete here. This ‘ Banji ’ is made to look far bulkier than he was last year. He appears at leatt ten years older. He does not look as if he could toddle up the pitch for a single, let alone run out a hit for two. Aud he is dressed in wonderful splendour. He is a glittering mass of precious stones. He is a dazzling composition of Eastern treasure. Emeralds big as filberts surround the Royal neck. Diamonds flash from his head-dress Heavy rings adorn his fingers. He is so laden with gems that one pauses to wonder that he is not wearing rings on his nose, and one tears oneself away firm in the conviction that beneath the elegant shoes there are rings upon his toes. The Jam himself, as he leans against a golden chair, looks oppressed by the weight of it all. The portrait scarcely suggests 'Ranji,’ and there is too much showy colour about the picture for it to have high claims as a work of art.” “ M o r e than ever in these days of golf's growing popularity we must look to Oxford and Cambridge to supply amateur talent in first-class cricket,” says “ Balin ” in The Referee. “ The fascina­ tion of the golf-links has laid hold of the young as well as the middle-aged, and constitutes a danger to cricket. Of that, I think, there cannot be any doubt, the number of golf clubs having increased enormously during the last five years or so. Such being the state of things, the well-being of cricket at the Universities becomes a matter of prime importance.” F oe many years past Kent has had no dearth of good left-handed bowlers, and the present season, young as it is, has already seen one of more than ordinary promise brought to the fore in the person of Charles Blythe, who hails from New Cross and is a brother of Colin Blythe. The style of the newcomer is strongly reminiscent of that of his famous brother. He has been accorded a good trial at Tonbridge and has created a very favour­ able impression. O n Thursday last the West Sussex Gazette published an interview with the Hon. F. S. Jackson, who made some very interesting remarks concerning international and county cricket. With reference to the Australians, he said:— “ Personally, I always look forward to the visits of the Colonials, because, so far as I can remember, my relations with thrm have always been of the happiest kind, and the games in which I have faced them as antagonists have been by far the most enjoyable in my cricket career. Keen rivalry should never be allowed to interfere with the true sporting spirit, and in the case of the Australians, so far as my memory goes, I can vouch for the fine temper in which all their fixtures are fought out. I am not the least bit ashamed to confess that I have learnt a great deal from Austrilian play in the past; in fact, I might go so far as to say that my cricket education owed nearly everything to those games in which I played against the Colonials.” “ Somehow—I cannot explain why—the Australians always appear to be far more enterprising than we are. They are not afraid to take risks, and, quite apart fivm the added attractiveness of the game when risks are run, in my opinion this is the secret of success. . . . This running of risks is very healthy for cricket generally; it tends to open up the game, and does away with that deadly dullness which if allowe i to g<t a firm hold will not only choke all 'njoy- ment, but will, without the slightest doubt, ultimately kill the game altogether. There are times win 11 we take our cricket far too seriously. Cricket ought never to be brought down to the level of hard business. ’ O n the subject of county cricket, Mr. Jackson remarked :— “ Where on earth is the honour if a county side wins the championship through the superior play of men who have been borrowed or bought from other counties 7 . . . . Only a few seasons ago it was quite an ordinary affair for a po:>r county club to lose its best players to other counties more fortunate financially. This horrible system was not only the very greatest annoyance to many county clubs, but it introduced into cricket something which had been absolutely foreign to it—the power to buy a man's services with gold to work for the downfall of his own county . . . . In my opinion there is far too much looking-on in various branches of sport, and in considering the advisability of adopting Saturday starts in county cricket we must not forget that it is more than likely to have the same effect as first-class football; in other words 10 turn players into spectators. The first nail would than be driven into the coffin of a game, which, in my opinion, has no rival.” For the benefit of those who may wish to obtain a copy of the whole interview, I may mention that the West Sussex Gazette is published at Arundel at a penny. O n e cannot but regret the dispute which occurred between the North - hamptonshire County C.C. and several members of the ground-staff. Five of the latter, it will be recalled—Cox, Wells, Ellis, Haywood, and Falconer made an appli­ cation for an extra £1 per week, owing to greater services being expected from them than in past years. Their proposal was discussed on Friday last by the Com­ mittee, who informed the players that it could not be acceded to, and as the latter declined to recede from the position they had taken up it appeared likely that their connection with the Club would cease. O n Saturday the hon. secretaries of the Club, Mr. A. J. Darne , and MrvPercy Dale, met the professionals and suggested that they should return to their duties on the terms laid down by the Committee, it being understood that the officials named would advocate an increase in their wages of 10s. a week. At the time these terms were refused, but on Monday morning the welcome news was announced that the players had accepted the proposal. O f Baynards Park, Ewhurst, Surrey, which belonged in turn to the Evelyn, Sidney, and More families, an interesting story is told. A traveller relates that 011 arriving there he looked in vain for an entrance, but arrived at last at a door on each side of which a bundle of furze stood for a mat, while a piece of iron near did duty for a rapper. “ Within was a large gallery at the top of the house, and here I was assured an annual cricket match was played between the men of Rudgwick and Crawley ; a more inconvenient spot I can hardly imagine. A ghost walks here in the form of an old woman carrying her head in a basket, while over tho whole place was a savage obscurity and vastness that was extremely striking.” T h e Annual General Meeting of the Glamorgan County C.C. was held at the Angel Hotel, Cardiff, on Friday last, when it was decided to notify the Secretary of the Minor County Championship Competi­ tion that, for financial reasons, the County would be unable to take part in the Com­ petition after this season. The statement of accounts showed an adverse balance of .£300, the loss on last year’s working amounting £209. A special vote of thanks was accorded the Cardiff Football Clnb for their handsome subscription of .£50, and it was resolved to ask the various clubs of the county that charged admission money to set aside one fixture apiece for the benefit of the County Club. The Earl of Plymouth was again elected President. N. P a r k e r , bowling for Ecclesall against Darnall, on the latter’s ground, in a Hallamshire League match on Saturday, took five wickets in five balls. O n the Giggs Hill ground at Thames Ditton on Saturday G. H. Hadfield, play­ ing for Merton, took all ten wickets for 20 runs in the first innings of Thames Ditton, which amounted to 45. Six of the wickets were bowled down. Merton, after having seven men out for 39, eventually won by 24 runs. T h e A n n u a l G e n e r a l M e e t in g of the Surrey County C.C. will be held in the Pavilion at the Oval this afternoon at five o’clock. After the ordinary business has been transacted, the meeting will be made special to ask the members’ sanc­ tion for Buie Y. to read as follows :— “ The Committee may from time to time appoint from their members such sub­ committees as they may deem necessary or expedient, with such powers and for such purposes as the Committee may determine. They shall have the power to co-opt: oa