Cricket 1909

J u n e 17, igog. CR ICKET A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. *95 The construction of the Demon Drivers is fully described in The Evolution ot a Cricket Bat, which may be obtained free upon applica­ tion. CRICKET ilWF ROVED M AKE-KEEP THEIR S H A P E -LA S T LO M C E R f C A T A L O G U E U P O N A P P L IC A T IO N . C A T A L O G U E U P O N A P P L IC A T IO N . C A T A L O G U E U P O N A P P L IC A T IO N . fB- F.9QTBALLS IMPROVEDMAKE-KEEP THEIR SHAPE-LASTLONGER C A T A L O G U E U P O N A P P L IC A T IO N . BUS#EY’S 8 f DEMON .DR IVERS f i AREOUTANDOUTTHEBEST. J O GRADES 7 - 6 £S '- 4 %- 4 -(< 3 /S C A T A L O G U E U P O N A P P L IC A T IO N T O GEO. G. BUSSEY & Co.. L td .. 36 & 38, Queen Victoria St., LONDON. Manufactory — Timber Mills-- PECKHAM, S.B. ELMSWELL, SUFFOLK, Agents all over the world. AT THE SIGN OF THE WICKET. By F. S. A shley -C oofer . The choice of the players from whom this week’s England team was picked has, not unnaturally, occasioned considerable com­ ment. The absence of the names of Jessop and Brearley from the list has given rise to so many rumours that an official statement by the Selection Committee concerning their non-appearance would appear to be advisable. No one for a moment would imagine that the players were not invited, for their value as match-winners is recognised every­ where, and for the Selection Committee to pass them over would at once condemn that body as incompetent. If no explanation is forthcoming followers of the game must draw their own conclusions, for it is highly im­ probable that two such popular favourites would elect to stand down without good cause. A week ago the selection of King and Jayes for so important a match would have been regarded as very improbable, although the merits of the former as an all­ round player have long been known to all those who follow the game at all closely. Many cricketers are of opinion that the presence of a sound left-handed batsman is a source of strength to any side, and I, for one, was very glad when it was announced that King had been asked to be present at Lord’s on Monday. He has been doing excellent work for Leicestershire, and on his occasional appearances in M.C.C. and other matches, for several years, and the most weighty reason urged against his selection for this week’s game appears to have been that he is no longer a young man. That, however, is his misfortune and not his fault, and it goes without sayiDg that if the Selection Committee had been able to pick a more youthful player with as strong credentials they would have given the preference to him. Jayes has been known for the past few seasons as a very good all-round cricketer, but he had done nothing to justify his selection for so important a match. Why he should have been chosen, with Fielder, Wass and Buckenham available, is amystery which goes to show that cricket is a game of which the “ glorious uncertainty” is not confined to the actual play. Blythe did not play on account of his health. Last week he consulted an eminent specialist, who reported as follows to the Kent County Committee C. Blythe, whom I have seen this morning, suffers severely in a peculiar way from the strain on his nervous system caused by playing in a Test match, and the effect lasts for a week afterwards. It is desirable that he should have a temporary rest from this work, and should not play in the coming match at Lord’s. If this can be arranged there is good hope that with treatment his difficulty will pass away. It does not exist in the case of county matches. Blythe was indisposed on Tuesdaynight, but he was able to bat yesterday and it is hoped will prove equal to playing again to-day. It was no fault of the Australians that the team pitted against them was not fully representative; the fact remains that they beat their opponents by nine wickets at the head-quarters of English cricket. More they could not have expected, or even wished, to do, England made many blunders in the field and batted so feebly yesterday morning that they deserved to lose. One can say this without detracting iu any way from the merit of the Australian success, for a side which lets off one of the finest batsmen in the world on three occasions in the course of a single afternoon must expect to pay a heavy price for its shortcomings. It is no good to lament the absence of Jessop and Brearley, but it may be remarked that the former’s all-round cricket would have been most valuable, and that the folly of taking the field on so important an occasion without a really fast bowler has been very plainly shown. MacLaren handled the bowling at his command with considerable skill, and more than once must have sighed to be able to call upon Brearley, who was watching the play from the pavilion. The honours of the game were shared by Ransford and Armstrong on tbe one side and by King, Belf and Lilley on the other. By sending England in, upon win­ ning the toss, Noble had everything to gain if the weather kept fine, and he is to be heartily congratulated upon his policy. On no previous occasion had such a mancBuvre in a Test match met with success. It will probably prove a good thing for English cricket that the game resulted as it did. Before I close these notes may I make an appeal on behalf of Miss Alice Nyren, one of the three surviving grand-danghters of John Nyren, the old Hambledon cricketer, whose ease is a very sad one. She is a daughter of J. W. Nyren, Freeman of the Spectacle Makers’ Company, who lost his entire fortune through unfortunate invest­ ments and died in 1874. Since then she has made an income by Art teaching and paint­ ing. She founded and became head-mistress of the Clapton School of Art, but after nearly twenty years’ work her health broke down from overstrain, and since 1894 she has assisted her sisters as far as her health permitted in their boarding-house at Folke­ stone. If anyone having spare votes in connection with the United Kingdom Bene­ ficent Association would kindly send them to the Secretary—Mr. F. Burton Osborn, of 7, Arundel Street, London—or to me, they would have the satisfaction of knowing that they were rendering aid in a most deserving case. ROSSALL SCHOOL v. LORETTO SCHOOL. Played at Rossall on June 11 and 12 and won by Loretto by seven wickets. Score:— R o ssa ll S c h o o l . First innings. Second innings. R. H. D. Bolton, c Mostyn, b Gillespie........................10 lbw, b Mostyn ... 10 G. B. Davies, b Mostyn ... 10 b Gillespie...........12 A. S. Edge, run out ... ... 23 c Day, b Mostyn 16 T. D. Daly, c Guthrie, b Mostyn ........................... 0 b Ritchie ............ 3 R. A. Ostrehan, c Mac- Naughton, b Ritchie ... 11 c and b Mostyn... 8 W. A. Coldwell, e Guthrie, b Gillespie........................... 4 run out ........... 8 C. C. Barry, b Gillespie, ... 7 c and b Mostyn.., 9 C. Smith, c MaeNaughton, b Gillespie... ........... .. 34 notout ............13 G. L. B. James, b Mostyn 33 b H unting............25 L. Duncan, not out .........13 b H unting............ 0 H. M. Lloyd, run out ... 19 c Gillespie, b Ritchie ........... 3 Byes, &c ....................... 2 Byes, &c ... 8 Total ...................166 L o r e tto S c h o o l . Total... ..115 R. D. Gillespie, rui out ........... .. ... 14 W. R. Mostyn, c and b James ......................34 G. L. Hunting, b Cold- well ..............................22 S. M. Gillespie, b James ....................103 R. F. Guthrie, lbw, b James .................... 1 — Powell, b James ... 16 Total ...........237 Second innings: R. D. Gillespie, b James, 5; Mostyn, c Barry, b James, 8 ; Hunting, b James, 5 ; S. M. Gillespie, not out, 17; Guthrie, not out, 10; byes, &c., 1.—Total (3 wkts) 46. N. G. MacNaughton, b James .................. 11 T. S. Patterson, c and b Daly .................. 9 D. M. Ritchie, b James 3 A. B. Patterson, run out ..........................11 G. S. Day, not out ... 4 Byes, &c.............. 9