Cricket 1909

J uly i , 1909. CR ICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 23S well-known cricket centre. It was there that, in 1762, a Surrey v. Kent match came to a summary conclusion owing to the unpopularity of an umpire’s decision. A contemporary account states that—I quote from memory—“ From words they came to blows, which occasioned several broken heads, as likewise a challenge between two persons of distinction.” T h e defeat of Surrey in a bow'lers’ match at Sheffield yesterday leaves them with but a very small chance of regaining the Championship. Four counties are now above them, including Lancashire, whose decisive defeat at Trent Bridge materially strengthens the position of Middlesex. The six leading counties are now as follows :— Plyd. Won. Drn. Lost. Points. Percent. Middlesex ... 9 4 5 0 4 100*00 Lancashire... 12 8 2 2 6 6000 Yorkshire ... 14 6 6 2 4 50‘00 Kent ........... 11 6 3 2 4 50'00 Surrey........... 15 8 4 3 5 45*45 Sussex........... 10 2 7 1 1 33-33 A defeat would bring Middlesex down to the level of, but not below, Lancashire. S c o t l a n d gave such a good account of themselves against the Australians this week as to lead one to hope that a fixture may be arranged for them for next season at Lord’s. Had another half-hour’s play been possible the side might very well have won, despite the injury to Ringrose and the absence of Macleod and Bruce- Lockhart. It may be urged that the side included five Englishmen, but that does not detract in the least from the merit of the performance, and it must be con­ ceded that the players alluded to are all intimately associated with the game beyond the Tweed, and were not simply visitors. The fine game furnished by the side should do much to increase the popularity of the game in Scotland. “ H. P.-T.’’ kindly writes to me as follows:— “ It may interest those who followed the Divisional Scheme discussion last winter to know how matters would be progressing if that scheme had been adopted. On this season’B results, to Monday 28 June, the following would have been the position :— D iv is io n J. Lancashire Middlesex Surrey ........... Sussex ........... Worcestershire K en t.................. Yorkshire Nottinghamshire ... 1 Hampshire .......... 0 Won. Dwn. Lost. Points. ,.. 4 ... 1 ... 1 ... 3 .. 2 ... 5 ... 0 ... 2 .. 3 ... 1 ... 2 ... 1 .. 1 ... 4 ... 1 ... 0 ... 2 ... 0 ... 3 ... —1 .. 1 .. 2. . 2 ... —1 1 ... 2 ... 2 .. —1 2 ... —1 2 ... —2 the season is half over, only half-a-dozen clubs at the outside have any interest left in the Championship.” “ U n d e r the simplified scheme only 33 Championship games would have been entered on and every club (and club’s supporters) would still be nerved with possibilities.” TO YORICK—RETIRED INJURED. “ As for the remaining 40 games, those in which the opponents would have belonged to different divisions ; fifteen of these have been drawn, in 23 cases the lower division club has bitten tbe dust, and only twice (when Leicester and Northampton beat Notts) has any one of them tasted success. Every other first division club (than Notts) would be unbeaten if set in the second division, whilst every second division club transplanted alone to the upper set would occupy bottom place. Would these matches have lost in interest or importance by being left outside the competition ? And would not the others have gained immensely ? ” D ivision II. Won. Dwn. Lost. Points. Leicestershire ... 2 . 1 ... 0 ... 2 Essex ...................... 1 ... 0 ... 0 ... 1 Som erset...................... 1 ... 0 ... 0 ... 1 Gloucestershire ... 1 ... 1 ... 1 ... 0 Derbyshire .............. 1 ... 1 ... 2 ... —1 Warwickshire ... 0 ... 3 ... 1 ... —1 Northamptonshire.. 0 ... 0 ... 2 ... —2 Staffordshire............. - ... - ... - ... ? (Essex v. Leicestershire abandoned and not included.) U n d e r th e ru le s th a t o b ta in 73 m a tch e s h a v e b e e n p la y e d , a n d o n e a b a n d o n e d , in th e c o m p e titio n , w ith th e resu lt th a t, b e fo re MR. A. G. STEEL ON CRICKET. The following letter by Mr. A. G. Steel appeared in last Friday’s Times :—“ I know something of captaincy of a cricket team, as I have been captain of my school (Marlborough), captain of my University team (Cambridge), captain of Gentlemen v. Players, aud captain of England v. Australia. These are my credentials. Well, I cannot understand tbe present-day captains in this respect—they will not change their bowlers quick enough. To-day they often use a bowler for 40 or 50 runs with no wicket without a change, and sometimes two.bowlers at the same time with the same result. This is as a rule bad captaincy. Again, when things are in a knot with the bowling side, it seems strange that the captain does not think it advisable to change ends for a bowler who has not been successful at the end he began at. The last Test match at Lord’s was an instance of this. Again, when the best bowlers have been un­ successful, why not try the worst for a couple of overs—as I often used to do— sometimes with success ? It is always worth a trial. “ As for batting, I am convinced that a straight bat is still the best, in spite of the puli stroke. Jumping in front before the ball reaches the bat is and must be radically wrong. The ouce best bat on the present Australian side has spoilt his play by con­ tinually playing with a cross bat to a straight ball. Grace never did this, and though I was never in the same class with him, I think I never did it. Schoolboys, verb, sap.” OLD ROSSALIANS’ TOUR. July 5 and 6, v. Skipton, at Skipton. July 7 and 8, v. Bingley, at Bingley. July 9 and 10, v. Rossall School, at Rossall. July 12 and 13, v. Blackpool, at Blackpool. July 14 and 15, v. Boughton Hall, at Chester. July 16 and 17, v, Ashby Hastings, at Ashby-de-la- Zouch. July 19 and 20, v. Lincoln Lindum, at Lincoln. July 21 and 22, v. Scarborough, at Scarborough. July 23 and 24, v. Harrogate, at Harrogate. The sides will be chosen from the follow ing:— F. H. Mugliston, W. H. Sell, J. N. G. Johnson, G. B. Sleigh, F. M. Bentley, 13. Horner, II. B. Crook, W. F. Parrington, H. C. Edge, F. G. Edge, W. O. Rushton, R. W. Crummack, T. S. Battersby, R. C. Cutter, N. Kendal, G. N. Hampshire, W. F. Mair, T. Rideill-Smith, J. G. Henderson, Dr. W. W. Martin, S. F. Peshall, J. K. Lane, T. Richardson, D. D. Wilson, and T. A. Higson (hon. secertary). O, man of smiles and wiles and repartee And true poetic instinct, putting forth Unlearned lines with rhyming faculty To slyly pass for Letters : yet of worth Far more than Art, for ev’ry word breathes Sport Of the right manly and good-temper’d sort. Such Sport personified have you seem’d, wag, For five and twenty years, O, poet Craig ! How could hard Fate, the bowler, bowl a ball To batter thee, the batter, with its shock ? ’Twas hardly cricket, was it?—Yet, methink I hear thee answer, with a knowing wink, Such haps we all must take in life, the same As in our pastime, they’re all in the game. Still we rejoice your wicket did not fall And you may yet come out to close your knock. Come, then, and let the ring once more resound With merriment as Craig goes gaily round, Scoring through slips (of print) with hits in style, Cutting retorts, and driving trade meanwhile. For how we’ve missed you, if you could but know, Might even soothe the anguish of your blow. H. P.-T. M.C.C. AND GROUND v. OXFORD UNIVERSITY. Played at Lord’s on June 28, 29 and 30. Drawn. No play was possible on Monday until two o’clock, owing to the state of the ground, and then the M.C.C., who had a weak side, batted first on a slow wicket. In 50 minutes they lost three wickets for 34, and, although Beresford and Braund put on 22 in 20 minutes, the seventh wicket fell at 79. Braund, who batted very steadily, played a useful but not an attractive innings, and was last out. He batted 30 minutes ere making a run, and of the 78 scored whilst in was responsible for only 33. Lowe, with six wickets for 45, was the most succesful bowler. After Oxford had lost Salter to a good catch at slip at 3, Evans and Seitz added 69 together. Evans made his 39 out of 72 in 65 minutes, and following his dismissal Seitz, Hooman and Hurst were all disposed of at 73. Sale made 14, but at the end of the day seven wickets were down for 100. Rain prevented a ball being bowled on Tuesday, and yesterday no play was possible owing to the state of the ground. Score and analysis :— M.C.C. a n d G r o u n d . C. H. M. Ebden, c Le Conteur, b Lowe ... 4 Hcarne (A.), c Gilbert, b Lowe ...................15 H. B. G. Austin, b L o w e .......................... 6 Braund, c Hatfeild, b L o w e ..........................33 Hon. S. R. Beresford, c Sale, b Lowe ... 20 B. S. Foster, b Lowe... 3 E. C. Lee, c Evans, b Gilbert ................... R. V. Buxton, c Gil­ bert, b Evans R. H. Fox, b Gilbert Rawlin, b Gilbert ... Young, not out B 11, nb 3 ... Total O x f o r d U n iv e r s it y . M. G. Salter, c Braund, b H earne................... 0 A. J. Evans, b Braund 39 J. A. Seitz, run out ... 27 C. Y. L. Hooman, c Fox, b Braund ... 1 C. S. Hurst, c Buxton, b Young .................. 0 P. R.Le Conteur,not out 3 R. Sale, c Braund, b Young ...................14 C. E. Hatfeild, lbw, b Braund .................. 3 G. B. Gilroy, not out 2 Byes ...................11 Total (7 wkts) 100 O. M. R. W. 7 2 14 1 J. C M. Lowe and H. A. Gilbert did not bat. M.C.C. a n d G ro u n d . O. M. R. W. Gilbert ... 24 9 36 3 I Evans Lowe ...19-2 7 45 6 | Gilbert bowled one no-ball and Lowe two. O x f o r d U n iv e r s it y . O. M. R. W. O. M. R. W. Hearne ...10 5 17 1 I Braund ... 13 0 53 3 Rawlin ...4 1 8 0 |Young ... 10 4 11 2