Cricket 1909

J uly 8, 1909. CRICKET A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 2 4 3 The construction of the Demon Drivers is fully described in The Evolution of a Cricket Baty which may be obtained free upon applica­ tion. c b ic k e t H p Wir ROVED MAKE- KEEP THEIR SHAPE-LAS LONGER! 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 T O GEO. G. BUSSEY & Co., L td . 36 & 38, Queen Victoria St., LONDON. Manufactory — Timber Mills — PECKHAM, S.E. ELMSWELL, SUFFOLK. Agents all over the world. C A T ALOCUC ON APPLICATION. AT THE SIGN OF THE WICKET. By F. S. A s h l e y -C o o p e r . When it was stated in this column last week that the batting strength of the English team for the Test match was very uncertain, I scarcely imagined that such emphatic proof of the accuracy of the remark would be forthcoming. For moderate scoring I was fully prepared, but it was nothing less than a shock to find seven wickets going down for 31 runs after the luncheon interval on Saturday. During that black period Cotter took four wickets for 18 runs and Macartney the remaining three for 10. It must be admitted that both men bowled well, but the feeble resistance of the English­ men flattered them to a great extent. The accident to Jessop was a very heavy blow to England, inasmuch as it robbed the side of the only player apparently able to indulge in a forcing game. His absence, however, did not excuse the shortcomings of others. It was clearly bad batting which lost England the match, and only Sharp and Tyldesley came through with any credit. Barnes’ appearance was most welcome, as was the amount of success which attended his efforts, but the wicket did not suit Brearley, who, moreover, bowled with poor luck. A defeat by 126 runs in a small-seoring match is a heavy one, and the extent to which the Australians out-played their opponentsduring the later stages of the match is apparent from the fact that at one time on the second afternoon the Englishmen could actually claim an advantage. That moment was when the Australians’ seventh wicket fell in their second innings at 127. From that time, however, the Australians took the game in hand, their last three wickets adding 80 runs and England, set 214 to win, being sent back for 87 in just over a couple of hours. In some quarters the steady batting of Armstrong in his second innings was condemned as un­ enterprising and unjustifiable, when it ought to have been obvious to everyone that he was playing a splendid game for his side : his display was certainly not attractive, but in helping to wear down some excellent bowling, and to pull the game round after a couple of good wickets had fallen for 14 runs, he fulfilled his mission and is to be congratulated on the success of his efforts, which contributed to no small extent to the ultimate victory of his side. But the chief honours of the game fell to Macartney, whose left-handed medium-paced bowling accounted for eleven wickets for 85 runs. To those who follow Australian cricket elcsely it had been known for some time that he was a very useful performer with the ball, but this ranks as by far his greatest feat. He made the ball break both ways, and more than once during the time wickets were tumbling before him Englishmen must have sighed for an hour of Jessop. In the second innings Cotter shared in the triumph, and both men were always splendidly supported by the field. Noble led his men with much skill, and is to be heartily congratulated upon the victory. To be successful in the rubber England must win both at Manchester and the Oval. It is a serious, but not a hopeless, outlook. The Selection Committee, like the general public, must now be thoroughly alive to the fact that younger blood is required, and that the presence of at least two good forcing batsmen is necessary. Furthermore, the men must be chosen on form and not on reputation. MacLaren and Fry have been very disappointing and should be dropped unless they give unmistakable evidence during the next fortnight of being able to obtain runs against good-class bowling. If a good captain who always enjoys the confi­ dence of those under him should be required there is one at hand in A. 0. Jones, who is also a forcing bat of delightfully free methods as well as one of the finest fieldsmen in England. Perhaps B. H. Spooner, who has reappeared in first-class cricket this week, will show an early return to his form of old, in which case he should be one of the first chosen for the Manchester game. The claims of Dillon, a left-hander who can hit hard, should be carefully considered, and Iremonger is at times so useful as an all­ round player that he cannot be lightly passed over. Belf ought to be a certainty and the advisability of playing Gilbert should be discussed. Sooner or later fresh talent must appear for England, and what more appropriate time then the present, when many old hands have been tried and found wanting ? OBITUARY. A. C hampion . Albert Champion, who was born at Hollins End, near Handsworth, in Yorkshire, on December 27th, 1851, died at Sheffield on June 30th. Scores and Biographies (xiii-905) stated him to be “ a good batsman, left- handed, but a right middle-paced, round armed bowler . . . . Height, 5ft. 5iu., and weight lOst. 71bs.” Between 1876 and 1880 he played 25 innings for Yorkshire with an average of 7'09 and took one wicket for 17 runs. Later he was engaged by the Longsight C.C., in Lancashire, and in 1886 scored four runs for that county in two innings. Mr. J, F ckley . Mr. John Furley, a well-known amateur cricketer about thirty years ago, died suddenly at Oakham, his native place, on June 30th. As he was born on March 24th, 1847, he was in his sixty-third year at the time of his death. His first appearance at Lord’s—under the assumed name of “ A. Yorker, Esq.”—was for Northamptonshire against M.C.C. and Ground in July, 1873, when he scored 0 and 24 and took eight wickets for 93 runs. Scores and Biographies (xii-781) describes him as “ a fair bat, a good and fast rtrand-armed bowler, fielding generally at short slip . . . . Height, 5ft. 8in, and weight list. 81bs.” In 1877, when he made many very large scores for Burghley Park, he was chosen to play for England against Gloucestershire at the Oval. SUSSEX CRICKET.* The Sussex County Cricket Annual is now in its ninth year and, although consisting of as many as eighty pages, is still published at the nominal price of a penny. It contains a great amount of information concerning Sussex cricket, both first-class and minor, during 1908, and should prove valuable and very interesting to all who follow the game. It has been edited, as in previous years, by Mr. Alfred D. Taylor, whose name is a guarantee for thoroughness and accuracy. * The Sussex County Cricket Annual ,1909. Edited by ‘ Willow Wielder.’ : Brighton : W. E. Nash, Ltd, 205, Western Road. 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 . S ^DEMON DR IV ER S 7 6 ARE OUT AND OUT THE BEST, f O r.BADES7-6-5^“