Cricket 1909

2 J O CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. J u ly 8, 1909. D. H. Butcher, and together the pair took the total to 238 without being separated. Butcher carried out his bat for 103, and Bartley for 36. A m a t c h was played at Derby yesterday between eleven members of the Leigh family and the Corporation Tramways C.C. The Leighs are well-known in local cricketing circles, and several of them have gained distinction in various branches of athletics. I n Y. W. C.. Jupp, who made his first appearance in inter-county cricket last week, against Essex at Leyton, Sussex seem to have unearthed another young player of considerable promise. His not out innings of 28 in the game mentioned was a very valuable effort, for it caused him to have a hand in two good partner­ ships and thereby enabled his side to equal the opposing score. Jupp is, like Street, to whom I referred last week, a product of the Sussex “ Nursery.” He was born at Burgess Hill on March 27th, 1891, and is not in way related to the old Surrey cricketer of the same name. I t will interest a great many cricketers to know that E. A. Shaw, the captain of this year’s Marlborough Eleven, comes of good cricketing stock. He is, in fact, a son of the Rev. Edward Domett Shaw, the old Oxford University, Middlesex and Buckinghamshire player. This is his third season as a member of the side. Last year he made 369 runs with an average of 26'35, his highest score being 98. In the match with Kugby at Lord’s he made 29 and 27. T h e defeat of Middlesex by Worcester­ shire at Lord’s has added interest to the Championship competition, which appears likely to devolve into a severe struggle between representatives of the north and the south for premier honours. During an Australian tour in this country the competition is not generally followed with so much eagerness as at other times, but this year it gives promise of proving so keen that the interest taken in it appears likely to be diminished to a very slight extent. At Lord’s last week Worcestershire played a great game from the start, and in scoring 381 in their first innings placed themselves on the high­ way to success. But it was Simpson- Hayward’s lob bowling which brought about the victory rendered possible by the consistent batting. To take ten wickets for 107 runs on a true pitch against so strong a side as Middlesex, who were playing on their own ground, was a feat which cannot adequately be dealt with in prose. T h e decadence of lob bowling during recent times is to be deplored. To what an extent it has gone out of fashion is apparent from the fact that Simpson- Hayward is the only exponent of the style now taking part in the great matches of the day. One wishes he had been chosen for the Gentlemen’s team at the Oval, but as Worcestershire are due to meet the Australians whilst that game is in progress his absence is pardonable. It is a remarkable fact that, in the opinion of many who follow cricket closely, the advent of a lob bowler should take place only when the efforts of the other bowlers on the side have failed to meet with success. And when, at last, he is tried his appearance is treated with good-humoured chaff accompanied, per­ haps, with cries of “ Lobster!” by the ring, and the batsmen, as often as not, regard his efforts with more than a touch of haughty disdain. There is, unfor­ tunately, not so much “ poetry of cricket” in connection with the first-class matches as there used to be, and for that reason, amongst many others, the dearth of lob- bowlers is to be regretted. I f they fail to win another match this year—and one hopes that so thoroughly sporting a side will gain many more successes—Worcestershire will be able to look back upon the season with much pardonable pride. They commenced by defeating last year’s Champions after a splendidly-contested match, and in the middle of June inflicted a severe reverse upon Kent at Tonbridge. Their success at Lord’s has already been referred to. Three such victories within a couple of months must have rejoiced the hearts of those responsible for the development of the County’s cricket. H a r r y M o g e r , the Manchester United goal-keeper, scored as many as 106 out of 138 for six wickets in a match between West Didsbury and Manchester Scottish on Saturday. H e also took throe wickets without a run being made from him. W. E. D a v is , who played a three-figure innings for Surrey against Derbyshire last week, at one time gave promise of becoming a regular member of the side. He was bom at Wimbledon on November 26th, 1880, and has been a member of the ground-staff at the Oval since 1897. He is a very hard hitter when set, and has occasionally proved of use as a slow leg-break bowler. For Surrey Second X I. against Wiltshire at the Oval last year he made 92 out of 104 in 45 minutes. His first appearance for the County dates back to 1903, and prior to last week he had made only one three-figure score for it—102 against Leicestershire at the Oval in 1904. P l a y in g for the St. Stephens C.C. on the Nottingham Forest ground on Saturday, a player named Walkerley bowled a bail 44 yards off the wicket. T h e Finance Committee of the Leicestershire County C.C. have resigned en bloc, owing, it is stated, to the question of expenses. The income of the Club has never been very large, and difficulty has been experienced in keeping the expenditure within desirable limits. T he following interesting anecdote is told by the Bev. B. S. Holmes in the course of an article in the Evening News entitled “ On Placing the Field” :— “ One summer evening just over forty years since, somebody offered a sovereign to the bowler who could hit a single stump oftenest in a dozen balls. At the first venture Grundy and Shaw were successful nine times apiece, Wootton eight. Playing off the tie Grundy’s second record was nine, Shaw’s eight. Think of it—at a distance of twenty-two yards a single stump was hit no fewer than eighteen times. As I said to Grundy and his rival afterwards, 1You could never miss the three stumps unless you deliberately tried to.’ ” It would be interesting to know whether any present day English bowlers could equal the performance of Grundy. C a p t . H. S. B u s h , who has appeared occasionally for Surrey, was in capital form for the Army Ordnance Corps during their Week at Woolwich. In three consecutive matches he scored 66 and 53, 149 and 4, and 114 and 134. His two separate hundreds were made against the Royal Artillery (Woolwich), and as he also took a dozen wickets in the match it is safe to say that his opponents will remember him for some time to come. He was born on October 7th, 1871. T h e Gentlemen v. Players match at the Oval commences to-day, and the following sides have been got together for the occasion by the Selection Committee for the Test Matches, by arrangement with the Surrey County Committee :— G entlem en . P layeks . D. W. Carr. Barnes. B. W. Dillon. Blythe. J. W. H. T. Douglas. Fielder. W. H. B. Evans. Hayes. C. B. Pry. Hayward. H. A. Gilbert. Hobbs. Bev. F. H. Gillingham. Humphreys. K. L. Hutchings. Kinneir. J. Shields. Lilley. S. G. Smith. Tarrant. P. F. Warner. Thompson. C. B. Fry will captain the Gentlemen and Lilley the Players. These are very good sides, without being quite represen­ tative. In view of the demands, made by the Test matches, no counties having engagements during the latter half of this week have been asked to give up players. The Gentlemen’s side for next Monday’s match at Lord’s has not yet been announced, but the Players will be selected from Barnes, Buckenham, Den­ ton, Hayward, Hirst, Hobbs, Iremonger, King, Rhodes, Sharp, Strudwick and Tyldesley (J. T.). J. H. B r u c e - L o c k h a r t is on all hands described as the slowest slow bowler who has ever figured in the University match. In any case, none of the very oldest stagers can recall his equal in point of slowness. Lockhart tosses up one very high ball, which someone in the press- box at once dubbed “ the aeroplane.” It is a fitting description. The batsman can make up his mind thrice while this ball is soaring heavenward to drop down with accelerated pace. Lockhart is certainly a puzzling bowler of the disconcerting