Cricket 1909

2g8 CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. J u ly 29, 1909. so, and his successful hitting would often make the bowling easier for those who follow. W a r w ic k s h ir e would seem to have a very promising young batsman in H. L. Higgins, of King Edward’s School XI., Birmingham. He is only fourteen years of age, but has been scoring well during the past four seasons. Last wee,k, in a match between the Castle Bromwich Golf Club and Castle Bromwich C.C., he ran up 119 not out. T h e r e was some remarkable scoring on Wednesday and Thursday last week in the match at Burton’s Court, Chelsea, between the Household Brigade and the RoyalFusiliers. The former batted all the firstday, scoring 531 for seven wickets:— BRIGADE. Capt. Hon. J. Coke, c and b Goodliffe ... 18 E. F. Chinnery, c Le Marchant, b Good­ liffe ... .................. 8 A. R. Orr, not out ... 15 Byes, &c.....................29 Total (7 wkts) *531 HOUSEHOLD G. Edwards, b Byng 143 Hon. L. H. Tennyson, c Towers,b Goodliffe 154 P. F. Gregory, not out 156 Corpl. Smith, b Byng 0 Capt. W. Payne Gall- wey, b Wickham ... 1 Surg.-Major B. Pares, lbw, b Byng ........... 7 * Innings declared closed. C. L. Gordon and Trumpeter Cramp did not bat. The innings was declared closed first thing on Thursday and, by playing after time, the Royal Fusiliers were beaten by an innings and 1 run. The latter’s totals were 188 and 342 (Col. R. J. Pinney, 101). E. L. H. E l l io t t made 206 for Old Eastbournians against Hastings Rovers on the latter’s ground on Friday last. O n Thursday last B. J. T. Bosanquet played a not-out innings of 154 for Eton Ramblers against the Marquis of Graham’s XI., at Easton Park. The Ramblers declared with seven wickets down for 314, leaving their opponents 190 to make in two hours. The runs wore obtained for the loss of five wickets with 15 minutes to spare. D e s p it e the fact that Middlesex were without Warner, their defeat at the hands of Somerset last week was quite unexpected. W. T. Greswell showed surprisingly good all-round form and had most to do with his side’s success. In addition to taking nine wickets for 155 runs, he scored 100 in 75 minutes— an excellent performance for a player of nineteen in his second season of county cricket. For Repton last year his batting average was only 17'62 for twelve innings, with four not-outs to help him, but he headed the bowling figures with the fine record of fifty-nine wickets for 12'10 runs each. In the match with Malvern he scored 20 not out and took fourteen wickets. He gets a good deal of spin on the ball and has a deceptive flight. On the form he showed at Lord’s he is worth a place in almost any eleven, and it is to be regretted that after this season he will seldom be seen in serious cricket as he has decided to settle in Ceylon. I n last week’s issue of the Eton College Chronicle ‘‘ Conscientious,” in the course of a letter on the custom of “ ragging” Eton shops, said :— “ The other day several cricket balls disappeared mysteriously from a shop after one of these ‘ rags ’ had taken place. The person in charge of the shop had a good idea where they had gone, but not being sure did not like to say anything. No doubt the action was not meant seriously, but I should like the offenders to know that the attendant is responsible for everything which cannot be accounted for in the books, and has to xeplace the full value of any object missing. In this case, which is not the only one I could quote, the value of the cricket balls amounted to nearly £1, which makes a big hole in a week’s wages.” It is charitable to assume that the culprit acted in the manner he did owing to a mistaken notion concerning the phrase Free Trade principles.” C o n g r a t u l a t io n s to Captain H. S. Poyntz, of the Bedford Regiment, upon his marriage last week to Miss Thackeray, of Glamorgan, at Bournemouth ! The members of the Somerset team presented him with a handsome silver cigar-box in celebration of the occasion. During next month Capt. Poyntz will be spending his honeymoon on the Continent and will therefore be absent from the County Eleven. A t Boldon on Saturday 525 runs were made for eight wickets in the match between Hendon and Boldon. The former declared their innings closed with three wickets down for 258 (Carr, 133 not out), but Boldon replied with 267 for five (F. Pickersgill 108) and won ten minutes before time. On the Saffrons ground on Saturday Sussex beat Worcestershire by ten wickets. This was the first inter-county match won by Sussex at Eastbourne since 1873. T h e match was a great triumph for Robert Relf, who made 272 not out in his first innings and 35 not out in his second. Had he found anyone capable of staying with him in the first innings he would in all probability have exceeded the highest individual score ever made for Sussex—Ranjitsinliji’s 285 not out against Somerset at Taunton eight years ago—and in so doing would also have credited himself with the largest innings of the year by exceeding Hayes’ 276 for Surrey v. Hampshire at the Oval in May. Robert Relf played his first match for Sussex as recently as 1906 and, like his brother A. E., is one of the mainstays of the side. A younger brother is engaged on the ground staff at Hove, and will doubtless appear for the County in due course. Many middle-aged players will be able to recall the father of these three cricketing brothers, for John Relf was a most accurate bowler and obtained many wickets. At one tin Wellington College. R o b e r t R e l f ’ s 272 not out ranks as the thirty-fifth innings of 200 or more played for Sussex. Ranjitsinhji has made 14 such scores, Fry 13, Robert R o lf 2, and Murdoch, Brann, R. A. Young, F. M. Lucas, Newham and Killick one each. O f the 35 innings only two—those by Brann and Killick — were played by Sussex-born men. S id n e y B a r n e s took five wickets for 14 runs for Porthill against Fenton on Saturday. The latter, a strong batting side, were dismissed for 60 and beaten by 79. H a r r y G r o sv e n o r H il l , one of the finest bowlers the Birmingham League ever possessed, was presented with a testimonial on Saturday during the match between Warwickshire Club and Ground and Handsworth Wood, on the latter’s ground, in recognition of his captaincy of the Handsworth Wood team for a period of twenty years. There can be little doubt that, had he been able to play regularly for his County, he would have done very well indeed, but he and his brother, J. Ernest Hill, were in partnership as solicitors, and it was not found possible for both to play at the same time. What Mr. Hill has done for cricket only those in the closest touch with the game in the Birmingham district can judge. His retirement will mean a great loss to the game. I h e a r that an effort will be made to allocate one of the matches between the Australians and the South Africans in 1912 to Glasgow. W h a t has been termed a function unique in the history of the Institution was celebrated at the Sydney University when the fifth-year medical students waited upon their lecturer, Dr. W . Camac Wilkinson, who will be in England shortly, and made him a presentation as a token of their esteem. Dr. Wilkinson was one of the leading cricketers and Rugby Union footballers at the University in the 70’s and 80’s. He played in five matches for Middlesex in 1881 and 1882, and, with a highest score of 52 against Oxford University at Lord’s in the former year, made 164 runs with an average of 27-33. E d w a r d H u m p h r e y s , of Kent, who was engaged as coach by the Canterbury Cricket Association, N.Z., last winter, will be unable to undertake the duties again during 1909-10. The Association has therefore decided to ask A. J. Hopkins to accept the position. S om e weeks ago I mentioned the likeli­ hood of a team from Canada being seen over here next season. According to the American Cricketer, the Canadian Cricket Association have practically completed arrangements for sending over • a repre­ sentative side. W. S . Greening assisted in the preliminary work whilst in England last winter, and H. McGeverin, M.D., of Ottawa, who is now in this country, is arranging the fixtures. The team will sail about the middle of June, and will have more than two months’ cricket abroad. The selection of the eleven is now being made by the Canadian Cricket Association, eight acceptable men having already consented to make the trip. A l a r g e number of Mr. Hugh Spottis- woode’s friends have subscribed for the