Cricket 1909

A u g u s t 19, 1909. CR ICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 339 The construction of the Demon Drivers is fully described in The E v o lu tio n of a Cricket B a t, which may be obtained free upon applica­ tion. CATALOGU E UPON APPLIC ATION . C ATALOGU E UPON APPLIC ATIO N . CATALO GU E UPON APPLIC ATION . CATALOGU E UPON APPLIC ATION . "C A TA L O G U E UPON APPLICATION TO GEO. G. BUSSEY & Co.. L td . 36 & 38, Queen Victoria St., LONDON. Manufactory — Timber Mills — PECKHAM, S.E. ELMSWELL, SUFFOLK. A gents all over the w orld. AT THE SIGN OF THE WICKET. B y F. S. A s h le y -C o o p e r. During the past week several letters have reached me concerning the Oval Test match, but as for the most part the writers were con­ tent to express their agreement with what was said in this column there is no need to reproduce their remarks in extenso. A member of the Committee of one of the leading county clubs voices the general opinion conveyed by the correspondence when he says :— “ I was very pleased to see your reference to the desirability of return­ ing to the old method of selecting the England team. I am thoroughly in accord with you. Everyone w ill give the Selection Committee credit for the best intentions, but one cannot conceal the fact that they have utterly failed in their efforts. Their secrecy in holding back tbe names was too absurd and really killed one’s interest; the names for the last match came upon me as quite a surprise when I saw the list in the paper as I had given up looking for it. A veil ought to be drawn over the proceedings — they have been too melan­ choly.” Even now no explanation has been vouchsafed for the absence of an invitation to Jessop for the Lord ’s match, or for the omission of Buckenham from the side at the Oval, and the probability is that no official statement ever w ill be made. I know nothing definite, but I believe that a foolish personal quarrel was the cause of the blunder concerning the Lord’s match. And here it may be said that several disagreements of a personal nature have occurred during recent years and given rise to unpleasant incidents. It was only a very few weeks ago that a famous county captain asked me, “ Do you not think that a regrettable change has come over the spirit of the game during the last few seasons?” And he was able, by giving particulars of various happenings, to show that he had very good reason indeed for the view he held. W hat his opinion is now, when it has become generally known that, at least one county is endeavouring to rob Australia of one of her most wonderful players in the person of Warren Bardsley, can only be surmised. T h a t topic, however, is of too disagreeable a nature for one to dwell upon. W ithout further remark, I append the leading batting and bowling averages in the long series of matches be­ tween England and Australia, believing that the figures w ill be acceptable at the moment 1,000 o r M o re R uns . Times Most not in an Total Inns. out. inns. runs. Aver. F. S. Jackson ... ... 33 4 144* 1415 48-79 C. Hill.................. ... 66 1 188 2386 36-70 Hayward ........... ... 51 2 137 1747 35-65 Shrewsbury ... 40 4 164 1277 35-47 A. C. MacLaren ... 61 4 140 1931 33*87 V. T. Trum per... ... 64 4 185* 1994 33-23 It. A. D uff.......... ... 34 1 146 1079 32-69 W. G. Grace ... 36 2 170 1098 32-29 Tyldesley .......... ... 46 1 138 1389 30-86 J. D arling........... ... 55 2 178 1632 30-79 M. A. Noble ... 68 6 133 1905 30-72 W. W. Armstrong ... 48 7 133* 1232 30-04 S. E. Gregory ... ... 87 7 201 2109 26-36 G. Giffen .......... ... 53 0 161 1238 23-35 A. C. Bannerman ... 50 2 94 1105 23-02 * Signifies not out. 50 o r M o r e W ic k e t s . Balls. Runs. Wkts. Aver. Lohmann ... . . 3391 1002 77 13-01 Barnes (W.) ... . . 2285 793 51 15-54 C. T. B. Turner . . 5329 1670 101 16*53 P eel........................ . 5216 1715 102 16-81 Balls. Runs. Wkts. Aver. F. R. Spofforth ... 4185 1731 94 18-41 Briggs ................ .. 4941 1993 97 20 54 Barnes (S. F.) .. 3595 1388 67 20-71 H. Trumble ... ... 7889 2945 141 20-88 G. E. Palmer... ... 4519 1678 78 21-51 Rhodes ................ .. 4692 2142 94 22-78 M. A. Noble ... ... 6934 2850 115 24-78 A. Cotter ... ... 2469 1368 55 24-87 Richardson ... ... 4450 2-220 SS 25-22 J. V. Saunders .. 3268 1621 64 25-32 G. Giffen ........... 6391 2791 103 27-09 E, Jones................... 3568 1757 60 29-28 During the past week, John Tyldesley has been showing his best form at the expense of Middlesex and Derbyshire, scoring 131 and 53 against the former side and 76 against the latter. Earlier in the season he had experienced a period of small scores, but his innings mentioned prove that his falling oft' or ill-luck, whichever it may have been, was but temporary. His 131 is the fiftieth three-figure score he has made for Lancashire in inter-county cricket, the full list being as under :— 152* v. Warwickshire, at Edgbaston ........... 1895 100* [ v*Warwickshire, at Edgbaston ........... 1897 174 v. Sussex, at Manchester ................. 1897 127 v. Kent, at Canterbury ................. 1898 200 v. Derbyshire, at Manchester ......... 1898 100 v. Warwickshire, at Edgbaston . 1899 249 v. Leicestershire, at L eicester.................. 1899 142 v. Worcestershire, at Worcester .......... 1900 119 v. Derbyshire, at Glossop .......................... 1900 221 v. Notts, at Nottingham .......................... 1901 117 v. Worcestershire, at Worcester .. ... 1901 118 v. Warwickshire, at Edgbaaton.................. 1901 193 v. Somerset, at Manchester .................. 1901 170 v. Middlesex, at Liverpool.......................... 1901 158 v. Derbyshire, at Derby .......................... 1901 149* v. Surrey, at the O v a l................................. 1901 161 v. Notts, at Manchester .......................... 1901 120 v. Gloucestershire, at Bristol .................. 1902 165 v. Surrey, at Manchester .......................... 1902 140* v. Essex, at Manchester .......................... 1902 248 v. Worcestershire, at Liverpool.................. 1903 145 v. Warwickshire, at Edgbaston.................. 1903 146 v. Kent, at Manchester................................. 1904 210 v. Somerset, at Bath .................................. 1904 103 v. Somerset, at Manchester.......................... 1904 225 v. Notts, at Nottingham .......................... 1904 196 v. Worcestershire, at Worcester.................. 1904 102 v. Middlesex, at Manchester .................. 1904 108* v. Yorkshire, at L eed s.................................. 1904 104 v. Derbyshire, at Manchester .................. 1904 134 v. Yorkshire, at Manchester .................. 1905 101 v. Somerset, at Taunton .......................... 1905 250 v. Notts, at Nottingham .......................... 1905 108 v. Essex, at Leyton .................................. 1905 295* v. Kent, at Manchester.................................. 1906 128 v. Gloucestershire, at Manchester .......... 1906 123* v. Warwickshire, at Edgbaston.................. 1906 116 v. Essex, at Manchester .......................... 1907 209 v. Wai-wickshire, at Edgbaston.. .......... 1907 117 v. Sussex, at Liverpool.................................. 1907 141 v. Northants, at Northampton.................. 1907 166 v. Northants, at Manchester .................. 1908 118 v. Warwickshire, at Edgbaston................... 1908 101* v. Worcestershire, at Worcester ........... 1908 243 v. Leicestershire, at Leicester ................... 1908 132 v. Worcestershire, at Manchester ........... 1908 121 v. Worcestershire, at Stourbridge ........... 1909 114 v. Essex, at Leyton .................................. 1909 131 v. Middlesex, at Manchester ................... 1909 * Signifies not out. It is worthy of remark that of the above scores only seventeen were made at Old Traffcjrd, and that nine have been obtained off Warwickshire bowling. In all first-class cricket he has played 63 innings of a hundred or more, including ten of over 200. On two occasions he has made two separate centuries in a match. W riting hurriedly at the Oval last week during the closing stage of the Test match, I mentioned M. P. Lucas as being one of the best left-handed amateur batsmen we have had. It should, of course, have been F. M. Lucas. G. G. Hearne scored 124 for M.C.C. and Ground v. United Services at Devonport on Tuesday. During the 26 years of their existence the Oxford Universiiy Authentics have played 627 matches, of which they have won 279, lost 100 and drawn 248.