Cricket 1909

398 CR ICKET A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. S e p t . g, 1909. Y O R K S H IR E . Yorkshire have experienced so many seasons of very marked success during the past decade — they carried off the Championship on five occasions in nine years— that their record of 12 matches won and 4 lost in a total of ‘26 appears a poor one. In the case of almost any other county, however, it would have been regarded as a very good performance. Practically all the men who enabled the side to pass through 1908 without a defeat were again available, bat the cricket they showed this year was neither so attractive nor of such a high standard as that of the season mentioned. Hardisty quite failed to develop into the valuable player that was expected, and had to be dropped, whilst Newstead also showed a marked falling-off, and H irst appeared to have lost his powers of hitting. It seems rather ungenerous to criticise the doings of a man who made over a thousand runs with an average of 31-30, but the fact remains that he was not the batsman to be feared that he had been in previous seasons. There was a marked decline both in his aggregate and average, and he also took 84 wicket3 as against 156, aud at a much heavier cost — 19 51 runs apiece instead of 1 2 4 1. He was, of course, still of very great use indeed to the side, and it is in a way unfortunate for him that he should be judged from such a high standard. The batting honours were shared by Denton and Rhodes, both of whom played admirably and were probably in better form than during any previous period of their career. W ilson gained a regular place in the side and played three three-figure innings, but was often in ­ excusably slow. And here it may be said that the play of the side frequently lacked the dash and brightness oue had come to associate with it. One of the most pleasing features of the season was the introduction into the team of a left-hander in the person of Drake, who gives promise of developing into a really good player. Haigh, Rhodes and H irst were responsible for some capital performances on soft wickets, but the bowling of the side was not of a very high standard when the ground was fast. Yorkshire’s four defeats were experienced in the out-and-home matches with Worcestershire, against Kent at Huddersfield and Surrey at the Oval, when they were dismissed for 26 runs and beaten by 86. David Hunter, notwithstand­ ing his age, showed most excellent form bih in d the wicket. BATTING AVERAGES. Times Most not Inns. out. in an inns. Total Runs. Aver. Denton ........... ... 42 1 184 1544 37*65 Rhodes ........... ... 40 2 199 1351 35*55 Hirst ................... ... 37 4 140 1033 31-30 Wilson................... ... 41 3 116 946 24-89 D ra k e ................. 9 2 54 167 23*85 Rothery ........... ... 35 3 83 756 23*62 M yers................... ... 25 6 91 418 22-00 Wilkinson (W . H.) ... 19 1 103 386 21*44 Bates .................. ... 30 4 81 529 20*34 H aig h ................... ... 33 13 46* 303 15*16 Newstead ........... ... 35 5 51 426 14*20 E. J. Radcliffe ... ... 21 3 54 223 12*38 Hardisty ........... ... 12 0 29 121 10-08 Watson ........... ... 5 2 12 30 10*00 Lord Hawke ... 9 1 22* 71 8*87 Hunter .. .,. ... 28 10 14* 139 7*72 The following also batted: Broa ibent 29, and Oyston 2. * Signifies not out. BOWLING AVERAGES. Overs. Mdns. Runs. Wkts. Aver. Haigh ........... ... 727*2 185 1407 I ll 12*07 Rhodes ... ... ... 670*5 176 1635 107 15*28 Hirst ........... ... 653*4 137 1(539 84 19*51 Drake ........... .. 71 IS 220 11 20*10 Myers ... ... ... 170*4 41 496 22 22-54 Overs Mdns. Runs Wkts. Aver. Newstead ........... 643*3 180 1411 62 22*75 E. J. Radcliffe ... 0 2 32 1 32-00 Wilkinson (\V. II.) 17 6 45 1 45*00 The following also bowled : Broadbent (27-3-89-1), Wilson (8-0-24-1), Denton (13-1-2-48-2), and Oyston (58*2-19-72 4) bowled in two innings each. SUSSEX. In 1908, when they were assisted several times by the Jam Sahib of Nawanagar (K.S. Ranj.tsinhji) and C. B. Fry, Sussex won six games, lost four, and drew eighteen; this year, w iih the former in India and the latter identified with Hampshire cricket, the County had au improved record, seven matches being won, three lost, and sixteen drawn. Their percentage thus increased from 20 to 40, and they advanced from fifth place to fourth. C. L . A. Smith proved an excellent and popular captain, and the success of the side under his leadership gave rise to a good deal of enthusiasm in the County. Had fortune been a little more kind to them the team would have had an even better record, for in the majority of the unfinished games the draw was iu their favour. R. A. Young, who played only five innings, nominally heads the batting statistics, but first place really belongs to Robert Relf, who made 1,451 runs and averaged 40*30. He made three hundreds, the highest being 272 not out against Worcestershire at Eastbourne, and showed a marked advance upon his doings in 1908, when his average for 39 completed innings was only 26*12. R. B. Heygate and Vine, in their different styles, shared the batting honours of the season with the younger Relf, and each made over 1,000 runs. P h ilip Cartwright, a left-hander, made several {:ood scores, and gives every promise of developing into one of jthe main­ stays of the team, but K illick ’s average fell from 31*57 to 20*84. The bowling of the si le rested chiefly with Relf (A. E.) and Leach who took more wickets than all the other members of the side together. The foimer, as in the previous season, headed the averages, whilst Leach, showing great improvement, took 100 wickets instead of 34 and at a much smaller cost. Yincett’s all­ round cricket was often valuable, but Cox showed a falling-off and was occasionally left out of the team. BATTING AVERAGES. Times Most Inns. not out. in an inns. Total Runs. Aver. R. A. Young 5 1 112 185 46*25 Relf (R. R.) ... 39 3 27*2* 1451 40*30 R. B. Heygate ... ... 29 1 136 1050 37*50 Vine ................... ... 40 7 90 1134 34*36 C. L. A. Sm ith... ... 31 6 89* 698 27*92 Relf (A E.) ... 30 3 125 692 25*62 P. Cartwright ... ... 31 1 101 730 24*33 Cox (G.) .......... ... 30 5 69 604 24 16 Killick.................. ... 36 3 101* 688 20*84 L ea ch ................... ... 34 3 113* 572 18*45 Vincett ........... ... 32 7 53 452 18*08 Butt ................... ... 29 11 47 311 17*27 H. P. Chaplin ... ... 4 0 26 68 17*00 W. K. Matthews ... 3 0 12 23 7*66 Dwyer.................. ... 3 0 5 10 3*33 Jupp, 28*, batted once only. * Signifies not out. BOWLING AVERAGES. Overs. Mdns. Runs Wkts. Aver. Relf (A. E.) ... ... 841*4 299 1731 92 18-81 Leach ........... ... 659*5 135 1924 100 19-24 P. Cartwright ... 22 4 89 4 22*25 Vincett ........... ... 804*6 84 1216 50 24*32 Killick ........... ... 357*4 92 985 38 25*92 Cox ( G .) ........... ... 417-1 87 1114 42 26-52 Relf (R. R.) ... ... 102*3 30 483 18 26*83 V ine................... ... 180-5 50 761 23 33-08 Dwyer ........... ... 7 0 16 1 16*00 C. L. A. Smith ... 11*3 0 51 1 51*00 S U R R E Y . Taking everything into consideration, Surrey did well to come out fifth among the counties. They had much, in the shape of ill-luck, injuries, difficulties with some of their leading players, and the lack of a regular captain, to contend with, and in winning 16 and losing 7 of the 30 matches commenced had nothing to be ashamed of. They lost only two matches at the Oval, Lancashire (with all the luck of the game) beating them by an innings and 35 runs and Kent by nine wickets. Their most remark­ able performance was in getting rid of York­ shire at the Oval for 26, and they were also seen to much advantage against Middlesex at Lord’s and Notts at the Oval. Hayes showed a most welcome return to his best form and played the highest innings of the seasou— 276 against Hampshire at the Oval. W ell as he did, however, both Hayward and Hobbs were above him in the averages, but neither played so many innings. The former sustained injury to a knee and has not yet fully recovered from it, whilst a little later the latter damaged a finger and was in consequence kept out of the side for almost a month. M. C. Bird, the old Harrovian, and Ducat played several good innings and, both being young men, should prove of use to the County for many years to come. Smith (W. C.), Rushby and Lees bore the brunt of the bowling and between them took 312 wickets at a cost of 16*98 runs each. Strudwick kept wicket as brilliantly as ever and was unlucky not to be chosen to play for England. Although they fell from third place to fifth, Surrey were the only County which beat the Australians and in that fact they can find consolation for many dis­ appointments, the greatest of which was the severance of J. N. Crawford’s connection with the team. BATTING AVERAGES. not in an Total Inns. out. inns. Runs. Aver. H obbs.................. ... 40 1 205 1771 45*41 Hayward ........... 26 3 204* 978 42*52 H ayes................. ... 51 4 276 1844 39*23 M. C. B ird.......... ... 18 0 96 504 28*00 D u c a t ................. ... 44 4 114 1080 27*00 J. N. Crawford... ... 28 2 95 626 24-07 Davis .................. ... 3*2 1 112 701 22*61 Marshal .......... ... 46 2 110 985 22*38 Spring.................. ... 8 0 97 167 20-87 Platt .................. ... 8 2 49 118 19*66 H.D.G. LevesonGower 15 1 58 238 17 00 Smith (W. C.) ... ... 26 1 65 419 16*76 Harrison .......... ... 22 1 81 3:i3 15*85 Rushby ........... ... 31 18 58* 185 14*23 Hitch .................. ... 20 1 45 258 13*57 G oatly.................. ... 17 0 37 212 12*47 Lees .................. ... 40 10 39* 297 9*90 Strudw ick.......... ... 44 12 25 256 8*00 E. C. K ir k ......... 7 1 17* 29 4*83 '1liompson (H.)... ... 5 1 8 19 4-75 Vigar .................. ... 3 0 13 13 4*33 W. J. H. Curwen ... 3 0 8 11 3*66 The following also batted : C. T. Wilkinson, 9, 5*, and 0 ; H. S. Altham, 3 and 28 ; and P. R. May, 6 and 7. H * Signifies not out. BOWLING AVERAGES. Overs. Mdns. Runs. Wkts. Aver. Smith (W .C.)... ... 464*3 132 1057 83 12*73 Platt.......................... 78-3 19 194 12 16-16 Rushby ................ .. 670 163 1821 109 16-70 Thompson (H.) .. 110*2 18 313 16 19-56 L ees.......................... 949*5 208 2421 120 20*17 Hayes ................ .. 327-3 64 993 44 22*56 Hitch ................ .. 342 69 1115 46 24*23 M arshal................ .. 138 29 416 16 26*00 J. N. Crawford .. 251 60 633 24 26*37 E. C. Kirk ... ... 72-6 2-2 159 5 31*80 Spring ................ .. 21 2 65 2 3*2*50 M. C. Bird ... ... 11 0 45 0 — The following also bow led: Harrison (7-2-28-0) and Hobbs (9-2-40-2) bowled in two innings, and P. R. May (3-0-14-0) and C. T. A. Wilkinson (4-1-10-0).