Cricket 1909

O c t . 28, 1909. CR ICKET A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 445 A PROPOSED INDIAN TOUR IN ENGLAND. PA R S I C A PT A IN IN T E R V IE W E D . F r o m o u r O w n C o r r e s p o n d e n t . B ombay , October 6th. Dr. M. E. Pavri, tbe Parsi captain, who w ill be remembered by very many cricketers in your country, kindly consented to express his opinion on the proposed tour of an Indian team through England. H is views, it should be added, agree with those of the Hon. Ebrahim Rahimtoola, the well known Maho- medan enthusiast. Dr. Pavri said :— “ In my opinion it is a very opportune time to consider the idea of sending a strong combined team of Parsis, Hindus and Mahomedans to England to compete with the first-class counties, as the advantages to be gained from such a tour would be many, from the educational, social and political, besides the cricket, point of view. But there would be many difficulties in the way of getting a really representative side together. The proposal to Fend a team, when made a few years ago, had to be abandoned, although the players at that time were in better form and woul 1 certaiuly have proved a stronger combination than we could place in the field now. The majority of the well known players then— Jayaram, Baloo, Shafkat, A li Hassan, Mehta, Ahsan-ul-Hak and Ses- hachari— have been completely out of form and could not be included in a representative team to-day except on previous reputation.” “ Do you think that the strongest Indian team that could be chosen would do well against the leading counties ? ” “ I certainly do— if Ranjitsinhji would undertake the captaincy. H is leadership would prove a valuable asset in various ways. But I doubt whether he would under­ take the duties, as I have not seen His Highness taking any deep interest in Indian cricket, and there might be other reasons to prevent him. Failing’ him, the best man for the position would be Dr. H . D. Kanga, but I have my doubts about him, too, as he w ill return from England to Bombay next year in order to practise medicine, and would probably not find it convenient to make the journey.” “ But, if Banjitsinhji would not go, could not you captain the side ? ” “ It is kind of you to make the suggestion, but I am unfit to play in a long series of matches owing to an injury to my knee. But I might te useful to the team as a manager if my professional duties did not keep me at home.” “ Whom would you cboose for the trip ? ” “ Ranjitsinhji, Dr. H. D. Kanga, K. M. Mistri, Meherhomji, P. K. Telang, H. F. Mulla, M. D. Pai, M. D. Buls»ra, Maneck- chand. J. S. Warden Razak, Sapal M. Chothia, Date, Seshachari and Ahsan-ul- Hak. To make the side more attractive and sporting you might include H H. the Maharajah of Patiala, H. H the Thakor Saheb of Rajkote and Prince Sbivajirao Gaekwar. I certainly think the full com­ bination would give a good account of itself when meeting the first-class counties. If Ranjitsinhji did not go the team could compete with the fecond-class sides, but if two of the best men could not go I do not think it would be worth while to send over a side at all. Of course, arrangements would have to be made so that the visit did not clash with the Triangular Tournament which it is proposed to hold in England.” “ Would you be in favour of engaging an English player to coach those most likely to be chosen for the tour ? ” “ Most certainly, and so I would suggest an all-round cricketer to coach the players for three months in 1910 and for ihree or four months in 1911. There would be many cricketers to choose from—Hirst, Rhodes, Tarrant, Trott, Thompson, A. E. llelf, Llewellyn, Buckenham, &c. Even if the team did not go after all, the coaching would prove very beneficial to our rising players and would infuse fresh spirit into Indian cricket. I think it would be the height of indiscretion on the part of the Committee to send a team, however strong, without being well coached for a season 01 *two.” It seems likely that at last an Indian Cricket team w ill visit England in the summer of next year, ajid that H .H . the Jam Sahib w ill make an auspicious return to English cricket at the head of a team of his own countrymen. The proposal when last made had to be abandoned owing, partly, to financial difficulties, but this time the money question is not likely to crop up, as apparently the scheme is being supported by H.H. the Gaekwar, Mr. Ratan Tata and several other leading gentlemen of Western India. Another difficulty that stood in the way of a visit to England in 1906 was, if we are not mistaken, a dispute between the Hindus and Parsis, as to their respective representation in the team, but it is to be hoped that, in the interests of sport, this question w ill not recur. T he Times o f In d ia mentions that last year H .H . the Jam Sahib promised to captain the team, and with him, and the other Bajput Prince who distinguished himself in county cricket, aud perhaps Prince “ H itty ” Narayan, of Cooch Behar, the aristocracy w ill be well represented. The best bat of the Cooch Behar fam ily is, we believe, Prince Victor, but he might not be available. The Parsi Cricket teams which made so good a stand against the Presidency at Poona, and defeated the Hindus at Bombay, have players who w ill doubtless make a good show against home teams. Madras, though perhaps not as prominent in the cricket field as the Western Presidency, numbers amongst its native players Messrs. Jayaram, Seshachari and Ramulu, who are all quite in the front rank of Indian cricket. In the formation of an All-India Cricket team the loss w ill be felt keenly of that veteran player of this Presidency, the late Mr. Buchi Babu Naidu, who was always one of the most enthusiastic supporters of the scheme. The advantages of an Indian cricket tour in England w ill be great, for, besides the impetus which it w ill give to Indian cricket, it is surely desirable that English and Indian gentlemen should have as many opportunities as possible of meeting each other on the field of sport, where racial feeling only exists in the form of most excellent esprit de corps. There are some doubts as t >whether Indian cricket is yet quite strong enough to do itself justice overseas, but the experiences of this tour must go a great way to improve the chances of the next . — M ad ras Tim es. MINOR COUNTY AVERAGES. (Continued from -page /$8.) C A R M A R T H E N S H IR E . BATTING AVERAGES. Times Most not in an Total Inns. out. inns. Runs. Aver. C. P. Lewis ........... 5 1 33* 95 23-75 E. G ee.......................... 12 2 77* 233 23-30 C. M organ.................. 7 0 74 143 20-42 Percy Rees.................. 13 0 85 262 20-15 J. Conway Rees 10 1 72 176 19-55 Hugh Howell .......... 10 0 46 181 18-10 Ike E vans.................. 14 1 57* 204 15-69 Capt. Hughes Morgan 12 2 28 132 13-20 J. Davies ................... 5 0 18 41 8-20 Hubert E. John 13 2 22 88 8-00 W. D avies.................. 14 2 16 76 6-33 H. A. Rees.................. 6 0 15 29 4-83 J. M. Bevan ........... 11 2 13* 31 3-44 * Signifies not out. BOWLING AVERAGES. Overs. Mdns. Runs. Wkts. Aver. M. C. Morgan... ... 51-2 0 261 11 23-72 E. Gee ................... 198-2 27 610 20 30-50 Hugh Howell........... 133-3 16 503 16 31-43 D EVON . BATTING AVERAGES. Times Most not in an Total Inns. out. inns. Runs. Aver. Light .................. ... 12 1 156 381 31-76 C. V. L. Hooman 7 0 135 215 30-71 Harrison ........... 6 0 76 169 28-16 Hartley .......... ... 4 1 27 75 25-00 Waller ........... 6 1 79 120 24-00 W. Sturt ........... 7 0 66 151 21*57 J. F. Orchard ... 7 0 34 140 20-00 Wilson .......... ... 8 0 42 136 17-00 J. Shelley ........... ... 11 0 42 176 16 00 A s to n ................... ... 7 4 10 44 14-66 F. Carroll ........... ... 3 0 30 42 14-00 Davies ... -........... ... 11 0 48 143 13-00 R. Cruw ys........... ... 4 1 30 35 11-66 D. C. Boles ... 7 0 21 56 8*00 L. Tamworth ... ... 11 2 21 70 7-77 BOWLING AVERAGES. Overs Mdns. Runs Wkts. Aver. Wilson ........... ... 51 11 125 12 10-41 D. C. Boles ... ... 121-1 35 292 25 11-68 F. Christian ... ... 68 25 122 10 12-20 Light ........... ... 127 43 247 20 12-35 Aston ........... ... 99-4 29 2-24 17 1317 Hartley ........... ... 125-5 20 371 22 16-86 Waller ........... ... 34-4 6 108 6 18-00 F. Coates.......... ... 23 3 104 4 25-10 S T A F FO R D S H IR E . BATTING AVERAGES. Times Most not in an Total B. M eakin........... Inns. out inns. runs. Aver. ... 5 1 122 195 48-75 P. Briggs ........... ... 15 0 101 480 32-00 C. L. Winser ... ... 6 1 65 150 30-00 E. H. Bourne ... .. 11 0 81 327 2972 H. Eardley........... ... 8 5 14 65 21-06 Nichols (F.) ... 15 3 70 231 19-25 Vost (E.) ........... ... 8 0 45 118 14-75 Fereday (J.) ... 10 0 73 145 14-50 J. W. Johnson ... ... 12 4 32 109 13 62 Hollowood (A.)... Barnes (S. F.) ... ... *14 0 39 180 12-85 ... 10 2 *22 100 12-50 1 H. D. Stratton ... ... 8 0 29 74 9-25 Bucknell (A.) ... ... 10 1 20 76 8-44 Lane (A. F.) ... 5 1 16 32 8-00 Higgins (J. B.)... ... 6 1 13 24 4'80 R. C Page............ 5 0 10 21 4-20 H. Dearing ... 5 0 3 8 160 F oster — C am m ell .— On October 27th, at Holy Trinity Church, Brompton, by the Rev. H. Foster (father of the bridegroom), assisted by the Rector of St. Paul’s, Wokingham, and the Vicar of Brompton, Oapt. W. L. Foster, D.S.O.. late R.H.A., to Evelyn Cammell, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Cammell, late of Folly Court, Wokingham. The following also batted: Mee (J. R.) 0, 0*, 0* and 12* ; J. Poole, 3 and 0; P. S. Bayliss, 0. BOWLING AVERAGES. Overs. Mdns. Runs. Wkts. Aver. Bucknell (A .)............. 154"2 63 240 40 6 00 Barnes (S. F.) ... 224 73 515 76 6 77 Vost ( E . ) ................. 50-5 10 131 10 13-10 P. S. Bayliss........... 32 2 9 69 5 13 80 H. Eardley .......... 102*2 20 28L 16 17-56 Nichols (J.) ........... 144-2 32 308 16 23 00 The following also bow led: E. H. Bourne (18-3-46-3); Mee (J. R.) (31-14-49-2); Lane (A. F.) (17-3-57-2); R. C. Page (11-3-27-1); Higgins (J. B.) (21-2-68-0); H. D. Stratton (1-0-3-0). {To be continued.)