Cricket 1909

50 CR ICK E T : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. A pril 15, 1909. Victoria and England on the day previous to his death, he was keenly interested in the details of the play, and practically the last act of his life, other than bidding farewell to his assembled friends and relations, was to dispatch from his deathbed a telegram con­ gratulating Vernon Ransford on making a century against the Englishmen. I believe Ransford is having the telegram framed, and will preserve it in memory of one of the best sportsmen the world has ever known.” In the four other matches in which Ransford took fart during 1907-8 be made 109 v. South Australia ; 23 and 7. and 11 and 129 v. New South Wales; and 63 in Noble’s Testimonial Match at Sydney: during the season, therefore, he made 821 runs in eighteen completed innings against the pick of the world's bowlers, averaging 45 61. Excellent as his doings were that season, however, he has put them- quite- into the shade by his pel formances during the last few month's. How pronounced his success has been can best be gauged by setting forth his scores in the order in which theywere made:— Victoria v. South Australia, at Adelaide ... 2 & 131 Victoria v. New South Wales, at Melbourne 04 Victoria v. South Australia, at Melbourne *171 & 30 Victoria v. New South Wales, at Sydney... liS'2 & 110 Australia XI. v. Rest of Australia, at Sydney ......................................................... 21 & •[> Australia XI. v. Rest of Australia, at Melbourne ........... ................................... 75 * Signifies not out. It will be seen that he made two hundreds against both South Australia and New South Wales, the scores at the expense of the latter State being obtained in the same match— a feat which no other Victorian has ever paralleled. In eight innings he made 825 runs, scoring freely against all kinds of bowling and in a style which met with the unanimoi-s approval of the critics. Notwith­ standing lhat Ransford has had compara­ tively little experience of first-elass cricket, he has already nine hundreds to his credit:— 136, 129, 182 and 110 v. New South Wales; 109, 131, 171 not out v. South Australia; 152 v. Queensland; and 102 v. England. Not only is he a prolific scorer, but his runs are generally made with an ease and grace which Teminds one of W. Bruce at his best. His timing is excellent, and he makes his strokes with a crispness probably unequalled by any other present day Australian. On the off-side he is stronger than Hill, and, wh<n once set, obtains runs all round the wicket with equal facility, though he can play a patient game if necessary. It has been said that, if he has a weakness, it is a short-pitched ball on his legs, which he is liable to sky. He attrilutes much of his success to Carpenter, of Essex, who was engaged by the Melbourne Club for two or three seasons. He is a brilliant fieldsman, especially in the country, where he is a sure catch, and where, by the amount of ground he covers, combined with his fine return, he saves his side many runs. He has been known to get wickets with his left-handed deliveries, but not even his greatest admirers would regard him as more than a very ordinary change bowler. Ransford is of medium height and of slight build, and, being very enthusiastic and unassuming, is probably destined to become one of the most popular members of the team. The AMERICAN CRICKETER. F ounded 1877. Published by H. H. Cornish on beh alf of The A ssociated Cricket Clubs of Philadelphia. An Ulufetiated Journal of Cricket, Association Football, Tennis, Golf, and Kindred Pastimes. No. 632, Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa, U.S.A. PRftiE;—10/- per annum, post paid anywhere. ’ Specimen copies mailed on request. THE AUSTRALIAN TEAM. NOTES ON THE SELECTION. By “ FELIX ” in t h e Australasian. After a long delay, and many manifesta­ tions of discontent, the selection committee have made a final choice. There is nothing easier in the world than to find fault with selectors. They may do their level lest, and you and I may say that the team they have chosen is not the best team. Well, I unhesitatingly say that, in my opinion, Gehrs and Hopkins should be in the team, yet they are not chosen.* I do not wish for one moment to follow the opinion of any one member of the selection committee. I wish to write, as I have always endeavoured to do, my own opinion, expressed honestly from close scrutiny of play and players. Well, then, I am perfectly certain that if I were sole selector, R Hartigan, of Queens­ land, would not have got a place in the first six certainties. And I am not sure that he would have got a place at all unless he proved his worth. A dead set has been made against McAlister, and yet on perfoim- ances in big cricket in Australia McAl ster is quite a champion, compared with Hartigau. Hartigan has apparently got into the team by reason of one performance a year ago in a Test match against an English team. Now, I had a chat with onfe of the English team about that innings, and he informed me that Hartigan should have been out twice in that innings before he reached 32. Miud you, I don’t wish you to run away with the idea that first-class men never give chances, but I do say that if one of those chances had been taken Hartigan’s name would never have appeared in the first six certainties of the present Australian team. My experience of cricket goes back a very long way, and I cannot recall any ease in which a man was chosen on such slender lines, and then allowed to rest on his oars, and never play another ball in big cricket until he had the good foi tune to plant his feet on English fields. McAlister has proved his worth on many a well-fought field, and anyone (not actuated by blind and bitter malevolence), who takes the trouble to study his perform­ ances, will see that he has earned a splendid place in the records of Australian cricket. The fine English cricketer, Bosanquet, wrote in the highest terms of praise of McAlister’s batting, and his remarks were to the effect that he was surprised lhat McAlister had not betn chosen to go to England, for he felt certain that if the famous Victorian had a chance to show his form on English cricket- grounds he would be pure to render a gocd account of himself. That was some time back, and the only drawback is that since iiosanquet’s visit the years have glided on, and McAlister is rising into the veteran stage. That, indeed, is his <nly fault, and I for one feel that it is a fault for an English tour, and therefore 1 cannot see him or Hartigan in a team for England in prefer­ ence to either Gehrs or Hopkins. I regret to be obliged to say it, but still personal regard and friendship must give way to honest judgment. And honest judgment compels me to say that Gehrs and Hopkins should be in before either Hartigan or McAlister. There is a young player named Hazlitt for whom I have a preat regard, but though I think exceedingly well of his cricket I cannot see him in the team before Hopkins. * After these notes were written it was decided to increase the team to fifteen by the inclusion of Hopkins.—Ed., Cricket. And for this reason : Hopkins is an all-round man, of splendid strength and stamina. He has done yeoman service in England, and so far as big cricket this season is concerned he bowled with more verve at Christmas than any man on the New South Wales side. Hazlitt has undoubted merit as an all-round man, and is an especial favourite of mine, but for the hard work and sustained eft'or; requisite on an Australian tour in England I must undoubtedly give the palm to Hopkins. Another name pops up in the selection,' and that is Whitty, the left-handed bowler, of South Australia. Well, Whitty is young, and he is left-handed, which is a very desir­ able thing on an English tour. But though he has length he lacks variety, and variety is an essential on a protracted English tour. Now, Saunders has variety, and, though he has not been a success this sea­ son in big cricket, we must remember that he was our bowling mainstay against the English team a year ago. Indeed, Saunders was the only man they had any dread of as a bowler. How he has lost his foim this season I cannot explain, but I know that he is yet quite a young man,f and that, given good health, his form is bound to come back again. Therefore, so far as our chance of winning Test matches in England is con­ cerned, I would much prefer Saunders to Whitty, though I think Whitty is a bowler who, with experience, should become a really good man. As to the wicket-keeping, I cannot find any fault with Carkeek's form with the gloves; but, though he may be as a wicket­ keeper a bit better tban Dodds, I am not sure that the Tasmanian’s skill with the bat would not more than counterbalance the extra skill of the Prahran man with the gloves. One thing, however, that stands in Carkeek’s favour is that he is like a bit of iron—just the thing, in fact, for severe day- after-day cricket extending from May to September. One thing I am very pleased to note, and it is that the selection committee recom­ mended that Hopkins be taken as fifteenth man. Now, reading between the lines, what does that mean? I fancy I know. Do you? It is a great ta*k picking a team for England. 1 could tell you a story about one or two teams that have been picked before the Board of Control was thought of. But I won't. t Saunders is now in his thirty-fourth year.— E d ., Cricket. YORKSHIRE COUNTY C.C., 1909.* The seventeenth annual issue of the Yorkshire County C.C.’s handbook, which is published by the Club’s Committee for the use of its members, is the model of what such a production should be. It contains not only the full scores of all the matches played by the first and second elevens last season, but also a vast amount of well- arranged information concerning the games played by Yorkshire since 1833 and the men who have taken part in them. In addition the Ians, with interpretations by the M.C.C., are included, as well as the rules of county cricket, an exhaustivelistof Yorkshire records, and an account of Haigh’s career, &c.. The handsomely bound volume has been most ably edited by Mr. F. C. Toone, the County's indefatigable secretary. * Yorkshire County Cricket Club , 1909. Edited by F. C. Toone. (For members only.)