Cricket 1909

66 CR ICKET A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. A pril :22, 1909. connection with the match constitutes, I think, a record, although I stand open to correction. The game was played eleven a side in the first innings and twelve a side in the second to all practical purposes. It happened this way. Just as I was preparing to bat in the first innings a cable from America was handed me on the ground, which necessitated n.y instant attention and reply. I explained to the captain that I should have to leave the club-house tem­ porarily, but did not exprct to be detained more than an hour, and he said that if, during my absence, a wicket fell I should have to bat out of the scheduled order. On my return to the ground I found lhat as several wickets had fallen during my absence (the last man then batting) my place had been filled up. which, coming to the attention of Lucas during the interval, he requested that I should be allowed to play, which I subsequently did. Thus both teams played with an extra man batting in the second innings only and with the regulation eleven in the field.” “ Did you have any other unusual ex­ perience whilst in Jamaica? ” “ I had a rather unpleasant time once when playing in Kingston against the Asylum C.C. A member from the latter club was one of the patients, and the poor fellow was to all intents and purposes fairly well, but was known to have an occasional outburst. As he was a very keen cricketer, he took part in all the matches, invariably going in first. But his style was entirely original, as he refused to play or hit at any ball off the wicket, while those that were straight were met by his bat firmly fixed in the block hole. Now, I had kept wicket many times when he had been batting and knew his style well, and, having instructed the bowler to keep them a bit short, managed to catch him in the front of the wicket, literally taking the ball off his bat. When the poor fellow saw how he was out, his temper got the better of him, and, raising his bat, he was just about to hurl it at me when a Provi­ dential attack overcame him and he fell to the ground, having to be carried off the field by the attendants. Though sorry for the poor chap, I could not but be thankful for the termination.” “ Has cricket improved in the West Indies ? ” “ Except in Trinidad, Barbados and Demerara I can’t say that it has. Jamaica is not as strong as it was ten or twelve years ago, although the game is possibly more popular there. Undoubtedly the best cricket seen is in the two former islands, where rivalry for the championship is very keen. Jamaica, of course, is not a particijant in these Island matches, the distance being the great drawback. The wickets are uniformly good and the turf well prepared, although St. Kitts prefers to rely on the cocoa-nut matting. America, however, is getting several of the West Indian players and this, naturally, is a hindrance to the locals.” “ To what part of America do the West Indians migrate ? ” “ New York and New England States almost invariably. Both in Brooklyn and Boston there are clubs composed entirely of the coloured players, and several ©f them are no mean cricketers, while in enthusiasm they yield the palm to none.” “ Do they play many matches ? ” “ Among themselves, yes; but the ques­ tion of colour is rather a delicate one in America, and although the Brooklyn West Indians play in the Association games, they have not yet been able to get a footing in the New Ytrk major body, the Metropolitan District Cricket League. “ And what of New York cricket ? ” “ The great drawback to it is the lack of time for practice and matches, and the great need of private grounds. When you take into consideration that New York is able to play only on Saturday afternoons, from 2.30 to 0.30, with occasional matches for weak teams on Thursday afternoons, you will agree that it is no small wonder that Philadelphia is the Mecca of American cricket. Never­ theless, in the Metropolis there are several first-class men who would do credit to an all- American team and who could not possibly be omitted if such a side were consic ered. There is, for instance, A. Hoskins, the cham- p'on all-round player of the M.D.C.L. for the pasttwo seasons, whilst in J. L. Poyer,who hails from the West Indies—a former cham­ pion batsman of the League—the Brooklyn C.C. have a great player who has carried his side to victory on more than one occasion, and whose cutting, as Burnup remarked to me on the occasion of the Kent visit a few seasons ago, is admirable. I might also mention the perennial Nottingham player, M. R. Cobb, who for years has captained his side in the so-called International matches, and was well spoken of by Pelham Warner in his ‘ Cricket in Many Climes *; the veteran F. F. Kelly, the enthusiastic snapper-upof unconsideredcricket trifles, who bowled for the Stoics when Stoddart made his memorable score of 485 for Hampstead ; of Howell Clarke, also from the Wefct Indies, who, when the wicket suits him, is unplay­ able with his big off-breaks ; F.L. Steinthal, a public school player from this side the water; and A. Gr. Lawrie, the elongated West Indian, a grand all-round player.” “ Would then a picked team from America give a better account of themselves than the side which hails from Philadelphia?” “ Undoubtedly it would, and for years I have been advocating this plan. Not only would cricket generally all over the States be greatly benefited, but the interest in the matches would be greater on both sides of the Atlantic. Philadelphia has to my mind not gone forward in the last few years, and they are nothing like as strong to-day as in the days of Patterson, Noble, Scott, Clark, Ralston, and others. Even on the Pacific Coast, where I have just come from, such names as H. Justice, a maguificently-free bat and excellent bowler: Pat Higgins, admirably described as the Jessop of America: C. P. Somerville, an old Cheltenham boy- all these playingfor LosAngeles—and at least twofrom San Francisco, would be a tower of strength to a representative eleven. Mind you, I am not mentioning such playing centres as Chicago or the New England States for my knowledge is confined to the cricket reports entirely in those places, but I understand Chicago boasts of several men above the average. No, as long as Philadelphia continues to remain exclusive iu these matters, cricket in America will always remain at its present status. ” “ But do not the other cities in America enjoy the presence of the teams which leave England?” “ To a certain extent—to a limited extent —yes. Boston, Chicago, and the Pacific Coast have been visited, but only occa­ sionally. A team, for instance, hardly cares to travel a distance of a thousand miles (New York to Chicago) or three thousand five hundred miles (New York to the Pacific Coast) by train for the purpose of playing one or two very ordinary matches. IBut the cities would gladly co-operate in the expense of sending one or two men to a given centre, say Philadelphia, just as the citizens of Pasadena, Cal., open their purses for the purpose of defraying Miss May Sutton’s expenses to the English tennis courts. Americans are good sportsmen when it comes to the question of Inter­ national representation, and I have no hesitancy in stating that, once Philadelphia invited co-operation, a splendid team could be obtained that would give a first-class side from England a run for their money.” “ You mentioned something about the private grounds, or rather the lack of them.” “ Well, in Philadelphia the Merion, Germantown, Philadelphia, and Belmont Clubs have grounds and club-houses that would compare favourably with those in any part of the world. That of the Merion C.C., at Haverford, is of the sumptuous order, and for equipment would be hard to equal anywhere. In New York, the old Bayonne grounds of the New Jersey Athletic Club and the Knickerbocker Athletic Club have gone into the builders’ hands, and all the well-known players have joined forces with the Club at Staten Island, a cosy spot dear to the hearts of all visiting teams, and the scene of many an interesting game. (I wonder whether a finer catch was ever seen on any ground than the one Jessop was dismissed with at the hands of poor Adam a few years ago. The ‘ Croucher ’ possibly will remember it, and I shall never forget the look of wonder on his face when Adam took the ball a few inches off the ground with a couple of fingers, or the wink that he gave me, when I was behind the wicket, at his luck at this most extraordinary fluke on record.) Apart from those men­ tioned, the number of private grounds is very limited, the cost of land being pro­ hibitive in the first place, and the lack of enthusiasm responsible in the second.” “ How dors Canadian cricket compare with the game in the States?” “ For some years Philadelphia — not America—has .won very easily, but judging by the form the Canadians displayed during their Philadelphian tour last season (when it must be remembered the best players of Philadelphia were over here) it begins to look as if Canadian cricket had secured a new lease of activity. Canadians are fairly en­ thusiastic, but it must be remembered that lacrosse is their national game, and spectators are lacking when it comes to cricket. Now and again you come across old-timers who know no other love, or some who appreciate the fine points of the game. We had occasion to come across one of the latter when the New Jersey Athletic Club were touring Canada for a week’s matches. Although a complete stranger, he got into conversation with us and informed us he was just returning from the late Queen’s Jubilee in London, where he had had the honour to present Her Majesty with Canada’s gold medal, commemorative of the occasion. To show his interest in our tour, he offered to present two duplicate medals in bronze to the average winners of the tour in battiug and bowling, and amongst my most cherished possessions is one of these beautifully- moulded trophies which I was fortunate to win for batting, my old friend, Fred F. Kelly, securing the other for bowling. What was the name of the donor we have never been able to discover.” “ Will the Australians visit America on their way home this year ? ” “ I can’t say definitely yet, but I do know they have been very well received in the past over there, although, of course, they