Cricket 1909

A pr il 22, 1909. CR ICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 73 colour, and was visible half-way up the High Street. I think it was a Balliol man who first called these the “ Magdalen blazers ” ; but the name had just come into vogue when I was at Oxford, and has since been extended to colour coats of all kinds, however simple their hue.” To this the Editor of “ N. & Q.” appends a note pointing out that in 1887 Professor Skeat had stated that “ blazer ” arose from the bright red jackets of the boat club of St. John’s College, Cambridge, which were known as “ Johnian blazers.” A S h e f f ie l d curate advocates the attendance of ladies at cricket matches, partly for education’s sake, and partly to enable them to cultivate a due and advantageous interest in men’s sports. Then he told the good old story of the lady who once put her gentleman escort to shame by suddenly crying out in a cricket pavilion: “ O h ! I do like that man’s bowling; he hits the bat every time! ” T h e story of a curious cricket co­ incidence comes from Harden (Kent). Playing against Cowley (Kennington), the home club made 55 runs, which total their opponents exactly equalled. Mar- den at their second venture again made 55. Owing to the limitation of time Cowley were unable to complete their second innings. A t t e n t io n is drawn to the advertise­ ment which appears on another page of the “ Kachaball ” Cricket Fielding Machine. Several of these were sold last season and are now in use at Charter­ house and Sherborne Schools, Lord’s and other important centres in the coun­ try. It should prove a very valuable adjunct to all cricket grounds and assist in the aim of attaining smart and reliable fielding. T h e new members of the M.C.C. Committee will be Earl Cawdor (the retiring President), Lord Alverstone, L.C.J., and Messrs. H. D. G. Leveson- Gower and C. H. Benton. They will succeed the Duke of Rutland, the Hon. F. S. Jackson, and Messrs. John Shuter and 0. P. Lancashire. I t will prove of interest to cricketers generally to recall that members of the Duke family of Penshurst, in Kent, have manufactured cricket-balls for about two hundred years, although the firm of Duke and Son was not established until 1760. In the early days the balls were made at Bedleaf, Penshurst, and there the first workshops, which sufficed for many years were built. In the old house at Redleaf nine generations of Dukes lived. In 1841 some freehold land was purchased close to the site now occupied by Pens- hurst Bailway Station, and there the present factory was erected. The first six-seamed cricket-ball ever made was presented by Duke and Son in 1780 to the Prince of Wales, afterwards George IV. Two members of the family, John and Timothy Duke, played in their time for Kent, as also did a nephew of the latter, Joseph Wells, the father of Mr. H. G. Wells, the novelist. The history of the famous firm is one of the romances of cricket. Two centuries ago, when the business was in its infancy, cricket was a game in which it was con­ sidered somewhat derogatory for gentle­ men to join, whereas now it is played in all parts of the world by people of all classes. And during all these years Duke’s have kept pace with the ever- increasing demand, and are still, as in 1710, the leading cricket-ball makers in the world. “ T h e Australian team to visit New Zealand early next season,” says a Sydney contemporary, “ will go as amateurs, the only allowance beyond hotel expenses to be five shillings per day for personal expenses.” I n the match at Fremantle on March 17th between Guildford Grammar School and Scotch College the latter won the toss and sent their opponents in. The result was the Grammar School ran up 601 for eight wickets in four hours, A. Halliday making 247 in 130 minutes and Medcalf 178 in two hours and a quarter. Play commenced at ten o’clock and when lunch was taken, three hours later, 449 runs had been made. The Scotch College made only 49 and 88 for nine wickets, but the day’s play never­ theless realised 738 runs for twenty-six wickets. T. A. D a v y , this year’sWest Australian Rhodes scholar, had shown such pro­ mising form during the past two seasons in the schools’ competition that he was given a place in the Corinthian A team, and with very satisfactory results, the committee being more than pleased with his play. F rom the Wes tAustralian(‘20/3/1909 ):— “ After an absence of a number of years, T. R. McKibbin, the once-famous Australian Eleven bowler, made his reappearance in turf cricket. He played for Perth against Corinthians “ A ” last week, and, although he bowled a number of overs, failed to secure a wicket. He still bowls a big break, but his trundling seems to have lost much of its old ► ting. McKibbin, like the famous “ express” bowler, Ernest Jones, has been domiciled in Western Australia for a number of years. When he first came across from New South Wales McKibbin played with varying success for a Fremantle team, but, after a short stay at the Port, went to the out-back gold- fields, whilst latterly he has been trying his fortune in the North-West.................... “ Mac.,” in George Giifen’s opinion, could make the ball do more on a perfect wicket than any bowler in the world, and on a pitch which assisted him was well-nigh unplayable. Reminiscences of McKibbin’s doings call to mind the name of E. Jones, and lovers of the game will be pleased to hear that he is play­ ing with much success on the goldfields. Writing to a friend in Perth recently, Jones remarked that he was in good form, and would like to have an opportunity of playing against his old State—South Australia—at Easter.” O n March 20th Robert Selk, West Australia’s leading bowler, completed his hundred wickets for the season by taking three wickets for 4 runs against Fre­ mantle on the North Fremantle Oval. His wickets have been obtained at a cost of slightly over six runs each. G e o r g e G if f e n , who completed his fiftieth year last month, has been show­ ing capital form recently in South Australia. Playing for Lord Dudley’s team, the veteran scored 114 not out, 51, 66, and 35, giving him an average of 86'66 runs an innings. F r o m the Adelaide Observer (20th March, 1909):—“ An athletes’ church parade, arranged by the East Torrens Cricket Association, will take place at College Park Congregational Church on Sunday evening. Cricketers and other athletes are asked to assemble at the junction of Magill and Payneham Roads. The Adelaide City Band will assist.” “ F e l ix ” has the following interesting reminiscence in the Australasian of Dr. H. J. H. Scott, who made a hundred in the Test match at the Oval in 1884 “ This week I had the pleasure of meeting my old friend, the fine batsman and all­ round player of former days, Dr. H. J. H. Scott. When I met him he had just re­ turned from a holiday trip to West Aus­ tralia, and looked almost the same as when we were comrades together in the field. He went to England in the 1884 and 1886 Aus­ tralian teams, and in one over from Wade, at Sheffield, hit up 22 runs off four balls. The crowd of 18,000 had yelled out time after time that Wade should be put on. He was put on. Four balls later the 18,000 yelled •Take, off Waad.’ He was taken off. Dr. Scott does not play now, but in his township, Scone, New South Wales, they have some really good cricketers. They play on mat­ ting upon concrete, and defeat most teams that play against them.” In last week’s Gossip I made reference to a score of 459 made by J. A. Prout, the Wesley College captain, against Geelong College on the latter’s ground on March 12th and 13th. The last mail from Australia has brought particulars of the feat, and the score of the Wesley College innings will be found on page 77. There are now four instances of an indi­ vidual score exceeding 450 *628, A. E. J. Collins, Clarke’s House, v. North Town, in a Junior House Match at Clifton College, in June, 1899. 566, C. J. Eady, Break-o’-Day v. Welling­ ton, at Hobart, in March and April, 1902. 485, A. E. Stoddart, Hampstead v. Stoics, at Hampstead, in August, 1886. 459, J. A. Prout, Wesley College v. Gee­ long College, at Geelong (Victoria), in March, 1909. ♦Signifies not out. Other large innings by school-boys are the following:— 412, O. H. Dean, Sydney Church of England Grammar School v. Newington College, on the North Sydney Oval, in October, 1904.