Cricket 1910

M ay 19, 1910. CR ICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 139 against Sussex— some very interesting play has been seen. The last three days, in fact, have witnessed some fine bowling feats as well as large individual scores brightly obtained, and, remembering how early Whitsun fell this year, followers of the game have reason to congratulate themselves on the cricket seen and the weather experienced. O f the noteworthy bowling feats chronicled that by Hirst at Leeds on Tuesday was certainly the one of most merit, notwithstanding that, from a figure point of view, it was exceeded at Taunton by Huggins. To take nine wickets in an innings for 23 runs, and hit the stumps eight times, was a remarkable perform­ ance against such a side as Lancashire, and its value was even greater than the figures would suggest, for it was accom ­ plished after Lancashire had obtained a substantial lead on the first innings, and therefore at a time when some such effort was necessary to give Yorkshire a chance of pulling off the match. Hirst has done many fine things with the ball in his time but never anything to surpass, if indeed to equal, this. He bowled Tyldesley and Sharp with successive deliveries and, later in the innings, dismissed Huddle­ ston and Dean in similar fashion. Throughout he bowled at a good pace and his swerve was much in evidence. Un­ fortunately, rain proved a spoil-sport yesterday, and the match which appeared likely to produce a fine finish was obliged to be abandoned without another ball bowled. O w in g to the funeral o f King Edward there will, of course, be no play to­ morrow anywhere. The match between Oxford University and Worcestershire has been fixed for Monday week, May 30th, and following days, and that between Hampshire and Somerset postponed to June 9th, but in every other first-class match arranged to commence to-day play will start as usual and be continued on Saturday. T h e game between Notts second eleven and Lincolnshire, due to open to-day, has been abandoned, but play in the match at Lord’s between Middlesex 2nd X I. and Kent 2nd X I. will take place to-day and on Saturday. A l t h o u g h Hampshire took the field at Brighton this week with a team which did not represent the full strength of the county, their poor display was not only dis­ appointing but surprising. Nearly every player on the side appeared short of practice, and, on the form they showed, the defeat with which they met furnished a good index to the difference between the two sides. It was, however, a Hampshire man who played the pluckiest cricket in the match, Brown, a left­ hander, scoring 79 of the last 115 runs made by the side in an hour and a-half and carrying out his bat. He hit thirteen 4’s, the majority o f them powerful drives. Against Derbyshire at Southampton last year he made 75 out o f 84 in 55 minutes. Me. J. S t a n n in g , the old Cambridge Blue and Lancashire cricketer, took part in the two-day match between Jesus College and Northern Nomads which commenced at Cambridge on Monday. Of the total of 419 for five wickets (innings declared closed) scored by the latter Mr. Stanning made 257, and carried out his bat for the highest individual innings yet played during the season. He hit 40 fours, and was guilty of only two mistakes, offering a chance to the slips when 50 and another when he had passed his second hundred and was hitting at everything. On the same day S . H. Saville made 214 not out for Eastbourne v. Sheffield Collegiate on the Saffrons, but on Tuesday added only 3 more before being caught. D u r in g the past week Kent have furnished a notable instance of the “ glorious uncertainty ” of cricket. At Oxford they met with defeat at the hands of the University, but at Lord’s this week they outplayed Middlesex from start to finish, declaring with two wickets in hand and winning by an innings and almost 200 runs. I f they show but half such good form during the rest of the season as they did in the latter match they will be found high among the counties at the end of the summer. Blythe bowled beautifully and with admirable judgment on Tuesday, and supporters of Kent will have noted his form with the keenest satisfaction for he is probably the most valuable asset o f the side. He varied the pace of the ball and controlled its flight most skilfully, and, if health does not prevent, should again experience a most successful season. ~ I t does not frequently happen that two left-handed batsmen reach three-figures in the same innings, and therefore the fact that Mr. Dillon and Woolley did so for Kent at Lord’s on Monday is worthy of note. It would be interesting to know how many times such an event has oc­ curred in a match o f note on that ground. P. E . M o r f e e , the young fast bowler who made his first appearance for Kent this week, will have very good cause to remember the event, seeing that he bowled Mr. Warner twice in one day on a run-getting wicket at Lord’s before he had scored. He is not afraid to pitch the ball up, and he has an easy run to the wicket and a delivery which does not cause him to tire quickly. In 1907 he took three wickets for the second eleven of Kent for 83 runs each, and in 1908 obtained 10 at a cost o f 22-50 apiece. Last year he sent down only one over in such matches, but in other games took 60 wickets for 13'16 runs each. As a bats­ man he is improving, and last season had an average of 27-33. S u r r e y ’ s defeat at Trent Bridge cannot be regarded altogether as a surprise, especially as Wass was able to perform on a wicket to his liking and Hayes, owing to an injury, could not bat in one innings and was obliged to have a runner in the other. When at his best, and on a wicket thoroughly suited to him, Wass is perhaps the most deadly bowler in the country, and, bearing in mind all that he has done during recent years, it cannot be said that he has been chosen for repre­ sentative matches so frequently as his merits entitled him. T h e B e v . E d w a r d D o m e t t S h a w , M .A., the old Oxford, Middlesex and Buckinghamshire cricketer, Yicar o f High Wycombe, Bucks, and Bural Dean, has been appointed Archdeacon of Bucks, in succession to the late Bev. C. E . J. Bourke. BATTLE OF THE ROSES. Shine out, fair sun, and play the alchemist, Turn earth to gold, and gild our cricket meads ; Make us rejoice who go to keep a tryst To-day, at Leeds. Fair breezes fan us, and black clouds dis­ perse ! Conspire not to prevent great cricket deeds ; Remember, too, that he who pens this verse Will be at Leeds. How we shall chatter ere the coin be spun, And sway excitedly, like storm-toss’d reeds ! Yet hold our breath when the white-robed one Calls “ Play! ” at Leeds. There’s stout George Hirst — a bounding human ball— Whose portly form still o’er the green turf speeds. Ah, will that deadly “ swerve ” corae at bis call? They ask, at Leeds. Denton and Rhodes, back from their Afric trip In rattling form, so Rumour now concedes ; If so, the Red Rose bowling will get “ jip,” No doubt, at Leeds. But Lancashire hath Champions brave and bold. Think not, ye Tykes, her team is one of weeds! Oh, Worsley Wonder, find thy spanks of old— Lay on, at Leeds ! But hark ! the warning bell is loudly peal’d, Both sides are eager e’en as panting steeds; Now, bobbies, set to work to clear the field— Fair play, at Leeds ! —Athletic News. TH E ATH LET IC N EW S CRICKET ANNUAL .* Now in its twenty-third year, the Athletic News Cricket Annual must be one of the most popular of all handbooks on the game, for it contains so much useful and interest­ ing information, and is published at so small a charge, that it cannot but appeal in some way to every cricketer. The present issue consists of 176 pages, and should prove a capital book of reference for it appears to contain—full scores of matches alone excepted — almost everything that any follower of the game is likely to want to know. * The “ Athletic Neict ” Cricket Annual. 1910. Edited by “ Tityrus." Manchester: E. Hulton and Co., Ltd., Withy Grove. Price 3d. ; post free, 4d.