Cricket 1910

J u n e 9, 1910. CRICKET A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 179 The construction of the Demon Drivers is fully described in The Evolution of a Cricket Bat , which may be obtained free upon applica­ tion. j! BALLS CRICKET IMFROVEDMAKE-KEEPTHEIRSHAPE-LAS T LONCERg C A T A L O Q U E U PO N A P P L IC A T IO N . BllSSEr'S RACKETS (.A lA L O G U E U PO N A P P L IC A T IO N . C A T A L O G U E U PO N A P P L IC A T IO N . IMPROVEDMAKE-KEEPTHEIR SHAPE-LASTLONGERlS C A T A L O G U E U PO N A P P L IC A T IO N . DEMON D R I V E R S A R E O U T A N D O U T T H E BEST. GRADES 7 '-6's '- ^ 3'-2'g~Z'- 7 6 AT THE SIGN OF THE WICIvET. By P. S. Asni.EY-CoopEit. C A T A L O G U E U PO N A P P L IC A T IO N TO GEO. G. BUSSEY & Co., L td . 36 & 38, Queen Victoria St., LONDON. Manufactory — Timber Mills — PECKHAM, S.E. ELMSWELL, SUFFOLK. Agents all over the world. Almost immediately after the last issue of Cricket went to p ess, a Reuter message was received in London stating that tbe visit of a South African team to Australia during onr next winter was very doubtful, as the South African Cricket Association, af:er practically accepting the oiler of fifty per cent, of the gate and stand receipis, asked for a guarantee of £5,000, “ which ” the cable remarked, “ is not likely to be given.” Knowing how keen the South Africans have been all along to meet the Australians, aud that more than one of their supporters would, if necessary, willingly guarantee a thousand pounds or so rather than allow the trip to be abandoned, it was only what I expected would happen when, within twenty-four hours, Reuter's Melbourne correspondent announced that it was believed that no hitch in the arrangements for the visit would occur. Since then a private message from S^uth Africa has reached me to the same effect, so that tbe tour which has been looked forward to with such interest for so long can be regarded as certain to take place. When the Australians consented, somewhat reluc‘antly, to take part in the triangular tournament over here in 1912, it was only on the distinct understanding that they should in the meantime receive a visit from the South Africans, and therefore the falling- through of the trip would have meant the abandonment of the three-cornered contest. Whether the latter event would have been one for much regret I question very much. It is possible to have too much Test cricket, and with two Colonial teams visiting us at the same time county cricket will be bound to suffer. Furthermore, if, as is proposed, each Test match is restricted to three days, it is more than likely that some of the games will be drawn, thereby rendering the whole thing a fiasco. Every effort should be made to arrive at a definite result in every match, and as cricketers generally appear to be dead against allowing the game to be plajed out regardless of time, the only alternative would appear to be to allow the games to start at 11 o’clock on the first morning and at 10.30 on the second and third, play being continued each day until 7 o’clock. By this arrangement an extra hour’s play would be obtainable than by the regulations sanctioned by the Board of Control for Test matches in England. The hours would certainly be longer than players who take part in first-class matches are accustomed to, but they should not ex­ perience much difficulty in bearing the strain involved, especially as each of the matches could, if necessary, be fixed to commence on a Monday, thereby affording each member of either team a free day before each game started. Almost every mail from South Africa brings me letters from cricketers and followers of the game saying with what interest the forthcoming tour in Australia is being anticipated. Furthermore, they breathe a spirit of hopefulness in a manner which is quite remarkable in its unanimity. That the bowling of Vogler and Faulkner will carry the side to victory is the general idea. Even allowing that the players named are two of the best three or four bowlers in the world, I cannot but feel that their well- wishers are very sanguine. So far, indeed, am I from sharing their views that I feel that, in the event of a fine summer being experienced, the Australians will find little difficulty in winning the rubber. Schwa>z, for the time at all events, has lost his oil skill with the ball —I hear, too, that he has put on considerable weight since he was in England three years ago—and too much may have to depend on the efforts of Vogler and Faulkner. The South Africans possess no really fast bowler above ordinary class, and \\hite, so it is said on very good authority, is not likely to undertake the trip. Sinclair, too, is not the power he used to be; Hathorn, SLalders and Tancred seem to have dropped out of the game; and Nourse scarcely made so many runs against the English team recently as was expected. It was generally thought by the members of the last side which went out that South African cricket is not so strong now as it was in 1907, and they had every opportunity of judging. Vogler and Faulkner may be the two finest bowlers living, but the Australians’ immense superiority in batting should, I think, give them the rubber without very much trouble. At the present time Australian batting is probably stronger than ever before, and there should be no lack of runs when such men as Trumper, Hill, Arm­ strong, Hansford and Bardsley, to say nothing of Gregory, Mayne and others, are available. It is devoutly to be hoped that the end of Surrey’s trials and troubles has been reached. Last year saw the deflection from the side of J. N. Crawford and Rushby, and during the past week it has been announced that Marshal has severed his connection with the county. The last-named has expressed a wish to take part in League cricket in the North, like Rushby, and his skill should enable him to secure an engagement without any loss of time. During the two years that Marshal was qualifying for Surrey he did many wonderful things in good-class club cricket, and, although fora time he g^ton so well in first-class matches as thoroughly to justify his portrait and biographical notice appearing in Wisden , his doings last seasou and this have been disappointing. He is still a young man, however, and there is no reason why he should not yet fulfil all the promise given by his early doings. There is so much excellent cricket in him that one hopes his future doings will not be restricted to League or ordinary cricket. At his best he was worth a place in almost any side in the-world, and it is by no means unlikely that he will be found taking part in county cricket again a few years hence. As a bowler he never did quite so well as was expected, but at times he was decidedly useful. In less than twelve months Surrey have lost the assistance of three most useful players, and the small amount of success which has attended the efforts of the county this year is not to be wondered at. Mr. Wilfrid Reay, of the Beddington Club, is a young fast amateur bowler who would in all probability have developed into a first-eleven player, but unfortunately he is unable to spare time for county cricket. Last year, when he played chiefly for the second eleven of his club, he took seventy wickets, and to Saturday last had obtained forty-three this season in good-class games for four and a-half runs each, his analyses being 4 for 25 v. Old Whitgiftians, 6 for 10 v. Hammersmith, 4 for 29 v. Spencer, 6 for 37 v. Sutton, 7 for 13 v. Mitcham, 7 for 58 v. Epsom, and 9 for 21 v. Norbury Park. A correspondent writes to me asking who is the oldest living professional cricketer who has taken part in matches of note. Without