Cricket 1910

i 8 CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. F e b . 24, 1 9 1 0 . well, and while the younger man had 220 wickets at a cost of slightly over 14 each, p'aying in every match, Tamer, who missed only one game, had the phenomenal record of 314 at a trifle over 11 each. This made his tally from October. 188), to September, 1888, in 58 first-class matches (including, it is true, a few during the English tour which were so only by courtesy) into 492 wickets at a total cost of 5,471 runs. It would not be easy to parallel this, though Tom Bichardson a few years later, with more opportunities, surpassed it in number of wickets taken. To attempt the giving a list of all Turner’s successes during his three English campaigns would lead to overrunning the space allotted. On figures his biggest achievement in 1888 was the 17 wickets for 50 (8 for 13, and 9 for 37) against a scratch eleven at Hastings; but more really notable feats were the 12 for 64 v. the North at Manchester, 10 for 63 v. England at Lord’s, 10 for 46 v. Yorkshire at Huddersfield, and 11 for 59 v. Middlesex. He had also 9 for 15 in the first innings of an England eleven at Stoke-on-Trent. It was not only as a bowler that he earned distinction. In the third match of the tour he hit splendidly for 103 (including 19 fours) v. Surrey, and, without ever again equalling this form, he frequently made runs by dash­ ing methods when they were badly needed. As it chance 1, too, his greatest feat of the succeeding Australian season was a batting one—a score of 102 for the Australian Eleven v. The Rest of Australia at Sydney. In Englaud during the next Australian tour (that of 1890) Ferris and he ayain did the greater part of the bowling, this time with more level results, each taking 215 wickets. Among the “ Terror’s ” best figures were 13 for 57 v. Lord Londesborough’s Eleven at Scarborough, 12 for 34 v. Warwickshire, 11 for 63 v. Lancashire, 10 for 100 v. the South, and 10 for 108 and 8 for 50 in the two matches v. Kent. His batting average of 15 looks modest; but he was among the chief rnn-getters of a disappoint ing and unlucky side, often coming to the rescue when his comrades failed, as against Mr. Laverton’s Eleven at Westbury, when he made 47, and againstLord Londe-borough’s Eleven, wheu his well-hit 31 and 21 were the highest individual scores of the match, the Australian totals being only 77 and 60. In quite a number of matches he went in first, usually with Lyons, but once or twice with Barrett, and against Gloucestershire at Bristol he and Lyons, after the County had been dismissed for 94, sent up 96 before the first wicket fell. In the season of 1890-1, having been removed to the Goulburn branch of the Bank of New South Wales, he represented his Colony in only one match, that against Victoria at Sydney. He made 70 out of 92 for the first wicket in 75 minutes, took 15 wickets for 174 runs, and was chiefly responsible for the innings victory of N.S.W. In 1891-2, though he batted better than ever, scoring 66 and 45 v. Victoria at Sydney, 40 (out of 53 while at the wicket) in the first match between his Colony and Lord Sheffield's team, and 66 (highest score) in the first innings of the return, his bowling lacktd something of its old deadli­ ness. He met with no marked success in any of the three inter-colonials, and his best figures were 11 for 122 (for N.S.W., first match) and 7 for 91 (for Australia, first match) against the English team. South Australia, at Sydney, gave him his one great success in the following season. He hit up 62, and took 10 wickt-ts for 106 runs. An attack of influenza, which kept him out of several of the earlier fixtures, handi- capp 'd him in the English tour of 1833; but even then, on wickets far different from those of 1888 and 1890, both wet seasons, he was unmistakably a great bowler. Yorkshire was Champion County in 1893; but Turner, at Leeds in July, had the Tykes on a wicket that suited him, and took 10 for 50. Thirteen Notts wickets fell to him at a cost of only 52 runs, and among his other fine analyses we'e 11 for 69 in the Somerset match, and (in single innings) 8 for 95, 7 for 86 , 6 for 25, 6 for 27, 6 for 30, 6 for 54, 6 for 67 (v. England at Lord’s, in a total of 334), 5 for 35, 5 for 45, and 5 for 54. He was very disappointing as a batsman, judged on his recent form down under. He did not accompany his comrades to America. The Eighth Australian Team was unfortunately by no means a happy family, and there were two or three members of it with whom Turner could not get on. Things were sail when he reached home in advance of the rest which might well have been left un­ spoken. But it is not worth while to rake up old feuds. The season of 1893-4 saw him at the top of his form as a bowler. He had 10 for 142 v. Victoria at Melbourne, 9 for 117 v. South Australia at Sydney, and 11 for llO v. Vic­ toria at Sydney. But in 1894-5 his star had begun to wane. He was still a fine bowler, but scarcely the “ Terror ” of old, and when he was left out of two of the five Tests against Stoddart’s Team he vowed, it is said, to give up first class cricket, But he did not carry out his threat at once. He was not among the original selections for the Ninth Australian Team in 1896, and he could not, or would not, accept the belated invitation extended to him to join it. He was one of the eleven players who represented New South Wales in all four Sheffield Shield matches in 1896-7; but his three wickets '.were taken at a cost of 72 runs each, and his pnly performance of any note was a score of 48 v. South Australia at Adelaide. In the following season he had removed to Gympie in Queensland, and he played for Thirteen of Queensland and New South Wales against MacLaren’s Team. But his one wicket cost 94 run?, and, though the Queenslanders hoped great things from his assistance, he never appeared for the Northern Colony in an intercolonial game. First-class cricket knew him no more, except in his testimonial match played recently in Sjdney; but he still takes part in club cricket of a not very import )nt kind. Originally a tearaway fast bowler, Turner was not in big cricket, any more than was Spofforth, to be ranked among those whose one great asset is pace. Without quite as much subtlety as the Demon had, Turner depended a good deal upon headwork. Nevertheless to both these men pace meant much, and the nip with which the “ Terror’s” bowling came from the pitch gained him many wickets. During one of his visits to England the pace of his bowling was ascer­ tained by anelectrical apparatus at Woolwich Arsenal used for testing the velocity of pro­ jectiles' to be 57 miles an hour. At the time of writing, news has not reached me of the match arranged to be played for Turner's benefit at Sydney in the latter part of January.* One presumes, however, that it was duly brought off, and one hopes that the proceeds were satisfactory. The * See page 27, col. 3.—Ed., Cricket, public memory is not long; but Sydney people ought not to have forgotten how much New South Wales owed for a decade or so to the prowess of “ Turner the Terror,” and those in the other cities of Australia should recall the splendid bowler and dashing bat who fought so gallantly for the great South land in the days between 1884 and 1896, when the glory of Australian cricket was in partial eclipse. TURNER'S BATTING IN FIRST-CLASS CRICKET. tiot Inns. outs. Runs. Aver. Highest score. In Australia prior to 1888 ........... 43 4 515 13-20 57 In England. 1888 60 2 807 13-91 103 In Australia, be­ tween ’88 & ’90 14 0 330 23-57 10-2 In England, 1890 60 . 0 910 15-16 59 In Australia, be­ tween ’90 & ’93 20 1 493 25 94 70 In England, 1893 43 4 521 13 34 66 In Australia. ’93 4 to ’90-7 ... ... 32 2 371 12-36 48 Totals ... 272 13 3,947 15-23 103 TURNER’S BOWLING IN FIRST-CLASS CRICKET. Balls. Runs. Wkts. Aver. In Australia, prior to 1888 ..; ........... 6780 2117 177 11-96 In England, 1888 ... 10359 3492 314 11-12 In Australia, between 1888 and 1890 ... 3130 846 43 19-67 In England. 1890 ... 8256 2725 215 12*67 In Australia, between 1890 and 1893 ... 3730 1383 69 20-04 In England, 1893 ... 5525 2124 149 14*25 In Australia, 1893-4 to 1896-7 ... ... 5633 1921 92 20*88 Total ... 43413 14608 1059 13-79 George Giffen, it is worth while to mention, is the only other Australian bowler who has taken 1,000 wickets in first-class cricket, though Hugh Trumble was very near the four-figure mark when he retired. J. N. P e n te lo w . AU STRAL IAN CRICKET SOUVEN IR . Sanctioned by the Australian Board of Control and the N.S.W. Cricket Association, a pamphlet under the above title has been published in Sydney at threepence. There is no title page and the name of the publisher is not stated. The booklet contains several illustrations, including a portrait of Bardsley, holding a cricket bat and ball, at the age of three. The matches played by the Aus­ tralians in England last year are summarised, and there are also articles concerning the formation of the Board of Control and the Test matches, the latter from the pen of Dr. L. O. S. Poidevin. GEORGE LEW IN & Co., (Established 1869.) Club Colour Specialists and A th letic Clothing Manufacturers. OUTFITTERS BY APPOINTMENT To the Australians, 1896,1899 and 1902 ; Mr. Stoddart’s XI., 1894-1895, 1897- 1898; Mr. MacLaren’s X I., 1901-1902 ; West Indian X I., 1900 and 1906 ; South Africans XI., 1901 and 1907; and M C.G., Lancashire, Kent, Surrey and London Counties, Wanderers, Stoics. Bromley, Sutton, and all Public Schools’ Old Boys’ Clubs.—Write for E stimates F ree . Telegraphic Address: “ Leotdde, London Telephone; P.O. City GOT. 8, Crooked Lane, Monument, London Bridge, E.C.