Cricket 1910

234 CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. J une 36, 1910. ground which has generally been a verit­ able paradise for batsmen.” “ I t was the easy pace of the over­ prepared wicket that made the task of the batsmen so pleasant,” continues the same writer. “ In this connection I may recall the Gentlemen and Players’ match at Lord’s in 1902. We were enjoying a brief spell o f sunshine in a very wet summer, and the wicket was the fastest seen at Lord’s in the whole season. The Gentlemen had a magnificent eleven, in­ cluding, I think, nine first-class batsmen, but Braund in one innings, and Lockwood in the other, played havoc with the lightning pitch, and both the totals fell short of two hundred. The Players, with no bowling of much class to worry about, scored over 400, and won hands down. Seeing how the game was going, Tom Hearne the younger—the excellent ground keeper who died a few months a g o—said to me quite frankly that he wished he had toned down the wicket a little more. The moral of all these remarks is that when there is some fire in the pitch the batsmen of the present day are not better than their predecessors—perhaps not so good. Even on a perfectly true wicket o f great pace the pull and the hook— as Jessop and George Hirst found out in Australia— are dangerous servants.” O n Saturday last it was announced that J. L . S. Vidler (the Repton Fresh­ man), R. L. L. Braddell and F. N. Tuff had been given their Blue for Oxford. At the Oval on Tuesday Twining was similarly honoured. A f t e r losing seven matches in succession, Somerset were saved on Saturday from another defeat by a heavy thunderstorm at Worcester. The ground was quickly flooded, and for the first time this year Somerset were able to find themselves unbeaten at the drawing of stumps at the conclusion of a match. The absence of Daniell has handicapped the side severely, and for more reasons than one followers of the game will hope that he will not have another honeymoon for a very long time to come. L a n c a s h ir e ’ s match with Essex at Leyton was a dreary affair, apart altogether from the weather, for the play whilst the home side were batting was so tedious that it was impossible to take the slightest interest in the cricket. On the first day they made 94 for four wickets in two hours and a-half, their total at lunch­ time being 54 for two as the result of an hour and three-quarter’s play. A lto­ gether, they made 180 in four hours and a-half, there being as many as 35 maiden overs in the innings. The Lancashire bowlers did not keep the ball off the w ic­ ket, and the slow run-getting must be attributed solely to lack o f enterprise on the part of the batsmen. W h a r m b y , the Coventry and North Warwickshire professional, had a success­ ful afternoon’s cricket on Saturday at the expense o f the Uppingham Rovers. He commenced by taking five wickets for 31 runs in a total of 88, bowling throughout the innings, and then contributed 170 not out to a total of 310 for seven wickets. B r o w n , of Hampshire, scored 100 not out against Middlesex at Portsmouth last week at a time when runs were needed, and in doing so credited himself with his first three-figure score in a match of note. This is only his second season in first- class cricket, and already he has proved himself of use to his side as batsman, bowler, fieldsman and wicket-keeper. He is an attractive run-getter and, as his powers are likely to develop and he is still a young man, he is probably destined to play an important part in his county’s— perhaps even his country’s— cricket during the next fifteen to twenty years. But for Kennedy’s defensive innings of 15, Brown would not have reached three- figures on Friday and the follow-on would not have been saved. Although scoring only a few runs, Kennedy kept up his wicket for an hour and a-half, during which time 97 runs were added for the last wicket. A collection made on the ground for Brown realised twelve guineas, so the young player is likely to recall the match with pleasure for more reasons than one. F r o m th e Field ;— “ T he captain of an eleven in a country m atch, having been kindly supplied by his opponents with an umpire, and feeling constrained to tbank this honorary official at the end of the gam e for his services, inadvertently chose the wrong man of the pair, oblivious of a fine catch in the slips aud a low c and b ., each of which had elicited the unexpected verdict of ‘ n o to u t.’ The um pire’s candid reply was 1Oh, that’s all right, but I was um piring for the other side.’ ” I n beating Leicestershire by 126 runs with an hour to spare in King’s benefit match on Saturday, Notts accomplished a really fine performance. On the third morning, thanks almost wholly to Hard­ staff and Payton, they forced the game so well that it was found possible to declare the innings closed at the luncheon interval, leaving Leicestershire with 298 to win in three hours and a-half. Jayes, driving magnificently, scored 87 out of 112 in 55 minutes, hitting five 6’s and four 4’s, but was so badly supported that the highest of the other five double-figure innings in the side were only 18 and 12. It was rather curious that both Wood and Knight should be caught at the wicket off Riley’s bowling in each innings. T he absence from the side of Newstead enabled the Yorkshire Committee to give another trial to Major W . Booth, who played against Somerset at Dewsbury and the Gentlemen of Ireland at Dublin two years ago and has since performed well for the Second Eleven. In Warwickshire’s first innings he took seven wickets for 30 runs, bowling rather above medium pace and frequently making his deliveries get up rather awkwardly. He was born at Pudsey on December 10th, 1886, and is 6 ft. in height. “ I t ’ s never too late to mend,” remarks the Observer. “ Surrey is just toeing the line o,f Kent and Middlesex and Essex, whose folds are for ever open for those men who can give only a little leisure to three days’ matches. W e should like to see Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire possessed of the same cricket principle. In those great sporting shires there must be plenty of Gentlemen cricketers suffi­ ciently skilful for the elevens. Unless a man is ready made from Oxford or Cam­ bridge for Yorkshire and Notts it would seem to be rather an exceptional thing for a Gentleman cricketer to find a place in the sides. The professional nurseries common amongst most counties are not unmixed blessings. It is neither good for the race nor good for the individual that a man should be taught a sport for a living just as a trade is taught. And so this necessity for more Gentlemen in the county sides must be persistently kept in the foreground. Cricket has run into another cycle of prosperity; but there is nothing like being careful at the sack’s mouth. The brightness of the play as a whole, and the tremendous finishes are luring deserters back to the game, are deciding for those who were wavering between cricket and some other game. The “ man in the street ” is talking cricket again. That is the best sign of all. And we are hopeful above everything o f seeing plenty of bowling for the Gentlemen at Lord’s this year.” A t a meeting of the Yorkshire County C.C. Committee on Monday, it was decided to give Wilfred Rhodes a benefit next season, the match selected being that with Lancashire at Sheffield on the August Bank Holiday. It was also decided to give the sum of £5 to each of the following players’ benefits: Quaife, Killick, King and John Gunn, and also £10 to Sharp. The meeting considered a circular sent out by the M.C.C., stating that they had been asked to rule that all matches unfinished owing to the death of King Edward should not be counted in the Championship, and they concurred in this suggestion. It was decided to grant £ ‘20 to the Harrogate Club for the use of their ground in the coaching of young players. T h e policy adopted by Mr. Jessop of putting Middlesex in to bat at Lord’s on Monday after winning the toss un­ doubtedly lost his side the match, but it would nevertheless be wrong to assume that the course he pursued was not the right one. The conditions which existed on the second day were quite different from those of Monday, whilst Middlesex were batting, and it is more than likely that, if there had been no rain during Monday night, Gloucestershire would, have given a good account of themselves. The wicket on Tuesday should have suited Dennett even better than it did Hearne (J. T.) and Tarrant.