Cricket 1910

A u g u s t i i , igio. CRICKET A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 3 2 3 The construction of the Demon Drivers is fully described in The Evolution of a Cricket Bat, which may be obtained free upon applica­ tion. i : l m m C R I C K E T ! IMFROVED MAKE KEEP THEIR SHAPE-IAST LOHCERt CATALOGUE UPON APPLICATION. CA 1A L0Q U E UPON APPLICATION. I mproved hake - keep their shape - last longer !! CATALOGUE UPON APPLICATION. AT THE SIGN OP THE W ICK E T . By F. S. A shley -C ooper . CATALOGUE UPON APPLICATION 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. The meeting of Surrey and Middlesex is generally productive of a keen game, but seldom has a match between the sides been better contested than that at the Oval in the latter part of last week. I cannot stop here to show how the counties met as far back as the reign of George the Second, nor how on more than one occasion matches were played in which twenty-two men appeared on each side : suffice it to say that the history of the meetings of the two counties would recall many stirring struggles during almost two hundred years and should prove a very interesting chapter in the history of cricket. Invariably keenly contested, there were many reasons why last week’s match should be especially s o : thus, Surrey, having risen to second place among the counties owing to their heavy defeat of Notts, were naturally anxious to retain the position, whilst Middlesex, having just received a crushing reverse at the hands of Kent, were just as anxious to pull off the match in order to atone for their shortcomings at Canterbury. Surrey lacked the services of Bird and Kirk, whilst Middlesex introduced two very promising young players in Kenneth Brand Harper and Stanley Herbert Saville : the former was in the Uppingham Eleven in 1909 and 1910, averaging 59'70 last season and 51'75 this, and the latter played for Marlborough three years ago when he averaged 18 '66 with the bat and took nineteen wickets for 19'05 runs each. The story of the splendid struggle which was seen on Saturday afternoon is told on another page, and Heed not be repeated here in detail. For Smith and—though to a less extent—Leveson-Gower and Hayes the day’s play was a triumph. To take six wickets for 16 runs—five of them whilst only a single was made off him—was a very great performance against such a side, notwith­ standing that the ground was altogether against run-getting. Before Surrey entered upon their task of making 79 the general opinion was that, without luck, the runs would not be made. Just before the innings started, however, P. F. Warner told me that he should not be at all surprised if they were obtained: “ it depends a good deal on what our left-hander does.” As it happened, J. T. Hearne (bowling from the Pavilion end) proved the agent of destruction, and, when Surrey’s seventh wicket fell at 39, it seemed as though he had won the match for his side. It was then that the real period of excitement began. Smith, joining his captain, made a few hits, was badly missed when 3, and but for Leveson-Gower’s steadying influence would have lost his head completely. The crowd cheered his first few strokes in a manner which showed that they regarded his efforts of little account from a match-winning point of view, but, as the score began to mount and he continued to make runs and be missed, their outlook changed, for they recognised that there was after all a chance of Surrey pulling through. Gratuitous and well-intentioned advice was hurled at the batsmen from the ring after every hit, and the position became more thrilling than ever when Leveson-Gower fell lame and required the services of a runner. Eventually Smith was bowled with the scores level, and then a conple of byes gave Surrey the game. Such an afternoon’s cricket made one forget many previous dis­ appointments occasioned by the weather. It was thrilling cricket, such as would have rejoiced the heart of the Old Buffer and Bob Thoms. There is certainly a humorous side to the statement cabled from South Africa to the effect that the powers-that-be there have only just discovered that several months ago —before the subject of the guarantee cropped up to cause some irritation—they agreed to the terms on which a team should visit Australia during our coming winter, and that, in consequence, they have definitely decided to undertake the tour. If such news represents the real facts of the case, and there is no reason to suppose it does not, one can only express amusement and surprise, for the fact that such an arrange­ ment had been come to was generally known in England. But “ All’s well that ends well,” and all Englishmen will wish the South Africans a pleasant tour and hops that the best side will win. On page 322 will be found the full score of a match wherein ten brothers named Parris recently formed a side at Croydon. On July 7th last year, with the aid of a cousin named Parris, the family put an eleven in the field against the Parkside C.C., at Duppas Hill, Croydon, when the Club scored 88 and the Family 77 for seven wickets. The following particulars concerning the brothers may prove of interest:— A lfred , aged 42. Baker. Late a member of the Brighton Road C.C. E rnest , aged 37. Baker. Assistant Secretary of the Brighton Road C.C. B ert , aged 35. Grocer. No club. G eorge , aged 33. Carpenter. No club. F rank , aged 31. Clerk. Addiscombe United C.C. On Committee. H arold , aged 28. Plumber. Brighton Road C.C P ercy , aged 26. Grocer. Croydon TradesmenC.C Captain and Secretary. W alter , aged 24. Baker. Brighton Road C.C. Captain. W illiam , aged 22. Clerk. Parkside C.C. Sec­ retary. A rthur , aged 19. Carpenter. Brighton Road C.C. Secretary. With the exception of Alfred, all were born in Croydon. Should any family wish to arrange a match, Mr. F. M. Parris, of 56, Selsdon Boad, Croydon, would be glad to hear from them. A regrettable feature of the past week’s play has been the prevalence of “ barrack­ ing ” on several grounds. At Leyton and Northampton the umpire was the target of the crowd’s abuse: at Leeds it was the batsmen who suffered. In each case, too, it was owing to an imagined grievance either inflicted by the visitors or causing injury to the home side. Such behaviour is, fortunately—for we do not want the ethics of the football field in the cricket field— of rare occurrence, and if those who indulge in it only had sufficient common sense to understand that their tactics stamp them as unsportsmanlike and were deplored by both teams, such scenes as have taken place during the last few days would never have to be chronicled. The Old Buffer, referring to the habit of some cricketers of wearing striped shirts — a fashion now happily defunct—used to say, “ Do not be a zebra; it is low ” : in the same way, one may remark to the “ barracker,” “ Do not abuse those who take part in a match : it is vulgar and beneath contempt.” Alan Marshal made 139 for Heathfield v. Croydon Amateurs at Wandsworth on August 1st. “ W. G.” took four wickets for 24 runs for Eltham v. Lessness Park on Saturday. He was caught when he had made 7.