Cricket 1910

Nov. 24, 191c. CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 463 THE HAMPSHIRE COUNTY C.C. The annual report of the Hampshire County C.C., issued on the 14th inst., is of a bighly gratifying character. It states that the past season has been a record one, and heartily congratulates the team on their many excellent performmces, which enabled the county to finish sixth in the Champion­ ship table. Last year's deficit of .£111 16s. 4J. has been converted into a balance in hand of £42 12s. lid . The average amount of gate money taken at the home matches, with the exception of the game at Aldershot, more than covered the out and home expenses of county matches, the aveiage figures being : Bournemouth, £267; Portsmouth, £183 ; and Southampton, £172. Complimentary reference is made to the fine bowling of Newman and Llewellyn, and regret is expressed that Llewellyn has severed his connection with the county. With the exception of Captain Greig and Llewellyn, all last season's players will be available next year. The gross receipts from county matches were £2,207 Os. 8J. CHAMPIONSHIP POINT- SCORING. Before another season is upon us there is every likelihood of a further change in the method of deciding the County Champion­ ship. If the matter is gone into with thoroughness, there should be ample time between now and then to arrive at some­ thing like a permanent solution of the question of point-scoring. A writer in Cricket recently laid down the self-evident principle that no amount of reasoning will ever make a draw and loss equal in value. If we are further agreed that every win is of greater value than a draw, and every draw of greater value than a loss, we are already a considerable way on the road to a settle­ ment. A special feature of the Minor County system is the awarding of 3 points out of a possible 5 to the side leading on the first innings of a drawn game, and as the drawn game is the crux of the whole question it may be well to see how this mode of deal­ ing with it would operate in first-class cricket. If we examine the results of matches p'ayed to a finish during the last four years we have au almost unanswerable argument in its favour. Of the 496 county matches won no less than 420, or 84per cent., were wen by the side lending on the first innings ! But where the Minor County system breaks down is in its treatment of the side that is headed on the first innings of a drawn game. In such a case the penalty is precisely the same as for a defeat outright. In either case the points awarded are zero, consequently the effect on the percentage is the same whichever happens. The maxim that eveiy draw is of greater value than a loss is at once violated, for the simple reason that the draw and loss become equal in value. The following table of points shows the Minor County system of scoring and a suggested amendment of it for use in the first-class County Championship. M inor C ounty S ystem . Win. 5 points. j If won on 1st _ inns., 3 pts. Draw. | jog^ on j8j. I inns., 0 pt. Loss. 0 point. Win. 6 points. If won on 1st inns., 2 pts. If lost on 1st inns., 1 pt. 0 point. By fixing the value of a win at three times the value of a win on the first innings the incentive to play enterprising cricket would be the greater, and by awarding one point to the side beaten on the first innings of a drawn game the value of every draw would be greater than that of a loss. The following table shows the position and percentages of the first-class counties by the suggested amendmeut of the Minor County system. COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP 1910. Drawn. County. Played. Won. Lost. Won on first inns. Lost on first inns. Per­ centage.. A - B. 1 Kent 25 19 3 3 0 80 00 1 1 2 Lancashire 23 14 5 3 1 65-94 4 2 3 Surrey ... 27 16 7 2 2 62-96 2 4 4 Middlesex 21 11 5 4 1 59-52 3 3 5 Notts 19 9 4 2 4 54-38 5 5 6 Yorkshire 27 10 7 7 3 47-53 8 6 7 Sussex ... 25 10 9 2 4 45*33 7 7 8 Hants ... 24 10 10 1 3 45-13 6 8 9 Northants IS 7 8 0 3 41*66 9 9 10 Essex 15 5 8 1 1 36-66 11 10 11 Leicester.. 17 6 11 0 0 35-29 10 12 12 Worcester. 21 5 8 3 5 32*53 13 14 13 Gloucester 19 5 11 3 0 31*57 12 11 14 W arwick.. 18 4 8 3 3 30-55 14 13 15 Derby 19 2 14 1 2 14-03 15 15 16 Somerset.. 18 0 15 0 3 2-77 16 16 “ A System signifies position by Lancashire “ B ” by Minor County System. Simplified formula — 21®® Games played x 3 would then read The amended system follows:— “ Six points are awarded for a win. In drawn games two points are awarded to the side leading on the first innings, and one point to the opposing side. Drawn games in which no result is attained on the first innings are not reckoned as ‘ Played ’ but are ignored. The Championship is decided by the proportion of points obtained to points possible.” J. B. PAYNE. CR ICK E T IN A U S T R A L IA . SOUTH AUSTRALIA, v. VICTORIA. Played at Adelaide on October 29, 31, November 1 and 2 and won by South Austra'ia by six wickets. Victoria scored 111 (J. N. Crawford five wickets for 42) and 305 (D. Smith, 96). South Australia made 220 (J. N. Crawford, 79 not out) and 202 for four wickets (D. B. A. Gehrs, 100 not ou t; C. Hill, 68). QUEENSLAND v. NEW SOUTH WALES. Played at Brisbane on November 4, 5 and 7 and won by Queensland by 15 runs. Queensland scored 163 and 203 and New South Wales 212 and 139. Alan Marshal, the ex-Surrey cricketer assisted Queensland, for which he possesse a birth qualification. CORRESPONDENCE. [The Editor does not hold himself responsible for the opinions of his correspondents.] CSABLES DICKENS AND CRICKET. To the Editor of C ricket . D ear S ir , — References to Cricket in Charles Dickens, which have not yet, I think, been recorded in the cricket corres­ pondence in your journal, are to be found :— (1) In David Copperfield, chapter xvii. “ These Wednesdays were the happiest days of Mr. Dick’s life; they were far from being the least happy of m in e ................ How many a summer hour have I known to be blissful minutes to him in the cricket field.” (2) In Martin Chuzzlewit, chapter v. “'But, Lord, there’s no du'ness at the Dragon! Skittles, cricket, quoits, ninepins, comic son gs................ Any man can be jolly at the Dragon.” Both these quotations testify to the pleasure cricket affurds spectator and player alike—• for I suppose Mr. Dick merely watched the game, whatever Mark Tapley did. Yours, <4c., W. B. HUGHES. B kyndifvr , L lanfairfechan , November 2nd, 1910. CRICKET AT SHANGHAI. SHANGHA I R E C R E A T IO N CLUB G R O U N D -S T A F F v. SHANGHA I CRICKET CLUB GROUND STAFF.— Played on the latter’s ground on October loth and won by the visitors by 37 runs. Dah Yih Tsze made 56 without a chance and took six wickets for 29 runs. The S. C. C. were left an hour iu which to bat and were got rid of in 40 minutes for 62. Foo Ling made six catches at the wicket during the S. R. C.’s innnings. (See( page 459, col. 2.) Score and analysis S h an gh ai R ecreation C lub G ro u nd -S taff . Dah Yih Tsze, c Hon He, b Ah S in g.........56 Rum Long, run out ... 3 King Foo, c Foo Ling, b Kum Foo ........... Ah Woo (capt.), c Foo Ling, b Ah Sing ... Le Sun, b Ah Sing ... Lee Kee, c Foo Ling, b Ah Sing ................... Chang Sun, b Ah Sing S han gh ai C r ic k e t C lub G ro u nd -S ta J- f . 18 Naw Ling Tsze, c Foo Ling, b Ah Sing .. San Yit Sze, c Foo Ling, b Ah Sing ... Kwa Sue, c Foo Ling, b Ah Sing ........... San How, not out ... Bye ................... Total ........... Foo Lin, b Dah Yih Tsze .......................... 2 Ah Kum Poo, b Mo Ling ... ...........18 Nee Long, b Mo Ling 17 Mow Doh, bM o Ling .. 3 Jacko (capt.), c King Foo, b Dah Yih Tsze 4 Kun Gee, c King Foo, bM o Ling.................. 11 Ah Sing, b Dah Y7ih Tszc .......................... 0 Lee Nan, not out Shao Pao Pao, b Dah Yih T sze................... Ah Sung, b Dah Yih T sze.......................... Hon He, b Dab Yih T sze.......................... Byes ................... Total .......... i M. R. W. 0 50 1 S. R . C. G round -S taff . O. M. R. W.O. Ah Sing... 10 3 2 48 8 |Kum Foo.. 10 S. C. C. G round -S taff . O. M. R. W. D a h Y ih Tsze... 8*5 3 29 6 | Last year tbe Rccreation Ground-Staff won by 25 runs—62 to 37, Dah Yih Tsze, with top score of 22 and seven wickets for 15, being chiefly responsible. O M. R. W. Mo Ling.. 8 2 31 4