Cricket 1911

A p r i l 2 9 ,19 11. CR ICKET : A W EEK LY RECORD OP THE GAME. 103 brother of O. C. ; and. V. Pearse is another member of the same family. Herbert W. Taylor, to whose crgjiit stands the highest score of the tournament, 173 for Natal v. Griqualand West, was strongly fancied in his own colony for a place in the South African team for Australia; he is quite a youngster, not more than 22 or so, and as he seems to be rapidly adding scoring strokes to his equipment, having already an excellent defence, he should go far. For Michaelhouse College, Balgowan, Natal, in the season 1906-7, he averaged nearly 36 per innings. Dan Taylor, jun., who but for sudden illness would have captained the Garden Colony’s team, is his elder brother ; their father was a prominent Natal cricketer in his day. B a s i l G. M e l l e , the only century scorer for Western Province, was picked out for four years ago, when only sixteen, as the mostpromising batsman in the Cape Town district. He was a googly bowler in those days, but apparently has not come on greatly in this department. Among his comrades in the South African College eleven in 1906-7 were C. Delbridge, who played one or two good innings for Eastern Province during the tournament, and the brothers P. and R. R. Luyt. D. C. Jackson (W. Pro­ vince), N. V. Lindsay (Transvaal), the brothers Hands (R. and P. M.), and H. V. Molteno, all of the last three now, or lately, up at Oxford, were at the rival school, the Dio­ cesan College, Rondebosch, about the same time. Several of the Kimberley men were educated at Christian Brothers’ College, where Newstead of Yorkshire coached for two or three seasons. S. V. S a m u e ls o n , who took 13 wickets for 147 runs for Natal v. Orange River Colony, and 6 for 29 in one innings v. Griqualand West, is in the Maritzburg Post Office. He is a googly bowler, who was thought a good deal of two or three years back, but has been reputed to have gone off lately. He appeared against the M.C.C. team of 1909-10 in one Test, the last, but failed to take a wicket. For Natal at Maritzburg he dismissed Rhodes, Fane, Wynyard, Blythe and Strudwick in the first innings at a cost of 90 runs. W h e n the M.C.C. team for the West Indies sailed we pointed out that it was scarcely strong enough for the task set it. Events have proved the truth of the forecast. Only three matches of importance (the Port Antonio fixture cannot be so regarded) have been won, while the team has met with four defeats. The results in Jamaica-—draw, draw, tie—are curious. Hitherto the Jamaicans have generally succumbed pretty easily to English touring teams, their only victory being one by 8 wickets against Mr. R. S. Lucas’s side in 1895, when J. W . Toone, a fast bowler, captured 13 wickets at a cost of only 80 runs for them. O n e notes with pleasure the fact that Jamaican cricket is distinctly on the up-grade. The Island had the assistance of Capt. T. B. Nicholson, who showed excellent form in half-a-dozen first-class matches for London County in 1904 ; but it was not due to him that the scores were so much more substantial than of old. J. K. Holt was the man most in evidence in the first match with 72 and 34 ; and the all-round cricket of H. Kennedy, whose 42 was the highest score, and who took 9 wickets for 110, was the best feature of the second game. T h e team seems to be a young one, for few of the men in it have faced English bowling before. C. S. Morrison was in England with the 1906 West Indian team, taking 30 wickets at 19'70 runs each. He had 8 for 101 v. Lord Brackley’s Eleven at Lord’s, this being his best performance of the tour. But he outclassed this when against the Philadelphian team which visited Jamaica two years ago he took 11 for 78, his bowling and Nicholson’s batting enabling the Island to win by 9 wickets. As many as eight of the eleven wickets were bowled down. J. K. H o l t played his first match for Jamaica in August, 1905, against Trinidad, and ran up 67 in the second innings of his side, no one else making more than 13. In July of last year he played an innings of 72 against a team brought by S. C. Snow. Kennedy was another debutant in the same match, taking 4 wickets for 70. He made 81 in the match in which Holt scored his 72. Snow, a coloured man, is an older cricketer. He played against the English team of 1901-2, making scores of 40 in one match and 54 in another. Soon after that he transferred himself to Demerara, and played for British Guiana in the tournaments of 1905-6 (when he took 8 wickets for 104 v. Barbados at Port of Spain), 1907-8 and 1908-9 (when with 52 and 49 he was top scorer in each innings of his side v. Barbados at Bridgetown). In July, 1910, he took a team to Jamaica, but the full strength of the Island was too much for it, Snow’s side losing all three matches in an innings. G. J o h n , of Trinidad, another coloured man, whose fast bowling was so effective in two or three matches against the Englishmen, had never played in a game of real importance till the season of 1909-1910. As a member of William Shepherd’s team (coloured men, one and all, we believe) then, he hit very finely for 111 v. British Guiana at Bourda, and against the Georgetown C.C.—practically another British Guiana side—took nine wickets for 90. Claimed by Trinidad to play against his comrades, he had 8 wickets for 62 in the second match between the sides. He is undoubtedly a bowler of considerable ability, but it is hinted that his method of delivery is open to objection. T h e Demerara Argosy of April 3rd. records that sensational cricket was the outcome of a match played at Williamsburg, Corentyne Coast, Berbice, on the previous Wednesday, between elevens of the Bose Hall C.C. and the Quarter C.C. The former, going in for their second innings 37 runs behind, were all put out for the remarkable score of 4 runs. Of this, there were two leg-byes and one other run came from a no-ball. The only run from the bat was scored by the last batsman in. Beuter announces that on Friday last a match was played at Lagos between the Gold Coast Europeans and Lagos. The visitors won, scoring 192 against 126. The Governor gave an At Home on the cricket-ground. T h e good wishes of all cricketers will be extended to Mr. John Barton King—“ Bart,” as he is known to his friends —on the occasion of his recent marriage to Miss Fannie K. Lockhart, of 1508 West Tioga Street, Philadelphia. Owing to the illness of the bridegroom’s father, the wedding was a quiet one, only the members of the families and a few intimate friends being present at the ceremony. The following are some of the latest hundreds obtained in good- class club cricket:— March 4.— J. Baker, Albion v. Dunedin 142 „ 11.— G. P. Barbour, Toowoomba Past Grammars v. Willowburn Asylum *124 „ 11.—E. P. Barbour, Toowoomba Past Grammars v. Willowburn Asylum 111 „ 11.—G. Thomas, Waverley v. Sydney ... 154 „ 11.—E. E. Crawshaw, St. Albans v. Linwood (Christ­ church, N .Z.) ...................................................... *122 „ 11.— A. Sims, East Christchurch v. Biccarton *113 „ l l . - R . J. Hawson, North Hobart v. West Hobart ... *106