Cricket 1911

M a y 6, 1911. C B IC K E T : A W EEK LY EECOED OF THE GAME. 1 2 1 p la y ed fo r th e O range F ree State. S inclair to o k thirteen w ick ets fo r 144, a n d th e Johannesburgers w o n b y 326 runs. T h e sam e system — it w as M urray B isset’s in v en tion— w as ag ain trie d in 1904-5. T w o new team s appeared, R h o d e sia a n d th e S ou th -W estern D istrict, th e latter w ith headquarters at M orsel B a y , an d b y n o m eans a stron g side. There w ere fo u r rou n ds this tim e. T ran svaal b e a t N atal b y an inn ings (S chw arz 76 an d eight w ick ets fo r 94), and W estern P ro v in ce th e S .W . D istrict, also in an innings (G eorge R o w e eleven w ick ets fo r 50, C. F o ck eig h t fo r 28, H . W . C arolin scorin g 72) in the first rou n d ; G riqualand W e st an d E astern P ro v in ce h a d byes, an d R h o d e sia w en t th rou g h ow in g t o O ran gia’s scratch in g. T h e B o rd e r did n o t com p e te . In th e se co n d rou n d W estern P ro v in ce bea t E astern P ro v in ce , K o tz e tak in g seven fo r 18 in on e innings, an d T ra n sv aa l b e a t G riqu alan d W est, L ou is T a n cre d scorin g 110. I n th e th ird ro u n d T ran svaal b e a t R h o d e sia in an innings, J . J . S latem scorin g 154, a n d R . N ord en tak in g tw elve w ick ets fo r 33. T hen , a t C ape T ow n , T ran svaal d efeated W e stern P ro v in ce b y 157 runs, S inclair h a v in g ten w ick ets fo r 1 0 1 . T h e to u rn e y la p sed in 1905-6, ow in g to th e v isit o f the first M .C .C . team , b u t th e eleven th con test, in 1906-7, w as on a b ig g e r scale th an ever b efore. W estern P rov in ce, E astern P ro v in ce , N atal, G riqu alan d W est, an d th e O range R iv e r C olon y , all sen t team s, an d th e h om e side (T ransvaal) p la y ed rig h t th rou g h , in stead o f stan d in g o u t till th e final. T here sh o u ld h a v e b e en fifteen m atch es ; b u t G riqualand W est, w h o cam e u p w ith a y o u n g an d v e r y w eak side, scratch ed th eir g am e w ith th e cu p h olders. T w o o f the gam es w ere p la y e d a t P retoria, th e rest o n either the W a n d erers’ or the P ira tes’ grou n d s a t Joh an n esbu rg. T he result o f the com p e titio n w as a w on d er o f sym m etry . T ra n svaa l cam e first, w in n in g all gam es p layed ; N atal secon d , losin g o n ly to T ra n svaa l ; W estern P ro v in ce third, losing t o th e tw o a b o v e th em ; E astern P ro v in ce fou rth , bea tin g th e tw o b e low th em ; O ran ge R iv e r C o lo n y fifth , b ea tin g G riqu a lan d W e s t ; an d G riqu alan d W e st last, w ith ou t a w in . A s m a n y as n in ety p layers a p p eared during the to u r n a m e n t; te n centuries w ere scored, th ree o f th em by A . D . N ou rse, a n d tw o b y S ib le y S n ook e ; a n d Y og le r— oh, Ic h a b o d !— fo r th e E astern P ro v in ce h a d th e sp len d id record o f fo r ty -o n e w ick ets fo r 401 runs a n d 320 runs w ith an a v erag e o f 40 p er innings. T h ere w as n o co n te st for th e Cup in 1907-8, an d in 1908-9 a t C ape T o w n o n ly fo u r team s com p e te d , N atal, G riqu a lan d W e st a n d th e O range R iv e r C olon y stan d in g a loof, w h ile th e B o rd er, u n represen ted tw o years earlier, reap peared , a n d m a d e q u ite a g o o d sh ow . V o g le r p la y e d for th e T ra n svaa l this tim e ; b u t th a t team la ck e d m ost o f its cra ck s. F au lkn er, S inclair a n d V o g ler w ere there, an d Z u lch a n d P egler, th en colts ; b u t M itchell, S chw arz, T an cred , Sherw ell, H a th orn , W h ite , an d Shalders w ere all absentees. T h e d ep leted team b e a t E astern P ro v in ce an d B o rd e r easily en ou gh , w h ile W estern P ro v in ce d efeated the B o rd e r a fter a rare tussle a n d crum p led u p E astern P rov in ce. Then , w h ile th e B o rd e r m e t an d d efeated E astern P rov in ce, th e h om e sid e a n d T ra n svaa l w ere lo ck e d in d e a d ly grip. In sp ite o f sp len d id all-rou n d p la y b y A u b re y F au lkn er (42 a n d 68 n o t ou t, a n d ten w ick ets fo r 166) W estern P ro v in ce w o n a th rillin g m a tch b y seven runs, an d so regain ed th e C up. ____________ Here are the results of the matches played by various sides in the thirteen tournaments, including that of this season — Side, and tournaments played in. Played. Won. Lost. Transvaal (in all thirteen) ... 37 ... 29 ... 8 Western Province (in eleven) ... 30 ... 21 ... 9 Natal (in eight)... ... ... 23 ... 15 ... 8 Border (in five)* ................ 17 ... 7 ... 10 Eastern Province (in eight) ... 23 ... 6 ... 17 Orange Free State (in three) ... 12 ... 3 ... 9 Griqualand West (in eleven)*... 26 ... 4 ... 22 Rhodesia and South Western District each played and lost one match. A total of 85 matches, Transvaal having played in no fewer than 37 of them. The sides which have beaten Transvaal are Western Province (four times), Natal (twice), the Border and Griqualand West (once each). Western Province has been beaten by Transvaal (six times), Natal (twice), and Eastern Province (once). * In this season’s competition a win on the first innings was recognised, and one of the Border’s victories was over Griqualand West in this manner. THE MARYLEBONE CRICKET CLUB. THE NO-BALL RULE UNALTERED. Lord Desborough the New President. The Annual General Meeting of the M.C.C. was held on Wednesday afternoon iu the Pavilion at Lord’s. Lord Londesborough, the retiring President, took the chair, and among those present were the Duke of Buccleuch, Lord Alverstone, Lord Desborough, Lord Harris, Sir Spencer Ponsonby-Fane, Mr. John Shuter, Mr. R. E. Foster, Mr. J. R. Mason, Mr. Gregor MacGregor, Mr. C. E. Green, Mr. W. E. Denison, Mr. Henry Perkins, Mr. Hesketh Prichard, and Mr. F. E. Lacey (secretary). The proceedings were very brief, the annual report being unanimously adopted. The meeting was after­ wards made special to consider the proposed alteration in the law as to no-balls. It was proposed that a no-ball should become dead immediately on being called, and that two runs should be added to the score under the heading “ No-balls.” Notice of an amendment by Mr. A. P. Lucas had been given, the purpose of which was to leave the rules as they stand, with the addition to Law 16 of the words : “ He shall not be given ‘ run-out ’ in any circumstances under which—had the ball not been a no-ball—he would have been given out stumped under Law 23.” In the course of a long speech, Lord Harris explained and defended the action of the M.C.C. Committee in bringing forward the proposed alteration after what occurred last season and the discussions that followed. In the end it was agreed to withdraw the motion on condition that the amendment was not moved. It was then decided that the M.C.C. should send out an instruction to the umpires pointing out that according to the tradition and practice of cricket a batsman cannot be stumped from a no-ball. Lord Desborough, as the new President of the M.C.C., the Right Hon. W. H. Long, M .P., Lord Hawke, Mr. H. E. Murray- Anderdon and Mr. C. Marriott retired by rotation from the Committee, their places being filled by the Earl of Londesborough, Viscount Brackley, Dr. Russell Bencraft and Mr. P. F. Warner. Mr. Henry Perkins succeeds Mr. W . B. Heberden, C.B., as one of the auditors. Mr. Heberden, after many years’ service, retired owing to ill-health. The vacancy on the Committee caused by the death of Earl Cawdor has been filled by the appointment of the Hon. F. S. Jackson. THE COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP. The M.C.C. Committee agreed on Wednesday to the new method of reckoning points in the County Championship, but they decided that they could not approve of the proposal of the Advisory Com­ mittee to have the wicket rolled night and morning, instead of only in the morning as at present, or of the proposal to let the choice of innings in return county matches be at the option of the sides that had lost the toss in the first matches. It was proposed to recom­ mend to the counties that as these two proposals involve infringe­ ments of the laws of cricket, any suggested changes should be brought forward in the ordinary way, with proper notice given at the annual meeting of the M.C.C. THE BOARD OF CONTROL. The resolutions carried by the Board of Control last week were confirmed on Wednesday by the M.C.C. Committee. Grounds have been suggested for the various Test matches in 1912, but nothing definite can yet be announced. The representatives of Australia and South Africa are to be consulted before dates and places are finally fixed. L ord D esborough , the new President of the M.C.C., has distinguished himself in many branches of sport. As W. H. Grenfell he played in the Harrow Eleven at Lord’s, represented Oxford in the boat-race and a three-mile race against Cambridge, gained distinction as a punter and fencer and twice swam across Niagara. TO SECRETAR IES OF CLUBS AND SCHOOLS. S core - sheets and O rder of G oing - in C ards . —A dozen of each will be sent on receipt of Twopence in stamps, to cover postage. Larger quantities at proportionate rates. Address: Manager, 168, Upper Thames Street, E .C . If you desire the scores of your matches to appear regularly in “ C ricket ,” will you kindly communicate with the Editor, 168, Upper Thames Street, E.C., for conditions under which this can be guaranteed ?