Cricket 1911

M ay 13, 19 Ll. CR ICKET : A W EEK LY RECORD OE THE GAME. 135 KM Cricket Notches. T h is is a ph oto graphic reproduction of the C ric k e t B a t from which it is taken w ith o u t a n y faking w h a te ver. H ave you seen a blade show ing such a m arvello u s ra p id ity o f grow th ? C ric k e te rs should read “ Th e Evo lu ­ tion o f a C ric k e t B a t," ob tainab le free upon ap p licatio n to C R IC K E T D E A L E R S or GEO. G. BUSSEY & Co., Ltd., 36 S 38, QUEEN VICTORIA STREET, L O N D O N . B y t h e R e v . R . S . H o l m e s . OTTS and Yorkshire have, as in many past years, put in an early appearance at Lord’s, and it was delightful to take part in the enthusiastic welcome they received. Fome of my happiest cricketing memories cluster round the series of contests between these famous counties and the still more famous M.C.C. It is the season of 1869, VV.G.’s first season as a member of the Marylebone Club ; and in acknowledgment of the compliment he notched a century at Oxford in the first match in which he wore the red-and-gold cap he loved so much that he never laid it aside for any other colours for the rest of his long career. I expect he still wears it although he is no longer seen in first- class cricket. Notts at Lord’s in 1869! And in each team there was one outstanding batsman, W .G. and Eichard Daft, whose successors one looked for in vain in the teams that faced each other last week. Here I would like to mention a confession Daft made to me when I was a guest in his pleasant home in Ratcliffe-on-Trent in 1894. He told me that he was always very keen to pass W .G .’s scores whenever he played against him, and his failure to get only a single in the first innings of this 1869 match was a bitter disappointment, especially as his rival immediately after ran up nearly half a century. “ Never mind,” said Daft to himself, “ your turn may come in the second innings; so pluck up courage. I scored 103 not out that time, and so was supremely happy. But W.G. had to go in again, and he might fail against one of Jimmy Shaw’s left­ handers. But it was not to be ; his second innings was nearly 20 more than my own, although we did manage to get him out. So I had the higher average after all. Next year in the same match we went in first again, and once more I succeeded in making a century— 117 this time. Surely W .G. can’t beat that. Well, as luck would have it, he carried his bat through the innings for exactly the same total as my own, much to my chagrin. But my second innings realised 53, and then Shaw in his first over clean bowled the Champion for a duck, and that was about the proudest moment in my entire career on the cricket field; I could have hugged Shaw on the spot, but contented myself by slipping half-a-sovereign into his bowling hand.” Suffice here to mention that in these two old-time matches at which I was present W.G. scored ‘286 runs, Daft 274, and each of them had three completed innings. So after all my dear old friend was justified in his harmless ambition. No ! W .G ., the monarch of all batsmen, was not eclipsed by Daft, but he will endorse my judgment that Daft was the most perfect stylist that ever handled a bat. For some reason or other Notts were not matched against the M.C.C. for several seasons after 1870 : 1 cannot recall that Daft ever again took part in this match. But I must drop reminiscences, for my next-door neighbour at the Oval last week, a chatty stranger, happened to say that he would wager a good round sum that very few persons then present had auy knowledge of such a Surrey cricketer as Walter Bead. Perhaps he was righ t: the sporting public has an uncommonly short memory. “ Out of sight out of m ind.” Our concern is with present- day cricketers. And so I beg go offer my heartiest congratulations to A. 0. Jones and his trusty followers on their splendid victory over a fairly strong all-round M.C.C. eleven. And here’s my old county, Yorkshire, knocking at the door, and right glad was I to see them again, although I cannot just yet reconcile myself to the non-appearance of their famous old captain. How seldom have Yorkshire batsmen done themselves justice in this m atch; there has only been one century scorer in the long series, and he, Moorhouse, was certainly not a batsman of the front rank. Oa the other hand, when the M.C.C. have met Yorkshire in the Scarborough Carnival at the close of a season, no less than six Yorkshiremen have notched a century, Rhodes claiming three centuries, and Denton two — a double century in 1908; whilst F. S. Jackson, poor Jack Brown, H. Wilkinson and George Ulyett have each run into three figures. It can scarcely be urged that Lord’s in May is always a bowler’s ground, seeing that W. G., William Gunn, Barnes, Herbert Carpenter, Storer and P. F. Warner have all notched a century at the expense of the Yorkshire bowlers. But some batsmen take longer than others to get into their stride. I like to be present at these earlier matches, if only because all the players look so fresh and seem to be thoroughly enjoying the game; it is a pastime to them, not a laborious business. At the fall of a wicket the fielders practise throwing and catching, and this is ever a delight to watch. How seldom to-day do you see them troup off to the refreshment bar even after a long stand. In the long ago, the Surrey Secretary would come on to the field of play bearing a couple of massive loving-cups ; are these still on evidence or have they found their way into the melting pot ? Hirst, spite of his (all-but) forty years, half of which has been most strenuous, came bounding out of the dressing-room as a school-boy would, and all the other professionals were equally buoyant and quite ui^distinguishable as to dress from the best groomed amateur. I can’t call it the “ good ” old time when I think of the average professional cricketer of my earlier days: you could spot him at a glance by his dirty flannels and a collar-less dark check shirt; whatever his cricketing ability he certainly lacked pride in his personal appearance. And here is Rhodes too, and he at present time the most conspicuous Yorkshireman : at least I hope so, for this is his benefit season and we all wish him the best of good fortune. What a find he was for Yorkshire, aye, and for England. When Peel dropped out of County cricket at the close of 1897, there was a feeling of