Cricket 1911

J u n e 3, 1911. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 2 0 3 class cricket that one is apt to think of him as senior to them. He was two years in the Harrow eleven, and in the first played a fine second innings of 79, after a shaky start, against Eton at Lord’s. Going up to Cambridge, he made a capital 86 in the Freshmen’s match of 1908, and stepped almost at once into the eleven. His form against Sussex at Cambridge for 44 and 60 was good enough to make his blue practically a certainty ; but he was only awarded it on the Friday before the University match, and on the Saturday he won the game v M.C.C. for his side by a magnificent innings of 122. He was second to Mr. R. A. Young in the Cambridge averages that season. In 1909 Messrs. H. E. W. Prest and K. G. MacLeod were ahead of him ; but in 12 innings he aggregated 386 runs, including a good, if rather lucky, 130 v. Sussex at Hove, and a praise­ worthy 46 v. the Australians. He was less successful in 1909, totalling 343 in 15 innings, with 96 v. the Gentlemen of England, at Eastbourne, and 63 v. Yorkshire, at Cam­ bridge, as his best scores. This year he has shown great form, scoring two centuries, one for the ’Varsity, and one for M.C.C., within the last fortnight. But Mr. Falcon’s Norfolk career began before he went up to Cambridge, and perhaps one should have dealt with it first. He only played in one match in 1906 ; but in 1907 he did great things, making as many as 458 runs in seven innings, one not out, and averaging 76'33. His total included scores of 112 v. Cambs. at Cambridge, 110 v. Beds, at Nor­ wich, and 71 and 102 not out v. Harrow Wanderers. In 1909 he did not once appear for the County ; but last season he figured in as many as nine matches, and, though he made no very long score, played innings of over 50 v. Notts second, Durham and M.C.C., and came out with an average of 24, only Raikes, Stevens and Birkbeck heading him. But his usefulness was not limited to his batting. He put in a lot of hard work at the bowling crease, and his fast deliveries accounted for 39 wickets at under 18 runs each. He was undoubtedly a far better bowler than he had ever been before, really fast, though sending down a slow at times, with a pronounced swerve, and with great vim and keenness. If, when he comes down from Cambridge for good, Mr. Falcon will only play regularly for Norfolk, it will be a very big thing for the side. These are not a ll; but over the rest one must not linger long. There are those two excellent hard-working pro­ fessionals, Thomas Allsopp and Edwin Gibson, the former a Leicestershire man by birth, the latter Lancashire, both left-handed bowlers, Allsopp the faster of the two, both useful and plucky batsmen, not bothering much about runs when they are not wanted, but there or thereabouts in the hour of crisis. Norfolk has never gone in very greatly for pro­ fessional aid, but she has had some good paid players since the days of the Pilches—among them Hansell, a batsman who often made big scores, Rudd, Rye, Shore and Morley, all bowlers of more than average merit. Albert Relf (only for a brief space), and, in recent years, Smith and the two left-handers now in the team. Allsopp, by the way, went to Norwich as a footballer, a mere bird of passage, but has now made his home in the city. As he is only 28, he should be a good man for years to come. He showed considerable promise for Leicestershire in 1903 and 1904 ; but his bowling proved rather expensive, and he was not persevered with. He first appeared in the Norfolk team in 1907 ; Gibson has been playing since 1904, and in seven seasons has taken for the county over 280 wickets at about seventeen-and-a-half runs each. Among the amateurs—leaving out of account those who may be regarded as on the retired list, like Mr. B. K. Wilson, the old captain, Mr. Legh-Barratt, and others— may be mentioned Mr. C. E. Dunning, who did little last year, but was one of the best batsmen in the side from 1905 to 1908 ; Messrs. N. W. and G. S. Stevens, brothers of G. A. ; Mr. R. A. A. Beresford, of Oundle, Cambridge University, and Northants., who has a school at Hunstanton, and has played a few matches for Norfolk ; and Mr. R. G. Pilch, a useful all-round man a few years ago, who scored well for the Club and Ground in 1910, and will no doubt do good service for the county again when needed. J . N . P e n t e l o w . P. Campbell scored 12 8 in 45 m inutes for Stoics v. Forest School at Snaresbrook on M ay 23rd. The ^Maharaja of Patiala. IS Highness M aharaja Bhupindar Singh, Chief Patiala, was born on the 12th October, 18 9 1, at Sim la, and succeeded to the G aai of his illustrious ancestors in November, 1900, on the death of his lamented father, H is H ighness the M aharaja Sir Rajinder Singh, G .C .S .I. H is H ighness was formally installed on the G aU in October, 19 0 1, by Sir Macworth Young, Lieut.-Governor of the Punjab, and was educated at the Aitchison Chief’s College, Lahore, where, during the last year of his residence, he was Captain of the cricket eleven. He has had the benefit of being coached by the famous Australian and Middlesex cricketer, F . A. Tarrant, for the last three seasons, and this has helped him a lot in perfecting his defence and in improving his natural qualities of powerful hitting and fast scoriug. H is H ighness has inherited the sporting instinct of his father, who was so widely known as one of the best all-round sportsmen. Like his father, H is Highness also takes a keen interest in cricket Photo by ] Bourne & Shepherd. H.H. THE MAHARAJA OF PATIALA, Captain of the All-Indian Team. and polo. Since December, 1907, when he commenced to take part in fir|t-class Indian cricket, he has played 55 innings, was twice not out, and made a total of 1,2 8 1 runs, which gives him an average of a trifle over 24. Once he m issed his century by 2 runs only, and on another occasion by 8 . H is highest score so far is 122 against a European Team from Amballa Garrison. He has played nine innings of over fifty and many times has missed that number by a very small m argin. In the last match of the season played at Patiala, on 3rd March last, he made 92 runs in a phenom inally short time, hitting the ball seven times clean out of the ground. During his short career he has established his reputation as a sound cricketer. When he attained the age of eighteen, in 1909, the Government of India abolished the Council of Regency which was carrying on the work of adm inistration during H is H ighness’s m inority, and since then the adm inistration has been in his own hands. Since then, too, the adm inistration has been marked by liberal grants of scholarships for foreign education, four such having been granted for education in England in the last year alone. H is Highness has given liberal grants to charitable works such as the Punjab King Edward the V II. Memorial Fund 200,000 rupees, a grant of eighty-