Cricket 1911

J un e 3 , 19 LI. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 209 D i f f i c u l t i e s in the way? No doubt. Let us deal with them seriatim. The chief would seem to be : (a) no room in the Championship tor them ; (b) the doubt whether they are strong enough to hold their own ; (c) the fact that they are not counties. Now as to (a). Room was found in 1899 for Worcestershire, and in 1905 for Northants. Boom will probably have to be found sooner or later for O n e admits that this is all very much in the air, but nevertheless one would like to learn what Scottish and Welsh cricketers think of it as a suggestion, wholly unauthorised, of course. Six counties take part in the Scottish Counties Cham­ pionship—Aberdeen, Clackmannan, Fife, Forfar, Perth and Stirling. Owing to trouble last year, there seemed at one time little likelihood of Perth v. Forfar— the most popular match of the lot—being played this season. But conciliatory measures have been successful, and date ares now fixed up for home and home encounters—July 6 and August 10, the question of venue for each match not having been settled for certain as far as we have yet heard. The championship has been played for nine times, Forfar gaining it in five seasons, Perth and Aberdeen in two each. B y the way, talking of Clackmannan, what about the little bits of that county which are dotted distractingly half over the map of Scotland ? They were so in our schooldays, anyway. Perhaps they have since been in­ corporated in the surrounding counties, though, or again, there may be no cricketers of any pretensions in them- T h e election of Mr. Andrew M. Grieve as President of the Scottish Cricket TJnion in succession to Mr. Hugh Tennent has afforded much satisfaction to cricketers on the other side of the Border. In his younger days he was the best all-round cricketer of the Galashiels C.C., frequently heading the batting averages in addition to obtaining many wickets, first with fast deliveries and afterwards with lobs. For almost thirty seasons he was a regular playing member of the side, his best year being perhaps 1883, when his batting figures were 12—4—447—55"87—121. His highest scores that season were 121 v. Merchiston and 105 not out v. Langholm. Reproduced by kind permission of Messrs. Laicrence and Jellicoe, Ltd. THE CRICKETER’S N IGHTMARE.-“ How’s T h at?” T h e new Worcestershire captain, though he does not quite emulate the rapidity of Mr. Jessop or Alletson, is other counties. And, while the system of unequal fixture lists continues, it is difficult to see why the number of counties should not as well be twenty-six as sixteen. A r e they strong enough ? Wales would include Mon­ mouthshire, of course, as in Rugby football. It would have the pick of two pretty successful minor counties— Glamorgan and Monmouth—and could draw upon Carmar­ then and the counties of North Wales for other useful men. Scotland would hardly be able to play the same team at all regularly, and would suffer from that cause. But Scotland has many more than the minimum of eighteen or twenty first-class players needed. Such men as Messrs. M. R. Dickson, Joe Anderson, R. G. Tait, A. Lindsay, J. A. I\yd, the Thorburns of Peebles County, A. M. P. Lyle (one cannot mention all, of course), backed up by some of the sterling pro’s engaged in North Britain (most of them Englishmen, one is aware), would form the nucleus of a very useful side, which, with a little experience, would give several of our first-class counties all they knew to beat it. S c o t l a n d and Wales are not counties. Admitted. But the cricket counties of Surrey, Middlesex, Kent, Essex, Sussex, Yorkshire, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, Hants and Northants are not counties in the strict and full legal sense, since the passing of the Local Government Act of 1888. It is true that under Clause 93 of that Act there is sufficient justification for the decision arrived at to make no change for cricket purposes ; but actually Yorkshire and Lincolnshire are each divided into three counties, Suffolk and Sussex into two, the county of London includes the most populous portions of the four home counties, the Isle of Wight is distinct from Hampshire, the Isle of Ely from Cambs., and the Soke of Peterborough from Northamptonshire. County boroughs further com­ plicate the matter. It was wise of the cricket powers that he or that were to leave matters as they stood ; but as that could be done Scotland and Wales could be let into the circle without any great difficulty. Reproduced by kind permission 0 / Messrs. Lawnnce and Jellicoe , Ltd. THE CRICKETER’S NIGHTMARE.—“ The Wicket-Keeper.” a batsman of the determined, quick-scoring type, who never wastes time. Perhaps because he generally goes in late for his county, Mr. Simpson-Hayward has never had full credit done to his ability as a batsman. He possesses the characteristic Malvern facility in scoring on the off-side, and is as likely to make runs against good bowling as anyone in the team, although he does not usually run up long