Cricket 1911

J u n e 1 7 , 1 9 1 1 . CRICKET : A W EEK LY RECORD OF THE GAME. 243 T h i s is a p h o t o g r a p h i c r e p r o d u c t i o n w i t h o u t a n y f a k i n g w h a t e v e r . T h e g r o w t h o f t h i s t i m b e r is b e l i e v e d t o b e u n i q u e . I f a n y C r i c k e t e r p o s s e s s e s a b l a d e s h o w i n g s u c h a w i d t h b e t w e e n t h e li n e s o f a n n u a l g r o w t h , w ill h e k i n d l y c o m m u n i c a t e w i t h — W. E. B U S S E Y , 36, QUEEN VICTORIA STREET, L O N D O N . Cricket Notches. B y th e R e v . R . S. H o lm e s . |OT for several years has Whit-week yielded so much delightful cricket. The weather was perfect, the wickets as hard as nails ; and yet out of the fourteen Cham­ pionship matches only one was unfinished. Practically every match ran well into the third day, and con­ sequently the gates were large. One regrets that the benefits to be given to Fielder, Rhodes and Strudwick later on in the season could not have been arranged at the same time as that set aside for Rawlin. We used to hear a great deal of complaining about the poor gates at Trent Bridge, but for the Surrey match more than 19,000 sixpences were taken, or £300 in excess of the amount derived from the same match in the previous year. Evidently, then, public support of the game is not declining ; so the croakers are silenced for the time being. When, contrary to expectation, matches are played to a conclusion there will be no lack of public support. At every match I watch the spectators as well as the players, and I can testify with absolute confidence that I have seldom witnessed keener interest and enthusiasm on the field of play or in the ring, although in some matches there was certainly room for improvement in the fielding. The honours of the week were well distributed, the veterans and colts sharing them in fairly equal proportions. One was getting tired of being told that at thirty a cricketer was past his best, and that at thirty-five he should be compelled to make way for younger men. Yet only last week the following batsmen notched a century, and all of them have passed the thirty-fifth milestone :—Hayward (40), Hirst (39), Fry (39), Fane (36), Vine (36), Gillingham (35). .Jessop (37) would have joined this select band had not Gloucestershire beaten Somerset when his score was 81 not out. A supporter of Notts told me that, watching Hayward, his wonder was that he was ever dismissed. * I was almost tempted to pass a similar compliment after seeing Fry last week-end. Only, as we all know, accidents do befall the greatest cricketers. One can sincerely condole with Tyldesley in his enforced retire­ ment, for on these perfect wickets he would have been certain to trouble the scorers. But the men of twenty-five years or under had also a great week ; Har- dinge, to wit, with his double century against Hampshire ; Remnant, Hamp­ shire’s heaviest scorer in two innings ; Foster, the Warwickshire captain, with a double first—an innings of 105 and nine Yorkshire wickets in one innings— such as only Hirst himself could rival ; Hendren, the Middlesex colt, with his first County century which redeemed the batting failures of such giants as Warner and Tarrant ; and Drake, the Yorkshire lad, who twice during the week lent a hand to Hirst in partnerships of 193 and 153. Drake earlier on with the help of Denton added 193 to Yorkshire’s score against Derbyshire ; no other cricketer this season has played a part in three such stands. And when Hirst’s damaged hand prevented him from bowling in the second Lancashire innings, Drake ably^filled^his place and had the capital analysis of six wickets for 57 runs. Now why do I mention these facts ? For one or two reasons. We shall be having another trial'match before long. Let it be Over Thirty v. Under Thirty. The sides would be evenly matched, and such a contest would evoke tremendous public support ; everybody would make an effort to be present. I have just mentioned only such cricketers as were conspicuous last week, not in the least urging that all of them shall be chosen either in a trial or a representative match. Other names need not here be given ; they will at once occur to all followers of the game. Brearley I ought to have included among the old brigade, for last week he captured twenty wickets, and should have had many more if several lives had not been given at his expense. And here I wish to emphasize a remark from Tyldesley in the course of a recent interview ; in his judgment the next test matches will be won by the smartest fielding side and the side with most stamina. Then, if a man is slow in the field or a butter-fingers, pass him by, no matter though he can make runs. It’s loose fielding that loses matches. Reward a brilliant piece of fielding as generously as you recognise fine batting. I never enjoyed myself much more than at the Oval last Thursday. The attraction of Hampshire to me was not the presence of Fry, but the reputation of this county for fielding. It was as nearly perfect as it could be. Brown, Bowell and Remnant excelled themselves. I mention these three simply because they had so many balls come their way. The pick-up and return of the ball by which Hayward was run out for what would have been a safe run nineteen times out of twenty was worth going miles to see : I would not have missed it on any account. Let us hope it was adequately rewarded. If Hampshire could only unearth a couple of class bowlers, Kent would have to look to their laurels. Mead and Bowell are splendid batsmen ; the former has not Fry’s superb style, but he has a crisp cut the latter has not, in the absence of which I am disposed to