Cricket 1911

288 C E IC K E T : A W EEK LY EECOED OF THE GAME. J u l y 1 ,1 9 1 1 . A g a in s t Gloucestershire at Northampton a few weeks ago Thompson and Haywood, coming together with six wickets down for 69, added 222 runs for the seventh. Against Yorkshire at Dewsbury on Coronation Day the same two players, after four wickets had fallen for 81, added 236 in partnership. O n e of the questions of the hour is—or will shortly be— “ Ought Tarrant to play for England? ” He is willing to, it is said ; and for that one does not blame him, since the Australians are not likely to requisition his aid. But a good deal of the gilt will be taken off the ginger­ bread if we win the triangular tests by the aid of a man who played for Victoria before he ever saw the white cliffs of Dover. The Middlesex crack has developed a great deal in this country, no doub t; but he did not come here so Photo by] [Hawkins & Co ., Brighton. M r. F. T . MANN (Cam bridge). M k . F ran cis T homas M ann .— B orn M arch 3, 188S, in L ondon . M a lvern . with an average of over 36, batting 8 hrs. 10 min. for 180 v. Notts, at Bristol, without a chance till just before he was out, scoring 176 v. Somerset at Bristol and 127 at Taunton, and making 100 v. Essex at Clifton. Against Notts, he and Mr. Charles Townsend put on 225 for the fourth wicket, and against Somerset at Bristol the same pair added 236 for the second. At Taunton W. G. and Troup sent up 169 before a wicket fell, the Doctor’s share being 109. The century v. Essex was a remarkable innings, for the next highest score in the match was only 37. N ot until six years later was Mr. Troup seen again in county cricket. Meanwhile he had kept up the game in India, where he had been serving in the Police depart­ ment. He played in four matches for Gloucestershire in 1894, his highest innings being 46. Home again in 1898, he had a great season, playing regularly, aggregating 989 I t is with no wish to sneer at a side which has had to weather some very rough times lately that one suggests this. Gloucestershire, like Leicestershire, is a far better team than its record makes it out to be. It needs another bowler or two, but is not alone in that respect. Mr. Jessop himself is sure to bring off a win or two before the season ends ; young Dipple is redeeming his promise ; Huggins and Dennett have worked like Trojans in the attack; Board, the veteran of the team, still makes runs, and Langdon’s form hints of better things to come. But Mills and Parker have fallen away, and the amateurs tried have for the most part proved rather diasppointing. What a pity it is Messrs. W. S. A. Brown and W. M. Brownlee cannot play regularly ! W h e n W. G. migrated to Sydenham in 1899, Mr. Troup took over the county captaincy. It was thought that the responsibility affected his play, but he aggregated over a thousand runs, averaged 29, and made centuries v. Essex and Warwickshire, so there was not so very much amiss. Back in England on leave in 1902, he totalled over 800, with average 24'51, and made a century v. Worcestershire. He had not played for the county since then, until the other day. Mr. Troup is over 41, and has a son at one of the great West-country schools ; he has spent many years in India, a country which is apt to make a man feel older than his age ; and it cannot be said that he was ever an attractive bat. But one fancies that he would be a very valuable asset to the unlucky Gloucestershire side just now. Perhaps, with him in the team, some of the men who are naturally free players, but have lately been too depressed by misfortune to let themselves go, would feel relieved of the worry as to keeping up an end, and begin to think about making runs. Photo by] [Hatckins & Co ., Brighton. Mr R, O. LAGDEN (Oxford). M r . R onald O w en L agden .— B orn N ovem ber 21, 1889, in S outh A fr ic a . M arlborou gh . raw a cricketer as some people assume. Even against Tasmania and New Zealand the Victorian authorities do not play men who have all their cricket to learn. A n o t h e r , and more important question—Is it true that Mr. Jessop thinks of settling down in Australia ? If