Cricket 1911

316 CEICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. J uly 8 ,1 9 1 1 . Th^ S e c o n d T e s t Trial. A n Interesting and Instructive Game. B y HAMISH STUART. i, j-egj i! jrjaj matches cannot be described as directly or convincingly informative as to the ability of players for test purposes, they are indirectly instructive for special reasons. One is entitled to presume that if a batsman makes runs, especially if he makes them well, against the Rest or against England, his performance is better than a similar score in county cricket because the bowling is presumably superior in quality and of greater variety than the bowling of any county. By parity of reasoning, if a bowler meets with striking success, his performance is better than a similar per­ formance against any county because accomplished against a stronger batting side than any county. In a special sense, there- Photo by] [Hawkins & Co., Brighton, H. T. W . HARDINGE. fore, the trials are not any higher tests than county matches, but furnish a most convincing proof of ability in the case of those players whose general form in county and other first-class cricket is confirmed by their performances in the trials. A particular per­ formance proves nothing, but a particular performance in one of the trials proves much, because the performer would not be on either side unless his general form warranted his selection as a prospective or possible England or representative player. This aspect of the trials appears to have been overlooked by most writers on the subject, but, in my view, if it does not actually justify the trials, it certainly furnishes a very good reason for accepting trial form as a fairly safe guide to the probable “ test ” form of any player who proves a success. The question of “ test ” temperament remains, but it is too wide to be discussed, especially as test temperament may not be constant, but may well be a matter of individual mood on a particular day as well as of circumstances, which never can be fore­ seen, in general. From the point of view indicated, last week’s trial was informa­ tive in so far as it demonstrated that C. B. Fry is as great a batsman as ever and in point of masterful assertion of superiority over the bowling is second to none. He may not be, and on this occasion he certainly was not, quite so wonderfully accurate in his timing to leg as of old, but his driving had all the old resolute accuracy and power, while his defence could scarcely have been sounder. Then the match also showed what a really great captain Fry is ; he has the inspiration which counts in leadership and is thinking and watching all the time. Though never, perhaps, a great field, he remains extremely active in the field and has the old Saxon faculty — if the views of Tacitus as to our ancestors can be accepted—of leading rather by example than by precept so far as work in the field is concerned. For the rest, Fry knows how to cramp a batsman's game by placing his field, while there are few better managers of bowling. He should be one of the best captains England ever had, for it is to be hoped that he will go to Australia and will lead England to pride of place there as well as in the series of tests next season. Another lesson of the match was the confirmation which it afforded of the class of Foster as a bowler and of Hardinge as a batsman, while it also showed what a fine all-round player Iremonger is. Foster is certainly the best bowler of his type now playing, while he makes so many runs in bounty cricket that he is bound to do the same in test matches sooner or later. Hardinge can p'.ay two games equally well and is certainly the soundest of the younger Kent batsmen. He seems to have the big game temperament and is very quick on the field like all football men. Iremonger is one of the most accurate bowlers of the day, and in this respect is a true product of the Notts school. His batting is as sound as ever and he has plenty of grit and restraint. No English team on present form would be representative without P. F. Warner, who conveys almost as great a sense of security when at the wickets as Hayward. Rhodes is clearly still a representative player and will probably remain so until he is some years older, for he is one of the few whom time touches with a kindly hand. There were so-called “ failures” in the match, but these were of no moment. “ Homer nods,” and the best of our cricketers, like the archer god, cannot always bend the bow. Spooner did little as a batsman at Lord’s, but he is still the only Spooner. It was an interesting match, and in the respects indicated it was also instructive. LONDON SCOTTISH v. TEDDINGTON. S core:— L ondon S cottish . C. Pow ell, c Lattam er, b West- m acott .................... ..................... 7 B. A. Bennett, c Mead, b Westma- cott ....................................................... 88 S. Lienard, c K . D ixon, b West- m acott .............................................. 13 S. M. M onk, b Lattam cr ........... It) L. Lienard, st K. D ixon, b Lattamer ] 5 E. H ogg, c J D ixon, b Lattam er... 20 C .T ollitt, c K. D ixon, b W estm acott 8 H . G. V. Hom er, b W estm acott ... 4 W. G. Honderson, b J. D ixon ... 13 A .H .R ead,cW e 8 tm acott,bJ.D ixon 4 A. Angus Thomas, not out ........... 0 Byes, &c.................................... 0 Total 181 —Played at Teddington on July 1.— T eddington . J. T. D ixon, b S. Lienard ............ 4 N. Jacks, c H om er, b S. Lienard 08 K. D ixon, e Powell, b S. Lienard 2 C. Mead, c Powell, b S. Lienard... 11 F. Johnson, c Powell, b Hogg ... 30 R. Lattam er, b Angus Thom as ... 9 G. Crowder, not out .................... 14 R. E. W estm acott, c T ollit, b L. Lienard ...................................... 10 J. D ixon, n ot out ............................. 2 B 3, lb 2 .............................. 6 Total (7 wkts) ............155 A. Q uiney and G. Kinross did not bat. SUSSEX M ARTLETS v. SIR JEREM IA H CO LM AN ’S X L —Played at Gatton Park, Redhill, on July 1. Score:— S ussex M artlets . F. E. Row e, c Gunner, b Pigg ... 124 E. L. Turner, b Colm an.................... 24 R. E. Norris, b C o lm a n .................... 0 C. J. B. Webb, b C arrie.................... 38 Capt. Alexander, b Corrie ............ 0 D. Sundius Sm ith, not out ............ 35 K. T. Cox, not out ............................. 20 B 17, lb 2, w 2 ............ 21 Total (5 w k ts )..........202 R. K. Simms, O. P. Collis, H. A. Thomas and F. S. W elch did not bat. S ir J eremiaii C olman ’ s X I. J. Colman, b W ebb............................. 7 J. K. Guy, c Row e, b W eb b ............ 20 B. W. Pigg, b Webb ..................... 8 E. H. W alker, b W e b b .................... 41 W. R. Gunner, c and b W elch ... 8 H . C. C. Tufnell, st Norris, b Sundius Sm ith ............................. 22 P. Collins, e Row e, b W eb b............ 0 W. F. Noakes, c W ebb, b W elch ... 0 T. Bercsford, not out ..................... 0 D. W. Corrie, c Rowe, b Webb ... 0 O. H. Keeling, b Turner ............ 4 B 11, lb 3, nb 1 ..................... 15 T otal................... ..................143 C. Haywood took all ten wickets for 26 runs for Stoics v. Pallingswick at Acton on June 27. G EO RG E L E W I N « (Established 1869.) Club Colour Specialists SiAthletic ClothingManufacturers OUTFITTERS BY APPOINTMENT To the M.C.C. W est Indian X I., 1911 ; M.C.C. South African X I., 1909-10; the Australians, 1896, 1899 and 1902; Mr. Stoddart’s X I., 1894-1895, 1897-1898; Mr. MacLaren’s X I., 1901-1902; W est Indian X I., 1900 and 1906 ; South African X I., 1901 and 1907 ; and M .C.C., Lancashire, Kent, Surrey and Sussex Counties, Wanderers, Stoics, Brom ley, Sutton, and all Public Schools’ Old Boys’ Clubs, and Q ueen’s Club.— W rite for E stim ates F r e e . WORKS CAMBERWELL- Telephone: P.O. City 607. 8, CROOKED LANE, MONUMENT, LONDON BRIDGE, E.C.