Cricket 1911

520 CRICKET: A WEEKLY EECOED OP THE GAME. J u l y 8,1911. really represent the county, as a whole, at all. Is it per­ missible to suggest that it would be a good thing for county cricket in Scotland if not only Forfarshire, but the other county teams, widened their area of selection, and made an effort to come into line with the county system as in vogue south of Tweed ? One gathers that some of them can only be county clubs by courtesy. They are rather the leading clubs in certain counties. W i l l i a m B e s t w i c k , the old Derbyshire bowler, has been engaged by the Neath O.C. T h e fact that Hitch has been tempted by a Lanca­ shire League club to accept an engagement for next season has, quite naturally, caused much indignation in Surrey cricket circles. Keenness is excellent so long as it does not run counter to sportmanship, but that it can degenerate into something of another quality altogether has been shown more than once during the last few seasons. No previous English season has produced more sudden and surprising changes of form than this one. One after another the sides in the running for championship honours have had their bad days. Kent will not easily forget the Tonbridge W eek ; and Notts, hitherto unbeaten in a played-out match, have gone down twice in the last five days of June. Lancashire and Surrey experienced their spells of misfortune earlier ; Middlesex and Yorkshire have not escaped unexpected reverses. With half the season over, the championship is still a very open matter ; and it is by no means impossible that any one of these six sides may secure it. And to all but the perfervid county enthusiast it will not really much matter which, so that the position of affairs continues to be as doubtful and as interesting right up to the end, as may well happen. Mr. P e l h a m W a r n e r , writing in the Westminster Gazette, says that the notion that Mr. Frank Foster could not go to Australia if asked is a mistake. Coming from one so well-informed as the Middlesex captain, this is tidings of joy. Mr. Foster ought to be among the first half-dozen picked, one fancies. But “ can go ” and “ will g o ” are not absolutely synonymous. A m o n g the “ too old at fo rty ” brigade Mr. Charles Fry certainly does not find a place. There is little, if any, falling off in his great scoring powers, and he retains most of his pace between wickets. The trial match at Lord’s showed how thoroughly fit he is. Unfortunately his onerous duties in connection with the training-ship Mercury may prevent him from being a starter for the Australian tour. F o o t b a l l claims may keep out of the team one or two men; who have a good chance of an invitation. Harold Hardinge and Harry Makepeace are among the outstanding batsmen of the year, and there is also Andrew Ducat, temporarily laid aside by injury to his knee. Among the men hardly at their best this season who may yet gain the consideration of the selectors are Hardstaff and Mr. W . B. Burns. The fair-haired Notts man did splendid work down under in 1907-8, and the Worcestershire amateur is an all-rounder who is now getting somewhat tardy recognition. A slashing and stylish batsman, a fine field, a more than useful fast bowler—we refuse to subscribe to the opinion of those who say ‘ ‘ thrower ” — Mr. Burns is good enough for any side. C o n g r a t u l a t i o n s are due to Major Robert Montagu Poore upon being gazetted a Lieutenant-Colonel. U n t i l the latter part of last week the highest individual score of the season was Mr. F. L. Fane’s 217 for Essex against Surrey at the Oval. This, however, has been sur­ passed, with a good deal to spare, by S. P. Kinneir, the Warwickshire left-hander, with 268 not out at the expense of Hampshire at Edgbaston. On the first day of the match —the Thursday—he made 231 and on the second took his total to the figure named, when the innings was declared closed with seven wickets down for 554. The following innings of two hundred or more have now been obtained for Warwickshire :— Score. Season. 268* Kinneir, v. Hampshire, at E dgbaston................. 1911 267 H. C. Maul, v. Staffordshire, at Edgbaston ... 1888 255* Quaife (W. G.), v. Surrey, at the O val................. 1905 246 Devey, v. Derbyshire, at Edgbaston .. ... 1900 228* Quaife (W. G.), v. Staffordshire, at Edgbaston 1896 223* Quaife (W. G.), v. Essex, at Leyton ... ... 1900 222 J. F. Byrne, v. Lancashire, at Edgbaston ... 1905 216 Charlesworth, v. Derbyshire, at Blackwell ... 1910 215* Kinneir, v. Lancashire, at E dgbaston................. 1901 207* Quaife (W. G.), v. Hampshire, at Edgbaston ... 1899 200* Quaife (W. G.), v. Essex, at Edgbaston ... 1904 * Signifies not out. Kinneir’s great innings thus ranks as the highest ever played for the county, and it may prove of interest to mention that the same batsman is credited with another record for Warwickshire, having carried his bat— for 70 and 6 9 —through both innings of the match with Leicester­ shire, on the Leicester ground, four years ago. ‘ ‘ D i c k ” B u r r o w s , most genial and popular of cricketers, established a record for first-class cricket during the progress of Worcestershire’s recent match with Lanca­ shire at Old Trafford. When he bowled Huddleston on the first day he sent the leg bail over the boundary, and it was hurled 67 yards 6 inches before being arrested in its flight by ironwork, which it hit hard. The three best perform­ ances of this nature in first-class cricket are now as under :— 67 yds. 6 in.—B y Burrows, for W orcestershire v. Lancs., at M anchester ... 1911 (W hen bow ling Huddleston.) 64 yds. 6 in.— B y Burrows, for W orcestershire v. Lancs., at M anchester ... 1901 (W hen bow ling A. C. M acLaren.) 63 yds. 6 in.—B y Mold, for Lancashire v. Surrey, at the Oval ..................... 1896 (When bow ling Lohm ann.) The record in a minor county-match is 70£ yards by A. F. Morcom, for Bedfordshire v. Suffolk, at Luton, in 1908. L eic estersh ire has lately been trying new men, for gaps have been left in the team by the departure of Mr. V. F. S. Crawford for Ceylon, the illness of Jayes, and the falling off in Astill’s form. Then Coe has been laid up for a match or two, and Mr. A. T. Sharp has not been seen in the team lately. Lord may be said to have established himself as a member of the side and Brown has played in most matches. But perhaps it is A. Mounteney, the Preston North End footballer, who gives most promise for the future. Naturally a forcing bat, he goes at the bowling with great determination; and if, as seems not unlikely, he develops the habit of making big scores, he will greatly increase the attractivenes of the side from a spectacular point of view. He has been two seasons on the ground-staff at Leicester. N ext to him, Mr. F. M. Joyce seems to promise most. This tall, finely-built young amateur might well have been tried before, one fancies; but of course it is possible that he has not had leisure for county cricket till now. He was in the Bedford Grammar School eleven in 1902 (when he headed the bowling averages, with 16 wickets at 16 runs each), 1903 (when he averaged just under 16 per innings and took 24 wickets at under 23 each) and 1904 (when his batting average was 29’61 and he scored the only century made for the team, besides taking as many as 52 wickets at 19-55). He bowls fast-medium, with a capital action, and at Hove on Monday he beat Killick com­ pletely when the little veteran was nicely set and going strong, but soon after had to retire owing to a damaged leg. Mr. W. F. C u r tis , who played against Sussex at Leicester, is a prominent member of the Leicester Ivanhoe C .C . Mr. W. N• Biley, who made his first appearance against Derbyshire, is still a schoolboy, and has done big things for the Worcester Boyal Grammar School. He goes up to Cambridge next term. Like most Leicestershire players, he is a native of the county. J. S. Curtis, who bowled well against Hants., was formerly on the ground-staff at Leicester, but is now with the Sefton Park Club, Birkenhead. F. Osborn, who got his first chance v. Derby­ shire, joined the ground-staff last year; he can bat, bowl and keep wicket, and he plays football for Leicester Fosse.