Cricket 1911

534 CRICKET: A WEEKLY EECOED OF THE GAME. S ept . 23,1911. A Chat about Suffolk Cricket and Cricketers. (i Concluded from page 515.) B e v . F red e rick N a sh B ir d has p la y e d fo r on e ore co u n ty th a n M r. W a ts o n , G lou cester- lire, N o rth a n ts., B u ck s. a n d S u ffo lk all w in g h a d his assistance. B u t he is S u ffo lk i r b irth , h a v in g b een b o r n a t F ram lin gh am 1876. H e w as e d u ca ted a t S alisb u ry S ch ool an d T rin ity C ollege, D u b lin . H e a p p ea red fo r B u ck s. in 1896 (p erh ap s also in 1895, b u t b o th “ W is d e n ” a n d “ L illyw h ite ” g iv e “ S. B ird ” th a t y ea r), 1897 a n d 1898 (w h en h e p la y e d a n inn ings o f 73 n o t o u t fo r the c o u n ty ), fo r G lou cestersh ire in 1899 a n d 1900, fo r N o r th ­ an ts. in 1908 (w h en h e sco red 61 n o t o u t v . L eicestershire a t L eicester) a n d 1909, a n d fo r th e c o u n ty o f his birth in 1910. H is to ta l fo r S u ffo lk th e n w as 221, th e h ig h est ag g rega te fo r th e co u n ty , w ith an average o f 23 '4 0 , a n d a b est o f 91 v . N o rfo lk at Ip sw ich . H e has n o t on ce tu rn ed o u t th is season, b u t it is h o p e d th a t h e w ill p la y n ex t. H e scores ch ie fly b y th e la te cu t, a sh o t p a st e x tra co v e r an d o n -sid e p la cin g , a n d field s th ird m a n a n d in th e d eep. H e has ta k en to b ow lin g— rig h t m ed iu m — q u ite la tely . F o rm e rly a t W e llin g b o ro u g h G ram m ar S ch o o l, h e is n ow a h ou se-m aster a t C ranleigh. B o r n in M au ritiu s 23 years a g o , M r. J o h n F red erick Irela n d , th e C am bridge ca p ta in o f 1911 a n d an o ld M arl- bu rian , has d on e g rea t th in gs in his com p a ra tiv e ly few m a tch es fo r S u ffolk . A s m a n y as 530 run s cam e from h is b a t in 9 inn ings in 1908 ; in 1909 h e m a d e 169 in 8 in n ings, la st y e a r 172 in fo u r, a n d th is y e a r 229 in tw o . In clu d in g on e inn ings fo r a sin gle ru n in 1907 h e has to ta lle d 1,101 run s in 24 in n in gs, average o v e r 45. T w ice h e has m a d e o v e r 200 runs in a n in n ings, o n b o th occa sion s again st C am bridgesh ire a t N ew m a rk e t— 221 in 1908, 229 this year. H e has a lso b o w le d w ith su ccess, a n d h e is a rea lly g o o d fie ld . A s an a ll-ro u n d p la y er perh ap s his com ra d e in th e C am b rid g e team , M r. F a lc o n o f N o rfo lk , is his o n ly su perior am o n g th e am ateu rs p la y in g secon d -cla ss co u n ty crick et. M r. K e n n e th R a y n o r is B erk sh ire b y b irth , h a v in g b e e n b o rn , like M r. B ro u g h a m , a t W e llin g to n C ollege, a n d B u ck in g h am sh ire b y residen ce, b u t has th e fiv e y e a rs’ p la y in g q u a lifica tio n fo r S u ffo lk . M ay 23, 1886, w as th e d ate o f h is b irth ; h e w as e d u ca te d a t Ip sw ich S ch o o l an d O x fo rd , b u t, th o u g h tried in th e eleven , ju st fa iled to get h is blu e. H e has d e v e lo p ed sin ce th e n , a n d is n ow a m o st ca p a b le a ll-rou n d p la y e r, b o w lin g th e g o o g ly w ith great su ccess, scorin g fa st, b y m ean s ch ie fly o f th e cu t, th e e ffe ctiv e , th o u g h in elegan t ‘ ‘ c o w -s h o t,” a n d a lu sty d riv e p a st co v e r, a n d field in g w ell an yw h ere. F irst p la y in g fo r S u ffo lk in 1904, w h ile still a s c h o o lb o y , he m e t w ith g rea t su ccess tw o years later, h ea din g th e averages w ith n ea rly 50 per in n in gs, an d a h ig h e st score o f 96. In 1910 h e t o o k 17 w ick e ts a t a co st o f u n der 9 run s each , besides a v era g in g ov er 23 w ith th e b a t. U p to d ate h e has scored ov e r 950 run s fo r th e c o u n ty w ith an average o f nearer 26 th a n 25, a n d has tak en 25 w ick ets a t a b o u t 14 each . A n oth er Ip sw ich S ch o o l b o y , o f an old er g en eration , is M r. P h ilip P e r c y C ornell (b o rn F eb ru a ry 13, 1874, at I p sw ich ), w h o is on e o f S u ffo lk ’s m a n y cap a b le w ick e t­ keepers. H e p la y e d fo r th e co u n ty as fa r b a ck as 1902, a n d , th o u g h his ap p ea ra n ces h a v e n o t b een m a n y , he has alw a ys b een u sefu l. H e cu ts a n d d rives to th e o n in g o o d sty le , a n d has m a d e a lo t o f ru n s fo r th e Ip sw ich a n d E ast S u ffo lk C lub. O n e o f th e risin g h op es o f th e side is M r. F red eric L aw ra n ce T itchm a rsh— a m em b er o f th e sam e clu b side as M r. C ornell — w h o w as b o r n a t Ip sw ich on M arch 8, 1891, e d u ca ted a t B a d le y , a n d p la y e d fo r th e co u n ty in on e m a tch last y e a r. T his season h e b a tte d p a rticu ­ la rly w ell for 22 a n d 52 v . H erts, a t Ip sw ich , w as n ev er o u t fo r a d u ck , a n d , m issin g o n ly one m a tch , to ta lle d 200 run s in 12 in n in gs. U p to th e en d o f A u g u st h e h a d a g g reg a te d •1300 ru n s in clu b an d co u n ty crick et d u rin g 1911, a n d n eed ed o n ly 29 m ore w ith on e m a tch t o p la y , to se t u p a re co rd b y tota llin g fou r figures fo r Ip sw ich a n d E a st S u ffolk . (Since th is w as w ritten I h a v e lea rn ed th a t in th is la st m a tch , v. M elton A sy lum , h eran up 165 n o t o u t. (H e ca n b o w l, to o , right h a n d m ed iu m to fa st, fields w ell w h erever h e is put, and a ltog eth er is o f h ig h prom ise. T h e sam e m a y be said o f M r. A rth u r H o r a c e L ang— b o rn a t B om b a y o n O ctob er 25, 1890, a n d ed u cated at H a rrow a n d C am bridge, a t w h ich latter seat o f learning he is still in residen ce. M r. L a n g w as in th e H a rrow team s o f 1906, 1907, 1908 a n d 1909, avera g in g ov e r 20 in each o f his first three years, an d 15 in his la st— w h en perhaps the resp on sib ility o f ca p ta in cy h a n d ica p p e d h im , th ou g h as h e h a d also led th e side in 1908 it sh ou ld h a rd ly h a v e done —-b esid es keep in g w ick e t in re a lly g o o d form . H is first ap p earan ce fo r S u ffo lk w as m a d e in 1907, so th a t he is n ow qu a lified for th e co u n ty till h e p lay s fo r an oth er ; b u t as h e w ill so o n h a v e qu a lified b y residen ce fo r Sussex (he a p p eared for th em again st th e ’V a rsity a t C am bridge), perh aps it is h a rd ly lik ely th e E a st A n g lia n side will keep h im m u ch lon ger. P la y in g fo r it in th ree m atch es this season h e scored 41 a n d 12 v . C am bs., 15 a n d 46 v . B ed s., 15 an d 60 v . N o rfolk— 189 in 6 in n ings. A lto g eth e r, he has a g g rega ted 426 fo r S u ffo lk in 16 com p le te d innings, average 26 '62 . T h e o ff d riv e a n d th e pu ll are his m ost p rolific strok es. H e ca n b ow l a b it, rig h t h a n d m edium . M r. S y d n ey G arn et B e n n e tt (B u ry S t. E dm u n d s S ch o o l a n d C am bridge) w as b o r n a t L o w e sto ft o n Ju ne 7, 1888. H e is en ga ged as sp orts m aster a t V ic to r ia C ollege, A lex a n d ria , w h ith er h e w ill retu rn in O cto b e r. P rev iou sly to th is season he h a d m e t w ith little su ccess in his few m atch es fo r th e c o u n ty ; b u t in 1911, p la y in g in seven m a tch es, he scored m o re runs th a n a n y oth er m a n on the sid e, 321 w ith an average o f ov e r 29 , in clu d in g tw o innings o f 84, on e v . C am bs., th e oth er v . N o rfo lk . H is run s com e ch ie fly fr om o ff-d riv e s, cu ts, a n d w ell-tim ed leg sh ots ; he has k e p t w ick e t fo r th e c o u n ty , a n d has a lso field ed at slip , th ird m an , an d in th e deep. S till an oth er w ick et-k eep er is M r. C ecil M artin P hillips, b o rn a t M argate in 1877, a n d e d u ca te d a t C h rist’s H osp ital. H e has p la y ed for S u ffo lk sin ce 1904, o fte n m a k in g useful scores. L a st year h e av era g ed 25 , w ith a h ig h est score of 59. H e ca n b ow l, to o , m ed iu m p a ce rig h t h a n d , b u t does n o t g o o n fo r th e co u n ty . M r. E rn est P ritc h e tt is y e t an oth er w ick et-k eeper, b u t has n o t a p p eared la te ly— n o t sin ce 1909, in fa ct. H e w as b o rn o n N o v em b er 20, 1867, a t H u d d e rsfie ld , a n d was e d u ca te d p riv a te ly a n d fo r th e A rm y . F rom 1903 to 1909, he p la y e d p re tty fre q u e n tly , a n d a g g rega ted som e 600 runs, w ith an average o f o v e r 17, h is b est score b e in g 126 v. L in coln sh ire a t L in co ln in 1909. T h e cu t a n d on -p la cin g earn h im m ost o f his runs. It is d ifficu lt to g et a w a y from these w ick et-k eep ers. S u rely n o oth er co u n ty , first o r se co n d class, has su ch a w ealth o f th em ! H ere is y e t a n oth e r, M r. A rth u r D u nbar W h a tm a n , th o u g h h e has n o t o fte n g iv e n his services to S u ffolk . H e w as b o r n a t D ork in g o n F e b ru a ry 13, 1873, a n d e d u ca ted a t E to n an d C am bridge. M r. W h a tm a n is a tra velled cricketer. H e has tw ice v isite d th e W e s t Indies, w ith L o rd H aw k e in 1897 a n d w ith M r. B o sa n q u e t in 1902 ; an d he has b een to A m erica a n d N ew Z ea la n d u n der Mr. P elh am W a rn e r’s ca p ta in cy . In his on e m a tch fo r S u ffolk th is season he m ade fo u r a n d 77 v . C am bs. a t Ip sw ich , and d uring th e summ er h e w as in g rea t ru n -g ettin g v e in , scorin g 154 a n d 123 (in th e sam e m a tch ) fo r E to n B am b lers v. H ou seh old B riga d e, an d m ore th a n on e o th er cen tu ry. H is strok es are ch ie fly to th e o ff, a n d h e bow ls fa st w h en he goes on to b ow l. W h ich is th e b est o f th em all— th e S u ffo lk w ick et­ keepers, th a t is— it m ig h t be h a rd to sa y , b u t certain ly M r. Charles H u b e rt B o u lb y B lo u n t, o f th e H a rro w elevens o f 1910 an d 1911, w ou ld 'b e w ell in th e run ning fo r th e d istin c­ tion . H is fo rm ag ain st E to n a t L o r d ’s th is y e a r earned h im h ig h praise from g o o d ju d ges. H e is a b a tsm a n of con sid erable p ossibilities, to o , w ith a g o o d c u t in fro n t of p oin t, a h a rd o ff-d riv e , an d an e ffe ctiv e pull. M r. S. H ill-W o o d , M .P . (b o rn M arch 21, 1872, and e d u ca ted a t E to n a n d C am bridge), on e tim e ca p ta in o f D erby sh ire, p la y e d in o n ly tw o m atch es this season. B u t h e is still a g o o d b a t, a n d has d on e S u ffolk u sefu l service since his first a p p earan ce in th e team in 1908, a v eragin g 23 p er in n in gs, w ith a h ig h est score o f 58, o n a n aggregate of