Cricket 1911

November, 25, 1911. tfcUGBY FOOTBALL AND CEICKET. 583 Pavilion (Bossip. The abstract and brief chronicle of the time. — Hamlet. For ourselves, we prefer the dictum of Lord Harris— “ Cricket is not Only a game, but a school of the greatest social importance.” ' P. B a l o o , the little Hindu left-hander who was here with the All India team, has taken part in every match so far played by the Hindus against Bombay Presidency (first match in February, 1906) and the Parsis (first match in August, 1907),. and in the eight matches has taken 62 wickets at an average cost of about 10 runs, and has scored 215 runs in 16 innings (twice not out). C. V. Mehta (captain of the side), K. A. Date, K. SeshaChari, and P. A. Erasha have also played in all the eight matches. Mehta has totalled 176 runs in 15 innings, Date 216 in 14 innings, Erasha has taken 29 wickets, and SeshaChari has filled the important position of wicket-keeper with credit, catching 10 and stumping 10 batsmen. O t h e r Hindu players who have met with some measure of success in these games are M. D. Pai (8 innings for 214 Photo by] [i?. IF. Thomas. M R. HUGH T R UMB L E . T he N e w ly - appoin ted S ecretary to th e M elbourne C.C. runs, and the only century recorded for the side, 107 against the Presidency in 1907), P. K. Telang (8-0-173), W. B. Tal- pade (7-0-131), Oghad Shunker (9-1-112), S. K. Divekhar (10-1-108), and P. Shivram (13-2-112). Shivram batted so well in England that one would have expected to find his figures far higher than this ; but scoring has not generally ruled large in these matches. T h e Hindus have won two games out of four against the Presidency, losing one and drawing one, but have never yet beaten the Parsis, who have won three matches out of four, the other being drawn. The 35 matches between Presidency and Parsis have resulted in 16 victories for the Parsis and 13 for the Presidency, with 6 drawn games. P l a y in g for North Sydney 3rd v. Gordon 3rd, at North Sydney on October 14th, A. Punch scored 94 and took sixteen wickets for 58 runs—eight for 50 and eight for 8 . In Gordon’s second innings he obtained five wickets with consecutive balls. T h e England-Victoria match provided a much better fight than that with South Australia, and the end of the penultimate day’s play left the issue still in the balance. It was no surprise, LL who know him will be glad to hear that Mr. Hugh Trumble has been appointed Secretary to the Melbourne C.C.—a post which was rendered vacant through the retirement of Mr. S. M. Tindall, who has decided to enter private business. In addition to participating in first-class cricket in Australia from 1887-8 until 1903-4, he has paid five visits to England, two toAmerica and one to New Zealand and South Africa. His doings in first-class cricket may be summarised as follows :—- Not Total Ilighest Inns. outs. Runs. Aver, score. Balls. Runs. Wkts. Aver. In Australia.............. 124 19 2,033 19’36 107 19,20b 6,893 322 21-40 In E n g la n d .............. 224 49 3,424 19*56 105 24,930 10,099 603 16'74 In A m e rica .............. 10 1 164 18-22 * 54 941 396 27 14-66 In New Zealand ... 6 0 292 48-66 135 1,422 416 44 9*45 In South Africa . . 2 1 13 13 00 13 204 127 — — Totals ... 366 70 5,926 20-02 135 46,703 17,931 996 18-09 The New Zealand matches included in the above figures are those v. Auckland, Otago, Canterbury, Wellington and New Zealand. That against the West Coast, at Wanganui, although an eleven a-side game, has been omitted, for Wanganui matches are never reckoned in New Zealand as representative, Wanganui being a country association in Wellington Province. This is a pity, for the seven wickets he obtained in that game would have brought his total to over a thousand. I t will interest all who know the Oval at all well to learn that Sam Apted, the ground superintendent, has decided to retire before the year closes. It was in 1888 that he went to the Oval, and during his twenty-three years’ service there has performed his duties with most commendable thoroughness and conscientiousness. Everyone who knows him will wish him well, and hope that he may live long to enjoy his well-earned retirement. G e o r g e B e e t , of Derbyshire, has been engaged on the staff of Lord’s for next season. Mr. H. C. W isd e n L u f f , secretary of the Cricketers’ Fund, has received on behalf of the Fund a cheque for £155 9s. lid. from Mr. W. Findlay, secretary of the Surrey County C.C., this sum being half the net proceeds of the match at the Oval in September between Warwickshire (Champion County) and England. B. O . L a g d e n , the triple Oxford Blue and Rugby forward, has been appointed to a Mastership at Eton. Many schools were anxious to secure his services. T h e Liverpool Post asserts that Ranjitsinhji is returning to England in April, and asks whether it would not be a graceful compliment if he were invited to be President of the M.C.C. next summer. The reply is that the choice of the new President has already been decided on, and that it will prove one which cannot fail to give every satisfaction to cricketers. G e n e r a l S ir B . B a d e n -P o w e l l has reiterated his criticism of cricket as a game for boys. This time he was speaking at Harrow on “ Scouting for Boys.” He looked upon football (he said) as perhaps the best educational game they could get. He played it himself, and got licked into shape, fie could not say the same of cricket. (" Oh ! ”) He was sorry to say it, but he thought cricket was a great deal too tame for boys. While waiting their turn they learned some other bad habits, and when they made big scores he noticed that some of their hats became much too small for them. He did not think it was an educa­ tional game. It was very nice to look at on a hot day when others were going to their work. But that was all.