Cricket 1912

102 CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. M at 4, 1912. “ And when at last he opened His swimming eyes to light, Men say the earliest word he spake Was, ‘ Friends, how goes the fight ? ’ ” For Mr. Warner was not merely “ not very well,” but was very ill indeed at that time. The speaker said that Hordern won the first test for Australia; his bowling was magnificent. After the match the team in conclave decided that if they could master Hordern they could win the rubber. The rest is history. The new Australian side was referred to by Mr. Douglas as one of great possi­ bilities. If there is one man who stands more for “ Essex cricket,” even at the present day, than John Douglas, it is Mr. Charles Green, without whom the county club must have gone under long ago. It was good to hear him talk of the days that were gone, even though, like many of the older generation, he made it clear that to his mind they were better days than these. So they were, no doubt, in many ways. But we of the Iater era must make the best of what we have, and twenty or thirty years hence we can tell the younger men how much better cricket was in the year of the First Triangular Test Tournament than in 1932 or 1942 ! The great game was the subject of Mr. Green’s speech. Pelham Warner replied— like his able lieutenant, modestly, manfully, generously. Mr. Warner speaks a trifle rapidly, but with very clear enunciation, and an ability to present liis chief points that tells of considerable practice in the oratorical art. Mr. A. G. Steel followed— a veteran of the early tests, one of the greatest all-round cricketers of any day, and a K.C. Needless to say that he was listened to attentively. Like Mr. Green, he was reminiscent — talked of the first test match played on English soil, of the seven runs victory of Australia in ’82, and of other moving happenings on the good greensward. He told us of the Old Buffer who said that he always liked speaking after a cricket dinner ; you had only to turn on the tap and the champagne did the rest. But the enthusiasm of Thursday evening was not due to champagne, one feels certain; it was far too real for that. We should have cheered John Douglas just as heartily on dry ginger-ale ! Then Frank Foster was forced to speak. The crowd would not let him off. He does not like speech-making a little bit ; but he has really no need to mind it. Those who listen to him are quite satisfied, and that should satisfy him. He occupied but a very few minutes, but he used his time to excellent purpose. He paid a high tribute to Bames, whose bowling, he said, was a revelation to him. But perhaps F. R. F.’s bowling was a bit of an eye-opener to the Staffordshire idol too. One feels sure, anyway, that the respect is mutual. Mr. E. North Buxton proposed “ The Visitors,” speaking briefly, but with considerable dry humour. He had been a very keen cricketer, he said, but not a very able one. It was true that he once played for Essex, but he fancied that the honour wai to be accounted for by the fact that he chose the team himself ! Mr. A. Cecil Beck, M.P., in the absence of both of the gentlemen down on the toast list, who had left to attend important duties elsewhere, responded in light vein. Called upon thus unexpectedly, he said, he refused to turn on the tap. He refused also to pay the fine of a sovereign which Col. Lockwood had said should be inflicted upon anyone who used the word “ ashes,” and he created some amusement by the deft manner in which he skirted the edge of the verbal precipice. Mr. F. Green proposed “ The Press.” Capital responses were made by Major Philip Trevor and Mr. Sydney Pardon, both orators of experience and ability. The Major pleaded for outspoken criticism devoid of unpleasant personalities, and said that he believed that the majority of his journalistic comrades set before them that ideal. Lastly, Mr. L. Worthington Evans, M.P., proposed “ The Chairman,” and Col. Lockwood responded briefly. “ God Save the King ” followed, and then the waiters rushed in to clear the tables. But the room did not empty for some time, and for nearly an hour afterwards there was a well-pleased and talkative crowd in the hall, while the sitting was continued for a long time after that by some thirty or forty enthu­ siasts in the hotel lounge. J. N. P e n t e l o w . Cricket in Natal. Some of the best averages in the Durban Senior League are given hereunder. Space will not permit of a full return, and a minimum of 8 innings with an average of not under fifteen is the qualification, while in bowling no one is included who did not take 15 wickets. It will be seen that Dave Nourse heads the batting again, and is second in bowling. Claude Carter tops the bowling list with splendid figures, and has scored usefully. Joe Cox, whose batting average is 13, comes well up among the bowlers. “ Sussex ” Cox averaged 13-11 w ith the bat. Herbert Taylor has moderate figures which don’t do him justice. The veteran A. C. King has shown fine all-round form, and J. W. Easterbrook has come on greatly in the b o w lin g lin e . Batsmen. Club. Inns. N.o. R. A. H.S. A. D. Nourse ... Greyville... 8 1 332 47.42 115* A. C. King Greyville... 8 3 195 39.00 68 * C. C. Acutt Casuals ... 10 1 321 35.66 115 II. A. Hawkins Wanderers 10 2 279 34.87 58 F. W. Holmes ... Greyville... 10 1 303 33.66 78 V. L. Henwood Queen’s Park 1 1 3 250 31.25 141* W. K. Thomson Wanderers 8 2 181 30.16 49* J. Beningflekl ... Casuals ... 14 3 313 28.45 67* V. C. Robbins ... Zingari ... 13 3 268 26.80 69 L. B. Siedle ... Escombes 13 1 311 25.91 80 T. H. Trotter ... Escombes 9 0 230 25.55 138 L. D. Dalton ... Zingari ... 15 3 282 23.50 43 L. Field................ Greyville... 9 1 187 23.37 64 B. E. Burne ... Wanderers 12 0 269 22.41 79 H. Rachmann ... Zingari ... 15 1 313 22.35 54 H. W. Taylor ... Queen’s Park 9 0 196 21.77 76 H. W. Chapman Queen’s Park 9 0 178 19.77 30 P. De Gersigny Casuals ... 12 2 188 18.80 59 C. A. Smith Wanderers 1 1 3 141 17.62 44* G. H. Whyte ... Wanderers 10 0 165 16.50 34 H. A. Rayner ... Casuals ... 1 1 1 165 16.50 41 R. Marton Escombes 8 2 98 16.33 34 C. P. Carter Zingari ... 10 1 145 16.11 56 A. Grice Queen’s Park 10 4 93 15.50 38 F. W. Jury Greyville... 9 2 108 15.42 65* B. C. Cooley ... Wanderers 1 1 0 166 15.09 -48 Bowler. Club. Inns, bowled in. Runs. Wkts. Aver, C. P. Carter ... .. Zingari ... 10 413 48 8.60 A. D. Nourse ... .. Greyville... 1 1 277 32 8.65 J. W. Easterbrook .. Wanderers 1 1 286 32 8.93 C. Platt................ .. Queen’s Park 10 151 16 9.43 J. L. Cox .. Greyville... 12 329 28 11.75 A. C. King .. Greyville... 7 212 18 11.77 G. R, Cox .. Escombes 1 1 435 36 12.08 C. A. Smith ... .. Wanderers 1 1 354 27 13.11 L. D. Dalton ... .. Zingari ... 9 263 18 14.61 H. W. Chapman .. Queen’s Park 1 1 439 28 15.67 K. Logan .. Zingari ... 1 1 339 20 16.95 P. C. Lilburn ... . Queen’s Park 13 432 2 1 20.57 H. A. Rayner ... . Casuals ... 10 465 2 1 22.14 D. C. Gold .. Escombes 1 1 344 15 22.93 For the Maritzburg C.C. in the City League Dudley Pearse averages 76-83 (8-2-461 his figures), his brother Ormerod just 40, and the third of the brotherhood, V.. 18-20. Dudley has taken 10 wickets at 9-30 each, Ormerod 15 at .14'66 These three, with G. C. Anderson (24-80 per innings and 27 wickets at under 11 each) and A. Hair (8-4-177 in batting, and 24 wickets at 12 each), form the backbone of the team ; but there are also R. H. Lazarus (30-50 per innings), E. O’Meara (21-40), A. Smith (20-57) and E. Saville (19-11, and 15 wickets for 212) to be reckoned with, and a glance at the figures is enough to make one understand how easily the club outran its three competitors "in the race. F r e d e r ic k S e t a y . GEO R G E L E W I N & C O . , Club Colour Specialists and A thletic Clothing M anufacturers. OUTFITTERS B Y APPOINTM ENT TO The Royal Navy and Array, Cornwall, Kent, Middlesex, Somerset and Surrey Counties, and London Scottish, Irish and Welsh, Blackheath, Harlequins, Rich­ mond, Catford Rugby Football Clubs, and all the leading Clubs in the British Isles and abroad; M.C.C. S. African Tour, 1909, S. African Cricket Association 1910, and Queen’s Club, Kensington, the M.C.C. Australian Team 1911-12, and the South African Association Cricket Team 1912. Established 1869. W rite for E stimates . Telephone: P.O. 607 CITY Works at Cambeneell. 8, CROOKED LANE, MONUM ENT , E.C.