Cricket 1912

MAT 11, 1912: CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 123 Club Cricket Notes and Jottings. For the manifold imperfections of this article last week the Editor apologises. The season started with a rush, and found him not fully prepared. Some secretaries were rather late in send­ ing along scores ; others failed to send at all. A few matches were referred to tw ice; possibly a few that should have been referred to escaped notice at a ll; and altogether the article was not as workman­ like as he hopes to make it in future, with better arrangements. A good friend writes:— “ Why can’t you get the bookstalls to show the paper prominently? I, and friends as well, have noticed that asking for it means a dip under the counter by the clerk. It would surely do better if shown more.” So it would! But anyone who has had to deal with the bookstalls knows the difficulty. A paper like C r ic k e t appeals to a limited, though pretty wide, circle. Far inferior sheets—let us not be too modest—make wider appeal to less discerning minds. These get the front row in the stalls—I mean, on the stalls. The only remedy is—a bigger demand ! T o a great extent the matter is in the hands of our readers. Let them persuade their friends to ask for the paper. And don’t be put off. The bookstalls will supply it if the managers find there is a demand; and as for the newsagent who says that he cannot get it—what the Psalmist said in his haste about all men, I say deliber­ ately about that m an! This is the politest way I know how to put it. Cards of many shapes and sizes, no two alike, but nearly all of them conspicuously neat, continue to come along. Space will not allow this week of dealing with them in quite so much detail as was done with those received in time for the last two issues. A briefer notice in each case must suffice, though I am sorry it should be so. Here is T o w n le y P a rk (Hon. Sec., Mr. J. R. Crack, 69, Calton Rd., Dulwich), running two elevens through the summer, with strong opponents, including Honor Oak, Hampton Wick, Heath­ field, Dulwich, Northbrook, Catford, Luton Town, Merton, Upper Clapton, London Scottish, &c. And here M ill H ill P a rk (Joint Hon. Secs., Mr. A. E. Robins, 9, Shaa Rd., Acton, and Mr. E. A. Smith, “ Deebank,” Albion Rd., Acton, with Mr. H. W inch, 46, Rosemont Rd., Acton, Hon. Match Sec.). Three elevens have full programmes, and there is also a number of matches for the mid­ week team. The Cricket week is July 1-6, matches with High Wycombe, University Hospital, Ealing, Middlesex Club, Board of Education, and South Hampstead being played. There is a Western tour in August, when Bath Association, South Devon, Bradninch, Paignton, and Exmouth are met. The club has also lawn tennis and bowls sections. From as far afield as South Devon comes the next card which presents itself. The P a ign ton C .C . (Hon. Sec. Mr. A. Goulding, 3, Torbay Rd., Paignton) has a capital list, meeting not only local teams, but such distant clubs as Ilford, Hampstead Itinerants, Roe- hampton, Incogniti, Westbourne Park Wanderers, Chiswick Park, Old Bromsgrovians, Gloucester, Mill Hill Park, Tee Vees (Reading), Old Olavians, and Ealing Dean. But South Devon has been for many years a favourite touring ground, and Paignton does things in proper style. The C a p ita l and C o u n tie s B ank C.C’ s . card turns up next. Mr. A. G. Ridpath (39, Threadneedle St., E .C .) is Hon. Sec. The two elevens meet other bank teams for the most part, but Dalgety, Upper Sydenham, and Epsom Second, are also played by the first. M a rlb o ro u g h B lu e s (Hon. Sec., M r. Harold Church, 21, Old Square, Lincoln’s Inn) are among the paper’s very old friends, and and their fixture list, comparatively short, must be given in full. All games are away, of course, sinfce the club owns no ground. May 4.—Private Banks 11.—Honourable Artillery Co. ,i 18.—Aldenhara School June 1.—Marlow » 8.—Higligate School j * 15.—Epsom College ii 22.—Esher n 28 & 29.—Marlborough College July 6.—Stanmore Masters July 13.—Rickling Green ,, 20.—Chiswick Park „ 27.—Southgate Aug. 16-17.—Mr. Miller-Hallett’s XI. (Goddington) „ 19-20.—Blue Mantles (T. Wells) „ 21-22.—Rye „ 23-24.—Folkestone. H am pstead Nomads (Hon. Sec., Mr. S. K. B. Caulfield, 23, Old Buildings, Lincoln’s Inn) is another wandering club, with a comparatively small membership, but considerable playing strength. It is rapidly lorcing its way into the front rank of metropolitan club cricket. Matches are arranged for each Saturday from April 27 to September 15; Stanmore, Pinner, Pallingswick, Barnet, Richmond, Finchley, U.C.S., London Scottish, Upper Clapton, South Hamp­ stead, Hanwell Asylum, and four hospital teams are among the sides met. Ipsw ich a n d E a st S u ffo lk (Hon. S ec., E. Shorten Steam, 21, Upper Brook Street, Ipswich) has its usual strong list, with matches for every Saturday and most Wednesdays, chiefly with Suffolk and E ssex clubs—in fact, no London side is met. T h e matches with Bury and West Suffolk are on June 22 (at Bury) and August 17 (at Ipswich). E. Waters is the pro. How old is the I. and E.S. C.C. ? It goes pretty far back, I believe. The B e lp e r M eadow s C.C. is some distance away, but neither outside the range of our sympathies or our circulation. Its Hon. Sec. (Mr. A. Dicken, Arnold Villa, Belper) sends along a capital little booklet dealing with the history of the club. Mr. Dicken was its first secretary (in 1880—the club was formed in Sept. of that year, and played its first match in 1881); he has been cricket secretary in every year but one or two since, and full secretary, with all financial responsibility, ever since 1886! Moreover he was captain for 17 years. It would be hard to beat this record. Up to the end of last season Belper Meadows had played 615 matches, won 284, lost 112, tied in three, and drawn 216. For the period of 31 years its average per wicket works out at 14, while its opponents averaged only 10. Its highest total was 402 v. Wirksworth in 1888. It has never in any season lost more matches than it won ; in 1896, under Mr. Dicken’s leadership, and in 1908, under that of Mr. J. A. MacDonald, who has played for Derbyshire, but is now abroad, it was undefeated. The sides met have included most of the strongest in Derbyshire, Notts, and South Yorkshire. Bravo,Belper Meadows! U x b rid g e (Hon. Secs., Messrs. C. E. Stevens and Turberville Smith) has a comparatively brief list. The club plays all matches at home. Ealing, Hampstead, Boston Park, the Wanderers, Chis­ wick Park, the Nondescripts, Mill Hill Park, Ealing Dean, U .C .S . Old Boys, and West Drayton are among its opponents. The B a rn es C.C. (Hon. Sec., Mr. Esmonde White, 53, Palewell Park, East Sheen), runs two elevens every week. Merton, Ewell, Private Banks, Beckenham, Upper Clapton, Richmond, Upper Tooting, Chiswick Park, Bromley, East Molesey, Wimbledon, Teddington, Streatham, and L. C. and Westminster Bank are opposed by the tirst. The club deplores the loss of its captain of 1911, H. A. Busher, and it is also a matter for regret that S. E. Busher will not be available at all. The new skipper is H. A. Barham, who filled the post as far back as 1900. The card of the In co g n iti is on the old familiar lines—three tours, the Midland in May, the Southern in July, the Western at the end of July and running two-thirds through August, matches with several of the bigger public schools, and with some of the leading metropolitan and south coast clubs. The match managers are Jkajor H. S. Bush, Messrs. H. P. Chaplin, P. Collins, and B. P. Dobson, Colonel Greenway, Major Higginbotham, Major Hobson, Messrs. D. C. Lee, E. C. Lee, and E. J. Metcalfe, Captain W. G. M. Sarel, Messrs. A. R. Severn, Townsend Shaw, H. E. F. Sich, B. Tabrum, N. F. Wells, and J. C. Wood—a galaxy of talent in the field, and no doubt equally illustrious managerially. Here is the card, as briefly as possible for economy of space :— I July 13.—St. Paul’s School ,, 13.—Esher ,, 15 & 16.—Beckenham May 11.—Charterhouse School „ 15.—R.N. & R.M.L.I. (Chatham) ,, 18.—Wellington College „ 24 & 25.—Cheltenham College ,, 27 & 28 .—Malvern College ,, 29 & 30.—Wore. Gent. (Boughton) ,, 31 & Jn. 1.—Wwk. Gent. (W’wick) June 1.—Staff. Coll. (Camberly) ,, 6.—Hounslow Garrison „ 8.—Blackheath „ 8.—R.M.A. (Woolwich) „ 10 & 11.—Aldershot Command „ 15.—Mote (Maidstone) „ 15.—Hailcybury College ,, 19 & 20 .—Bickley Park 22 .—Tonbridge School „ 22 .—R.M.C. Staff (Sandhurst) ,, 26.—Northaw Place „ 27.—Gatton Park ,, 29.—R.M.C. (Sandhurst) 29.—Wimbledon 2.—Streatham 3 & 4.—M. L. Robinson’s XI. (Attleborough) 5 & 6.—Shomcliffe Garrison 8.—Epsom 8 & 9.—Folkestone 10.—Moor Hall Aug. July July 19.—Oatlands Park 19 & 20.—Sussex Martlets 22 & 23.—United Services (Portsmouth) 24 & 25.—A.S.C. (Aldershot) 26 & 27.—Hampshire Hogs (Basingstoke) 27.—Westminster School 29 & 30.—United Services (Plymouth) 31 & Aug. 1.—R.N. Barracks (Keyham) 2 & 3.—Torquay 5 & 6.—Paignton 7 & 8.—R.N.C. (Dartmouth) 9 & 10.—S. Devon (Newton Abbot) 12 & 13.—Sidmouth 14 & 15.—Seaton 16 & 17.—Sidmouth 19 & 20.—Devon Dumplings (Exeter) 28 & 29.—Mr. Paley’s XI. (Ampton Hall) 30 & 31.—Bury & W. Suffolk H io h c le r e C a stlb C.C. (Hon. Seo., Mr. W . T. Honeywell, West Street House, Burghclere, Newbury) has the dashing old Haileyburian, the Rev. W . V. Jephson, as captain. Mo3t of the matches are with local teams; but there is the usual week in August (19 to 24) when