Cricket 1912

H. GRADIDGE & SONS, Manufacturers and Exporters of all requisites for Cricket, Lawn Tennis, Racquets, Squash Racquets, &c. 148CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OP THE GAME. M a y 18, 1912. Reblading Cricket b a ts and Restringing Tenn is b a ts a Special feature. F a c t o r y : — ARTILLERY PLACE, WOOLWICH, S.E. Patentees and Sole makers o f the “ I M P E R I A L D R I V E R ” Cricket Bats made in Men’s, Small Men’s, College, 6, 5, 4, & 3, sizes. Every other requisite for Cricket, including balls, leg guards, batting gloves, gauntlets, stumps, nets, &c. Price L ists and Special Quotations free. ALL GOODS CARRIACE PAID TO ANY PART OF THE UNITED __________________________________ KINGDOM. Sole Makers o f the “ Imper ial D r i v e r ” and “ Improved Gr ad i dg e ” Lawn Tennis Racquets. for 10—a great feat for a man on a beaten side. Bellevue at home had a good win over New Beckenham. Bellevue made 123. Their opponents had 33 up for one wicket, when H. V. Janau clean bowled four men with successive balls (last two of ona over, first two of next). His analysis at the finish was 6 for 18. the visitors’ total being 51. Beulah easily defeated Forest C. C. at Eltham. S. Manchee took 8 wickets for 24 in a total of 40. The visitors ran up the century without loss, but lost 6 more wickets for an additional 30. H. Clegg scored 48, C. Love 34, J. F. C. Mathieson (who got a nasty blow in the face) 26, retired hurt. Special Club Notes. C o n t r ib u t e d b y “ T h e C h ie l .” My last week’s notes on clubs in the West of England have brought me many enquiries as to headquarters for a tour of the clubs I mentioned. For a tour in the W ye Valley, Monmouth is the very best centre. The G .W .R. issue a circular cheap ticket for a week’s tour, and take every care that you travel comfortably, reserving your carriages every morning. The ground of the Ledbury C.C. is beautifully situated at some ten minutes’ walk from the town. The club can command a good team, but like a great many more, they depend too much upon visitors. It is astonishing how very slack these local cricketers are : one might think that nothing can rouse their enthusiasm. But perhaps the fault is not entirely theirs. Those who control some of the provincial clubs do little in the way of encourag­ ing the local town lads, who, with careful training, might turn out good cricketers. Ledbury possess a good all round man in Williams, the obliging and capable professional. Has it ever struck you how terribly clannish clubs who run two or three teams get ? Take for instance net practice ; you will find a first team bat in the nets, with four or five first team bowlers, and at the next net] you will find a second team bat, with—well, anyone who will bowl at him. What is the result ? Young cricketers get disheartened, for no encouragement is given them by the first team players ; yet, all said and done, these men pay the same subscription as their more fortunate clubmates, and should not be treated differently. If captains want to encourage talent they should look to this. There is such a thing as “ playing the game ” at cricket. I hear that on Saturday the first team of a prominent London club were deprived of their match at the last moment, and, of course, unable to obtain another fixture. Seeing they had no play the previous Saturday, it was simply maddening to have nothing better to do than watch their second team play. It appears the secretary of the club in question wrote to their opponents for directions to the ground, etc., and four days later the reply came that they knew nothing of the fixture. Yet a fixture card had been sent them ! I understand this same club behaved in like fashion to another club a few years back. This is distinctly not cricket—as I understand the term. . Battersea, though only playing their second team in the Park on Saturday, had a crowd of nearly four thousand watching. It is astonishing how keen the local people are here. 1 was told that there are many veteran spectators on the ground who have not missed a game for 30 years ! These old chaps know every move of the game, and go to the same position on the ground Saturday after Saturday. A fairer crowd than Battersea you need never wish to meet. If anything, they are inclined to favour the visiting teams. A good and true story is told anent the Battersea ground- The ’82 team of Australians had just arrived. Alec Bannerman and George Giffen played for the opposing team against Battersea in the opening match of the season. George Giffen bowled Battersea all out for 62, and he and Bannerman made over 100 before they were parted, the whole side being out for less than 150. When they