Cricket 1912

166 CEICKET : A WEEKLY EECOED OF THE GAME. M at 25, 1912. Notes on the opening match of the Mote C.C. reached us just too late for inclusion last week. Since last season a large clock has been added to the pavilion— the generous gift of Lady Samuel. The county club are going to erect an up-to-date scoring board. In their first match the Mote just beat Maidstone Church Institute— 168 to 162. Dr. J. A. Gibb, one of the two men who have scored a century in each innings of a minor county match (this was for Berks., the other instance being Silverlock’s for Monmouth) made 42, and Lieut. F. Fisher 48 for the Mote ; B. G. Ellis hit freely for 51, and E. Startup played steadily for 32 on the losing side. Our Suffolk and Essex news went astray last week ; but it turned up eventually, though late. There was nothing much worth harking back to, though one mnst mention another good innings—50 for Ipswich and E. S. v. Colchester Garrison—by Cyril Catchpole, who has evidently struck form early. Among the chief totals of last Saturday’s club cricket were Upper Tooting’s 290 for 8, v. Beckenham ; Ilford’s 280 v. Enfield ; Hamp­ stead’s 276 for 4, v. Surbiton; Blackheath’s 239 for 7, v. Bickley Park, who countered with 214 for 4, and 346 for 9 v. Old Malvernians ; Beckton’s 370 for 6, v. Lessness P ark; and Richmond’s 330 for 7, v. Hampstead, whose reply was 170 for 2. Ilford were very rough on Enfield. In the first team game, at Enfield, the totals were 280 and 45 ; in the second team game, at Ilford, 200 for 6 and 49. Spelling scored 75* in the first team match, and Louden took 6 for 26. Ewell and Epsom had a sporting game. The former declared at 166 for 8, the latter had made 148 for 6 at call of time, Daniells hitting well for 66. But on the whole pro­ nounced victories were more in evidence than exciting finishes, though not all of them were quite so marked as in the two Ilford- Enfield games. Thus Kensington (N. & S.) beat Paddington by 96—138 to 42; Brondesbury beat North Middlesex by 106—207 to 101 ; Brondes- bury II. beat North Middlesex II. by 70— 149 to 79 ; Lauderdale beat Brentwood by 65—196 for 7 to 131 ; Beckton beat Lessness Park by 309—370 for 6 to 61; Shepherd’s Bush beat Richmond Town by 79 — 208 to 129 ; Beddington beat Mitcham by 142—202 for 8 to 80; Parson’s Green beat Iloehampton by 73—166 to 93 ; Albemarle and Friern Barnet beat Boston Park by 74— 187 to 113 ; Walham Green beat Leatherhead by 73—133 to 60 ; South Woodford beat Chigwell by 109— 174 to 65 ; St. John’s Wood Wanderers beat St. Pancras by 84— 175 to 91; Hampstead beat Surbiton by 137—276 for 4 to 139 ; Spencer beat White House by 131— 243 to 112 ; Walthamstow beat Broxbourne by 52— 167 for 8 to 115 ; Cane H ill Asylum, declar­ ing at 173 for 4, defeated Middlesex Hospital (27 and 82) in an innings; Alleyn beat African Banks by 60—183 to 123; Reigate Priory (140) beat Guy’s Hospital by 100 runs ; and Loughton (209 for 9) beat Epping by 130. But there were some rare good tussles. Notable among them were the game at Ealing between the home side and Mill Hill Park, won by the latter by 9 runs only (238 to 229); that at Honor Oak, in which Catford beat the home side by 7 only (152 to 145); Harpenden v. L. and N. W . R., won by the visitors by 18 (115 to 97); Forest Hill v. L. C. and W. Bank, the Bank making 191, and Forest Hill replying with 161 for 8—anybody’s game, this ; Wimbledon v. Streatham, the latter winning by 10 runs on an afternoon’s total of over 300 ; Fulham Palace v. Mortlake, the latter winning by 11— 75 to 64 ; and the match at Stanmore, in which Hampstead Itinerants ran up 154, and the home side replied with 145 for 4. The piok of the basket, however, was East Molesey v. Malden Wanderers. The home side batted first, scored 150 for 8, declared. The Wanderers had 80 minutes for play. They went all out for a win. Murrell (72) and Kemp (64) hit splendidly, and the game was won close on time. This is cricket. There were plenty of big individual scores, and also plenty of good bowling performances. In some instances the same man was responsible for one of each, and among the all-round feats of the day may be mentioned :— J. R. Mason’s 122 and 5 for 23 (Blackheath v. Old Malvernians); Keenan’s 50 and 7 for 22 (Epsom v. Sutton) ; W. J. Gill’s 61* and 5 for 41 (Old Charlton v. Woolwich Garrison); Smith’s 44 and 7 for 26 (Northbrook v. Bexley Heath Asylum ); W . Austin’s 71* and 6 for 8, first innings (Cane Hill Asylum v. Middlesex H ospital); and C. E. Harrod’s 56 and 6 for 50 (Parson’s Green v. Roehampton). Centuries were fairly frequent. One of the very best was George Dawdry’s 102* for Battersea v. Brixton. which delighted a crowd of some 7,000 spectators. Dawdry’s only chance was at 92. F. R. D’O. Monro, the Hampstead crack, made his second three-figure score of the season—100* v. Surbiton. Gill scored 112 for Black­ heath v. Bicklev Park and H. H. Marriott 125 for Bickley Park v. Blackheath. T. A. J. Harris hit up 100 for Clapham Ramblers v. Merton. D. H. Butcher also made a level century, for Upper Tooting v. Beckenham. How valuable Butcher would be to a struggling county like Somerset or Derbyshire! C. Pinkham, of Rugger-Socker fame, scored 130 for Neasden v. O.M .T.’s, and S. E. Dove 136* for London Joint Stock Bank v. Union and Smith’s. The mention of Somerset reminds one that B. L. Risgood was one of those who came very near the hundred, making 96 for Richmond v. Hampstead. Other scores in the nineties were made by C. E. Dalton, who batted very finely for 96 (Mill Hill Park v. Ealing), H. S. Baker, with an excellent 92 for L. C. & W. Bank v. Forest Hill, A. R. Litteljohn, who hurried away from Lord's to score 97 for Chiswick House v. Chiswick Park, and F. F. Boles, who hit up 97 in grand free style, time under an hour, for Spencer v. White House. Scores that must not be passed without noting are the 84* of J. G. Donaldson, (he made 90 last week v. Ealing) for Hampstead v. Richmond, C. L. Penman’s 88 for Private Banks v. Barnes, E. Sims’s 81 for Walthamstow v. Broxbourne, Bourchier’s 83 for Hamp­ stead Itinerants v. Stanmore, E. Cairns’s 81* for S. W. Ham v. Eastern Nomads, Kenneth Dixon’s 79 (Teddington v. Hampton Wick), C. M. Thomas’s 73 for Richmond v. Hampstead, Jefferies’ 70 for Middlesex County Asylum v. Heathfield, three 6’s included, H. O. Jones’s 78 and G. F. Drew’s 54 for Lauderdale V; Brentwood, S. G. Etheridge’s 69 for Cockfosters v. Hornsey, R. G. D. Howell’s 67 for Hampstead v. Surbiton, W . L. Miecznikowski’s 50 (ten 4’s) for Honor Oak v. Catford, IngersolPs 52* for Catford v. Honor Oak, W. D. Bradley’s 51 for L. C. & W. Bank v. Norbury Park Wanderers, A. F. Gunnings 54 (Ealing v. Mill Hill Park), and M. F. S. Jewell’s 58 for Sutton v. Dulwich. The hit of the afternoon was one made by P. M. Rees for Barnes. It was off a slow of Wheeler’s ; clean out of the ground it soared, and landed on the railway bridge. And the Private Banks’ ground is a big one. It is scarcely likely that the records of club cricket in 1912 will tell of such another mighty smack. Or perhaps of such a signal defeat inflicted upon a club never reckoned among the weakliugs as Lessness Park’s downfall to Beck­ ton. The Park slumped for 61, Mayes taking 6 wickets for 22. Beckton made nearly 400 before stumps were drawn. The week before Sutton and Swann made centuries ; this time it was the turn of Cooper (who has played for Essex) and Hadden; next week doubt­ less Keeble will be one of those who oblige. The four centuries were 106 and three 105’s— a curious coincidence. Between them Hadden and Cooper hit seven 6’s, twenty-eight 4’s—rare good going ! Coming to bowling feats one is inclined to put R. M. Bell’s 9 for 77 (Sutton v. Dulwich) first, making due consideration for the class of match. There were plenty of others ahead of it on the score of average per wicket; but Dulwich wickets are never cheap. H. A. Clarke’s 9 for 46 (Albemarle and Friern Barnet v. Boston Park) comes close up, though. Kemp (Brondesbury II. v. N. Middlesex II.) had 9 for 22 ; Heath (S. Woodford v. Chigwell) took 8 for 31; G. A. Mills again brought off a fine performance, taking 8 for 47 for L. C. & W. Bank v. Norbury Park Wanderers ; Fielder (Roehampton v. Parson’s Green) had 8 for 68; Grudgeon, slow left, (G. W. R. v. North London Amateurs) performed sensationally with 8 for 7 ; 'F . A. H. Henley, the Oxford blue and old Forest School boy, had 7 for 58 (Cockfoster’s v. H ornsey); L. Phillips, the Dulwich left­ hander, against Sutton had exactly the same figures as H enley; H. Budgen who has played for Surrey, took 6 for 28 (Reigate Priory v. Guy’s Hospital); P. G. Skilton had 6 for 26 (L. & N. W. R. v. Harpenden); for Ilford II. v. Enfield II. Newbury secured 6 for 9 ; T. J. Wheeler’s slows had 6 for 79 (Private Banks v. Barnes); W. G. Simmons of Walthamstow had 5 for 41 v. Broxbourne; H.W . Weston (Walham Green v. Leatherhead) took 5 for 22; and C. R. Browne, the West Indian, had 5 for 12 (Clapham Ramblers v. Merton). Mr. A. F. Somerset, who captained the last English team in the West Indies, told me the other day that he looked upon young Browne as a really first-class bowler. He was not by any means the only good one met out there, but he was probably the pick of the basket. Clapham Ramblers have a “ test-match ” man in their ranks, for C. R. B. has played for the West Indies v. England—