Cricket 1912

184 CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. J un e 1, 1912. it was not a bye, and wide was not called, or the calling of a wide justified. I d o n ’ t think the scorer need have worried himself. The run was no run, legally, since it was made under conditions for which the laws do not provide. If I had been umpire, and tho ball had hit the wicket, I should have given the batsman who had left it out. But if the man who had got there had hit the ball and been caught, I confess I should have felt in some doubt what to do. If such bowling became at all common the laws would have to be altered. But I believe it’s a fairy story, anyhow ! B. S. (Suffolk) indulges in a gibe at the expense of “ the unknown gentleman who writes Club Cricket Notes and Jottings.” Preserving his anonymity, the scribe in question admits that the gibe is justified. “ It was quite time for the captain of the Wanderers to declare if his side could get no more than 166 for 80 wickets. How many more to go in ? A fine army of cricketers ! ” says B. S. The reference is to p. 146, col. 1. “ The unknown gentle­ man ” says that if he never did anything worse than this—and he didn’t, really ; it was Mr. Printer again— he does not think St. Peter will look severely at him when his turn comes. It was naught— sheer nau gh t! I t is said that the father of K . L., W . E. C., and E. V. Hutchings once hit a ball from Southborougli Green over the old village church. A f o u r days’ carnival is to be hold in .June at the Clifton Zoological Gardens for the benefit, of the Gloucester­ shire Cricket Club, I hear, and there are hopes that at least £1,000 will be raised. W . H. H a l e (Somerset and Gloucestershire) is still making them, and making them well. Last season he scored over a thousand runs in club (mainly Saturday afternoon) cricket, and already this season he has put a century to his credit. In spite of his weight he is as keen on stealing runs as ever. Hale is a municipal official— Inspector of Nuisances, is it, or Sanitary Inspector ?— and during the last few seasons in which he played for Gloucestershire he was only able to do so by devoting his annual holiday to county cricket. T h e capital composition photograph of the South African team and group portrait of the Australians which adorned last week’s issue of the paper are the work of Messrs. E. Hawkins and Co., the cricket photographers par excellence. Anyone who missed that issue should write for it. Anyone wanting the original photographs, or individual portraits of the colonial players, should consult Messrs. Hawkins’ advertisement on page 3 of the cover. T he Durham County Club has secured a match with the Australians on August 9 and 10, at Ashbrooke, Sunder­ land. And they deserved to get i t ! So keen were the management that Messrs. C. Y . Adamson, the county cap­ tain, and T. A. Bulmer, the secretary, came up to London on purpose to interview Messrs. Crouch, Gregory, and Jennings, and returned happy at having succeeded. A guarantee fund is being raised in the county ; the principal clubs will postpone their matches fixed for August 10, and altogether it is confidently expected that the days will be red letter ones in the annals of Durham cricket. The county lias met the All Indian, West Indian, South African, and Philadelphian teams, but never before the Australians, though the earlier teams from the antipodes played matches against odds at Sunderland. A t Malvern H . L. Simms—an Australian by birth,- be it noted—was reckoned a more than useful bowler. In 1904 he took 44 wickets— 11 more than anyone else on the side—at between 20 and 21 each. In 1905 he had 21 at 27 each. But playing for Sussex pretty frequently from 1905 to 1908 he bowled only 18.2 overs for 108 runs and 4 wickets for the county. T h en ho wont to Nawanagar, and while in India did quite a lot of bowling. For Jamnagar v. Rajkot in July, 1909, he had 5 wickets in each innings at quite small cost ; for Kathiawar v. Bombay a month or so later he again took 10, for 84 runs ; for Bombay Presidency v. Parsis in September he had 4 for 43 at Bombay and 4 for 35 at Poona. Last year the Presidency owed their victory over the Parsis at Poona largely to him and F.B. It. Brooke, the new Lancashire stumper. Brooke scored 62 and 115 ; Simms made 47 in the first innings of the match and took 7 wickets (5 bowled) for 84 in the last. In tho Bombay match between the same sides he had 7 for 59, but the Presidency lost, Bulsara and Warden bowling finely. Now that he lias come home—only temporarily, I believe—he should be of great help to Sussex, for there is real nip, pace, and devil in his bowling. Against War­ wickshire at Birmingham he had 8 wickets for 57, and ho followed this up with some splendid work against Derby­ shire at Hove— 9 for 107. He is like Burns of Worcester­ shire—and many another— in that his lirst few overs are usually bowled at a greater pace than his later ones ; and he ought not to be overworked, for of course runs as well as wickets are expected of him. I r e g r e t to hear that S. S. the Gaekwad of Baroda sustained concussion of the brain in a tumble downstairs on Friday last, and had to be taken to a nursing home. The accident will spoil his chance of a blue this year, though his indifferent iielding would have told against him in any case. Knott must surely be a certainty this time. T h e figures to May 25 of Mounteney, who played several good hitting innings for Leicestershire last year are curious: 13-10-13-13-12-11. I f it be true— I hope it is not— that “ Talbot ” Lewis’s first-class career is at an end, the blow to Somerset will be a heavy one indeed. Braund and Robson, like the rest of us, do not grow younger ; Hardy has scarcely trained on as it was hoped he would ; and it is difficult to see whence reinforcements are coming. Morgan, who is doing well in North Staffordshire League matches, might have been useful to the county, but he was let go. N o rth am pto n sh ire mean to have a cricket week next year, it is said. But why wait till next year ? What is the matter with July 8-13 (Surrey and Somerset the visitors) of this season ? B r a d fo r d has come to be the best paying centre for Yorkshire cricket, support at Leeds and Sheffield having fallen off woefully. In the Hampshire match (one day blank through rain) only £135 gate was taken at Bramall Lane. Mr. A. C. M a c L a r e n is now private secretary to Mr. Lionel Bobinson at Old Buckenham Hall. Mr. Robinson’s hospitality is proverbial, and the South Africans are certain of a good time with him in September— and a pretty hot side to oppose them. MacLaren will see to that. S co rin g in the 13 first-class matches of the week ending .May 25 th : 8757 runs for 386 wickets—average 22'6 per wicket. A f e w years ago the third wicket of Essex often gave bowlers a deal of trouble. On Tuesday the good old firm of McGahey and Perrin was again on the job. It must have been quite like old times to Leyton enthusiasts. On some twenty or thirty occasions these two have added over a hundred runs in partnership— 323 v. Kent in 1900, 195 v. Derbyshire and 191 v. Lancashire in 1898 are among their best feats. Perhaps some Essex man can supply me with a full list ? R. B. L acj DEN’ s blue has been given him unusually early; but none will dispute his claim to it. He looks like making an even liner cricketer than his brother, against whom he will play in the groat match at Lord’s.