Cricket 1912

206 CEICKET : A WEEKLY EECOED OF THE GAME. .T un e 8, 1912. For Natal v. Transvaal he scored 25 and 33, and took 4 for 34 and 0 for 34; v. Griqualand West, 212, 3 for 21 second innings; v. Eastern Province, 80, 2 for 10 and 0 for 14 ; v. Orange Eiver Colony, 123, 5 for 38 and 3 for 14 ; v. Western Province, 4 and 112*, 5 for 63 and 2 for 54. Thus in 5 matches he made 589 runs, average 98-16, and took 24 wickets at under 12 each. His Greyville figures this season were : 8-1-511—average 73, and 32 wickets for 321 runs. Then he came to England with the Fourth S.A. Team, and was a success from the first. In chronological order his chief scores were : 41 v. Leicestershire, 44 v. Essex, 54 v. Oxford U., 58 and 41 v. Middlesex, 127 (3J hours, no chance) v. Warwickshire, 148 (next match) v. Derbyshire, 62 v. England (Lord’s), 35 and 27 (on a slow pitch, highest aggregate in match) v. Yorkshire at Bradford, 105 v. Eleven of Scotland at Glasgow, 71 v. Lancashire, 66 v. Notts, 34 v. England (Oval), 68 v. Mr. Bamford’s X I., and 70 v. Mr. C. I. Thornton’s England X I. He was making runs throughout by a com­ bination of sound defence and strong hitting ; and if he did not take many wickets—27 at under 16 each in all—it was only because he had few chances with a side so rich in bowlers. He was third in the batting averages with 1,329 runs at 29'53 per innings, There was no tournament in South Africa in 1907-8; but a Natal side visited Cape Town, and twice played Western Province. In the first match Nourse aggregated 45, highest for his side, and took 11 wickets for 89; in the second-he scored 98 and 200*, his second innings only lasting 250 minutes, and the single ehance in it being at 197. Natal was unrepresented in the tournament at Cape Town in 1908-9, and Nourse’s one big match that season was for the Best of South Africa v. the Wanderers’ Club at Johannesburg. He scored 30 and 40, and took 8 wickets for 100. In 1909-10 another M.C.C. Team came along. In the first test the big man made 53 and 34; for Natal at Durban he scored 129.and 54* ; and in the second test he made 69 in the second innings, he and White adding 143 in partner­ ship at a critical time. He did nothing very big in the other matches ; but in his seven games against the team he totalled 451 runs, average 34-09. Some said in 1910 that he had fallen off, and would not do much in Australia. In his first match, however, he stilled these criticisms by a great innings of 201* in 5 hours v. South Australia. It is true he had some luck; but the old form was all there. Against Victoria in the next match he made 51 and 40, then 40 in the first innings v. N .S.W ., and 38 in the first v. Queensland. A real fighting innings of 64* when his side was in evil plight in the first test, 33 in the first innings of the second, and 39 in the second innings of the third, were followed by 141 (in less than 2J hours) and 61* v. Tasmania at Launceston, where he took 5 for 47 in the home side’s second, and 112* (in 115 minutes, chanceless, nineteen 4’s) against the same State at Hobart. Then against Victoria he made 128 in 3£ hours without a chance ; in the fourth test he scored 92, when nearly everyone else failed, and 28; against N.S.W . he ran up 81 (2J hours) and 160 (3f hours), he and Faulkner adding 318 runs together in the second innings ; and if he did little in the last test it may- fairly be said that his turn to fail had come. His batting average in the tests was the good one of 38, only Faulkner and Zuleh being ahead of h im ; in all first-class matches he stood first with 1454 runs at 60-58 per innings. His 16 wickets cost over 40 runs each. In the trials at Johannesburg for the selection of the present team he played in the first and third games, scoring 10 and 61 for the Best of South Africa v. the Transvaal, and 147 for Tancred’s X I. v. Lewis’s X I., when he and Sibley Snooke added 172 runs together for the fourth wicket. But, said the critics, it was not really a good innings ; he did not shape in his best form. Curious how often Nourse makes long scores when reputed not in form ! His figures for the Greyville C.C. in 1911-2 were 332 runs at 47-42 per innings, and 32 wickets at 8-65 each. Yet some people said, too, that he had lost his bowling! The fact of the matter is that Nourse has never been given enough bowling to do in big matches. Useful day in and day out, he can be deadly when he gets a wind that blows across and makes his flight deceptive, and it is likely that his fastish left-handers will be utilised more during this tour than they were in 1907. Thus far in England his batting has been more markedly con- listent than that of any other member of the team, though he did little in the first test, getting out in each innings just when he seemed set. W ith only two long scores—94 v. Oxford and 137 v. Northants — he has already scored over 500 runs with an average exceeding 40, and against Surrey he bowled particularly well. On the ground of style Nourse must doubtless be ranked inferior to the great Australian left-handers—Hill, Bardsley, and Bansfoid. But he is not so very far behind them, and for consistency no South African batsman except Faulkner—and he is scarcely as level as Dave—has ever approached him. Those big hands of his can hold anything they clutch, and if many have the advantage of him iu mobility few are surer in the field than he. Thirty-six years of age, Arthur Nourse—who is only “ Dave” by common usage, but will always be Dave to Afrikanders—should have years more cricket in him yet, and in any case he has done enough to warrant his being reckoned among the great ones of the game. J. N. P e n t e l o w . The Idol. (Jessop is playing in the second Test.) JESSOP—the name seems to ring Like the crack of a whip ; A sharp, sudden sting, That strikes on the ear, Yet is sweet in its grip. Jessop—men grin when he comes, And they chuckle with glee ; The ring loudly drums Its echoing welcome— Such magic hath he ! Jessop—a twinkle of sun Seems to wink from his blade ; Our slogger’s begun— The ball skims away— You might deem it afraid ! •Tessop—a crouch full of fight, Like a tiger at bay ; Then swifter than light A spring—and a flash— And again it’s away ! .Tessop— the spell that he casts Makes the battle more keen : The while that he lasts The sun’s twice as bright And the field twice as green. .Tessop—no man more alive W ith Agility’s thews ; The ’Boks hard may strive— If Jessop be with us, Not likely we’ll lose ! Jessop—here’s luck in the T e s t; B y Good Fortune’s decrees May you be most blest—- If you do give a chance, May the poor devil sneeze ! P h il is t in e . Principal Matches of Next Week. June 10, 11, 12—Lord’s, England v. South Africa. ,, 10, 11, 12—-Bradford, Yorkshire v. Australians. „ 10, 11, 12—Bristol, Gloucestershire v. Sussex. ■ ,, 1 0 ,1 1 ,1 2—Northampton, Northamptonshire v. Kent. ,, 10, 11, 12— Stourbridge, Worcester v. Leicester. „ 10, 11—Newcastle, Northumberland v. Cheshire. „ 12, 13— Sunderland (Ashbrooke), Durham v. Cheshire. „ 13, 14, 15—Lord’s, Middlesex v. Yorkshire. „ 13, 14, 15— Leyton, Essex v. Surrey. „ 13, 14, 15—Hove, Sussex v. Kent. „ 13, 14, 15— Derby, Derbyshire v. Hampshire. „ 13, 14, 15—Nuneaton, Warwickshire v. Leicestershire. ,, 13, 14, 15—Manchester, Lancashire v. Australians. „ 13, 14, 15—Nottingham, Notts, v. South Africans. „ 13, 14— Oval, Surrey 2nd X I. v. Glamorganshire. „ 13, 14—Hertford, Hertfordshire v. M.C.C. ,, 15— Forthill, Forfarshire v. Fife. „ 15— Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire v. Stirlingshire.