Cricket 1912

210 CEICKET : A WEEKLY EECOED OF THE GAME. J une 8, 1912. L a n c a s h ir e v . K e n t . — Sharp’s third century of the season and his partnership of 110 (in 90 minutes) for the third wicket with John Tyldesley were the only outstanding features of the Lancashire innings. Sharp’s brilliant innings was chanceless, and lasted 3 brs. 25 min. On a damaged pitch on Saturday Humphreys batted with skill and pluck for 100 minutes, but no one else did much in the first innings. In the follow-on Hardinge and Hutchings fought hard; but Dean’s splendid bowling—15 for 108 in the match—gave his side victory. H ampshire v . D erbyshire .—The visitors’ captain won the toss for the fifth time in succession. Derbyshire’s wretched luck ought to change soon, if he can continue in these good courses. Leonard Oliver (fourteen 4’s, nearly 3 hrs. at wicket) and Arnold Warren, who added 105 for the third wicket in 70 minutes, batted w ell; but the rest did not play in their Leyton second innings form. Mead made four catches in the slips. The Derbyshire bowling, though Warren’s knee had recovered sufficiently to enable him to do his share, presented no difficulties to the Hants’ batsmen. Captain Barrett made a century; Johnston and Fry contributed substantial scores; and all but Brown and Newman reached double figures. Stone and Johnston sent up 61 for the first wicket; Johnston and his captain added 108 for the third. Barrett batted 135 minutes, hit two 6’s and fourteen 4’s, and played a considerable part of his innings on a kicking wicket. Rain made a delay after luuch ; on resumption Oliver left at once, but Cadman and Morton were still unparted when the heavens again wept, and stumps were drawn. S u r r e y v. S u s s e x .— Sussex very nearly succeeded in snatching a great victory at the Oval. All the excitement was reserved for the last day. On the first Hayes and Hayward added 76 for the second Surrey wicket, and Ducat and Hayward 106 for the third. Hayward batted about 3 hours, and averaged a chance per h ou r; but the Sussex men were not taking them—they like seeing Tom bat, and, the chances apart, it was a rare good innings. Eighteen 4’s were included. Ducat played beautiful cricket. There was nothing worth calling a stand in the visitors’ first; rain had damaged the pitch, and Eushby’s bowling kicked nastily. The Star of the East showed his old form for 59. Sussex followed on, 164 in arrears—exactly half the Surrey total. The Jam Sahib, Albert Belf, and Vine all did something; but the stand of the innings, and a rare good one too, was that made by Robert Belf and Bertie Chaplin—94 in 70 minutes for the sixth wicket. If only the Sussex tail had wagged! Surrey needed no more than 77 for victory. Simms and the elder Relf bowled finely; 5 wickets were down for 29, and excitement grew intense. Were these men of the martlet badge, who have grown used to getting licked, to bring off a miraculous win ? It was a splendid catch by Philip Cartwright that sent Hobbs back, and the fielding was very keen. Morice Bird proceeded to lay about him at once. Young Abel backed him up gamely, hitting three 4’s ; his skipper hit a 6 and three 4’s. They added an invaluable 39; but both had to go before the end came with a four from Razor Smith’s bat. L e ic e s t e r s h ir e v . N o tts .— The home side.tried a new man in H. King, of the Ivanhoe club, a right-hand medium pace bowler. The giant Joyce—pity he cannot play regularly!—was absent. Except for a stand of 78 for the second wicket by Wood and Knight, and some hitting by Shields towards the end, the Leicestershire first innings was very undistinguished. In their second John King batted very steadily for 41, and Mounteney hit up 38 in 15 minutes ; therest did nothing. In between John Gunn, who likes the Leicester bowling but nowadays hates being hurried, took five mortal hours to score 107 ; but his skipper travelled much faster, making his 84 in 140 minutes. These two added 130 for the fourth wicket. Shipman was crocked—Leicestershire’s luck ! Wass sprained his knee on the first d ay ; but it was evidently not at all a serious injury, as he was able to bowl on Saturday. Notts, won quite easily in the end. W ith another good bowler, they might be in the running for the championship. O x fo r d U n iv e r s it y v . M r. H. K. F o s te r ’ s W o r c e s te r s h ir e X I. —Not a great game, though the finish was good. Many cracks were absent, and the Dark Blues showed up badly in their second innings, but pulled off a win by 14 runs in the end. Pearson was top scorer in each innings of the visitors, and had one spell of bowling in which he took 4 wickets for 8 runs in 85 balls. Knott, Campbell, Crutchley, Naumann and Foljambe— the last-named, who was playing for the first time, the freest and perhaps the best of them all—made runs for the winners, and Vidler and Fraser (leg-breaks) bowled very well, while in the lastinningsTwining stumped two and caught two batsmen. R o y a l N a v y v . R o ya l A r m y . — Some good bowling by Staff- Surgeon Skey for the Navy and Captains Wyatt and Baird for the Army- - Wyatt has played for the Orange Free State in South African cricket, and Baird was with the M.C.C. team in the Argentine —and a stand of 62 by Captain T. C. Spring (Somerset) and P. G. Robinson (Gloucestershire) were the chief features of Thursday’s play. On Friday D. C. Robinson and the Somerset man hit 138 for the fourth wicket, both playing fine cricket. Robinson stopped short at 88, but Spring passed into three figures. Lieut. H. J. Orr’s 7 for 74 in an innings of 375 was splendid work, So was Lieut. Abercrombie’s hard-hit level hundred in 130 minutes when most of his comrades failed. As was the case last year, the Army won. O x fo r d U n iv e r s it y v . M.C.C.— Seldom does it happen that the M.C.C. can collect so strong a team to send to either ’Varsity as that which went to Oxford. The home side lacked Evans and Vidler, and played G. D. Forrester and G. D. Wood. W. G. Druce—pity he is so seldom seen in big cricket I—made an admirable 60 in 90 minutes, and while Burns was in with him 57 were put on in 35; Jessop and the Jam Sahib scored 82together in 50. The earlier Oxford batsmen played well, Campbellshaping much better than in any previous match this season. He and Foljambe added 43 for the second wicket, and Forester helped him to put on 68 in 40 minutes for the third. Before the fine bowling of the old Dark Blue, Gilbert, the rest went down cheaply on a damaged pitch on Wednes­ day. Then Jessop had another smack, and tho M.C.C. declared; but rain put a stopper to proceedings. S o m e r s e t v . H a m p s h ir e .— M. P. Bajana, the Parsi, played a delightful innings of 75, scoring crisply all round the wicket, and the first two Somerset wickets realised 92. Not much was done after Bajana got out, after making 85 (sixteen 4’s) in 100 minutes— no end good going, that. A very curious incident occurred during the partnership of Stone and Bowell, who sent up 87 for the first Somerset wicket, the stumper making the bulk of the runs. Greswell dropped the ball in the act of bowling. Stone ran down the pitch, and claimed that he had a legal right to hit it to the boundary ; but Bowell picked it up, and handed it to Greswell. Braund, keeping wicket in lieu of Chidgey (hurt), shouted to Greswell to take a shy at Stone’ s wicket; but the old Reptonian declined. The umpire held that the delivery must count in the over, wherein it seems he erred ; the better plan would have been to disregard it. There was little interest left in the game on Wednesday, and only a brief period of play was possible, rain intervening just after the visitors had made the runs necessary for points on the first innings. Mead played well for 61 not out. N o t t in g h a m s h ir e v . K e n t .— “ Ought Hutchings to have sent Notts, in first?” And didn’t A. O. J. wish he had? Kent only made 113, Humphreys batting 75 minutes for 21. Wass and Riley had good figures ; but Blythe and Woolley quite outdid them, and John Gunn’s 9 was the highest score in the lowest first-class total of the season thus far. Kent lost 4 wickets for 34 before time. There the match ended, the third day being a blank. D e r b y s h ir e v . S u s s e x .— Cricket between the showers. With Cox, Leach, and Vincett back the Sussex team had quite a familiar look again, though Butt was absent. His deputy, Street, was promoted to first in, and, showing sound defence, actually made by far the highest score. Morton bowled w ell; he generally does, but has not always as much help from the wicket, though perhaps that was not as difficult as some of the batsmen thought it. Oliver and Cadman did well for the first Derbyshire wieket; but the whole side went for 98. Cox, having a “ nice piece of pudding” to bowl upon, took 8 for 24. Good man, Cox— one does not like to see him left out of the side. Sussex put on 26 without the loss of a wicket before stump drawing. On Wednesday play was impossible. C a m b r id g e U n iv e r s it y v . S o u th A fr ic a n s .. —Tancred captained the Afrikanders, and showed a desire to be original by putting on Herbert Taylor first with Faulkner. It would have been a stroke of genius if it had come off, of course; but as it did not the critics are sure to be asking why on earth he did it. Faulkner took the five wickets that fell on the first day, Carter, at a very cheap rate, the five on the second. Knight, the Leatherhead freshman, showed considerable ability under conditions that found practically everyone else wanting. Taylor and Hartigan started so well for the Afrikanders as to send up 70 in 40 minutes. There was a slump before Mulholland’s slows after this, but later Tancred—whom one is glad to see in the field again—hit well, and he and Strieker added 92 for the seventh wicket. The visitors’ score exactly doubled that of the Light Blues, who, going in again, could only make 132 against Faulkner, Schwarz, and Carter. Riley, the Worcester Royal Grammar School boy, and Kidd alone made any real resistance. It was curious that top score in each innings should have been made by a freshman. Y o h k s h ir e v. S u r r e y . —First day—rain. Second day—more rain. Third day—abandoned. L a n c a s h ir e v. E s s ex .— As above. M id d le s e x v . A u s t r a lia n s . —E. S. Litteljohn played for the first time this season, and B. J. T. Bosanquet for the first time since 1908. The opening day’s play consisted of about 90 minutes’ cricket, Tarrant batting 80 minutes for 20, and young Hearne showing excellent form. The second day’s play consisted of bridge in the pavilion—possibly. Anyway, there was nothing done in the middle. On Wednesday the match was abandoned.