Cricket 1912

J u n e 8, 1912. CEICKET: A WEEKLY EECOED OF THE GAME. 213 Club Cricket Notes and Jottings. To A l l — b u t e s p e c ia l l y to C l u b S e c r e t a r ie s . This week circumstances have forced me to a step wrhich I regret, but which, I think, club secretaries will agree with me, when they have read my explanation of it, was quite unavoidable. That step is the summarising of club scores instead of giving them in full. When I circularised the secretaries of a large number of clubs in April, I said plainly that I could not guarantee the insertion of all scores, but that I hoped to be able to get in most of them. At the beginning of the season this looked quite feasible. But each week the number of scores received has increased. The issue of May 18 was enlarged by four pages to accommodate them. From that of May 25 five columns of scores were left over for want of space. Four pages were added to the June 1 issue, and still the space was not equal to the tax upon it. Furthermore old subscribers had begun to complain that club cricket was pushing everything else into the background. It is quite impossible at present to give 24 pages every week, and even that number would not hold all the scores sent in. So I have summarised. I have treated all alike, the big clubs and the smaller ones. It seems the only way. Some few readers will object, I fear; my hope is that they will only be a few. After all, a summary gives all the essential information, especially when every score of 20 or more is noted. I shall also be pleased to give in brief the analyses of successful bowlers, if forwarded. And this method will enable me to deal in some detail in these notes with incidents of real interest in the week’s cricket, and to have more room for general articles, club portraits, sketches, &c. The scores given in full this week are those unavoidably held over from the last issue. I have just picked up an old volume of C r ic k e t —that of 1891 — and have taken the number for July 23, quite at random. Any other summer number would serve my purpose equally well. That number consisted of 20 pages. Four of them were devoted to advertisements. There was a portrait, with biography, of Mr. G. L. W ilson; there were less than two pages of “ Pavilion Gossip ” ; the scores of eight important matches were given, with some account of each ; and there were 76 club scores. We are giving you better value than that now. There would be no chance for a paper consisting almost wholly of scores and advertisements in these days. Our portraits, general articles, sketches, and the like are appreciated, I know ; we must not let them be crowded out. And mark this ! Every one of those club scores in 1891 was paid for. In those times the sporting dailies did not cater for the clubs as they do now. I admit willingly that the system of payment by clubs for score insertions is out of date. I cannot say that I am glad it has become so. It helped to solve a very real difficulty. Think it over, will you, before you write in wratb, or make up your minds that you will discontinue the paper ? I am doing my best in a difficult position, and I ask you, as cricketers and good sportsmen, to allow for that and to continue your support. I shall be glad to have regularly from any club secretary his match scores— in the abbreviated form used this week or in full, as he pleases— and some details of the matches for this special article. That last is a point which I should like to emphasise. A summary with a few details is essentially more illuminating than the bare score in full. But perhaps I have said enough. I will only add for the benefit of hon. secs, in general, that the earlier the scores reach me the more is my labour lightened. If you fellows only knew what it means to reach this office on press-day, with galley after galley of proofs to correct, and to find there a whole pile of scores, all needing to be looked over for notes, and those notes written up—scores which might just as well have been sent 24 hours earlier—well, I really think you would sympathise! I hope in course of time to make my weekly summary a con­ spectus of all good cricket played in and around London and of much in a far wider area. At present some clubs whom I should welcome heartily hold. aloof. I think they may come in later. I believe that C r ic k e t is real good value, a belief which may not count for much in itself; but I am told daily by readers that it is so, and that should count. Among recent cards to hand is that of F in ch ley (E a st ) (Hon. Sec., Mr. W. S. Brocklebank, “ Inglethorpe,” Etchingham Park Road, Church End, Finchley: Hon. Match Sec., Mr. H. D. Smith, “ Holmedale,” Chislehurst Avenue, North Finchley), who run two teams, and play, among other sides, Albemarle and Friern Barnet, Highgate, North London, Paddington, Roehampton, Edgware, Luton, Edmonton, Barnet, Neasden, Cockfosters, and North Middlesex. The Week is August 5-10. The M e lr o s e C.C. which play at Manor Farm, East Finchley, is one of the many flourishing junior clubs whose number and standard are so healthy a sign in London club cricket of to-day. M r. S. Mason (16, Union Road, Tufnell Park) is Hon. Sec. Among the clubs met are Greville, Alexandra Park, Midland Railway, Postal, and St. John’s (Hampstead). Spencer had a rare holiday in Sussex at Whitsuntide. On the Saturday they beat Priory Park, Chichester, as already recorded. On Monday they put Havant through it to the tune of an inniugsand 18 runs, F. M. Barton making top score, and J. F. C. Wood and G. M. Lloyd bowling splendidly. No doubt they enjoyed this ; but one feels certain that the splendid tussle with Horsham on the Tuesday was even more to their taste. Horsham, thanks mainly to H. L. Wilson, the Suffolk captain, now living at Southwater, made 172. Spencer lost three wickets very cheaply to Roger Etheridge’s bowling ; but Larkin and Jennings did a little, and Gordon and Barton a great deal, and with Morey going strong at the finish the London club pulled through by 12 runs. Arlington and Leytonstone had quite as good a fight with Epping. Arthur Keeble turned out for the visitors, and was top scorer with 59. Total 207. Harold Halse bowled so finely that the home side had 9 wickets down for 123. Then Oakley and Allshorne batted with rare pluck and resolution, and added 68. With only 17 more wanted for victory it was anyone’s gam e; but then came a run-out, and Epping having died hard, were beaten. Walthamstow fell far below their proper form, and went under to Beckton on Saturday and to Chigwell on Monday. Finchley (East) saved the Saturday game with Highgate thanks to S. J. Smith and Horne, and won against Paddington on Monday, a result mainly due to the Smith clan. H. D. played another fine innings, 77 this tim e; S. J. made 47 ; and 9 of the 10 wickets fell to the three Smiths— S. J. 5, H. D. and D.G. 2 each. A glorious day’s cricket at Stanmore on Whit-Monday saw the home side beat the strong West Herts team by 145 runs, after declar­ ing. E. Wells’s splendid 125 was marred by only one chance, and he hit seventeen 4’s. C. F. Welch’s 87 included a 5 and eleven 4 s. There was a great finish, W . A. Barnes (whose figures were 6 for 47 on a perfect wicket) getting the last two men in the final over of the day. At Bemerton the Trojans and South W ilts made a tie on the first innings, both sides collapsing unexpectedly ; but a fine innnigs of 99 by Haigh-Smith (run out at 99—hard lines !) and a good 54 by M. B. Lawson gave the Trojans a lead which enabled them to declare though they could not get the home side out in time. There were 8 or 9 men playing who have appeared in county matches for Hants or Wilts. Sutton went down to Beddington—by two runs! The victory was not won until the last man went to the crease. E. C. Page’s batting and G. Reay’s bowling were the principal features in it. Sutton was not at full strength, it should be noted. On Wednesday at the Oval they decisively beat the Surrey Young Players, including Myers and Sandham. No time was wasted, for only two maidens were sent down in a match of 478 runs. C. L. Cole and R. M. Bell bowled w ell; the first wicket of Sutton put on 62, the second 84, and the third 66, T. C. Stafford scoring 87 and P. R. Waterer 68. Merton on Monday beat Forest Hill by two runs only—195 to 197. Southgate and Hampstead indulged in some biggish scoring on the Wednesday. E. J. Mann and J. A. E. Peschier sent up over 100 for the first wicket of the home side ; after that nothing big was done. One Hampstead man went cheaply; then J. G. Donaldson and G. H. Chaldecott made a long stand together. When time came Hampstead were only 73 behind the home side s score of 276, and had 8 wickets still in hand. A very similar result attended the meet­ ing of Ealing and Walham Green on the same day. Walham Green made 248, including a dashing 80 by J. Cockerell; Ealing ran up 209 for 7, their pro., Goodyear, playing a brilliant innings of 104, with only one chance, at 64. His cutting and off-driving were excellent. D. R. Osborne had 5 for 69, fine figures on such a wicket. A first-class innings of 94 by W . D. Bradley and the good bowl­ ing of Kirk and Mills gave L. C. and W. Bank a substantial win over Pinner, for whom H. D. Brierley played great cricket for 67, on Whit-Monday. On the same day the gentleman whom his friends