Cricket 1912

J u n e 15, 1912. CEICKET: A WEEKLY EECOED OF THE GAME. 231 Cricket: A W E E K L Y RECO R D OF THE GAME. 33 and 35, MOOR LANE, LONDON, E.C. SATURDAY, J U N E 15, 1912. Communications to the Editor should be addressed to him at 33 & 35 Moor Lane, E.C. Advertisements, Subscriptions, &e., should be sent to the Manager, at the same address. The following are the rates of subscription to C k ic k e t :— Great Britain. Abroad. One Year ............................ 6s. 3d. ... 7s. 6d. The 24 Summer Numbers ... 5s. Od. ... 6s. Od. The 6 Winter Numbers ... Is. 3d. ... Is. 6d. NOTICE. Messrs. WRIGHT & CO., of 7 , Temple Lane, Tudor Street, E.C., are Advertisement Contractors for CRICKET, and w ill be glad to give their best attention to any Firms desiring to advertise in the paper. Scale of Charges will be sent on application. lptavilton (Bosstp. The abstract and brief chronicle of the tim e. — Hamlet . O n Thursday in last week Somerset totalled 44 in an innings v. Derbyshire, Sussex 49 in an innings v. Notts., Leicestershire 91 for 13 wickets, v. Kent, Derbyshire 131 for 14 wickets v. Somerset, and Cambridge 17 for 6 wickets v. the Australians— 332 for 53 wickets (average 6'2 per wicket) in first-class crick et! The other sides which batted on the same day did better : but in the six matches in which play was possible only 1,477 runs were made for 107 wickets. I n the week’s first-class cricket 4,616 runs were scored and 282 wickets fell—average 16'3 Two matches were abandoned entirely. Of the fifteen played only three were finished. On Saturday play was only possible in one match out of six. During the week Lancashire had five totally blank days, and Yorkshire and Essex four each. Setting aside the matches not started, seven players —E. M. Sprot, H. V. Hesketh-Prichard, Newman, Kennedy, Murrell, Mignon, and J. T. Hearne— figured twice on the cards during the week, but never went to the wicket at all. The Hants captain might as well have stayed abroad a little longer. A m o n g the week’s bowling feats were :—• Blythe, 15 for 45 (7 for 9, first innings), Kent v. Leicester­ shire. Wass, 13 for 130 (6 for 16, first innings), Notts, v. Sussex. G. A. Faulkner, 10 for 101, South Africans v. Camb. Univ. King, 8 for 26, Leicestershire v. Kent. C. P. Carter, 8 for 51 (5 for 17), first innings), South Africans v. Camb. Univ. W. T. Greswell, 8 for 65, Somerset v. Derbyshire. Morton, 7 for 16, Derbyshire v. Somerset. Relf (A. E.), 6 for 31, Sussex v. Notts. Drake, 6 for 35, Yorkshire v. Essex. B l y t h e has been a thorn in the side of Leicestershire ever since that county and Kent first met ; in twelve matches he has taken 116 wickets for 1,247 runs, less than 11 each, his analyses including such as 16 for 102, 15 for 45, 13 for 136, 11 for 63, 11 for 175, 10 for 110, 10 for 149, and 9 for 76. I t cannot be said that Wass has hitherto troubled Sussex very markedly as a rule, though in the two matches of 1907 he took 23 of their wickets for 229 runs, and in 1902 had a great time at Hove with 12 for 41. In his 27 matches against Sussex he has taken 134 wickets at an average cost of 22-5 ea,ch. F. H. K n o tt at Oxford, and W . B. Franklin and F. C. Gough Calthorpe at Cambridge, have all been given their blues. If the old blues available all retain their places, this will leave room for only one more in the Oxford team—Bardsley and Altham are eligible, though neither has turned out yet—and three or four more in the Cambridge side. The old blues who are to be counted out as no longer eligible are Le Couteur, Braddell, Brougham, and Pawson (Oxford), Collins, Falcon, Ireland, Mann, and Baggallay (Cambridge). But I have heard nothing as to the likeli­ hood of Prest’s playing again. Knight, Riley, and Patteson seem well in the running at Cambridge, and it will be hard lines on Crutchley if he again narrowly misses his ambition at Oxford. I v e r y much regret to learn that Sydney Santall, who has worked so long and so finely for Warwickshire, has been compelled to lie up through the bursting of a blood-vessel. Let us hope that he will soon be back in his place, fit as ever, and ready to do any amount of work. He may be counted among the veterans now, but the champions cannot spare him. T h e Nottinghamshire Guardian states that Warren Bardsley is a cousin of the Wrights, those wonderful American airmen, one of whom, Wilbur, died a week or two ago. C ome now, memories, ghosts of Lord’s, or the Oval “ W. G .” in his prime I see, black-bearded, ungainly, autocratic, W ith huge, thoughtful, bound-reaching stroke ; A luring, slow, aerial trundler, Incredulous of umpires'. Spofforth, greyhoundish, lean, indefatigable, Furious, the problem before him ; The wrist-sleeve masking the uncertain orb. Ranji, alert, oriental, perfidious ! W ith swift, sudden, unguessed glances, The silk shirt flapping to and fro on the dusk body, Quivering, mystical sh irt! Bonnor, ambrosial, flaxen, gigantic, fleet! Shrewsbury, unexciting, each stroke a pattern, quietly perfect, a teacher. Blackham, prince behind stumps, gathering without fear Demon deliveries ; Oft wounded, ever returning ! All these and others many I see as I lounge and lean on the rails; All these and others many I see, and I remember. From “ Cricket I Sing,” by Stephen Phillips (after Walt Whitman) in the Westminster Gazette. I w o n d e r what the Beckton crack, Swann, thinks of county cricket ? Four blank days—part of a day’s fielding — sent in tenth— the second victim in a hat trick ! It was not a gorgeous week. But Swann will probably make plenty of runs for the county in the future. Sutton, his club mate, is also likely to recall his first county match with no special pleasure. But these things will happen. T h e weather record for matches at Bath since 1897, when the ground was first used for Somerset games, is simply deplorable. Of the 45 matches set down for decision there in the 14 years 1897-1911 inclusive only 18 have not been interfered with by rain to a more or less serious extent. The two of last week were entirely spoiled. M atc h es with Hampshire have almost always been interfered with by the weather at Bath. In 1898 there was only 2 \ hours play in the Hants match ; in 1903 it had to be abandoned altogether ; in 1905 there was little play on the first day, none at all on the second, and only about 2 hours on the third ; in 1908 no play was possible on the third day till 4 o ’clock ; in 1909 rain hindered progress on all three da ys; in 1910 the first day was blank, and the game could not be started till 1 o ’clock on the second ; last year there were again delays owing to rain. Braund had Somerset v. Surrey in 1908 for his benefit ; but all the play that took place was between 3 a,nd 6.30 on the