Cricket 1912

238 CEICKET: A WEEKLY EECOED OF THE GAME. J un e 15, 1912. H. GRADIDGE & SONS, Manufacturers and Exporters of all requisites for Cricket, Lawn Tennis, Racquets, Squash Racquets, &c. North Staffordshire shared in Saturday’s downpour, and four games out of six were spoiled. Knypersley (96) beat Tunstall (33), G. Cooper (6 for 15) and Sedgwick (4 for 11) being practically un­ playable. Leek (H. Ellerton 38) made 156 v. Burslem, who at one time looked quite like winning, George Wilson hitting up 44 in 15 minutes, but buffered a slump later, and were all out for 126. At Norton, Stoke had 104 up for one wicket—Percy Briggs (49*) and Nichols (35*) having put on 67 together after the fall of the first. Then —rain ! For Silverdale W. Brown played a fine innings of 69* v. Stone. In the Porthill—Longton and Fenton-Crewe Alexandra matches not enough was done to be worth comment. It is a curious coincidence that in the League’s Second Division Tunstall II. went down to Knypersley II. for 50, and as in the case of the first team without a single double-figure score. There was one century in the district outside the Leagues—F. Gatenbury’s 100 for Calverhall v. Nantwich. other that really calls for mention is F. E . Woodhead’s 78 for Eowling Old Lane v. Keighley. There were one or two close finishes, Featherstone beating Birstall by two runs—96 to 94—and Morley and Ossett, old rivals, having a tough tussle, which ended in the former’s favour by 15—96 to 81. In the Tyneside Senior League North Durham beat St. George’s (the champions) by 11 runs. Dick Harrison, the county pro., 6 for 41, and second highest scorer with 29, J. A. Robinson making 39, was the chief figure in this success. C. M. Skinner had 6 for 37, and H. S. Robinson made 47* for the losers. G. Thompson for Benwell Hill, hit up 53 in remarkably short time v. South Northumberland —three 6’s and six 4’s included. G. Milne made eleven 4’s in his 50, and had 5 for 41. Benwell Hill won by 71 runs. Reblading Cricket bats and Restringing Tennis bats a Special feature. Pa ten tees and Sole makers o f the “ I M P E R I A L D R I V E R ” Cricket Bats made in Men’s, Small Men’s, College, 6, 5, 4, & 3, sizes. Every other requisite for Cricket, including balls, leg guards, batting gloves, gauntlets, stumps, nets, &c. Price L ists and Special Quotations free . ALL GOODS CARRIAGE PAID TO ANY PART OF THE UNITED _____________________ _____________ KINGDOM. Sole Makers o f the “ Imper ial D r i v e r ” and “ Improved G r ad i d g e ” Lawn Tennis Racquets. F a c t o r y 1: — ARTILLERY PLAGE, WOOLWICH, S.E. The Birmingham League suffered even more. Not one game was finished, and very little progress was made in any. Further north conditions were better. But wickets favoured bowlers, and the feature of Lancashire League games was the success achieved with the ball by half-a-dozen pros., all county men of greater or less fame. Thus :— Norbury, 8 for 40, East Lancashire v. Church. Kerinode, 7 for 28, Bacup v. Rawtenstall. Hartington, 6 for 23, Haslingden v. Ramsbottom. Newstead, 6 for 24, Rishton v. Todmorden. Gill, 6 for 29, Todmorden v. Rishton. Hallam, 6 for 37, Nelson v. Colne. Todmorden beat Rishton by the narrow margin of 3 runs, and Church defeated East Lancashire by 9 runs only. In the Central Lancashire League Rochdale and Moorside each went out for a total of 25. All the bowling feats recorded above were outdone by L. C. Arnold, who for Bradford v. Skipton took 7 for 5! Coyle had 6 for 22 (Halifax v. Elland), and Oldroyd, the Yorkshire colt, did a splendid performance for Dewsbury, and Savile v. Hopton Mills—9 for 32. He also scored 35, and helped E. H. Bourne, the Staffordshire crack, to send up 126 for the first wicket. Bourne’s 95 was the highest innings of the day in good matches in the big county, and the only Ryton (Richardson 48 and 7 for 45) beat Wallsend by 22 runs. Tynemouth smashed up Benwell. J. T. Tucker contributed 103, Hickton 41, and T. Whitehorn 35 to Tynemouth’s 232 for 6 declared ; Benwell could only make 42, not one man reaching double figures against the deadly bowling of Hickton and J. W. Wilkinson. Tyne- dale (L. D. Plummer 65) made 206 v. Backworth Percy, and got their opponents out for 85 (T. Smith 36). Special Club Notes. C o n t r ib u t e d b y “ T h e C h ie l .” Owing to the wretched weather last Saturday, many club secretaries had their hands pretty full all the morning in answering telephone messages from members and opposing teams. Cricketers have changed in this respect, as in others. In the old days, wet or fine, we always turned up. Not so now— really the telephone is too handy ! The trouble that many secretaries have to contend with is less with the members than with certain officials of a club. The secretary is responsible for getting the teams together, arranges the fixtures, and at the last moment wires to their opponents that his teams are coming. What is more