Cricket 1912

J un e 15, 1912. CEICKET: A WEEKLY EECOED OP THE GAME. 243 an d lo s t to a s tro n g s c r a tc h e le v e n b y 67 ru n s. C . G . B . S te v e n s ’s 5 fo r 5 5 w a s th e b e st th in g d on e fo r th e sch ool. M a lv e rn ( K n ig h t 79) b e a t th e A lie n s b y 5 w ic k e ts. M a rl­ b o ro u gh lo s t to a s tro n g H am p sh ire H o g s e le v e n , O liver an d B e a r d a lo n e sc o rin g o v e r 20. U p p in g h am ra n u p 16 7 fo r 8 a g a in s t th e T o w n , a n d th e n p u t o u t th e ir o p p o n en ts fo r 2 4 , C . M . M o rris t a k in g 6 fo r 9 ! C lifto n co u ld o n ly m a k e 68 v . L a n sd o w n , a n d w ere e a sily b e a te n . D u lw ic h b ro u g h t o ff a go o d w in a g a in st th e O ld W y k e h a m is ts, E . W . W a ite ’s a n a ly sis b ein g 5 fo r 14 . S t . B e e s , o n la t e s t a d v ic e s , h a v e lo s t th e ir u n b ea ten ce rtific a te . T h e M a ste rs m ad e 89 fo r 8 a g a in s t th e ir 5 1 , E sc o m b e w ith 4 1 a n d 7 fo r 2 6 d o in g n e a r ly a ll th e d am a g e . T h e n o n S a t u r d a y W h ite h a v e n d e c la re d a t 1 2 7 fo r 7 , a n d d ism isse d th e S c h o o l fo r 6 3 . O n b o th occasio n s th e w ick e ts w ere s o ft, b u t th e y w e re n o t r e a lly d iffic u lt, s a y s m y c o rresp o n d e n t. In th e w e st N e w to n C o llege (F . M . I . W a tts 66, J . W e st 7 w ic k e ts) a ll b u t b e a t B o v e y T r a c e y , 1 5 7 fo r 8 , d ec., to 1 1 0 fo r 9, tim e in te rv e n in g . M ill H ill b e a t U .C .S . (still la c k in g A sto n , a n d w e a k in h is ab se n ce ) b y a n in n in g s a n d 49. U .C .S . w e re d is­ m issed fo r 46 ; th e n S n e ll a n d G r iffith -Jo n e s s e n t u p 67 fo r th e firs t w ic k e t, a n d a fte rw a rd s H ig h a m m a d e a u sefu l sco re. V . J . G a rro w (8 fo r 37 ) b o w le d fin e ly fo r th e lo sin g sid e, b u t n o on e d id a n y th in g w ith th e b a t , th e secon d in n in g s t o t a l o f 3 7 b e in g e v e n w o rse th a n th e first. In U .C .S .’s fir s t th re e b o w le rs to o k tw o w ic k e ts e a c h , a n d th e o th e r fo u r m e n w e re ru n o u t b y b rillia n t field in g . In th e seco n d A itk e n to o k 6 fo r 1 5 . T h e w ic k e t w a s w e t, b u t n o t e x tra o r d in a rily d iffic u lt. T h e se c o n d e le v e n m a tc h w a s d ra w n in M ill H ill’s fa v o u r , a n d t h e y w o n t h e th ir d e le v e n g a m e ; b u t th e U .C .S . Ju n io r s p u lle d o ff o n e v ic to r y fo r t h e ir sch o o l. R a in in te rfe re d w it h th e H a ile y b u ry -W e llin g to n m a tc h , o f w h ic h t h e fu ll sco re a p p e a rs on a n o th e r p a g e . H a ile y b u r y h a d th e b e st o f th e d ra w , H . D . H a k e , th e ir c a p ta in , a n d N . M . H u g h e s -H a lle tt b a ttin g w e ll. A . B . T h o rn e (5 fo r 2 3 ) b o w le d fin ely . M an g er, th e W e llin g to n c a p ta in , w a s to p sc o re r fo r h is sid e. F r o m R u g b y I h a v e re c e iv e d p a r tic u la rs o f th e m a tc h e s th u s fa r p la y e d b y th e sc h o o l, a s u n d e r :— v . U n iv e r s it y C o lle g e . — -The S c h o o l, 3 0 2 ; B re t- h e rto n 8 3 , d e S e lin c o u rt 7 3 . U n iv e r s it y C o lleg e , 17 6 . v . L iv e r p o o l . — T h e S c h o o l, 1 3 3 . L iv e r p o o l, 1 3 2 . V ic t o r y b y a s in g le ! v . F r e e F o r e ste r s . — T h e S c h o o l, 76 a n d 298 ; B ic k e r s t e t h 66. F . F ., 1 1 0 a n d 26 9 . v . T r in it y C o lle g e (O x f o r d ). — T h e S ch o o l, 1 3 8 ; T rin ity C ollege, 2 18 . v . M .C .C .— T h e S c h o o l, 2 3 8 ; E llio t 90, S m it h 3 8 * ; M .C .C ., 1 3 0 fo r 8. U p n o rth S e d b e rg h w e n t d o w n to a s c ra tc h te a m , E . W a te r w o r th ’s 5 fo r 20 b e in g th e o n ly m erito rio u s fe a tu r e o f th e ir p la y . D u rh am c o lla p se d fo r 29 a g a in s t C a stle E d e n ’s 200 ; b u t w h e n t h e y fo llo w e d on d id a b it b e tte r, A . F . M a y n a rd sc o rin g 46 in a t o t a l o f 9 1. T h e se w e t, slo w w ic k e ts g e n e r a lly m e a n lo w sco res fo r th e e le v e n s o f p r e p a r a to r y sch o o ls a n d th e sm a lle r sch o o ls g e n e ra lly , b e c a u se th e a v e r a g e b o y o f fo u rte e n o r fifte e n s im p ly c a n n o t b e lie v e t h a t a w e t w ic k e t is n o t n e c e s sa rily d iffic u lt. B u t if L u d g r o v e c a n n o t sco re m a n y ru n s o n slo w w ic k e ts, t h e y a t le a s t k n o w h o w to g e t th e o p p o sin g sid e s o u t fo r fe w e r th a n th e y th e m se lv e s m ak e. O n W e d n e sd a y in la s t w e e k th e ir seco n d e le v e n p u t o u t E ls tr e e seco n d fo r 4 7 , a n d th e n ra n u p 79 ; on S a tu rd a y th e ir fir s t e le v e n ra n u p 78 v . N o rth a w P la c e , a n d th e n d isp o se d o f th e ir o p p o n en ts fo r 2 8 , T . A . R e n s h a w ta k in g 5 w ic k e ts. A n illu s tr a tio n o f th is te n d e n c y to c o lla p se on a s o ft w ic k e t m a y b e seen in th e p o o r sc o re o f 28 m a d e b y th e S ir R o g e r 'M an w o o d ’s G .S . b o y s v . W a lm e r a t S a n d w ic h , e v e n w it h th e a s s is ta n c e o f th re e m a ste rs. W a lm e r rep lied w ith 70 fo r 2 w ic k e ts. B u t I h o p e to h a v e b e tte r th in g s to re p o r t o f th e S a n d w ic h sc h o o l b efo re lo n g . O. B . C R IC K E T TOU RS OR DAY M A T C H E S.—Ex-County Cricketer open for engagement as Tour Manager, or for Umpiring or Scoring.— D a n ie l l , 32, R aul Road, Peckham , S .E . The Triangular Tests. S econd M atch : E ngland v . S outh A frica A t L ohd ’ s — I mpressions D ay by D ay . B y H am ish S tu a r t . The tragedy of that last fatal hour at Manchester on May 28 was repeated during the first hour at Lord’s on Monday ; but it was enacted in a different way and in different circumstances. At Manchester one felt that the incidental luck of the game had gone against South Africa, and that the moral factor had added to its many triumphs as chronicled in the story of “ tests.” But on Mon­ day one sought in vain for extenuating circumstances. The wicket, it is true, was extremely difficult when the South Africans were batting, yet its character had not changed when the home side took its turn. Here briefly is the tale of the tragedy—from the South African point of view. Play, owing to the wet state of the ground, was not possible until three o’clo ck ; then Foster and Barnes dismissed South Africa in 85 minutes for 58. England, after Hobbs had played on at 4, made 122 without further loss in the 100 minutes left for play, Spooner making 67, and Rhodes 36. Great events of this kind do not tell their own story greatly, for the bare facts, though significant, fail to indicate how badly the South Africans batted, how wrong their methods were, how casual was their fielding, and above all how poor was their bowling. The pitch from the first was one off which the ball came at all sorts of heights, angles, and velocities. It was a pitch on which a bowler bowling at or near the stumps and keeping a length was almost certain to get wickets, if he had any “ devil ” in his bowling at all. On such a wicket batsmen should have tried to get to the pitch of the ball if bowlers were keeping a length. It was not the sort of wicket on which cautious play or attempts to play oneself in were likely to be profitable. Yet this was the plan of play adopted by practically all the South Africans. Nourse was the only batsman to attempt daring methods, and in his case the departure from his usual game was perhaps fatal. Still he was the top scorer and the Only man to reach double figures. Several of the men were in two minds all the time. Schwarz, for example, jumped out to drive, then changed his m ind and made a late chop. The second time he did this he was out. Lllewellyn and Faulkner were victims of “ shooters,” and Snooke was a little unlucky to play on. Mitchell, like Schwarz, was a victim to irresolution. Hartigan made a fast-footed slash at a ball well up. But the full tale of the tragedy need not be told. Other sides have failed before and failed as badly under sim ilar conditions; but fewsides havegonedown so quickly and so cheaply through the adoption of cautious, indeed timid, methods when the right game was clearly to run risks and to go for the bowling. Foster and Barnes very wisely bowled at the stumps, kept a length, and let the wicket do the rest. Both had splendid figures; but they were flattered by the bad batting, Anyone could have bowled well in such encouraging circumstances, and on such a wicket. Indeed Blythe and Woolley, or W. C. Sm ith and Rushby, would probably have done all that Barnes and Foster accomplished. Few bowlers have had a better chance of achieving a big performance in a test than fell to this pair. They made the fullest use of their opportunity, yet, as I have said, the performance will appear a far greater feat than it was for those who saw it by the time it is merely a part of test history and the circumstances are forgotten. The English field­ ing was unequal, as the fielding of a side with few men in their usual positions must ever be. When England went in one did not know what would happen, and felt uncertain as to how the South African bowlers would perform on the pitch. What did happen was this. Hobbs after hitting the first ball of the innings—a full toss—to the off for four, pulled the third ball, which was well up and wide on the off, into his wicket. Then Spooner and Rhodes added 118 runs with­ out being parted by a curious m ixture of exceptionally good cricket and equally exceptionally good luck. For a parallel to such an adm ixture of good cricket and good luck one must go back to the second innings of the Gentlemen v. the Players at Lords in 1903, when on a difficult wicket—a fast and fiery pitch—the Gentle­ men made 500 for 2 wickets, F ry making 232 not out and M acLaren 168 not out. On Monday, both Spooner and Rhodes had, like Fry and MacLaren in 1003, many narrow escapes of being bowled ; but the bowling of 1903 was in every respect superior to that of Monday. Not one of the South African bowlers made proper use of the pitch. Pegler tried to do and did too much. He should have bowled his fast ball much more frequently. He was unlucky, however, and so was Faulkner. A s for the others, the less said the better. It is kindest to say nothing. Spooner’s scoring strokes were above even