Cricket 1912

18 CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. F e b . 24, 1912. more victims, as he had been keeping a splendid length all he afternoon ; but it was a day when the wicket appeared too short for him. As it was his figures were two for 2 9 , but he deserved better. He is one of the six Duiban cricketers whose names have been submitted for participation in the forthcoming Test Trials at Johan­ nesburg, and his chance of going to England is fancied by not a few. A t the conclusion of Escombes’ innings, which terminated for the modest total of 6 9 — that promising young batsman, Basil Siedle, being top-scorer for his side for the second time this season, with a sterling 26— I was soon jo ned by the player I had come to talk with ; and it was not long before we were both comfortably seated in a quiet corner of the pavilion, discussing tea and other matters, with an eye each to the match in the intervals of our conversation. “ You had wretched luck, Mr. Cox, with your bowling this afternoon.” ‘ ‘ Yes, I really had, but didn’t Nourse bow l splendidly? D o you know, I would have given a good deal to take my namesake’s w icket.” “ R ea lly ; may I ask w h y ? ” I replied, though I could guess at his feelings in the matter. ‘ ‘ Well, it is like this. Last season I took Alec Hearne’s wicket the first ball he stood up to in League cricket. Altogether I had him on three occasions out of four, and before he left Durban he jokingly remarked that he would have (o give me best.” ‘ ‘ You have still a chance anyhow to equal that record as far as your namesake is concerned, ” I returned , ‘ ‘ but what do you think of his bowling ? ” ‘ ‘ I consider he always commands respect, and that when he gets better used to the matting he will take quite a lot of wickets in League cricket. I particularly admire that deceptive hanging ball of his.” “ Yes, there is no doubt he is still a fine bowler, though hardly as deadly as he was a year or two back. But about yourself, Mr. C ox ; how long have you been playing cricket ? ” ‘ ‘ Ever since I can remember. I first played serious cricket for my school, St. Charles’s College, Maritzburg. On leaving school I joined the Guild and afterwards the Pirates, both junior clubs. During that time I played for Maritzburg twice in the Junior Inter-town against Durban. On coming to Durban to live some five years ago, I tried to get into the Greyville Club. I was, however, unsuc­ cessful at first, so I joined the Zingari. After one season with that club, partly through the influence of Mr. King, who spoke strongly for me, I joined m y present club, and this is my fourth season with them.” ‘ ‘ Have yon always been a bowler ? ” “ Yes, from the very first, and I may say that I am constantly trying to improve. I do not trouble so much about batting, as I find it interferes with my bowling ; but I can generally manage to knock up a few runs. As a fieldsman, my usual place is in the slips.” ‘ ‘ What has been, on the whole, your most successful season ? ” ‘ ‘ Why, the last, certainly ; for besides being top in my club’s bowling averages, I came out first for Natal in the Currie Cup matches, being also second in the whole tournament’s bowling averages. Then, two seasons ago, I headed my club’s bowling, and was first for all Durban as well.” “ I congratulate you on being selected to represent Natal in the Trial games at Johannesburg next month, and I hope it will lead to your going home with the South African team.” ‘ ‘ Thanks very much for your good wishes. I should certainly like to go to England, and it will be no fault of mine if I don’t, for I mean to work hard for it.” “ But how would such a possibility affect you as far as your business is concerned ? ” ‘ ‘ I don’t think I need anticipate any trouble in that quarter, for I am entitled to my long leave next year.” “ And how do you think you would come off on the home wickets ? ” ‘ ‘ I can hardly say ; but I don’t see any reason why I should not do fairly well after a little practice. There is one thing certain, I should not have such an experience as this afternoon’s very often on turf wickets. You must have noticed that, although I was continually beating the bats­ men, I just missed the wicket by inches time after time.” “ Yes, I saw that. But you must remember that the majority of the home wickets tend to tone down a bowler’s pace very considerably. Of course there are some grounds, such as Lord’s, for instance, which would not seriously interfere with that nip off the pitch of yours.” ‘ ‘ Yes, I quite understand the difficulties I should have to contend with, and I know what a vast difference there is between matting and turf wickets.” ‘ ‘ B y the way, I see that Nicol, your club’s wicket­ keeper, has also a good chance of going to Johannesburg for the trials.” “ Yes, and very glad I was when I heard that his name had been submitted. He thoroughly deserves this recognition, and, in my opinion, is quite as good as, if not better than, either Campbell or Ward, of the Transvaal. Of course, like myself, he is no batsman ; but, then, how many wicket-keepers are ? ” ‘ ‘ Just so ; but unfortunately for him the Transvaalers you mention will have the advantage of him in that respect; even though, as batsmen, there is nothing very great about them. I honestly admired the way Nicol took your bowling and Nourse’s this afternoon.” “ Yes, and he can take Davidson’s just as well, only it is Nourse’s notion to stick him far back behind the wicket to our fast bowler. It makes an extra man in the slips, in a sense, too. You saw how nicely he had Salmon this afternoon ? ” F r e d e r i c k S etay . Cricket in Natal. D u rban , December 2, 1911. Another series of matches in the Durban Senior League was finished to-day. So far this season the weather has been wretched, and cricketers have had only one fine Saturday afternoon. At Lord’s main ground Wanderers beat Queen’s Park by 42 runs on the first innings. B. E. Burne’s 79 for the winners was a sterling innings of the punishing type. He was well caught on the rails by E. D. Taylor, an elder brother of H. W ., the Durban crack. Tom Cradock played a watchful innings of 46, lasting two hours, for the losers. Cradock is a really good all-round cricketer, but hardly as keen on the game as he might be. G. C. Collins, skipper of Queen’s Park, was unwell but turned up to play like a true sportsman. He did nothing, however, and both Henwood and H. W . Taylor also failed. '1he last named has had no luck thus fa r; but he is diligently practising new strokes, and a big score is bound to come from him before long. There was really nothing worth noting in the other match at Lord’s, between Zingaii and Escombes, except—as it may interest Old Country readers—that George Cox was out lbw. for four. At Albert Park Oval, Greyville easily beat Casuals. Nourse top-scored, as usual, and two of Natal’s international candidates, D. J. Nicol and Joe Cox, made some useful runs—a fact the better worth noting as batting is not the forte of either The Maritzburg matches do not run concurrently with ours, as they are finishing games while we are starting them. In each city two Saturday afternoons are given to a match, an Australian metln d which has caught on in South Africa. G. C. An^er-on, after a f-hort time at Ladysmith, has come back to the Natal capital like a giant refreshed, and is thought by some to be the best all-round cricketer in Maritzburg to day. Details of the Maritzburg v. Zingari match were given in a former letter; but one harks back to Anderson’s 86 not out because good judges say that no finer hitting has been seen on the Maritzburg Oval for years past. Samuelson has not yet done much with the ball, but he made 40 in very nice style for Ziugari, being top scorer. H. F. Dowling, a capital bat, scored the first century of the season in Maritzburg. Brief details of matches (Maritzburg v. Zingari was giveu earlier): Nov. 18 and 25 at Maritzburg.—Maritzburg College v. Standard. College ICO—W. A. Clarkson 51. Standard 247—H. F. Dowling 131, N. G. Addison 35. For Standard F. A. Morris had 3 wickets for 6. Nov. 25 and Dec. 2 at Durban.—Wanderers v. Queen’s Park. Wanderers 173—B. E. Burne 79 ; and 128 for one wicket—Burne 4(i, C. Smith 44 not out, G. P. Davies 30 not out. Queen’s Park 131— T. T. Cradock 46. C. Smith took 5 wickets for Wanderers, Cradock and C. Platt 4 each for Queen’s Park. Nov. 25 and Dec. 2 at Durban.— Zingari v. Escombes. Zingari 127—H. Rachmann 44; and 45 for 9. Escombes 96. L. D. Dalton