Cricket 1912

252 CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. J une 22, 1912. is offered, fo r th e c o rre c t a n s w e r, a n d n o o n e w ill b e to ld w h e th e r h is a n s w e r is c o rre c t. F r o m th e H ig h la n d s com e th re e q u eries h a v in g th e u m p irin g q u e stio n a t t h e ir ro o t. A b o w le r d e liv e rin g ro u n d th e w ic k e t fo u n d t h e b a tsm e n p la y in g h is b re a k s w ith th e ir le g s. ( E v e n to th e fa r n o rth h a s t h a t d e te sta b le p r a c tic e p e n e tra te d , it se em s.) H e c h a n g e d to o v e r th e w ic k e t. A b a ll p itc h e d w ith in a n in c h o r tw o o f th e b a tsm a n ’s fo o t— w h ic h w a s p lu m p in fr o n t o f th e s tu m p s— a n d h it it. T h e b o w le r a p p e a le d . T h e u m p ire g a v e h is d ecisio n a s “ n o t o u t ,” o n t h e g ro u n d t h a t b e c a u se o f th e b r e a k th e b a ll w o u ld h a v e p a sse d th e w ic k e t. B u t h o w , a s k s m y c o rre sp o n d e n t, c o u ld h e ju d g e th e b re a k o n t h a t p a r tic u la r b a ll, w h ic h w a s g iv e n n o c h a n c e to b r e a k ? I th in k th e u m p ire w a s w ro n g ; b u t h e co u ld sh e lte r h im se lf b e h in d a c la u se o f L a w 2 4 , h is o p in io n— fo r w h a t i t w a s w o rth — b e in g t h a t th e b a ll w o u ld n o t h a v e h it th e w ic k e t. Q u e r y T w o :— A b a tsm a n h it a c a tc h in to th e d eep fie ld , a n d w a s c a u g h t b y a fie ld sm a n w h o se fe e t w e re a d m itt e d ly o u tsid e th e b o u n d a ry , th o u g h h is h a n d s as h e m a d e th e c a t c h w e re in sid e . O u t, o r n o t o u t ? N o t o u t, d e c id e d ly . A m a n w it h h is fe e t o u tsid e th e b o u n d a ry m u s t b e h e ld o u t o f p la y . T h is is n o t h a ir-s p littin g , a ft e r th e fa sh io n o f th e A u s t r a lia n u m p ire w h o g a v e a b a tsm a n o u t o u t w h e n s tu m p e d b y M r. “ F r iz z y ” B u s h , s a y in g : “ A h , M r. B u s h , I w a s w a tc h in g y o u , a n d your nose w a s o v e r t h e w i c k e t ! ” I f a m a n ’s p o sitio n is n o t to b e ju d g e d b y w h e re h is fe e t a r e , I d o n ’t k n o w h o w on e c a n ju d g e it. Q u e r y th r e e , h a v in g re fe re n c e to th e l a s t :— H a s th e c a p ta in o f a fie ld in g s id e t h e r ig h t t o g iv e a d ecisio n a s to w h e th e r a m a n is o u t o r n o t, e v e n if th e u m p ire s c a n n o t d ec id e ? C e r ta in ly n o t ! N o s u c h p o w e r is v e s te d in a c a p ta in , a n y m o re t h a n in a n y o th e r m em b e r o f e ith e r sid e . I n th is p a r tic u la r case th e c a p ta in o f th e field in g sid e h a d h is w a y , b u t t h a t p ro v e s n o th in g— e x c e p t t h a t h e w a s w h a t som e o n e so m e w h e re c a lls “ a d ash e d h a rb i- t r a r y g e n t .” M r. G eo r g e A l l s o p , th e S o u th A frica n m anager, w rites m e th a t th e list o f g u a ra n tors o f his te am as given in a recen t issue w as n o t com p le te , a n d sends th e fu ll list, w h ich I h a v e pleasure in g iv in g :— S ir G . A lb u , B a r t . ... £ 10 0 O tto B e it , E s q . 200 S ir A b e B a ile y , K .C .M .G ........................... ... 15 0 0 B o r d e r C ric k e t U n io n ... 2 1 0 C o n so lid a te d G o ld fie ld s, L t d . 200 F . E c k s te in , E s q . 10 0 S ir G eo rg e F a r r a r , B a r t . 10 0 S . B . J o e l, E s q . ... 39 0 H . J . K in g , E s q . 10 0 N a t a l C ric k e t A sso c ia tio n ... 500 M essrs. N e u m a n n & Co. 15 0 G eo rg e P a u lin g , E s q . 10 0 S ir L io n e l P h illip s , Bart-. 2 5 0 T r a n s v a a l C ric k e t U n io n ... 10 0 0 T o ta l ... ... £4900 sta ff. B u t h o w c am e th e M .O .C. to fix u p tw e n ty -fo u r m atc h e s w ith T e d d in g to n , a n d w h e n w e re th e o th e r tw e n ty - th re e p la y e d ? H it c h h a s ta k e n 8 w ic k e ts fo r S u r r e y tw ic e before la s t S a t u r d a y , b u t n e v e r a t q u ite so ch e ap a c o st, th o u g h h is 8 fo r 44 a g a in s t K e n t a t th e O v a l in 19 0 8 ap p ro ach ed h is L e y to n figu res. T h e o th e r in sta n c e w a s 8 fo r 79 v . S o m e rse t a t T a u n to n in 19 10 . I s B il l H itc h a L a n c a sh ire la d , o r w a s it a t R ad cliffe -o n - T re n t t h a t h e w a s b o rn ? I sh o u ld be g la d o f a u th e n tic in fo rm a tio n o n th e p o in t. A S o u th A fric a n frie n d , h a ilin g o rig in a lly fro m th e n eig h b o u rh o o d o f R a d c liffe , L a n c a sh ire , fa v o u rs th e N o tts n a t iv it y , on th e g ro u n d t h a t a t hom e he h a s n e v e r h e a rd B il l sp o k e n o f w ith b a te d b re a th a s th e son o f “ o w d H itc h o ’ t h ’ B a r n ,” o r a n y o th e r lo c a l p erso n ag e. T h is sam e co rre sp o n d e n t p o in ts o u t a d e fe c t— a lre a d y rem a rk e d u p o n in t h e Sportsman, I b e lie v e— in th e p oin t- sc o rin g sy ste m o f th e ch am p io n sh ip ; v iz ., t h a t p o in ts fo r th e first in n in g s le a d p e n alise co u n ties w ith a p ercen tag e o f o v e r 60, an d h e lp o n ly th o se w ith a p e rc e n ta g e below . T h is is q u ite o b vio u s w h e n on e co n sid ers t h a t 5 a re ad d ed to th e “ p o ssib le p o in ts ” an d 3 t o th e “ p o in ts o b tain e d ” c o lum n fo r a first in n in g s le a d , w h e re a s if th e re is n o re su lt on th e fir s t in n in g s e a c h t o ta l is “ a s y o u w e re .” T h e su g g e ste d am e n d m e n t is a ch a n g e fro m 8 t o 4. J u st la t e ly I h a v e h a d to b e a r, a n d h a v e b o rn e w ith fo rtitu d e , tw o o r th re e q u ite fr ie n d ly g ib e s on ac c o u n t o f sm a ll erro rs t h a t h a v e c re p t in to m y w o rk . ‘ ‘ W a n d e re r’s ’ ’ e a g le e y e s p o tte d th e fa c t t h a t “ R u s s e ll ” h a d ap p e a re d in e rro r fo r “ R o s s a ll.” O n W e d n e sd a y in la s t w e e k , c om in g fro m L o r d ’s , I r a n a g a in s t “ W a n d e re r ” a t S t. J o h n ’s W o o d R o a d S ta tio n , a n d t r a v e lle d w ith h im to K in g ’s C ross. I w ish i t h a d b e e n T h u r s d a y ! I sh o u ld h a v e a sk e d h im th e n t o e x p la in a c e rta in p a ssa g e in his “ L o o k R o u n d .” M e n tio n in g se v e ra l n e w m em b ers o f th e M .C .C ., h e s a id t h a t “ e le c te d a s c ric k e te rs, t h e y h a v e to q u a lify b y p a r tic ip a tin g in a c e rta in n u m b e r o f M .C .C . fix tu re s, a n d t h e la st-n am e d le d o ff w ith a cou p le o f d ozen v . T e d d in g to n .” T h e la st-n am e d w a s M r. L a w ra n c e W o o d h o u se o f th e Daily Mail. N o m o ss g ro w s on th e D .M ., a n d n o d o u b t M r. W o o d h o u se h u stle s w ith th e re st o f th e L a n c a sh ir e ’ s v ic to r y o v e r th e A u stra lia n s is o n ly th e seco n d t h e c o u n ty h a s a c h ie v e d in 1 7 m a tch e s a g a in s t team s fro m th e so u th e rn co n tin e n t. T h e o th e r v ic to r y w a s 24 y e a rs a g o , th e R e v . J . R . N a p ie r p la y in g a b ig p a r t in it. R . S . (Su ffo lk ) w e n t w ro n g in on e o r tw o in sta n c e s in his fig u re s, g iv e n on p a g e 9 3 o f th e A p ril 2 7 n u m b e r o f C r ic k e t . T h e A u s tr a lia n re c o rd a g a in s t M .C .C . w a s th e n 17 -5 -6 -6 (not 16 -5 -5 -6 ), a g a in st L a n c a sh ire 1 6 - 1 1 - 1 - 4 (n ot 17 - 11- 2 - 4 ) , a n d a g a in s t S u rre y 2 2 -10 -6 -6 (n ot 2 1-9 -6 -6 ). I g iv e th ese c o rrectio n s fo r th e ir ow n s a k e , a n d n o t w ith a n y d esign to c a s t reflectio n s on a v a lu e d c o n trib u to r. I n lo o k in g u p m y ow n fig u re s fo r p u rp o ses o f co rrectio n — p u t on th e tr a c k o f th e m issta te m e n t b y th e L a n c a sh ire b lu n d e r— I cam e acro ss th e lis t o f c en tu rie s fo r a n d a g a in st A u str a lia n te am s (eleven -a-sid e m atc h e s o n ly ) w h ic h I g iv e h e re u n d er, a s lik e ly to b e o f in t e r e s t : Matches Cents. Cents. Team. Year. played. for. against. F ir s t 18 7 8 1 7 i i S e co n d ... 18 8 0 1 1 i i T h ird .................................... 18 8 2 38 7 4 F o u r t h .................................... 18 8 4 3 2 5 1 2 F ift h .................................... 18 8 6 38 5 1 1 S ix t h 18 8 8 40 4 3 S e v e n th 18 9 0 38 4 6 E ig h t h ... 18 9 3 3 5 1 2 7 N in th .................................... 18 9 6 34 18 3 T e n th .................................... 18 9 9 3 5 2 5 1 3 E le v e n th . 19 0 2 39 2 4 6 T w e lfth ... 19 0 5 37 2 2 1 2 T h irte e n th 19 0 9 39 2 3 9 F o u r te e n th (to Ju n e 15 ) 1 9 1 2 1 2 8 1 T o ta ls 4 4 5 15 9 89 S c o rin g in th e tw e lv e first-c la ss m a tc h e s o f w ee k en d ed Ju n e 1 5 — 7 8 72 ru n s fo r 3 9 5 w ic k e ts— a v e r a g e 19 '9 p er w ic k e t. A r e a ll th e s ta tis tic ia n s asle e p ? N o on e h a s w ritte n to p o in t o u t t h a t G eo rg e R e u b e n C o x , t h a t s t u r d y a n d w illin g p la y e r a n d r a r e g o o d fe llo w , to o k h is th o u sa n d th w ic k e t in first-c la ss c ric k e t in th e co u rse o f th e fir s t in n in g s o f G lo u c e ste rsh ire a t B ris to l. U p to th e e n d o f 1 9 1 1 he h a d 987 to h is c r e d it ; th e e ig h t se c u re d a t D e r b y a n d tw o a t N o ttin g h a m to o k h im t o 997. I b e lie v e E . H . S ta d d o n w a s h is th o u sa n d th v ic tim . W h y d id n ’t I m en tio n it la s t w e e k ? W e ll, b e tw een y o u a n d m e, I d id n ’t k n o w ; m y S o u th A fric a n co rresp o n d e n t, a lr e a d y re fe rre d to , is re sp o n sib le fo r m y d isc o v e ry o f it. H e p o in te d o u t t h a t I h a d w r o n g ly g iv e n C o y 986 in ste a d o f 987 to th e en d o f la s t seaso n .