Cricket 1912

J une 22, 1912. CEICKET: A WEEKLY EECOED OF THE GAME. 255 T w o S t r o n g C l u b s . I a m e x c e e d in g ly d o u b tfu l if th e re a re tw o stro n g e r clu b te a m s in L o n d o n th is se aso n th a n Ilfo r d a n d H o n o r O ak. T h e firs t n am e d h a v e w o n se v e n su c c e ssiv e v ic to rie s, an d th e la s t n am e d h a v e g a in e d s ix su ccesses o u t o f eig h t gam es. E a c h c lu b h a s som e g re a t a ll-ro u n d p la y e rs. In G . M . L o u d e n Ilfo r d p o sse ss p o s sib ly th e b e st m atch - w in n in g c lu b p la y e r in th e m e tro p o lis. T a ll a n d stro n g ly b u ilt L o u d e n h a s a n ic e e a s y a c tio n , a n d b o w lin g a v e r y fa s t b a ll o f a v a r ie t y o f le n g th s h e is a lw a y s lik e ly to get th e b e st o f b a tsm e n o u t. L o u d e n , w h o is a n o ld B u c k h u rs t H ill p layer,- h a s d eclin ed in v ita tio n s to a s s is t E s s e x . B e sid e s b ein g a g r e a t b o w le r h e is a te rrific h itte r, a n d sco res his runs a t a lig h tn in g p a c e b y sm a sh in g sc o rin g stro k es a ll ro u n d th e w ic k e t. I n a d d itio n to L o u d e n th e re are th e d e a d ly s lo w le ft-h a n d e r W e a v e r, th e n e a t E d g a r P o rte r, th e s t e a d y A lf. P o r te r , th e v ig o u ro u s E a stw o o d , th e d ash in g A . J . S p e llin g , th e c le v e r L y o n , a n d th e t r ic k y stu m p er G ath erco le. H o n o r O a k a ls o h a v e th e ir s ta r p erfo rm ers. T h ere is th e c a p ta in , W . L . M iec zn ik o w sk i, a sp len d id b a tsm a n w it h a r a r e v a r ie t y o f q u ic k sc o rin g stro k es. T h en th e re a re S . H . A n so n , a fa s t b o w le r p r o b a b ly th e eq u a l o f L o u d e n , a n d J . H . L o c k to n , o n e o f th e b e st a ll­ rou n d m e n in th e sid e. T h e re a re a lso C. L a m b , a s ty lis h b a tsm a n , a n d T . A . D ic k in so n a n o th e r c a p a b le ru n -g e tte r. I f b o th te a m s m a in ta in th e ir p re se n t fo rm , w h a t a g re a t g am e th e c om in g m a tc h b e tw e e n th e m w ill fu r n is h ! T h e I b is C a p t a in . A n o th e r r a th e r w a rm e le v e n to ru n u p a g a in s t is th e Ib is. G . C lin to n , th e c a p ta in is on e o f th e so lid ty p o o f b a tsm e n , a n d h e m eets e v e r y b a ll on its m e rits. A lw a y s a h a rd m a n to g e t o u t, C lin to n p la y s c ric k e t d e te rm in e d ly , a n d Ib is o w e m u c h to h is le a d e rsh ip . A . C . B re e d s is a n o th e r h ig h -c la ss p la y e r w h o m a k e s a lo t o f ru n s. B re e d s h a s a n ic e e a s y sta n c e a t th e crease. H is d efe n ce is goo d a n d h is sc o rin g s tro k e s— th e c u t a n d p la c in g th e ball to leg— a r e b e a u tifu lly e x e c u te d . J - S . T h o m p so n is a lso a p r e t t y b a t to w a tc h a n d H . G . C a th is o n e o f th o se k een ru n -g e tte rs w h o a re a lw a y s m a k in g u sefu l sco res fo r th e ir sid es. M a y e s in F o r m . A lth o u g h M a y e s w a s n o t a su ccess w ith th e b a ll a g a in s t W e st L o n d o n , th e B e c k to n fa s t b o w le r w a s in his h a p p ie s t h u m o u r a g a in s t C ro fto n P a r k , w h o se b a tsm en sh a p e d v e r y p o o rly a t h is d e liv e rie s. M a y e s to o k 8 w ic k e ts fo r 3 3 , a n d h is slo w b a ll, w ith o u t a n y ch a n g e o f h is som e­ w h a t e la b o ra te a c tio n , w a s q u ite a s p u zz lin g to th e m o d erate C ro fto n P a r k b a tsm e n a s w a s h is e x t r a fa s t o n e t h a t flew o ff th e p itc h a t a n a la rm in g p ace. A M a n W o r t h W a t c h in g . A m a n w h o is a lw a y s w o rth w a tc h in g a t th e crease is W a lto n , o f th e A lb e rm a rle a n d F r ie r n B a r n e t team . H is 74 a g a in s t th e A m h e r st w a s a d e lig h tfu l in n in g s. W a lto n c a n n o t o n ly d efe n d h is w ic k e t s te a d ily , b u t h e k n o w s h o w to p ic k o u t th e r ig h t b a ll to h it, a n d h a v in g m ad e u p h is m in d to h it it h e p u ts w o n d e rfu l p o w er b eh in d h is stro k e . C . J . T . B o b e rts o n , a b a tsm a n w ith a reso lu te d efe n ce a n d p r e t t y v a r ie t y o f sc o rin g stro k e s, is ju s t n o w p la y in g fin e ly fo r B la c k h e a th , w h ile C. S . H u r s t is sco rin g fre e ly fo r B e c k e n h a m . H u r s t is a s ty lis h c ric k e te r. H e w a tc h es th e b a ll c a r e fu lly a n d ste e rs it v e r y c le v e rly th ro u g h th e field sm en to th e b o u n d a ry . M u r p h y t h e A ll - r o u n d e r . A n o th e r fin e c ric k e te r is G la d w in o f B o w e s P a r k . H e m a k e s a la rg e n u m b e r o f ru n s e v e r y seaso n . H is d e fe n siv e ta c tic s a re r e a lly s m a rt, w h ile h is p la c in g o f th e lo ose b a lls a ll ro u n d th e w ic k e t is e x c e lle n t. A n all-ro u n d p la y e r a b o v e th e a v e r a g e is S . M u rp h y , o f B re n tfo r d G as W o rk s. M u rp h y b o w ls a tr ic k y b a ll t h a t fre q u e n tly d eceives b a tsm e n , a n d w h e n a t th e crease h e p la y s a sto lid g am e, g iv in g th e b a ll th e fa c e o f th e b a t a ll th e tim e an d m a k in g h is sc o rin g stro k e s w ith p rec isio n a n d p ow er. H o a r e a n d F l in n . T h e re a r e fe w k e e n e r c ric k e te rs th a n J a c k H o a re . A fin e fie ld e r in a n y p o sitio n , u se fu l b a tsm a n a n d good b o w le r. H o a re is o n e o f th e m o st u se fu l a ll-ro u n d m en I k n o w in c lu b c ric k e t. A t th e crease h e h a s a n u p rig h t s ta n d , d efen d s h is w ic k e t w ith a v e r y s tra ig h t b a t a n d sco res h is ru n s c h ie fly b y b ig d riv e s a n d c le v e r leg h its. F lin n o f G r a y s M an o r is also a c a p ita l a ll-ro u n d p la y e r. H e b o w ls a fa s t, d an g ero u s, e rra tic b a ll t h a t o fte n h its y o u , b u t w ith th e b a t h e is q u ite a m a ste r. H is d efe n ce is so lid a n d h is h ittin g a ll-ro u n d th e w ic k e t v e r y fin e. A G o o g l y B o w l e r . C y ril B ro w n e o f C la p h am R a m b le rs is a b o rn m a tc h w in n in g c ric k e te r. B ro w n e , w h o b y th e w a y , sco red 10 4 a g a in s t M ald e n W an d e re rs la s t S a t u r d a y is a W e st In d ia n . H e is a s fa r a s I k n o w th e o n ly g o o g ly b o w le r p la y in g in clu b c ric k e t. W ith th e b a ll he h a s a cco m p lish e d som e rem a rk a b le a c h ie v em e n ts th is seaso n , a n d n o w h e is com in g o u t a s a ru n g e tte r. H e b o w ls a d e a d ly g o o g ly t h a t com es o ff th e p itc h a t a r a r e p a c e , a n d v e r y fe w b a t s ­ m en c a n fa c e h im c o n fid e n tly . R e m a r k a b l e B a t t in g . A b a ttin g a c h ie v em e n t t h a t w ill t a k e som e b e a tin g w a s a c c o m p lish e d b y H . W e sto n a n d H . W . M c B a e a g a in s t R ic h m o n d P a r k ; th e fo rm e r sc o red 14 4 n o t o u t a n d th e la s t n am e d 98. I n p o in t o f fa c t th e H o n . S e c . o n ly lo s t h is w ic k e t in a n a tte m p t t o g e t h is c e n tu ry . W esto n is a le ft-h a n d e r, a n d I d o n o t th in k h e h a s a su p e rio r in L o n d o n c lu b c ric k e t. H e b a ts s t y lis h ly , a n d m a k e s h is ru n s a ll ro u n d th e w ic k e t a t a fin e p a c e . A s a le ft-h a n d b o w le r ho is a t tim e s p a r tic u la rly d e a d ly , a n d fe w b a tsm e n c a n sco re fr e e ly o ff h is fin e le n g th t r ic k y d e liv e rie s. M c B a e w ie ld s a b e a u tifu lly s tr a ig h t b a t, a n d se le c ts th e b a ll to h it w ith fin e ju d g m e n t, w h ile h is d r iv in g , le g -h ittin g , a n d c u ttin g , se n d th e b a ll to th e b o u n d a ry a t a g re a t p ace. B e a l t h e D e f e n d e r . C. B e a l, w h o se p o r tr a it a d o rn s th is p a g e is one o f th e m o st p o p u la r c ric k e te rs in E s s e x . H e is c a p ta in o f a g o o d sid e , a n d th e h e a r ty h a n d sh a k e o f w e lc o m e is e x te n d e d to h im o n e v e r y g ro u n d . A sc h o o lm a ste r, B e a l h a s p le n ty o f tim e fo r c ric k e t, a n d n o m a n co u ld b e m o re e n th u sia stic