Cricket 1912

274 CEICKET : A WEEKLY EECOED OF THE GAME. J une 29, 1912. against Notts he made 1 1 3 , against Leicestershire 109 (in *2| hrs., no chance), against W arwickshire 106, against Yorkshire 10 1 (3.J hrs., at a time when the Afrikanders had no hope of doing anything better than to avert defeat), against H ants 99 (2 hrs., chanceless), against Gloucestershire 97, against Middlesex 75, against Somerset 73, and against Worcestershire 61. In 1904-5 he scored 110 for the T ransvaal v. Griqualand West, and 65 and 85, two innings full of dash, for Mr. (now Sir) Abe B ailey’s X I v. The Arm y, at Johannesburg. He played in all five test m atches of 1905-6 against the team led by Pelham Warner ; but his only special success was in the third, when he ran up a capital second innings of 73. In all matches for the Wanderers (the crack club of Johannesburg) that season he totalled 932 runs in 15 innings (2 not outs). A bad attack of enteric fever kept him out of tbe big Currie Cup Tournam ent of 1906-7, and its after effects were evident during the 1907 tour in England. Never, until quite at tbe end, was he the brilliant batsman of 1904. For a long time he could not get going at a ll; and up to tbe m iddle of Ju ly his only scores of any note had been 49 v. M iddlesex and 38 v. Sussex. Then at Glasgow against a Scottish team he ran up 119 with only one chance. In the second test, the only one of the three in which he played, he had the ill-luck to record a pair— run out in the second innings. He seemed to have become quite fit again as the tour neared its end, however. Against Somerset late in August he played well for 67, he and Snooke adding 158 in partnership. Against the M .C.C. he was highest scorer in «ach innings, with 6 1* aud 42, playing riuht through the first on a wicket that helped the bowlers. A hard-hit 84 against Mr. C. I. Thornton’s England X I. at Scarborough closed his tally for 784— average 2 3 ’05. As m any as 3 17 of this total were made in his last four m atches—seven innings. Prior to that, his average had been under 17. Between 1907 and Christm as, 1 9 11 , his only first-class cricket (except for one m atch against the M .C.C. Team of 1909-10) was in the 19 10 -1 Currie Cup Tournament. Some people had been talking of him as a “ has-been,” but he showed that he could still score heavily, and the argument that South A frica’s best were on their way home from A ustralia at the time applied very little to him , for practically all the bowlers of the team to A ustralia were 'l'ransvaalers, and he would not have had to meet them in any case. He was top scorer for his side with 56 v. Eastern Province (Le Roux among the bow lers); he ran up 85, he and N . V. Lindsay m aking 14 5 for the first wicket, v. Griqualand W est; his 4 1 was the top score in the first innings against the B ord er; and against Western Province he hit m agnificently for 160, including a 6 and nineteen 4’s, and shared in partnerships of 13 7 with Lindsay and 108 with B. H . Floquet. He captained the Transvaal team during the tournament. An innings of 240 for E . R . P. M. v Crown Mines in November of last year showed that he was still full of runs. He and H. E . Sm ith (of the 1907 S. A. Team) had a partnership of 363 on this occasion, in the third of the Johannesburg trials he made ti6 for his own team v. P. T . Lew is’s X I., he and J . W . Zulch sending up 97 for the first wicket. It is only fair to those who objected to his inclusion to say that they did so m ainly on the ground that his health gave cause for anxiety. B u t if he could do what he had done while unwell, it seemed quite worth while to gamble on the chance of his being well in England and doing even better. And, though rheum atism caused him to stand down from several matches, his form thus far has more than justified his selection. Like Jessop, Tancred has a very crouching stance—perhaps a little less pronounced now than of old—and he has also a wide straddle which reminds one of some of the old H arrovians of years ago. B ut the rigid rules of orthodoxy have long since been cast to the four winds in such matters as these. Nowadays a man stands as best pleases him , and what the critics think is of small account. Strong on the drive, flashing of cut, Louis Tancred has defence as well as hitting powers. He never stonewalls, but he can and does exercise due discretion at anxious times. Bow ling ? Well, he can sling them down fast, if a bit erratically. I don’t think he ever called him self a bow ler; but I have seen worse—also better. Fielding ? Not quite what it used to be, perhaps. A tendency to rheumatism does not help one in the field. Apart from his cricket, he is personally popular wherever he is known, and his selection as vice-captain of the team testifies to the faith of the S. A. Cricket Association in him . J . N. P. C R IC K E T TOU R S 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 au l Road, Peckham , S .E . FO R S A L E — C r ic k e t F ie l d , 1892 to 1895, complete, unbound, in good condition. What offers?— J . W. W ., c/o C r ic k e t , 33 and 35, Moor Lane, E .C . Cricket in Scotland. B y H am ish . More rain ! The weather on Saturday was of the most tantalis­ ing description—alternate sunshine and shower, which left clubs in a quandary as to whether to play or not. In most cases there was some play, but few games were brought to a definite conclusion, and two good matches, the one between Grange and Stirling County, at Raeburn Place, Edinburgh, and the other between W est of Scotland and A yr at Hamilton Crescent, Partick, on which two grounds the South Africans are appearing this week, were wisely abandoned altogether to guard against any harm to the pitches for the inter­ national matches. E re these lines are before m y readers both games with the Colonials will, I imagine, be as good as over. Can Scotland snatch a victory? I am afraid not. Still, unlikelier events have happened, and if a first class bowler fills tbe vacant place in the Edinburgh side we shall have an outside chance. H. J . Stevenson, Edinburgh Academ icals, made his withdrawal from the Scottish elevens all the more regrettable by reason of his brilliant bowling against Edinburgh University on Saturday. His lobs had the batsmen tied up throughout the innings, as his analysis of 6 wickets for 12 runs would indicate. The scores were—Academi­ cals 1 3 1 for 4 (J. C. Murray 63), U niversity 24. After a struggle the match between Leith Caledonian (60) and Dunfermline (65 for 2) was also decided. For Dunfermline D. Sm ith, a googly bowler who was practising the art all last winter, had 7 wickets for 42. Little progiess was made with the encounter betwixt W atsonians (134 for 1) and H eriot’s F .P . (8 for 1) at Goldenacre; but for the former T. B . Johnston 69*, and J . Pearson, 55*, put on 130 runs without being separated. In the school match between W atson’s College (24) and Loretto (f?5 for 4) W. S. Smeeth, of Loretto, whom I mentioned last week, had the Myreside boys at his mercy, and finished up with 7 wickets for 8 runs. Yorkshire may be asking after this lad in a year or two. Owing to a disagreement, there was no meeting between Forfar­ shire and Perthshire last year ; but am icable relations have been restored, and the first of the two annual “ fights ” was down for decision at Broughty Ferry on Saturday. Before lunch Forfarshire had scored 13 5 for 7 wickets (J. W. Sorrie 35), and Perth enthusiasts were looking forward to the lonR overdue triumph on the Forthill ground; but unfortunately rain fell so heavily during the luncheon interval that no further play was possible. Better luck favoured the other county fixture between Aberdeenshire (167) and Clackmannan County (75). Aberdeen continue to display capital form ; W. Webster (5 for 15) and A. Broadbent (5 for 35) bowled splendidly in this match. Drumpellier had two elevens in the field, and only interruptions by the weather prevented them from scoring a double success. The stronger eleven met the Grange at Coatbridge, and after making 143 for 4 wickets had four of the visitors out for 53. And it was these four who were being relied on to get the runs. Benham ’s (47 and 3 wickets for 18) keeps up his form—and will do so for the next three days, I hope. At Falkirk against E a st Stirlingshire another draw in Drumpellier’s favour resulted, the scores being 146 for 9 to 94 for 8. Uddingston (66 for 8) had to fight hard to save the game with Clydesdale (88) ; but Greenock (148) turned the tables on Glasgow Academicals (79). For Greenock W . N. W alker, a Glasgow Academy boy of last year, had 54. In Western Union fixtures Ferguslie (147) beat Keiburne (69), and Poloc (67 for 7) managed to draw with Kilmarnock (199). The former match — the Paisley Derby—always brings out a large crowd, and Saturday was no exception. The cricket was slow, and R . B . Hastings for Ferguslie (50) was theonly one to get many runs. Megson. the Ferguslie pro., was in great form with the ball, and captured 9 wickets for 29. T . W ilson, of Kelburne, had 5 for 27. In the other Union game J . H . Mawson had a finely hit innings of 80. At Rutherglen, Menzies’ X I. were well beaten by Stenhousemuir, for whom J . Graham (7 wickets for 73) and A. Graham (87) both did splendidly. The Border League match between G ala and Selkirk, at G ala­ shiels, was brought to an end at the close of the home innings, which realised 10 1. Rain came down in torrents when Selkirk were looking forward to putting the first blot on G ala’s record for the season. G E O R G E L E W I N & C O . , Club Colour Specialists and Athletic Clothing Manufacturers. OUTFITTERS BY APPOINTMENT TO The Royal Navy and Army, Cornwall, Kent, Middlesex, Somerset and Surrey Counties, and London Scottish, Irish and Welsh, Blackheath, Harlequins, Rich­ mond, Catford Rugby Football Clubs, and all the leading Clubs in the British Isles and abroad; M.C.C. S. African Tour, 1909, S. African Cricket Association 1910, and Queen’s Club, Kensington, tho HI.C.C. Australian Team 1911-12, and the South African Association Cricket Team 1912. Established 1869. W r ite f o r Estim ates. Telephone: P.O. 607 CITY Works at Camberwell. 8, CROOKED LANE, MONUM ENT , E.C.