Cricket 1912

J uly 6, 1912. CKICKET: A WEEKLY EECOED OF THE GAME. 295 Cricket: A W EEK LY RECORD OF THE GAME. 33 and 35, MOOR LANE, LONDON, E.C. SATURDAY, JULY 6, 1912. Communications to the Editor should be addressed to him at 33 & 35 Moor Lane, E .C . Advertisements, Subscriptions, & c., should be sent to the Manager, at the same address. The following are the rates of subscription to C ricket :— Great Britain . Abroad. One Year ............................... 6s. 3d. ... 7s. 6d. The 24 Summer Numbers ... 5s. Od. ... 6s. Od. The 6 W inter Numbers ... Is. 3d. ... Is. 6d. NOTICE. M e s srs. W R IG H T & CO ., of 7 , T em p le Lan e, Tud or S tre e t, E .C ., a re A d v e rtisem e n tC o n tra c to rsfo r CR ICKET , and w ill be glad to g iv e th e ir b est atten tio n to a n y F irm s d esirin g to a d v e rtise in th e paper. S c a le of C h a rg e s w ill be se n t on ap p licatio n . pavilion (5ossip. The abstract and brief chronicle of the time. — Hamlet. U p to th e e n d o f J u n e th re e b a tsm e n — C. G . M a c a rtn e y , H a y e s , a n d P h ilip M e a d — h a v e re a c h e d fo u r-fig u re to ta ls in first-c la ss c ric k e t. T h is c om p ares w ith s ix u p to th e sam e d a te in 1 9 1 1 , o n ly o n e ( Jo h n T y ld e s le y ) in 1 9 1 0 , tw o (H o b b s a n d H a y e s ) in 19 0 9 , o n e (H a y w a rd ) in 19 0 8 , on e (Jo h n T y ld e s le y ) in 19 0 7 , fo u r in 19 0 6 , e ig h t in 19 0 5 , fiv e in 19 0 4 , th re e in 19 0 3 , t w o (A b el a n d V ic t o r T ru m p e r) in 19 0 2 , a n d a s m a n y a s t e n in 1 9 0 1 . T h e c h a r a c te r o f th e w e a th e r e x p e rie n c e d in th e v a iio u s y e a r s a n sw e rs fo r m u c h o f th e v e r y c o n sid era b le flu c tu a tio n h e re , b u t o f c o u rse , m a rle d w ic k e ts also com e in to th e q u e stio n . I n s p ite o f th e fin e w e a th e r o f 19 0 1 th e re w o u ld n o t h a v e b e e n h a lf-a -sc o re fo u r-fig u re to ta ls a t th e e n d o f J u n e b u t fo r th e fa c t t h a t th in g s w ere m ad e e a sie r fo r th e b a tsm e n th e n o n m o st g ro u n d s th a n th e y n o w aro . I h a v e m a d e a n a n a ly s is o f th e firs t te n b a tsm e n to re a c h th e th o u sa n d i n e a c h c o m p le te seaso n o f th e p re se n t c e n tu ry , a n d h a v e fo u n d i t to r e v e a l som e r a th e r u n e x p e c te d fe a tu re s . A s m a n y a s 5 1 p la y e r s fig u re in th e lis t. P r o ­ fe ss io n a ls p re p o n d e ra te , n a t u r a lly ; b u t e v e n th e g re a te st o f o u r p a id p la y e r s h a v e n o t a p p e a re d am o n g th e firs t te n in e a c h s e a so n . S o m e , o f c o u rse, w e re n o t p la y in g th ro u g h ­ o u t th e w h o le p e rio d — H o b b s , fo r in sta n c e . T o m H a y w a r d a n d J o h n T y ld e s le y a r e d o w n e ig h t tim e s e a c h , D a v id D e n to n a n d C. B . F r y s ix , H a y e s an d H o b b s fiv e , H ir s t , Ire m o n g e r, R h o d e s , a n d S h a rp fo u r, G . L . Je s s o p , Ja m e s S e y m o u r , V in e , P . F . W a rn e r, an d C . J . B . W ood, th re e , R o b e r t A b e l, W . W . A rm s tro n g , K . L . H u tc h in g s, K n ig h t, a n d R . H . S p o o n e r tw ic e e a c h , an d 3 1 n am e s (th o se o f fo u rte e n E n g lis h a m a te u rs , e le v e n p ro ­ fe ss io n a ls , a n d s ix A u stra lia n s) a p p e a r o n ce ea ch . M o r e d re a d fu l d e p u tis in g ! I n th e w ee k -e n d m a tc h a t E a s tb o u r n e , P . J . R ic h a rd s o n , th e o ld G o w e r b o y , a n d C. P a tte s o n , t h e M a rlb u ria n , w ere a llo w e d to t a k e th e p la ces o f W . B . F r a n k lin a n d W . N . R ile y , w h o w e re in ju re d e a rly in th e g am e . A m a tc h o f th is s o r t is n o t o n th e sam e p la n e a s th e C o u n ty C h am p io n sh ip ; b u t th e M .C .C . d isa p p ro v a l w a s a ro u se d b y a s im ila r in c id e n t in a m a tc h w h ic h w a s also o u tsid e t h e C h am p io n sh ip . P e r s o n a lly , I am in clin e d to sid e w it h th e c a p ta in w h o d o es n o t fa n c y h a v in g th e o p p o sitio n b a t sh o rt-h a n d e d . I t is d iffic u lt to s a y w h e re th e lin e sh o u ld b e d ra w n ; b u t it w o u ld seem t h a t if a m a n h a s m e r e ly fie ld e d a d e p u ty m ig h t b e a llo w e d fo r h im , s c a rc e ly if h e h a s b o w le d , a n d c e r t a in ly n o t if h e h a s b a tte d in one innings. A s u b s c r ib e r in In d ia w rite s to c om p la in o f th e n e w s t y le o f C r ic k e t . H e g ru d g e s th e sp a c e d e v o te d to c lu b c ric k e t, th in k s t h a t first-c la ss m a tc h e s a re n o t re p o rte d in su ffic ie n t fu ln e ss, a n d is d issa tisfie d t h a t a s a ru le th e re are o n ly tw o p a g e s o f “ P a v ilio n G o s s ip .” B u t c lu b c ric k e t is th e v e r y b a c k b o n e o f th e g am e , a n d fro m e v e r y p o in t o f v ie w d ese rv e s c o n sid era b le sp a c e in a p a p e r s u c h a s th is . T h e seco n d c au se o f c o m p la in t is n o t a n u n re a s o n a b le o n e a s fa r a s a n o v e rse a s re a d e r is co n cern ed , I a d m it ; b u t th e g re a t m a jo r it y o f o u r re a d e rs m u s t a lw a y s b e p eo p le w h o h a v e h a d th e first-c la ss m a tc h e s s e rv e d u p to th e m h o t e a c h m o rn in g o f th e w e e k , an d n a t u r ­ a lly t h e y d o n o t ca re fo r to o m u c h o f th e sam e d ish es co ld . I n “ B ig m a tc h e s o f th e W e e k ,” an a t t e m p t is m a d e to g iv e a s u m m a r y o f th e p rin c ip a l h a p p e n in g s in e a c h m a tc h ; a c lo se ly d e ta ile d re p o rt is o u t o f th e q u e stio n . A s fo r th e th ir d g ru m b le , I c a n o n ly a n sw e r t h a t it is v e r y m u c h a m a tte r o f a rra n g e m e n t. Ite m s o f in te re st t h a t w o u ld fo rm e rly h a v e b een fo u n d u n d e r “ P a v ilio n G o ssip ” n o w fin d th e ir w a y in to “ C lu b C ric k e t N o te s ,” O v e rse a s C r ic k e t,” o r “ T h e S c h o o ls.” S l o w C ric k e t 1 S u c h is th e t e x t o f th e Daily M ail's r e c e n t se rm o n s. W e ll, in a ll s in c e r ity o n e m u s t a d m it t h a t c ric k e t w o u ld b e a r som e sp e e d in g -u p . B u t th e d ia trib e s seem to m e e x a g g e r a te d , a n d som e o f th e s u g g e stio n s m a d e p a r t ic u la r ly fu tile . P e r s o n a lly I d o n ’t in th e le a s t w a n t to se e e le p h a n tin e u m p ire s d o in g c o n ju rin g tr ic k s in th e m id d le b e fo re th e fie ld in g te a m com es o u t. I r e a lly d o n ’t m ind, w h e th e r th e m en a s th e y le a v e th e p a v ilio n th ro w c a tc h e s to on e a n o th e r o r n o t ; in m o st c ases t h e y s till d o so , a s fa r as m y o b se rv a tio n go es, a n d b r illia n t c a tc h e s are m a d e in s u c h c irc u m sta n c e s b y p la y e r s w h o a re a p t to d ro p s itte rs la te r on . B u t th e u m p ire s might g e t a b it m o re o f a m o v e o n th e m , a n d th e re sh o u ld not b e th e d e la y t h a t th e re a ll tc o o fte n is b e tw e e n a d ism isse d b a ts m a n ’s le a v in g th e w ic k e t a n d t h e n e x t m a n in s t a r tin g fo r it . W h y sh o u ld h e n o t s t a r t a t o n ce ? U n d ig n ifie d ? R o t I N o t r e a d y ? H o o u g h t to b e . T h e la w g iv e s tw o m in u te s ? B u t h e ta k e s tw o a n d a h a lf, th re e , e v e n fo u r som e tim e s ; a n d th e lo n g e r th e tim e ta k e n th e su re r y o u m a y b e t h a t h e w ill fin d h im se lf o b lig e d to w a lk s lo w ly w h ile h e fa ste n s h is g lo v e s. T h a t sc o rin g is slo w e r n o w th a n o f o ld is s im p ly a fa b le . S c o rin g is d is tin c tly fa s te r th a n i t w a s fift y , fo r t y , or t h ir t y y e a r s a g o . T h is is d em o n stra b le b y fig u res. A s a te s t, I h a v e t a k e n th re e m a tc h e s p la y e d to w a rd s th e e n d o f J u n e , 18 6 2 , a n d th e co rre sp o n d in g p erio d o f 18 7 2 , 18 8 2 , 18 9 2 , 19 0 2 , a n d 1 9 1 2 , a n d h a v e to ta lle d in e a c h case th e ru n s o b ta in e d a n d th e b a lls b o w le d (d isreg a rd in g w id e s a n d n o -b a lls). T h e th re e 18 6 2 m a tc h e s ch o sen (at ra n d o m , e x c e p t t h a t in n o ca se h a v e I in c lu d e d tw o m a tc h e s in on e y e a r on th e sam e g ro u n d ) a re G e n tle m e n v . P la y e r s a t th e O v a l, S u s s e x v . K e n t a t B r ig h to n , E n g la n d v . K e n t a t L o r d ’s, w h ic h y ie ld e d 16 2 5 ru n s in a ll o ff 37 8 4 b a lls. O x fo rd v . C am b rid g e a t L o rd s , G e n tlem e n o f th e S o u th v . P la y e r s o f th e S o u th a t th e O v a l, a n d L a n c a sh ir e v . D e rb y sh ire a t M a n c h e ste r in 18 7 2 y ie ld e d 14 6 2 ru n s o f 3 4 2 0 b a lls. Y o r k ­ sh ire v . N o tts a t S h e ffie ld , G e n tlem e n v . P la y e r s a t th e O v a l, a n d U n ite d E le v e n v . A u str a lia n s a t C h ic h e ste r, in 18 8 2 — — 19 2 0 ru n s, 5 2 4 4 b a lls. K e n t v . S u s s e x a t G ra v e se n d , N o tts v . S o m e rse t a t N o ttin g h a m , S u r r e y v . G lo u c e ste rsh ire a t th e O v a l, in 18 9 2 — 17 5 0 ru n s, 3 7 7 8 b a lls. E le v e n o f E n g la n d v . A u stra lia n s a t B r a d fo r d , L a n c a s h ir e v . S u r r e y a t M a n c h e ste r, S o m e rse t v . W o rc e ste rsh ire a t T a u n to n , in 19 0 2 — 2 8 9 3 ru n s, 469 2 b a lls. M id d le se x v . E s s e x a t L o r d ’s , W a rw ic k sh ire v . H a n ts a t C o v e n try , L e ic e ste rsh ire v . S u r r e y a t L e ic e ste r, in 1 9 1 2 — 2 6 2 9 ru n s, 5 36 4 b a lls. R a t io o f b a lls to ru n s— in 18 6 2 , 2 2 6 b a lls fo r e v e r y 10 0 ru n s, in 18 7 2 2 3 3 , in 18 8 2 2 7 3 , in 18 9 2 2 1 1 , i n 19 0 2 16 2 , in 1 9 1 2 2 0 4 . T h e 19 0 2 fig u res a re b y w a y o f a fr e a k , I s u sp e c t, s c o rin g h a p p e n in g to be u n u s u a lly ra p id in th e matches taken. But I believe that a far m o re e x h a u s tiv e