Cricket 1912

296 CEICKET: A WEEKLY EECOED OF THE GAME. .T u l y 6, 1912. c o m p u ta tio n w o u ld a c c e n tu a te r a th e r t h a n e v e n u p th e d iffe re n c e b e tw e e n 1 9 1 2 a n d 18 8 2 o r 18 6 2 . Is Cricket “ Th i s ” and is Cricket “ Tha t ” ? (A W a r n in g t o t h o s e J o u r n a l is t ic J a b b e r e r s , w h o w o u l d C h o p a n d C h a n g e o u r G a m e , w it h a n A p o l o g y t o t h e S h a d e o f S h a k e s p e a r e .) T o s la y o r n o t to s la y ; t h a t is th e q u estio n . W h e th e r ’tis b e tte r fo r th e g a m e to su ffe r T h e d a ily b o re d om o f o u tra g e o u s ru b b ish ; O r to t a k e a rm s a g a in s t a m o b o f p re ssm e n A n d b y som e b u lle ts e n d th e m ? T o c h o p , to ch a n g e , T o c h a n g e , p e rc h a n c e to k ill— a y e , th e re ’s th e ru b , F o r in th e c h a n g e th e y a s k , w h a t th in g s m ig h t com e W h e n w e h a v e sh u ffle d u p th is g am e o f g am e s ?— O le t u s r a th e r b e a r th o se ills w e h a v e T h a n fly to o th e rs t h a t w e k n o w n o t o f ! T h is c o m m e n t d o e s m a k e c ritic s o f u s a ll, S o g iv e o u r n a t iv e g am e a re so lu tio n ; T o le a v e i t as it is — a sp le n d id sp o rt. P h il is t in e . D a v id D e n t o n h a s n o w t o b e n u m b e re d am o n g th e m e n w h o h a v e p la y e d a n in n in g s o f 20 0 . H o w m a n y m o re h e m ig h t h a v e m a d e if S ir A rc h ib a ld W h ite h a d n o t fo u n d i t n e c e s sa ry to d e c la re c a n m e r e ly b e c o n je c tu re d . S e ld o m h a s th e W a rw ic k s h ire b o w lin g b e en so e ffe c tu a lly ta m e d o f la t e a s b y D e n to n a n d W ilso n , w h o se p a rtn e rsh ip o f 2 5 3 is o n e o f th e b ig fe a t s o f th e y e a r . S e t t in g a sid e t h e p o in t v a lu e o f a w in , th e re c a n h a v e b e en v e r y little s a tis fa c tio n to o n e o r tw o v ic to rio u s sid es in la s t w e e k -e n d ’s m a tc h e s. I t is q u ite im p o ssib le to e lim in a te w e a th e r c h a n c e s ; b u t K e n t a n d H a m p sh ire h a d a ll to o b ig a h a n d ic a p g iv e n th e m a g a in s t W o rc e ste rsh ire a n d M id d le se x , a n d if C h a p lin h a d w o n th e to ss a t H o rsh am th e r e s u lt o f th e S u s s e x - S u r r e y m a tc h m ig h t w e ll h a v e b een re v e rse d . W a rw ic k s h ire a n d L a n c a sh ir e fa re d b e tte r, lo sin g o n ly firs t in n in g s ’ p o in ts. T h e Evening N ew s o n T h u r s d a y s ta te d in its re p o rt o f th e E s s e x v . A u s tr a lia n s m a tc h t h a t M a tth e w s, K e lle w a y , O ark e ek , a n d W h it t y w e re b e in g g iv e n a r e s t. In a n o th e r c o lu m n W h it ty w a s sh o w n a s p la y in g fo r L e v e so n -G o w e r’s sid e a t E a s tb o u r n e . H e b o w le d n e a r ly 60 o v e rs in th e m a tc h . S c a rc e ly a r e s t— n o t e v e n a b u s -d riv e r’s h o lid a y , in d e e d ! I s th e d ifferen c e b e tw een S o u th A fr ic a a n d S c o tla n d p r o p e r ly e x p re sse d a t a n in n in g s a n d 97 ru n s ? I t sh o u ld b e , fo r th e A fr ik a n d e r s w o n b o th m a tc h e s la s t w e e k b y p r e c is e ly th e sam e m a rg in . K e n t h a d fo u r b o w le rs o n in W o rc e ste rsh ire ’s seco n d in n in g s a t D u d le y , a n d a ll fo u r w e re le ft-h a n d e rs. A n o th e r le ft-h a n d e r m ig h t h a v e b e en g iv e n a tu r n , fo r H a rd in g e w a s th e re . J a m e s S e y m o u r , a fte r a r e s t (of th e sam e k in d a s W h it t y ’s), b ro k e h is s p e ll o f sm a ll sco res. T h a t so fin e a b a tsm a n a s S e y m o u r sh o u ld o n ly h a v e to ta lle d 1 3 1 ru n s in 1 7 in n in g s u p to th e m id d le o f J u n e w a s o n e o f th o se fr e a k s o f fo rtu n e w h ic h le a v e o n e w o n d e rin g . B u t h e is n o t th e o n ly c a p a b le b a tsm a n w h o h a s h a d n o lu c k a t a ll th is seaso n . F . L . F a n e w a s b re a k in g a s im ila r sp e ll a t L e y t o n o n T h u r s d a y ; h e h a d b e e n to w ic k e ts 1 1 tim e s (tw ic e n o t o u t) fo r a t o t a l o f 14 8 , o f w h ic h 6 1 w ere m ad e in o n e in n in g s in th e first m a tc h a g a in s t th e A u stra lia n s. U p t o d a te J o h n C h a p m a n , th e D e rb y sh ire c a p ta in , h a s a g g re g a te d 13 6 r u n s in 14 in n in g s. E e m n a n t , w h o g a v e sig n s o f g r e a t p ro m ise la s t y e a r , h a s a v e r a g e d b a re d o u b le fig u re s so fa r fo r H a m p sh ire . A . T . S h a r p sc o red 3 1 a n d 3 5 in h is first m a tc h o f th e se a so n ; sin c e th e n h e h a s b een in 1 7 tim e s , a n d h a s ad d e d o n ly 1 1 6 to h is to ta l. H a r d y , o f S o m e rse t, h a s b a tte d 1 3 tim e s (tw ice n o t o u t) fo r 1 1 2 , o f w h ic h 46 w e re m a d e fo r th e M .C .C . a g a in s t th e D a r k B lu e s . K illic k h a s to ta lle d 2 0 5 ru n s in 2 0 in n in g s (tw ice n o t o u t), George C o x 15 2 in 17 (4 not o u ts), Leach 117 in 14 (3 n o t o u ts), K in n e ir 3 1 6 in 2 0 (tw ice n o t o u t), a n d C uffe 17 6 in 1 4 (once n o t o u t). I f th e se m e n h a d n e v e r done a n y th in g to d istin g u ish th e m se lv e s th e ir la c k o f su ccess w o u ld n o t b e w o rth n o tin g . B u t th e re is n o t o n e am o n g th em w h o se n am e h a s n o t fig u re d in th e c e n tu r y l i s t ; an d th e en trie s th e re in ru n to 2 3 e a c h in th e c ases o f F a n e an d K in n e ir, a n d 2 1 in S e y m o u r ’s case. T h e G en tlem e n o f E a d n o rs h ir e a t W o rc e ste r in clu d ed W . P . K o b e rtso n , G . C ro sd a le, F . A . P h illip s , N . C . P h illip s , a n d G . C . P h illip s . T h e se a m a te u r m a tc h e s a re n o t ta k e n v e r y se rio u sly ; b u t th e p a r tic u la r q u a lific a tio n o f each o f th e se g en tlem en to re p re se n t th e W e lsh c o u n ty w o u ld n eed som e little in g e n u ity o f sta te m e n t, I sh o u ld s a y . I p H ills is a n y th in g lik e a s g o o d a s h is b o w lin g la s t F r id a y a t L e y to n m a k e s h im o u t to b e , E s s e x h a s th e ra re lu ck o f a re a l fin d. B u t i t h a s h a p p e n e d b e fo re t h a t an A u s tr a lia n te a m h a s fo u n d d iffic u lty in m e e tin g a n ew b o w le r o u t o f a ll p ro p o rtio n t o t h a t w h ic h th e a v e ra g e c o u n ty te a m h a s e x p e rie n c e d w it h th e sam e m a n la te r. G o o d ju d g e s, h o w e v e r, s p e a k w e ll o f H ills , a n d i t is to b e h o p e d t h a t h e w ill g iv e th e e a ste rn c o u n ty y e a r s o f good se rv ic e . T h e d e a th o f G eo rg e B o n n o r rem o v e s o n e o f th e s ta lw a r ts o f e a r ly A u s tr a lia n te a m s . B a r S p o ffo rth , p erh a p s n o A u s tr a lia n o f th e e ig h tie s g rip p e d th e p u b lic im a g in a tio n a s d id b ig “ B o n .” M a n y o f h is com rad es w ere e s s e n tia lly g re a te r c ric k e te rs ; M u rd o ch , T o m H o ra n , P e r c y M c D o n n ell, th e B a rin e rm a n s, G eo rg e G iffe n , S a m Jo n e s a t h is b e st, M a ssie , S c o tt, m u s t b e ra n k e d a b o v e h im . B o n n o r h a d o n e g r e a t a sse t— a m ig h ty d riv e . B u t h e d ro v e c le a n o u t o f g ro u n d s, a n d th e c ro w d lo v es th e m a n w h o d oes t h a t . T h e n h is im m e n se s ta tu r e , h is y e llo w lo c k s a n d b e ard , h is fr a n k , o p e n fa c e , m a d e o f h im a fig u re u n fo rg e t­ ta b le . I t is s a d to th in k t h a t h e h a s go n e. T h e y e llo w h a ir an d b e a rd o f fo rm e r d a y s h a d b e en to u c h e d b y th e fro s tin g n a n d o f T im e ; b u t o n e w o u ld h a v e e x p e c te d in th e o rd in a r y co u rse o f th in g s a n o th e r q u a rte r o f a c e n tu ry a t le a s t fo r h a le a n d h e a r t y G e o rg e B o n n o r. S o m e s a y th e b a r ra c k in g o f K e lle w a y a t L o r d ’s w a s o f a g o o d -h u m o u re d t y p e . I t d id n o t s trik e e v e ry o n e a s b e in g s o , h o w e v e r. I su p p o se i t w o u ld h a v e m a d e n o d ifferen ce to th e je e rin g th ro n g if its m em b ers h a d k n o w n th a t th e N . S . W a le s m a n w a s s u ffe rin g fro m a n a s t y s tra in , a n d h a d in s p ite o f i t e le c te d to go in fir s t as u su a l w h e n h is c a p ta in h a d o ffered t o se n d a n o th e r m a n in w ith Je n n in g s if h e fe lt u n e q u a l to th e re sp o n sib ility . T h e c u rre n t issu e o f th e “ P e n n y P ic to ria l ” co n tain s a n a rtic le o n “ B a ttle g ro u n d s ,” in w h ic h L o r d ’s , th e O v a l, O ld T r a ffo rd , a n d L e e d s a re d e a lt w ith b y M r. J . T . B o lto n . “ C o r in t h ia n ” in th e Daily Chronicle m a k e s th e b o ld a sse rtio n t h a t S o u th A fr ic a h a s o n ly tw o b a tsm e n , F a u lk n e r a n d W h ite , w h o c a n b e co m p a re d w ith M a c a rtn e y , B a r d s le y , S m ith , Je n n in g s , a n d K e lle w a y o f th e A u s tr a lia n te a m . B u t s u re ly D a v e N o u rse m u st be ra n k e d a b o v e a t le a s t tw o o f th e se fiv e ? T a n c re d , T a y lo r , S n o o k e , H a r tig a n are /a.11 a t le a s t g o o d en o u g h t o s ta n d a c o m p ariso n w ith th e sam e tw o . T h e re is a lto g e th e r to o g re a t a d isp o sitio n to ru n th e A frik a n d e rs d ow n . P r o b a b ly th e ir p ro p e r ra n k am o n g th e th re e te a m s is th ird . B u t a fte r a ll it w ill b e ju s t as w e ll to w a it t ill th e to u r n e y h a s b een a d v a n c e d a fu rth e r s ta g e b e fo re i t is ta k e n fo r g ra n te d t h a t th e y h a v e n o ch a n ce . H a m is h S t u a r t w rite s :— “ T h e re w a s a c le ric a l e rro r in m y a r tic le on th e th ir d te s t m a tc h . B y m is ta k e I p u t “ F r y ” fo r “ S p o o n e r ” in w r itin g o f th e fir s t b a ll t h a t y ie ld e d a n e x tra . T h e n in d e a lin g w ith th e a tte n d a n c e on th e sec o n d d a y , I m a d e it a p p e a r a s if th e re w e re o n ly 3,0 0 0 p re se n t, w h e re a s o v e r 7 ,0 0 0 p a id fo r a d m issio n , th o u g h a g r e a t n u m b e r o f th e se g o t tir e d o f w a itin g a n d h a d le ft th e field lo n g b e fo re it w a s fo rm a lly d ecid ed to a b a n d o n p la y fo r th e d a y som e t w e n ty m in u te s b e fo re s ix .” “ T h e fierce white light that beats upon a throne ”— I hope I quote correctly, but haven’t time to verify—is