Cricket 1912

J u l y 13, 1912. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 323 N o rth a m p to n sh ire v. S u r r e y . —The visiting side lacked Hobbs and H itch, but had E . C . Kirk. Their first innings was a curiosity. Broken up into three portions by rain, it consisted of one good stand —64 by Hayward and Bird, tbe latter playing capitally— 15 minutes during which Hayes and Hayward added a few more, and a proces­ sion, the last nine wickets actually going down for as many runs ! Thompson and Sm ith bowled finely, but something more than fine bowling—rank bad batting, to wit—was needed to account for this collapse. Before time Northants had run up 147 for 4, Vials playing a remarkably good and free innings of 82 in 70 minutes. W. H. Denton and he added 97 for the second wicket. On Tuesday the total was taken to 247, Thompson and Walden doing best. Smith bowled in his best form . Surrey’s second venture was redeemed from failure by the fine cricket of Hayes, who defended with resolu­ tion and skill for 3 hours without a chance. Bird helped him to add 62 for the second wicket, and Myers 5 1 for the seventh. Strudwick and K irk also batted pluckily. But the home side never looked like being seriously extended, and on the third morning the runs needed were hit off for the loss of William Denton’s wicket, and the baby of the Championship went to the top again. G loucestershire v . Y orkshire . —The home side lacked Jessop, but had three of the Robinson clan, and also Charles Townsend, rara avis in Gloucestershire’s cricket of late. Wilson batted half-an-hour without scoring, and no one but Denton and Kilner could do much with Dennett, who bowled through the innings, and took 8 wickets. The home side had 5 down for 29 ; but Cyril Sewell and Dipper stopped the rot, and on Tuesday morning a total only two short of Yorkshire’s was reached. Haigh again bowled finely. Dipper batted 165 minutes for his 18 . Two Yorkshire wickets were down for 10 in the second innings, and but for the life given Denton with his score at 5 Yorkshire m ight have been pushed hard. Denton batted over 4 hours for his 182, including seventeen 4’s, and gave only the one chance. H irst, who helped him to add 100 in 80 m inutes, and H aigh, with whom he made 120 in 70 minutes were his principal coadjutors. Sir Archibald White punished the worn- out bowling severely. The innings was declared at 4 11 for 9 on Wednesday. Sewell, Board, Langdon, and D. C. Robinson all did something for the home side ; but there was never any chance of victory, and the end came early. L eicestershire v . S ussex . —Before rain fell at 1 o’clock, delay­ ing further play till 3 .15 , Vine and Robert Relf had sent up 50 for the first Sussex wicket. Later the pitch was never easy, and Odell, reappearing after an absence of four years, and King bowled so well that runs had to be fought for all the time. R elf was in 110 minutes for his 50, a slow pace for him. The catch at long-off by which Whitehead dismissed him was a gem. Albert Relf, with some luck, and Chaplin and Simms, both unusually restrained, made useful runs. On Tuesday Whitehead and Knight, and later Knight and King, put up good resistance. Cox was bowling well, and had 5 wickets of the first 7. Eigh t wickets were down for 170 ; but Shields and Curtis, hitting out, added 62 for the ninth in 45 minutes, and A still helped Curtis to put on 38 more fcr the last, the latter, whom the county ought not to have let go, carrying his bat for a plucky 58. The feature of Wednesday’s pre-lunch cricket was Chaplin’s gallant effort to extricate his side from the slough He and Albert Relf added 107 for the fifth w icket; but after Albcrt left the old Harrovian was playing practically a lone hand, though Cox gave him a little help. Chaplin’s 112 , if lucky in its earlier stages, was a fine fighting effort. He batted 3 hrs. The innings closed for 246, a much bigger score than had looked probable, but leaving Leicestershire only 136 to get for victory. Knight left early, but Wood and Whitehead put on 57 for the second wicket, and made the issue practically safe. At the finish Whitehead was still there, his excellent 70* having been made in 130 minutes. K ent v . L ancashire . —A. E . Lawton played his first match for the County Palatine, who lacked Spooner and Dean, at Leeds, as was Woolley. There were 4,000 or more spectators on the Nevill Ground on Monday. Lancashire lost two wickets ch eap ly; but John Tyldesley and Sharp added 73 for the third, the former playing perfect cricket for his 77, Ernest Tyldesley stayed 105 minutes for 35, and Heap made an excellent 64 in 90 minutes. Humphreys went first b a ll; but Hardinge and Seymour stayed till close of play. On Tuesday the wearers of the White Horse cap fairly mastered the Lancashire attack. Hardinge and Hubble added 57 for the third wicket, which fell at 94. The fourth went down at 114 . The fifth did not fall until 12 2 had been added. Day and Dillon shared this stand, the former much more restrained than usual, but playing faultless cricket. Hatfeild joined his captain, and the sixth wicket also added 122, both left-handers driving powerfully. Dillon’s only chance was at 95 ; he batted 195 minutes for his 134, hitting nineteen 4’s. After his long absence owing to an accident at rackets, and his pair at the Oval last week, his splendid innings was very welcome to Kent’s many partisans. Huish made 4 1 in capital form, and the total reached 420. Except for Joh n Tyldesley, Lancashire’s batting on Wednesday was of the most disappointing type. No one else seemed able to play Blythe, who had 7 for 40, and they never looked like saving the innings defeat. S taffordshire v . N orthumberland .— Again without Barnes, but encountered by an opposition scarcely fully representative, the Minor County champions had the better of the first day’s play at Stoke, Percy Briggs, Nichols, and W. H. Twigg making useful scores, and leaving them 124 on with 7 to go. Milne bowled finely in the home county’s first, and Nichols put in good work for Staffs. Briggs carried his score to 85 on Tuesday, and Bucknell and Wilson hit hard. Though the first two or three Northumbrian wickets went cheaply there was no actual collapse ; but Deyes held the upper hand all through, and only J . E . Raine topped 25, Staffordshire winning quite easily. S cotland v . A ustralians . —A stand of 17 2 for the fourth wicket by Bardsley and K ellew ay; Bardsley’s faultless 149, his fourth century of the tour, made rather slowly, but including two 6’s and fourteen 4’s, and his attainment of 1,000 runs ; really fine bowling by It. V. Sievwright—these were the principal features of the first day’s play at Raeburn Place. The Scottish bowling was treated with considerable respect, and Sievwright’s deserved it. Whitty helped Bardsley to add 54 for the eighth wicket. On Tuesday the home captain, M. R . Dickson played a great game for his side. Batting 125 minutes he only just missed his century, and gave no chance, hitting fifteen 4’s. Benskin, form erly of Leicestershire, stayed with him while 66 were added for the third wicket. Minnett, coming fast off the pitch, played havoc with the rest. In a couple of hours at the end of the day the Australians ran up 17 1 for 3—Jennings and Mayne 48 for the first; Mayne and Macartney 43 for the second, Minnett and Rardsley 68 after the fall of the third. On Wednesday morning Bardsley left at 205, he and Minnett having added 10 2 together. At 225 the innings was declared. The Scots cracked up badly before Whitty and Hazlitt in their second innings, and only R . G. T ait (70 minutes for 18) made any real resistance. The ’ Varsity Match. No doubt there have been better ’V arsity teams than this year’s ; but both were at least well up to the average. Perhaps there have been better matches— seldom better contested ones, from the start to the finish. At the end of an innings the combatants stood “ as you were.” Oxford took 4 hrs. to make 2 2 1, of which Crutchley, though not at all fit, scored 99*, made in 2 hrs. 20 m ins., without a chance, and with ten 4’s included. It was very hard lines to miss his century thus ; but Fraser, his last partner, was as anxious as he that he should secure it, and cannot be blamed. The old H arrovian’s innings dwarfed the rest of the batting ; but the stand of 57 for the second wicket by Knott and Campbell, after Twining had left for a duck, was good value, and Vidler must not be overlooked, for he stayed with Crutchley while 77 were added for the ninth wicket. E . C. Baker, the last choice, and his captain shared the bowling honours. Cambridge had lost 1 1 5 for 6 before bad light stopped play. Four were down for 33, of which Morrison had made 19 ; but Calthorpe helped Kidd to add 39, and Kidd and Lagden put on 43, the captain’s innings being a plucky and good one. On Tuesday morning it became known that Crutchley was down with measles—which seems rather an inglorious complaint for such a hero. Rough luck to be robbed of a century in the ’Varsity match by incipient m easles! R . B . Lagden batted very finely indeed. Hopley and Franklin soon went, but Holloway stayed a while, helping to add 58 in 40 minutes before his partner was run out. With Baker in the Oxford total was equalled; then Fraser had the old Leysian with a “ c. and b.” Twining and Knott, opening Oxford’s second, stayed till lunch, putting up 46 in the 40 minutes ; but both had left with the score 49, and 6 were down with only 106 on the board. At that stage the D ark Blues looked a beaten side. B ut there was plenty of kick left in them. A. J . E vans was still there, batting cautiously and capably. R . O. Lagden joined him, and hit well, not sacrificing defence, but punishing every ball. In 70 minutes they added 79 runs. Then Evans, who had batted 1 10 minutes for his 36, left. Lagden was out in forcing the pace with the last man in. H is 68 had occupied 100 minutes, and included a 6 and four 4's. Before time Cambridge lost Morrison and R . B . Lagden (who played on to his brother) for only 30, and still needed 184 for victory. On Wednesday morning R iley was run out at 64 for a useful 30 ; then Kidd and Mulholland put up a stand that practically decided the match, adding 102 in 80 minutes. These two batsmen played very finely indeed. Bardsley, brought on late, dismissed both, and got Saville directly afterwards, but Calthorpe’s steadiness averted any danger of a collapse. A good win for Cambridge, but very bad lines for Oxford, who had all the worst of the luck.