Cricket 1912

338 CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. J uly 20, 1912. Tom Richardson. N e xt to the big h itter, the fast bow ler is probably the type o f cricketer w h o m ost effectu ally grips the public im agination, esp ecially w h en he bow ls fo r the w icket, and not for catches in th e slip s. M an y a m an w ho h ad few q u alities to recomm end h im except a k n ack o f slin gin g the b all dow n fast and hard and sk ittlin g w ickets h as bask ed in the ra y s o f hero-w orship ior a b rie f tim e. T om B ich ard so n w a s not one o f these. H e w as not on ly a g reat bow ler, but a fine fellow— a m an am on g m en, w ith a h eart as b ig as h is ou tw ard appearance prom ised. “ T om of T en T h o u san d ,” th e y called a celebrity o f form er days. “ Tom o f T en T h o u san d ,” w e m igh t h ave called the cu rly-haired giant w h om all w ho knew him loved. D ead in h is forty-second year ! I t is hard to realise. One m igh t h ave thought the public had forgotten h im ; but it w ould seem th at T om had kept h is place in m em o ry better than m ost m en do w hen once th e y h a v e passed out o f the aren a. On all h and s one h ears expression s o f regret at h is u n tim ely death. B o rn at B y fle e t on A u gu st 1 1 , 18 7 0 , he died on a F ren ch h illside, o f congestion o f th e b rain , on J u ly 2, 19 12 . H e had not passed beyond a crick ete r’s age, but he w a s a fast bow ler, an d a fa st bow ler can n ever hope for so lo n g a spell o f service as a batsm an . B ich ard so n bow led h is last ball in big cricket —for Som erset, not fo r the dear coun ty of h is b irth— seven .years ago. H ere are h is figu res year b y y e a r in first-class c r ic k e t : Season. Balls. Runs. Wickets. Average. 1892 ............... 1173 eo 2 29 20-74 1893 ............... 4969 2680 174 15-40 1894 ............... 4683 2024 196 10-32 1894-5 (Aust.) ... 3554 1616 69 23-42 2895 ............... 8451 4170 290 14-37 1896 8282 4015 246 1632 1897 ............. . 8019 3945 273 14-45 ]897-8 (Aust.) ... 3110 1594 54 29-51 1898 .............. 6116 3147 161 19-54 1899 ............... 5085 2505 98 25-56 1900 .............. 5983 2949 122 24-17 1901 .............. 7810 3697 159 23 25 1902 ............. . 5305 2607 106 24-59 1903 .............. 5568 2732 119 22-95 1904 ............. . 787 446 9 49-55 1905 ............... 78 65 0 — T o tal, 2 ,10 5 w ickets fo r 38,794 ru n s— average 18 '4 2 . B a lls a r e given instead o f overs because five balls w ere bow led to the over up to 19 00, and six since, so that overs w ould be m is­ lead in g. I t w as again st the A u stralian s th at he p layed for Som erset in 19 0 5 . H e w as not qu alified at the tim e. I believe he left R a t h before he had com pleted h is qualification . H e w as no great field sm an , though not a duffer, and a n y ­ th in g but a scientific batsm en , though he could hit lik e a horse k ick in g. I t is as a fast bow ler an d as a m an th at B ich ard so n w ill be rem em bered. H e did so m an y great perform an ces th at a com plete list o f them is quite im possible here : but am ong them m a y be added : 9 for 47 (1st inns.) v. Y o rk sh ire at Sh effield , and 14 for 14 5 v. N o tts at T ren t B rid g e, in ’98 ; 15 fo r 95 (all 10 for 45, 1s t inns.) v . E s s e x at the O val, 1 3 for 6 1 v. G lou cestersh ire at C h elten h am , 1 3 for 99 v. N o tts at T ren t B rid g e, 1 2 fo r 59 v. C am brid ge U n iv ersity at the O val, and 12 fo r 1 1 4 v. L a n ca sh ire at Old Trafl'ord, in ’9 4 ; 15 for 15 5 v. H an ts at th e O val, 14 fo r 1 6 1 v. W arw icksh ire at E d gb aston , 1 3 for 13 4 v. Y o rk sh ire at B rad fo rd , 1 3 for 15 2 v. Som erset a t T au n ton , 1 2 in a m atch five tim es, 1 1 four tim es, 10 four tim es, in ’95 ; 1 5 for 63 v. L eicestersh ire at the O val, 1 3 fo r 1 3 1 v . Som erset at the O val, 1 3 for 244, E n g lan d v. A u stralia at Old T rafford, 1 2 in a m atch once, 1 1 thrice, (includ­ in g 1 1 fo r 17 3 , E n g la n d v . A u stralia at L o rd ’s) 10 thrice, in ’9 6 ; 1 5 for 15 4 v. Y o rk sh ire at L eed s, 14 for 10 2 v. K en t at B eck en h am , 1 3 for 1 4 1 P la y e rs v. G en tlem en at H astin gs, 1 3 for 19 3 v . M iddlesex a t L o rd 's, four tim es 1 2 in a m atch, th rice 1 1 , tw ice 10 , in ’97 ; 1 5 fo r 83 v. W arw icksh ire at the O val, in ’98 ; 14 for 18 5 v . E s s e x at L e yto n , in 19 0 0 ; 1 1 for 12 5 v. So u th A frican s at the O val, in ’0 1 ; 10 for 10 0 v. Som erset at th e O val, in ’0 2 ; 1 3 for 1 3 5 v . W orcestersh ire at the O val, 1 2 for 15 0 v. Y o rk sh ire at Sh effield ,'an d 1 1 for 12 5 v . Som erset a t the O val in ’03. H e took h is hundredth w icket o f th e season on J u ly 3 1 , ’9 3 ; on Ju n e 18 (first to do so) in ’9 4 ; on Ju n e 2 1 (first) in ’9 5 ; on Ju n e 18 (second) in ’9 6 ; on Ju n e 28 (second) in ’97 ; on A u gu st 8 in ’9 8 ; on A u gu st 14 in 19 0 0 ; on J u ly 16 (fourth) in ’0 1: on A u gu st 29 in ’02 ; and on A u gu st 6 in ’03. In three successive y ears he had over 200, reach in g th at n um b er on A u g u st 16 in ’9 5 ; on A u gu st 1 in ’9 6 ; an d on A u g u st 1 3 in ’97. “ He was a man, take him for all in all, We shall not look upon his like again.’ Special Club Notes. C o n t r ib u t e d b y “ T h e C h i e l . ” B u sin e s s c la im s p r e v e n te d m y c a r r y in g o n th e “ m is s io n a r y ” w o rk , I h a d m a p p e d o u t fo r la s t S a t u r d a y . C lu b s m u s t n o t a s s u m e , h o w e v e r , t h a t m y p ro m ise s to v is it th e m a r e t o b e a s s o c ia te d w it h t h e p r o v e r b ia l p i e-cru st. W h e n I com e, i t w ill b e u n e x p e c te d ly , a n d a n y c lu b w h ic h w o u ld r e a lly lik e m e t o p a y a v is it w o u ld o b lig e b y fo rw a rd - i n g a fix tu r e c a rd c/o T h e E d it o r . T h e n 1 c a n p la n a n o u t in g in a certain , d is tr ic t, a n d v i s i t t w o o r th r e e clu b s d u rin g th e a fte rn o o n . T h o u g h I p la y e d o n e S u n d a y g a m e o f c ric k e t d u rin g m y c a re e r, c r ic k e t o n S u n d a y so m e h o w n e v e r a p p e a le d g r e a tly t o m e . N e v e r th e le s s , i t w a s a n a g re e a b le s u rp rise t o m e t o fin d t h a t so m u c h a n d s u c h r e a lly g o o d c r ic k e t is p la y e d o n th e s e v e n th d a y . L a s t S u n d a y I jo u rn e y e d t o M a ld e n a n d w itn e ss e d a v e r y fin e g a m e b e tw e e n th e T h e s p id s a n d M r. H o r to n ’s E le v e n , u n d e r t h e m o st d e lig h t­ fu l c o n d itio n s. T h e g ro u n d o f t h e T h e s p id s a t M a ld e n is e v e r y w a y s u ite d fo r a S u n d a y g am e . Y o u a r e f a r fro m th e m a d d in g c ro w d th e re ; t h e jo u r n e y fro m to w n is s h o r t ; in fa c t , e v e r y th in g is p le a s in g ; c h a rm in g fe llo w s , ev en m o re c h a rm in g la d ie s, a n d th e n t h a t m o s t d e lig h tfu l lu n c h e o n a n d t e a o n t h e la w n a t t h e R o y a l O a k ! W ith c ric k e te rs lik e H . M . B a n n is t e r , G . H . H e b d o n , N . M . B e id C. A . E . G re e n e , V . R . P o lly , A . C. F in n e n , G . D a w d r y , T . S h e lfo r d , J . A n n in g , a n d m a n y o th e r g o o d fe llo w s , e n jo y ­ m e n t is a m a t t e r o f c o u rse. T h o u g h t h e T h e s p id s w o n r a t h e r e a sily , th e re w e re so m e r a r e g o o d b a ts in M r. H o r to n ’s te a m . V . R . P o lly ’s fa s t b o w lin g , u p o n a s p o rtin g w ic k e t, w a s ju s t to o m u c h fo r th e m . G . D a w d r y m a d e 70 o d d fo r th e T h e s p id s b y g o o d c ric k e t, b u t h e o b v io u s ly fe lt th e h e a t. W 'h at c a n o n e s a y to P o lly ’s b o w lin g r F o r o v e r 2 h o u rs h e b o w le d h is fa s t e s t , a n d n e v e r sla c k e n e d , w a s n e v e r g iv e n a r e s t ! O nce m o re , th a n k s , d e a r T h e s p id s , fo r y o u r k in d in v it a t io n a n d h o s p ita lity . I t is a lw a y s p le a sin g to re c o rd a n y g o o d p e rfo rm a n c e s b y c ric k e te rs w h o a re o n t h e v e r g e o f th e v e t e r a n sta g e . L a s t w e e k I re fe rre d to t h e fin e b o w lin g o f H . A . W h ite ; th is tim e it is n o o th e r th a n A rth u r J . T ro llo p e , th e B r ix t o n a ll-ro u n d e r, w h o fo r M r. N o r th ’s E le v e n a t E g h a m p e r ­ fo rm e d th e h a t tr ic k a n d m a d e 7 7 ru n s. P e rfo rm a n c e s lik e th is a r e g o o d a g a in s t a n y sid e . C o n g ra tu la tio n s to G . H . S w a in o n h is e x c e lle n t 1 2 4 fo r B a t t e r s e a v . R ic h m o n d T o w n . O n e c a n ju s t im a g in e t h e c h e ers o f t h e B a t t e r s e a c ro w d a t th e p e rfo rm a n c e o f “ G e o rg e ” a s h e is fa m ilia r ly a n d a ffe c tio n a te ly c a lle d b y a ll w h o k n o w h im . T a lk in g o f B a t t e r s e a , th e y a re la m e n tin g t h e lo ss o f a r a r e a ll-ro u n d c ric k e te r in H . M . L a w s o n , w h o h a s o b ta in e d a lu c r a tiv e a p p o in tm e n t a t B irm in g h a m . L a w s o n w a s o n e o f t h e v e r y b e st, a n d a s M o z a rt s a y s , h is w a s “ T h e m a n ly h e a r t w ith lo v e e v e r flo w in g .” M a y fo rtu n e sm ile u p o n y o u , L a w s o n ! A p ro m in e n t c lu b c ric k e te r h a s a s k e d m e t o su g g e st th e a rra n g e m e n t b y clu b s fo r m a tc h e s to s t a r t a t 1 o ’clo ck o n S a t u r d a y s . U n d o u b te d ly to m a n y th is w o u ld p ro v e a b o o n a n d a b le ssin g ; b u t a g a in th e re a r e m a n y th o u sa n d s o f c ric k e te rs w h o co u ld n o t p o s s ib ly le a v e b u sin e ss b e fo re t h a t tim e . I a m , h o w e v e r, c o n v in c e d t h a t c o u ld se c re ta rie s o n ly a r r a n g e fo r a ll th e ir m a tc h e s to s t a r t a t 2 s h a rp , w e sh o u ld n o t o n ly h a v e a re a l g o o d a fte r n o o n ’s c ric k e t, b u t w e sh o u ld a ls o a v o id to a g r e a t e x t e n t th e o b n o x io u s d ra w . M o re t h a n o n e o f th e g o -a s-y o u -p le a se c lu b s, I