Cricket 1912

378 CEICKET: A WEEKLY EECOED OF THE GAME. A ugust 3, 1912. P. Buckenham in Cricket. First=Class B O W L IN G A V E R A G E S . O vers. R uns. W k ts. A ver. 3899-1902 .............................................. 444-2 1435 32 44-84 1903 .............................................. 330 1023 45 22-73 1904 .............................................. 035*1 2032 66 30*7S 1905 .............................................. S28-3 2884 90 32-04 1906 .............................................. 954-1 3258 135 24-13 1907 .............................................. S07'l 2614 11 S 22-15 1908 ............................................. 789 2541 103 24 66 1909 791-5 2613 130 . 20-10 1909-10 (S. A frica ) ................. 317 876 39 22*46 1910 .............................................. 658*1 2085 118 17-66 1911 .............................................. 875 3011 134 22’47 1912 (to 27 J u ly )............................... 434-5 1646 39 42-20 7S65-4 2601S 1049 24-80 T A B L E 4 S H O W IN G F O R W H O M T H E W IC K E T S W E R E T A K E N . O . B. W . A v. F or E n glan d v. C ham pion C ou n ty 167*4 573 33 17*36 ,, E s s e x .............................................. 6499-4 21733 8-25 26-34 „ M .C .C ................................................ 474-1 1441 SO 1 S -01 ,, M .C .C . in S ou th A frica ... 317 876 39 2*2-46 „ P layers v. G en tlem en 117*5 423 19 22-26 ,, S ou th v. N orth .................. O th er M atches ................................ 63-4 201 11 18*27 225 771 32 24-09 Since 1903 Buckenham has been a regular m ember of the Essex team, and has proved him self a worthy successor to Mr. Kortright. Although the fielding of the side is not often as bad as it has been painted, one must admit that it has seldom been brilliant behind the wicket, and no one has suffered more from catches missed in the slips than the fast bowler. Had a reasonable number of these chances been accepted, B uckenham ’s figures would be a better criterion of his merit than they are. Verily, Buckenham was not born the luckiest of mortals, for he has had the hard luck to miss as narrowly as possible the highest honour the cricket field has to bestow. One of twelve chosen for the Oval Test m atch in 1909— and the only regular fast bowler of the twelve— his ultimate exclusion from the team was the cause of much justified criticism . So he has never represented England v. Australia, and it is now scarcely likely he will ever do so. As a batsman, Buckenham a few years ago showed great prom ise; but he appears to have now sacrificed his batting abilities in order to maintain his bow ling—which is a sound policy. Two centuries stand to his name, 124 v. Lancashire in 1907, and 100 v. Notts in 1904. H is best season with the bat was 1906, when he scored 788 runs, with an average of 25-41 per innings. J. G . K n - a f m a n . James Stone in First=Class Cricket. B A T T IN G A V E R A G E S . N ot H igh est Year. In n s. ou t. R uns. A ver. score. 1900 ................ 2 0 8 4-00 6 1901 ................ 4 2 23 11-50 8 * 1902 ................. 22 4 228 12-66 31 1903 .................. 27 6 2-26 10 76 20 1904 .................. 30 9 471 22-42 56* 1905 ................! 37 5 743 23-21 174 1906 28 5 5 •2 22-26 72* 1907 .................. 45 941 24*12 !!! 97 * 1908 ................. 38 5 573 17-36 69 1909 .................. 37 4 891 27-00 109 1910 .................. 40 4 866 24 05 105 1911 .................. 45 1 1030 23-40 S3 1912 (to J u ly 27) 30 2 886 31:64 106* 385 53 7398 22-28 174 These figures show very plainly the great advance Stone has made as a batsman since he was first tried for his county. He had defence then, but scarcely a scoring strok e; now he still retains his defence and possesses as m any strokes as the average man, while his pluck at a crisis is unquestionable. From going in last he has been prom oted to a regular place as one of the first pair, and this season has made double figures 24 times out of 30, including one century, and scores of 73, 70,64,53,45,45, and 44. As a wicket-keeper he is very good and reliable, quite in the first flight, and he has dismissed over 450 batsmen while playing for Hampshire. H is four centuries have been : 174 v. Sussex, at Portsmouth, 1905; 109 v. Worcestershire at W orcester, 1909; 105 v. Lancashire, at Southampton, 1910; and 06* v. Sussex, at Eastbourne, 1912. J. N. P. Cricket in Scotland. B y H a m i s h . T h u n d e r, lig h tn in g , ra in ! T h e se w e r e th e e le m e n ts w ith w h ic h o u r c r ic k e t h a d t o c o n te n d o n S a tu r d a y , a n d o n ly n o r th a t A b e r d e e n w e re th e w e a th e r g o d s p ro p itio u s. F u lly h a lf th e m a tch e s o f a n in te re s tin g p r o g r a m m e w ere a b a n d o n e d w ith o u t a b a ll b e in g b o w le d , a n d in n o t a sin gle in sta n ce w a s a g a m e o f a n y im p o r ta n c e b r o u g h t t o a d e fin ite co n clu sio n . T h e u n fa v o u r a b le c o n d itio n s w e re a ll th e m o re to b e r e g re tte d seein g t h a t m a n y p ro fe s sio n a ls h a d ch o se n S a tu r d a y ’s m a tc h fo r th e ir b en efit. T h e G ra n ge w ere lu ck ie r in th e ir t w o d a y s ’ m a t c h a t N e w ca s tle , w h e re th e y c o m p le te d t h e d o u b le e v e n t a t th e e x p e n se o f th e N o r th u m b e r la n d c lu b . T h e sco re s w e re , G ra n g e . 106 a n d 97 ; N o r th u m b e r la n d C lu b a n d G r o u n d , 75 a n d 93. T h e w ic k e t w a s a lw a y s d iffic u lt, b u t b a d b a ttin g h a d a lo t t o d o w ith th e sm a ll scores. .Tenner, o n e o f th e G ra n g e p ro fe ssio n a ls, w h o h a s b e e n d o in g v e r y w e ll la te ly , h a d te n w ic k e ts fo r 76. H a w ic k w e r e a ls o o v e r t h e b o r d e r , a t C arlisle, w h e re a th u n d e rsto rm p r o b a b ly d e p r iv e d th e m o f v ic to r y . T h e y p u t to g e th e r 190 fo r 6 (A . T u r n b u ll 51, T . S torrie 5 4 * ), a n d h a d g o t rid o f s e v e n o f th e ir o p p o n e n ts fo r 76. .1. S to r rie h a d fiv e o f th e s e v e n C arlisle w ic k e ts w h ic h fell. O n ly a fte r a lo n g d e la y w e re a n y m a tch e s s ta r te d in th e E d in b u r g h d istrict. A t H o ly r o o d , G a la (148) a ll b u t b e a t R o y a l H ig h S ch o o l F .P . (86 fo r 9 ). O th e r v is ito r s t o th e C a p ita l in G la sg o w A c a d e m ic a ls (100 fo r 7) d re w w ith S te w a r t’s C o lle g e , F .P . (57 fo r 3 ). F o r th e la tte r W . M . S c o b ie h a d 5 w ick e ts fo r 33. T h e g a m e a t M y re sid e b e tw e e n W a ts o n ia n s (122 fo r 5 ) a n d L e ith F ra n k lin (67 fo r 5) b r o u g h t th e fo r m e r ’s se a so n t o a clo se . W . S tu r r o c k m a d e 5 0*. T h e ra in sp o ilt a n e x c e e d in g ly in te re s tin g p ro g ra m m e in th e W e s t. L ess th a n th re e h o u r s ’ p la y w a s p o ssib le in th e re tu rn fix tu re s b e tw e e n U d d in g s to n a n d D r u m p e llie r, a n d K e lb u rn e a n d A y r . A t B o th w e ll P o lic e s , D r u m p e llie r re a ch e d 101 fo r th e loss o f se v e n w ic k e ts , a n d le ft U d d in g - s to n fifty m in u te s t o b a t. W h e n tim e a rriv e d , t h e y h a d lo s t s ix w ick e ts fo r a p a lt r y 18 ! B e n h a m (5 fo r 7) p r o v e d a lm o s t u n p la y a b le t o th e m . N a sh (5 fo r 3 1 ) b o w le d w ell fo r T 'd d in g stori. H e h a d six te e n ru n s h it o ff h im b e fo re s e cu rin g a w ic k e t, th e n h a d fiv e w ic k e ts w ith o u t g iv in g a w a y a ru n , a n d fin a lly g a v e a w a y fifte e n ru n s w it h o u t a w ick e t. B a th e r a n u n c o m m o n p e rfo rm a n ce . K e lb u rn e b e in g th e first clu b t o d e fe a t A y r th is sea son , A y r w e re p a r tic u la r ly a n x io u s t o w in th e re tu rn m a tc h , b u t tim e w o u ld n o t p e rm it. T h e y clo s e d w ith 146 fo r 6, c o lle c te d in q u ic k tim e , t o w h ic h K e lb u r n e re p lie d w ith 6 3 fo r 4 , a n d e a sily e ffe c te d a d ra w . In a m in o r m a tc h b e tw e e n M o th e rw e ll a n d C a th ca rt, S ch o fie ld , p ro fe ssio n a l t o th e fo rm e r, a Y o r k s h iie m a n , w h o d id g o o d w o r k in th e B o rd e rs w ith M elrose fo r m a n y y e a rs, h a d th e rem a rk a b le a n a ly sis o f 8 w ic k e ts fo r 2 ru n s. C a th ­ ca rt m a d e 7 ! P e rth sh ire a n d F ife sh ire m e t o n th e N o r th I n c h in a C o u n ty C h a m p io n sh ip fix tu re , b u t h e re a g a in ra in p la y e d h a v o c . P e rth s h ire s co re d 139 fo r 6 w ick e ts (W . L . F ra ser 60 ; J . A . F e rg u sso n 3 5 * ) a n d F ife sh ire fo llo w e d w ith 84 fo r 2 (A . W a lk e r 4 5 * ; C o x , 3 1 * ). P e rh a p s th e o n ly m a tc h th a t w a s u n in te r ru p te d w a s t h a t b e tw e e n A b e r d e e n sh ire a n d A r b r o a th U n ite d . M . R . D ic k so n , th e S c o ttis h c a p ta in , sh o w e d h is a p p r e c ia tio n o f th e fa c t b y s c o r in g 127*. A lto g e th e r A r b r o a th to ta lle d 204 fo r 7 w ic k e ts , n o n e o f th e o th e rs b e in g p a r tic u la r ly a t h o m e w ith W . W e b s te r w h o h a d 6 w ick e ts fo r 2 5 . In re sp o n se , A b e rd e e n sh ire s co re d 155 fo r 5 w ick e ts , a n d o f th is t o ta l A . B r o a d b e n t h a d 94, w h ic h in c lu d e d t w o o r th re e six e s— a n d se v e ra l ch a n ce s. R . W . S ie v w rig h t, o f A r b r o a th a n d S c o tla n d , h a s b e e n s e v e r e ly k n o c k e d a b o u t th e la st fe w S a tu rd a y s. Mr. E . H. D. Sewell has strongly recommended to Lord Hawke's notice W . G. Southwell, of E l-tow School, a Yorksbireman born, 19 years of age, aud a really good bat. W . E . Hazelton, of W elling­ borough, will play in a couple of matches for Bucks next m onth.