Cricket 1912

F e b . 24 , 1912. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 31 The Incogniti Jubilee. The jubilee of this well-known and popular club was celebrated at a dinner at the Hotel Russell on the 15th inst., when the guests numbered nearly 300. But for the fact that many members live in far away parts of the world, the attendance would have been considerably larger, for expressions of regret were received from Burma, New York, Berlin, Sierra Leone (whose Governor-General is an “ Incog.” ), the Malay States, New York, Zanzibar, Malta, Canada, Alexandria, Gambia, Mauritius, India, the Soudan and elsewhere. Among others unable for various reasons to be present were Lord Alverstone, L.C.J., the Earl of Darnley, Lord Harris, Sir William Russell, Mr. W . D. Macpherson (the only surviving member of the first committee of the club), the Earl of Dartmouth, the Earl of Jersey, Sir Thomas Holdich, and Mr. P. M. Thornton. Among the guests were representatives of many cricket clubs, including the M.C.C., Warwickshire County, Oxford and Cambridge Universities, Kent County, Aldershot Command, Beckenham, Esher, Tonbridge, United Services, Plymouth, Army Service Corps and Oatlands Park. Tho Rugby Union, the Amateur Football Association and the Hockey Association were also represented, and among the other guests of the evening were the Headmaster of West­ minster School (Dr. Gow), Mr. C. M. Tuke, Dr. A. R. Littel- john, Mr. W . H. Laverton, the Rev. F. J. Hall, Major A. J. Turner, Col. Froud-Walker, Mr. T. A. Cook and Mr. F. S. Ashley-Cooper. The club itself was particularly well represented, among the many members present being Col. Greenway (President), Sir E. Birch, K.C.M.G., Canon Crowdy, Lord Southwark, the Hon. J. S. Udal, Sir J. Colman, Bart., Major Bush, and Messrs. E. W. Dillon, R. O. Schwarz, J. E. Raven, Sam Bircham, J. Shuter, C. E. Horner, H. P. Chaplin, E. Hume, G. W . Hillyard, E. B. Haygarth, W. P. Harrison, E. M. Crosse, A. S. Tabor, B. W. Pigg, and Philip Collins, the hon. secretary of the Dinner sub-committee. Tho banqueting-hall was most tastefully decorated with the colours of the Incogniti and other clubs. As a souvenir of the dinner there was issued a neat little book, containing the menu, the toast-list, the names of presidents, honorary secretaries, life members and those who have served on the committee, and a very interesting summary setting out the results of all matches played by the club since its formation. In the last-mentioned table it is shown that during fifty years 338 different sides have been met in 1,976 different matches, of which 705 have been won, 635 lost, 632 drawn and 4 tied. There were only three toasts—The King, The Club, and the Visitors—but the number was sufficient to produce most interesting speeches from the Hon. J. S. Udal, Col. Greenway, Mr. J. E. Raven, Lord Desborough (President of the M.C.C.) and Dr. Gow. Lord Desborough congratulated the Incogniti on their freedom from difficulties which are now being experienced by various amateur sporting organisations and on the spirit in which they played the game as against the decimal idea of sport which obtained in this country. The Isibrarvj; (All Publications intended for review in “ Cricket" must be addressed to the Editor.) The 49th issue of Wisden’s Almanack is as welcome and interesting a publicat ion as any of its predecessors, and higher praise it would be difficult to bestow. All the regular features of the book have been retained, and there ,s>of course, an account of the first visit paid to Australia by a South African team. Mr. F. B. Wilson has succeeded Mr. Toppin as the writer of the article on the Public Schools, and has performed his task—no light one-—with distinct credit. The five portraits given are of Mr. F. R. Foster, Kinneir, Philip Mead, Strudwick and J. W . Hearne, all members of the English team now in Australia. The section devoted to the game in Australia is unfortunately incomplete, and no reference is to be found to New Zealand cricket. Mr. Sydney Pardon has now edited the Almanack for twenty-two years in succession. The 21st issue of Messrs. Bussey’s Cricketer’s Diary and Companion reaches us in its usual attractive form. Unlike most annual publications on the game, it is small enough to slip into a waistcoat pocket, notwithstanding that it contains a surprising amount of information relative to last year’s cricket. A particularly welcome feature of the little book of 260 pages is the section devoted to the chief Public School matches of 1911 which covers seven pages. An advertisement on another page is worth the atten­ tion even of readers to whom cricket is much and Rugby football little or nothing—especially to such as have Mr. J. D. Betham’s valuable Oxford and Cambridge Cricket Scores and. Biographies. That volume includes only cricket blues, of course. Now it chances that a good many well-known cricketers who did not, whilst up at the ‘ Varsities,’ manage to obtain their cricket blues were in the Rugby fifteen. These are included in Mr. Routledge’s book, of course. Among them are Messrs. R. S. II. Baiss, C. C. Bradford, V. II. Cartwright, H. H. Castens (captain of the first South African Cricket team), B. Cozens-Hardy, M. R. Dickson, W . P. Geen, R. C. Grellet, P. A. II. Hands and R. II. M. Hands (of South Africa), IT. A. Hodges, W . W. Hoskin, F. II. Knott, A. Latter, F. M. Luce, A. M. P. Lyle, W . O. Moberly, .1. Bavenscroft, J. W. Stratton, H. M. Taberer, and H. B. Tristram (Oxford), S. P. Bell, E. B. Brutton, J. A. Campbell (Argentine Republic), 0. E. Chapman, U. F. Collett, B. S. Cumberlege, R. S. Cumborlege, W. Fairbanks, .T. Gowans, B. H. Holloway, .1. Lees, J. Le Fleming, W. Mortimer, J. IT. Payne, C. II. Sample, R. 0 . Schwarz., W . Martin Scott, N. Spicer, IT. Staunton, II. B. J. Taylor, A. F. Todd, C. II. Ware and J. V. Young (Cambridge). Many cricket blues are also included, of course. Without pretending to give an exhaustive list, we note the names of Messrs. F. II. B. Champain, John Daniell, R. N. Douglas, W. G. Druce, A. IT. Evans, E. Field, W. H. Game, H. A. Hamilton, A. E. Hind, C. F. H. Leslie, J. H. B. Lockhart, G. MacGregor, K. G. MacLeod, IT. Main- price, M. McLachlan, F. T. Mann, F. Mitchell, II. V. Page, J. E. Raphael, W . Rashleigh, J. .1. Robinson, W . I. Rowell, A. F. Smith, D. Q. Steel, J. G. Walker, C. M. Wells, C. P. Wilson, S. M. J. Woods and C. C. G. Wright. The bio­ graphies are on the Who’s Who system, and give all the essential information about each player in brief compass. The price of the book is two shillings, by post two shillings and twopence, of the Manager of Cricket. *John Wisden's Cricketers’ Almanack for 1912. Edited by Sydney H. Pardon. London : John Wisden & Co., 218, Cranbourn Street, Leicester Square, W.C. Price, Is. n et; post free, Is. 4d. The Cricketer's Dian/ and Companion, 1912. London : Geo. G. Bussey & Co.* Ltd., 30 & 38, Queen Victoria Street, E.C. Price, Gd. and 3d. Corr^spond<?nc<?. [The Editor does not hold himself responsible for the opinions oj his correspondents.] THE LATE Mr. J. M. RICHARDSON. To the Editor of C r ic k e t . S ir . —A t the request of several friends, I have undertaken to move in the matter of a memorial to the late Mr. J. M. Richardson. Subscriptions, which are not to exceed one guinea, may be paid to Messrs. Coutts and Co., 440, Strand, for the “ Richardson Memorial Fund.” — Your obedient Servant, COVENTRY. Croome Court, Severn Stoke, Worcestershire, Feb. 11. CURIOSITIES OF FIRST-CLASS CRICKET, 1730-1901. By F. S. Ashlty-Cooper, Price, I s .; post free, Is. IJd. Interleaved copies, each numbered and signed and bound in cloth, price 5s ; post free, 5s. 3d. London : Edmund Seale, 10 Imperial Arcade, E.C. R i c h a r d d a f t ’ s N o t t i n g h a m s h i r e m a i s l.—Particulars apply Itadcliffc-on-Trent, Notts.— (A dvt.)