Cricket 1912

A ugust 3, 1912. CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OP THE GAME. 383 H a z lit t, l o o . bow led , w e ll a n d “ h u n g ” in p u z z lin g fa s h io n , t h o u g h h e w a s m u c h less a ccu ra te th a n W h itty . T h e o t h e r b o w le rs w e re o f less m o m e n t a n d ea sier t o p la y , y e t th e r e w a s th e s a m e ris k in s c o r in g b y re a s o n o f a n u n e x p e c te d w in d m a k in g a ch a n g e in p a ce a n d fligh t. T h e “ o c c a s io n ,” o f co u rse , a id e d th e b o w le rs . H o b b s a n d R h o d e s s e e m e d th e o n ly t w o b a ts m e n im m u n e fro m th e o ld p a ra ly s in g in flu e n ce , t h o u g h , o f co u rse , S p o o n e r’s ca re e r w a s a ll t o o b r ie f fo r a n y o p in io n t o b e fo r m e d in his ca se. H o b b s , w h o th r e w h is n e w g a m e d o w n t h e g a le a n d w a s h is o ld s te a d y s e lf, k e e p in g h is b rillia n ce in reserv e b e h in d h is s o u n d n e s s, se em e d certa in t o p la y a g r e a t in n in g s w h e n h e fe ll t o a b a ll fr o m W h it t y th a t w o u ld a lw a y s h a v e cla im e d a w ic k e t. I t s e e m e d t o m e t o s w in g in o n th e le g s tu m p a n d t h e n t o b r e a k th e re v e rse w a y . T h e fa c t th a t h e h a d ju s t tu r n e d a n a p p a r e n tly s im ila r b a ll t o le g fo r fou r d o u b tle s s a c c e n tu a te d th e d ea d lin ess o f th e fa ta l d e liv e ry . S p o o n e r “ fo u n d ” a n e q u a lly d e a d ly b a ll, a p u re sw in ger w h o so flig h t th e w in d ju s t a ffe cte d s u fficie n tly a t th e la st to m a k e th e b a ts m a n p la y a little o u ts id e a n d s o e d g e th e b a ll in fo r t h o le g b a il t o c o m e o ff. F r y w a s k e p t o n th e d e fe n siv e , a n d w h a te v e r h e m a y h a v e fe lt d id n o t lo o k co n fid e n t. H e g o t th re e sin g les in h a lf a n h o u r , a n d in th e sa m e p e rio d R h o d e s m a d e th re e s c o r in g stro k e s a lso— a fo u r a n d tw o sin g les. W h e n F r y le t h im s e lf g o , h e wras o u t c a u g h t a t lo n g o ff, w h o w a s w is e ly p la c e d clo s e r in th a n u su a l b e ca u s e th e w in d w a s fo u n d t o a rre s t h ig h h its a g a in s t it. F o r o n c e H ea rn e d id n o t lo o k h is u su a l c o o l a n d c o lle c te d se lf a n d fo r o n ce h e fa ile d t o fa c e a n d o v e r c o m e a crisis w it h su ccess. H e o u g h t t o h a v e b e e n c a u g h t a t m id -o n b y W h it t y o ff M a tth e w s b e fo re h e h a d s c o r e d — t h e s tr o k e w a s a fine e x a m p le o f th e c o n tin u in g fa u lt in h is b a ttin g , t o w h ic h I h a v e o fte n d ra w n a tt e n t io n — a t e n d e n c y t o lift th e b a ll in o n -d r iv in g a n d t o g iv e a ch a n ce t o m id -o n — b u t W h it t y d r o p p e d th e b a ll a s h e d id in th e s a m e p o s itio n in o th e r te sts, w h e n h e m isse d F a u lk n e r a t M a n ch e ste r a n d N o u rse a t L o r d ’s. W h e n H e a m e g o t h is life , o n e h o p e d t h a t A u s tra lia w o u ld h a v e t o p a y th e u s u a l p r ic e fo r m issin g H e a rn c w h ich o p p o n e n ts , in th is s e a s o n ’s re p re s e n ta tiv e fix tu re s , h a v e p a id , b u t t h e h o p e w a s n o t re a lise d . H e a rn e fo r o n c e w a s n o t co n fid e n t a n d t o o k n e a r ly a n h o u r t o m a k e 9 b e fo re p la y in g o u t s id e a s w in g e r. W o o lle y n e v e r lo o k e d lik e s ta y in g , b u t F o s te r d id , th o u g h h e a t o n c e fe ll w h e n h e lo s t h is re s tra in t a n d b e g a n t o p la y h is o rd in a ry g a m e . R h o d e s p la y e d a g re a t g a m e , y e t h e w a s b a d ly m isse d b e fo r e h e h a d s co re d a t p o in t b y H a z litt o ff W h it ty . F o r tu n e th u s la id t h e fo u n d a t io n o f h is score. A fte r h is e s ca p e h is b a ttin g w a s s o u n d a n d ju d icio u s . H e ra n n o risk s y e t n e v e r m isse d a sa fe s co rin g ch a n ce . I f h e h a d fa lle n e a r ly , as h e s h o u ld h a v e fa lle n , th e n E n g la n d w o u ld h a v e b e e n o u t fo r a v e r y s m a ll s c o r e , p re su m in g a lw a y s t h a t th e s e q u e n ce o f e v e n ts h a d b e e n th e sam e. B u t t h a t is a p r e s u m p tio n o n e c a n n o t m a k e . A ll th a t ca n b e s a id is t h a t R h o d e s ca rr ie d E n g la n d o n h is b a c k . W h e n a m a n d o e s t h a t, i t is h y p e r c r itic a l t o lo o k fo r te ch n ic a l fa u lts in h is b a ttin g , o r t o s a y t h a t h e s h o u ld h a v e sco re d fa ste r a n d s o fo r t h a n d s o o n . T h e p o in t o f v ie w is e v e r y ­ th in g , a n d I fa n c y t h a t t h e m id d le in a te st, e s p e c ia lly w h en y o u r sid e is s tr u g g lin g fo r ru n s, h a s a v e r y d iffe re n t p o in t o f v ie w fr o m th a t o f th e rin g . A D r e a r y D a y . T u e s d a y w a s o n e o f th e m o s t d re a ry a n d d ism a l d a y s in th e h is to r y o f te s t cr ic k e t, M o re ra in h a d ren d ered th e p it c h s o s o d d e n t h a t if p la y h a d b e e n a t o n c e a b a n d o n e d fo r t h e d a y , t h e w is e s t co u rse w o u ld h a v e b e e n ta k en . In s te a d th e re w e re th e u su a l fo rm a l in s p e ctio n s o f t h e w ick e t a n d a t t w o -t h ir t y t h e p a y in g p u b lic w e re a d m itte d . T h is w a s a m is ta k e fo r it le d t o p la y a t fiv e o ’ c lo c k w h e n th e w ic k e t w a s s till a m u d h e a p . E n g la n d d id v e r y b a d ly , th e fo u r o u ts ta n d in g w ick e ts g o in g d o w n fo r 18 ru n s o n a d e a d s lo w , e a s y w ic k e t. R h o d e s d id n o t a d d t o h is s co re a n d p la y e d o n t o th e s e co n d b a ll w h ic h h e re c e iv e d fr o m W h itty . R h o d e s w a s u n lu c k y t o c o m e s o n e a r a n d y e t t o m iss his first c e n tu r y in a h o m e te st. H e p la y e d a g r e a t in n in g s, h is c u tt in g fo r s u c h a s lo w w ic k e t b e in g e x c e lle n t, w h ile h e m a d e m a n y fin e o ff d riv e s a n d , as u su a l, tim e d th e b a ll w ell o n th e le g s id e . H e h it 8 fo u r s a n d p la y e d w ith great s o u n d n ess a n d ju d g m e n t. T h e E n g lis h b a ttin g as a w h o le w a s v e r y d is a p p o in tin g . I t w a s a cu rio u s m ix tu re o f ca u tio n a n d th e re v e rse , a n d s tr u c k m e as re fle ctin g th e irre solu te fra m e o f m in d w h ic h th e te s t m a tch e s s eem to in d u ce . E n g la n d s h o u ld h a v e m a d e m o re th a n 2 0 3 , if o n e d a re u se “ s h o u ld ” in c o n n e c tio n w ith cr ic k e t. T h e A u s tra lia n b o w lin g w a s n e v e r in a n y sen se o r fo r a n y p e rio d m a ste re d . I t s u ffice d t o k e e p E n g la n d p la y in g a n d t o g e t E n g la n d o u t c o m p a r a tiv e ly ch e a p ly . W h it t y b o w le d w e ll a ll th r o u g h w ith t h e w in d a n d o n T u e s d a y sen t d o w n 6 o v e rs fo r R h o d e s ’ w ic k e t a n d w it h o u t a ru n b e in g m a d e o ff h im ! H a z litt t o o k t h e o th e r th re e w ick e ts o n T u e s d a y fo r 18 ru n s a n d w ith m o re lu c k w o u ld h a v e h a d b e tte r figu res fo r th o in n in g s. H e b o w le d w ith p le n ty o f v a r ie ty a n d m u c h in s ig h t. T h u s h e g o t th e la st w ic k e t w ith a s lo w , h a n g in g y o r k e r, ju s t t h e s o rt o f b a ll t o g e t H itc h u n d e r th o circ u m ­ sta n ce s w h e n h e w a s d iv id e d b e tw e e n b e in g ca refu l a n d t h e o p p o s ite . T h o fie ld in g w a s g o o d . T h e A u stra lia n s h a d 30 m in u te s ’ b a ttin g a n d in th a t t im e m a d e 14 w it h o u t loss o ff H a ig h , F o s te r a n d W o o lle y , n o n e o f w h o m tr o u b le d t h e b a ts m e n , K e lle w a y a n d J e n n in g s. T h e re w ere so m e 4 ,0 0 0 s p e c ta to rs . W e d n e s d a y , o f c o u rse , w a s a b la n k . Liverpool Jottings. B y G . A . B r o o k i n g . Rain greatly interfered with the game here last Saturday, not a single m atch in what is known as the senior competition being brought to a termination. Ormskirk visited Birkenhead Park and would probably have won had time permitted. They scored 228 for 5, W . P. Barnes 86, and Collison 62, leadiug the field. Birkenhead responded with 108 for 6, Rev. J. M. Swift being top scorer with a most valuable 50. I learn with regret that this gentleman is shortly leaving the district for Canterbury; and that he will be greatly missed by his club at least is to put matters m ildly. H e has represented Lanca­ shire 2nd, also Cheshire, is a great enthusiast and one of the keenest collectors of cricket books and literature I have com e across. Sefton visited Form by, who notched 77 for the loss of 7 wickets before rain stopped further play. Curtis, the Sefton professional and Leicester­ shire county man, took 6 of the 7 for 32 runs, Raven securing the odd one for 13. Talking about the professional bowlers connected with this club, there is no doubt the best was C. Shore, who hailed from Notts, and after leaving Sefton in 1888, represented N orfolk with distinct success for many seasons. He had a big share in winning the Liverpool and District match against Yorkshire in 1887, com piling 38 at a critical juncture, and then taking 4 wickets for 45 ; it was a splendid victory for the seaport city, for they were no less than 111 runs behind on the first innings. Equal praise also belongs to A. G. Steel, who scored 44 and 68, and took 4 for 61, and even at that time— for I was not very old then— the batting of 11A. G .” impressed me greatly. Richardson, the Notts, professional (who was on the Liverpool ground staff), deserves special mention in that game, for in his second innings he notched 5-5 (Shore and he putting on 88) and in the match had the splendid figures of 9 for 98. However, to the Sefton professionals; Oakley, who played for both Shropshire and Lancashire, was nearly as good as Shore. His 5 wickets for 29 runs for L ’pool and District against Yorkshire in 1892 I shall never forget. The ball he bowled which beat Louis Hall — as good a defensive batsman as ever existed— was a gem. Oakley played for Lancashire with a fair amount of success but was not sufficiently persevered with, and afterwards threw in his lot with Todm orden in the Lancashire League for a few seasons, afterwards graduating to Scarborough, which club he left a couple of years ago; since then I have lost sight of him . Shore and Oakley were left- hand, slow medium bowlers, Curtis is right-hand on the fast side of medium, and is a tower of strength to the club. G E O R G E L E W I N & C O . , Club Colour Specialists and Athletic Clothing Manufacturers. OUTFITTERS BY APPOINTMENT TO T h e R oyal N avy and A rm y, C ornw all, K en t, M id d lesex, Som erset an d Surrey C ounties, and L on d on S cottish, Irish and W elsh, B lack heath, H arlequins, R ich ­ m on d , C atford R u gb y F ootball C lubs, and all th e lead in g C lubs in th e B ritish Isles an d a b ro a d ; M .C .C. S. A frican Tour, 1909, S. A frican C rick et A ssociation 1910, and Q ueen’s Club, K ensington, th e M.C.C. Australian Team 1911-12, and the South African Association Cricket Team 1912. E stablish ed 1869. W r ite for E stim ates . Telephone: P.O. 607 C IT Y Works at Camberwell. 8, CROOKED LANE, MONUM ENT , E.C.