Cricket 1912

A ugust 3, 1912. CEICKET: A WEEKLY EECOED OF THE GAME. 385 b u t h e is a liv in g e x a m p le o f h is b e lie f, a n d w h e th e r b a ttin g , fie ld in g , o r le a d in g h is te a m W . L . s h o w s th e sa m e fearless e n d e a v o u r as h e a lw a y s b e tr a y e d in h is fo o t b a ll gam es. A P o p u l a r C a p t a in . r;. .i I c a n n o t s a y t h e p o p u la r H o n o r O a k c a p ta in h a s b een a m a n o f m a n y clu b s . T o m y k n o w le d g e h e h a s a ssisted t h e P e m b e r to n , C la p to n , a n d F u lh a m fo o t b a ll o rg a n isa ­ tio n s , a n d t h e H o n o r O a k C rick et C lu b. I t h in k W . L . h a s m o s t e n jo y e d h is a ss o cia tio n s w it h C la p to n a n d H o n o r O a k . S in ce I first k n e w h im M ie cz n ik o w sk i h a s in crea se d h is w e ig h t t o a co n s id e ra b le e x te n t, a n d t o -d a y h e is a fine s p e c im e n o f a s tr o n g m a n . A n a th le tic life h a s a greed w ith W . L . A l w a y s a T r i e r . A lw a y s a trie r, M ie cz n ik o w sk i h a s p la y e d th e gam e in th e r ig h t s p ir it, a n d t o h is fin e id e a s o f t h e tru e s p o rtin g g a m e I a tt r ib u t e m u c h o f H o n o r O a k ’s su ccess th is season . A t th e t im e o f w r itin g I b e lie v e th e clu b h a v e o n ly lo st o n e m a tc h . T h e y h a v e b e a te n t h e irre sistib le Ilfo rd e le v e n , a n d a t th e p re s e n t tim e I d o n o t k n o w a clu b te am t h a t c o u ld b e su re o f d e fe a tin g M ie cz n ik o w s k i’s fin e sid e. H e is a p o p u la r c a p ta in , a n d h e h a s b y h is s tr ik in g p e r­ s o n a lity m a d e th e H o n o r O a k e le v e n in to a h a p p y fa m ily , a n d a s p le n d id m a tc h -w in n in g co m b in a tio n . In d e e d , u n d e r W . L .’s le a d e rsh ip H o n o r O a k lo o k lik e e n jo y in g t h e r e c o r d se a s o n o f th e ir h is to r y . T h e B i g h t K i n d o f B a t s m a n . I d o n o t t h in k H o n o r O a k h a s h a d m a n y m o r e v a lu a b le p la y e rs th a n W . L . M ie cz n ik o w sk i. T h e r ig h t k in d o f b a ts m a n fo r S a tu r d a y a fte r n o o n cr ic k e t, “ M ic k e y ,” as h e is c a lle d b y a ll h is frie n d s , h a s m a d e m a n y q u ick c e n tu rie s fo r H o n o r O a k . H e is a h itte r— t h a t is t o sa y , h e ta k e s e v e r y a d v a n ta g e o f h is fin e p h y s iq u e w h e n a t th e w ic k e t. H e is q u ic k o n h is fe e t, w a tch e s th o b a ll w e ll, a n d p ick s o u t t h e r ig h t o n e t o h it w ith ra re ju d g m e n t. H e h a s n o t h o u g h t o f a v e ra g e s. H e p la y s t h e g a m e fo r h is sid e in a w h o le -h e a r te d fa s h io n , a n d m a n y v ic to rie s h a v e b e e n w o n b y H o n o r O a k th r o u g h h is r a p id s co rin g . Q u ick in t h o u g h t a n d a c tio n , “ M ic k e y ” is a m o n g s t th e b e st m a tc h -w in n in g p la y e rs in L o n d o n , a n d n o m o re e n th u sia stic, n o k e e n e r cr ic k e te r c a n b e fo u n d in a n y te a m th a n th e p o p u la r H o n o r O a k ca p ta in . F o u r F i n e P l a y e r s . F o u r m e n E ss e x m ig h t w it h a d v a n ta g e t r y in th e ir c o u n t y te a m a re G . W . L o u d e n , C. S w a n n , G . S u tto n a n d E . C o n n o r. L o u d e n is I lfo r d ’s m a t c h w in n e r, w h o se la te st a c h ie v e m e n t is t o c a p tu r e 9 W a lth a m s to w w ick e ts fo r 30. I a m v e r y s o r r y h e d id n o t se cu re th e w h o le te n . I re g a rd L o u d e n as t h e b e s t b o w le r in c lu b cr ic k e t. H e is s p le n d id ly b u ilt, b o w ls a t a p a c e w h ic h K o r tr ig h t a t h is b e s t s ca rce ly e x c e e d e d , a n d h a s a b ilit y t o k e e p a g o o d le n g th a n d m a k e t h e b a ll re a r u p in te r r ify in g fa sh io n o ff t h e p itc h . T h e t w o “ S .’s ” — S w a n n a n d S u tto n , o f B e c k t o n — b o th e x c e e d e d t h e c e n tu r y m a r k a g a in la st S a tu r d a y , a n d th e ir b a ttin g th is se a s o n h a s b e e n a s to n is h in g ly co n siste n t. T h e y a re s ty lis h p la y e rs , w ith s to n e -w a ll d e fe n ce s , a n d all th e k n o w n s co rin g s tro k e s. C o n n o r , o f S o u th -W e s t H a m , is a g r e a t a ll-r o u n d c lu b p la y e r. H is b a t t in g is lik e t h a t o f a first-cla ss c o u n t y m a n . H e is p e rh a p s in clin e d t o p la y fo r w a r d a little t o o m u c h , b u t h e s e ld o m fa ils, a n d w h e n s e t fe w m e n c a n s c o r e m o r e q u ic k ly . H e is a to p -cla s s field e r a n d a s p le n d id b o w le r. W ith o u t m a k in g a lo t o f fu ss o r t a k in g a v e r y lo n g ru n , C o n n o r, w ith a p r e tty a c t io n se n d s d o w n a b a ll a b o v e m e d iu m p a ce t h a t brea k s in q u ic k ly fr o m th e o ff, a n d w h e n t h e w ic k e t h e lp s h im h e is q u ite u n p la y a b le . T h e W . G . o f t h e E a s t . M a n y o f h is frie n d s w ill b e s o rry t o h e a r t h a t A lf. M o r e to n , t h e “ W . G .” o f E a s t L o n d o n c r ic k e t, is v e r y s e rio u sly ill. U p t o a c o u p le o f s e a s o n ’s a g o M o re to n , in s p ite o f h is s ix t y o d d y e a rs , w a s a lw a y s lik e ly t o g e t h is h a lf-c e n tu r y . N o w I fe a r h e w ill n e v e r b e a b le t o p la y a g a in . T h e A r lin g to n a n d B e c k t o n a re g o in g t o p la y a b e n e fit m a t c h fo r h im a t B e c k t o n o n 3 1 s t A u g u s t, a n d I s in ce re ly h o p e th e g a m e w ill b e a fin a n cia l su ccess. C l e v e r Y o u n g S t u m p e r . Y o u n g B . D . C la rk , w h o m a d e s u ch a cr e d ita b le debut fo r E s s e x a g a in s t L a n ca s h ire , is th e c le v e r S u tto n w ic k e t­ k e e p e r, a n d s o n o f B . H . C la rk , t h e o ld C la p to n F o o t b a ll C lu b c a p ta in . I n h is y o u n g e r d a y s “ B o b ” C la rk w a s a g r e a t h a lf-b a c k , a n d a lso ch a irm a n o f t h e S o u th e rn L e a g u e . H e w a s a ls o a w ick e t-k e e p e r a b o v e th e a v e ra g e , a n d I h a v e o ft e n p la y e d w ith h im . H is s o n is a b e tte r s tu m p e r t h a n B o b w a s , a n d if h e ca n p la y re g u la rly in c o u n t y c r ic k e t I s h a ll n o t b e s u rp rise d if h e d e v e lo p s in to a n E n g la n d w ick e t-k e e p e r. Y o u n g C la rk h a s a s p le n d id s ty le b e h in d th e stick s , a n d h e t o o k th e E ssex b o w lin g lik e a m a ste r. T h e B a t t i n g o f W y e s . O n e o f th e m o s t p ro m is in g y o u n g crick e te rs in L o n d o n is W y e s , o f th e C y p h ers. D u rin g h is c lu b ’s h o m e w e e k h e t w ic e p a sse d th e c e n tu ry , a n d as h e is o n ly n in e te e n y e a rs o f a g e h e lo o k s lik e d e v e lo p in g in to o n e o f th e b e st ru n -g e tte rs in c lu b c r ic k e t. W ith a n a lm o s t p e rfe 6 t s ty le , W y e s d e fe n d s h is w ic k e t cle v e rly , a n d scores w ith e le g a n t ease. T w o F i n e P l a y e r s . L ittle H e a th a n d G o o d m a y e s h a v e t w o v e r y fine p la y e rs in E v e s a n d C o ck b u rn . B o t h a re g o o d b a ts m e n , W . L. M IE C ZN IK O W SK I (Honor Oak C.C.) a n d t h e y h a v e ta k e n p a rt in m a n y e x c e lle n t first w ic k e t sta n d s. E v e s is a rea l cr ic k e t w o r k e r. H e h a s a p e cu lia r s ty le a t t h e crea se, b u t p la y s a s tr a ig h t b a t. H e h a s a w o n d e r fu l e y e , h its v e r y h a rd t o o ff, a n d score s h is ru n s a t a ra re p a ce . C o ck b u rn is a p r e t t y p la y e r t o w a tc h . H e m e e ts th e b a ll w e ll, a n d m a k es h is s c o r in g stro k e s w ith a p o w e r t h a t sen d s th e b a ll s p e e d in g t o th e b o u n d a r y . F r o m a l l Q u a r t e r s . I n S am u els N o r th L o n d o n h a v e a c le v e r cr ic k e te r w ith a s o lid d e fe n ce a n d a n a b ilit y t o s c o r e fr e e ly a ll ro u n d th e w ic k e t. B e ck e n h a m h a v e a m o r e t h a n u se fu l a ll-r o u n d p la y e r in B a k e r, w h o b o w ls a t r ic k y b a ll, a n d sco re s ru n s in n e a t s ty le . I n N o rris B a n s te a d h a v e a b rillia n t b a ts m a n w it h a s o u n d d e fe n ce a n d a v a r ie t y o f g o o d s co rin g s tro k e s. E a lin g D e a n h a v e a d e a d ly b o w le r in S p a rk s, w h o s e la te s t b o w lin g fe a t is 7 w ick e ts fo r 9 ru n s. S p a rk s m a k e s th e b a ll c o m e v e r y q u ic k ly o ff th e p itc h , a n d k e e p in g a g o o d le n g th h e is m o s t d iffic u lt t o p la y . Thus far W . B. Franklin, the Cantab blue, has had 14 chances behind the wicket while playing for Bucks, and has taken 13 of them .