Cricket 1912

438 CEICKET: A WEEKLY EECOED OF THE GAME. A u g u s t 24, 1912. In 1909-10 he only played in two big m atches, but in one of these — against South A ustralia at Adelaide—he made his highest innings in first-class cricket, and that under conditions which emphasised anew his capacity for rising to a- crisis. South Australia had made the big score of 590. Victoria in reply had done very little indeed. Seven wickets were down for 140 when D r. N . L . Speirs joined H azlitt, and these two added 126 for the eighth, H azlitt eventually ■tarrying his bat for 82. Neither in this season nor in the following one did he do much as a bow ler; but in 19 10 -1 he ran up 77 v. South A ustralia at Melbourne, he and Kenny putting on 143 for the ninth wicket. Last season found him playing for New South W ales (his native state, as it chances) instead of for Victoria, owing to his acceptance ■of a post on the tutorial staff of the K ing’s School, Parram atta, of which the E ev. P. S. Waddy, the old Oxford blue, is head-master. And now at last he redeemed his early promise as a bowler. Against South A ustralia at Sydney he had 9 wickets for 104, against Victoria at Sydney 6 for 140, and against the English team 7 for 95 in the first innings. These performances carried him into the A ustralian team for the last test, and eventually into the side for England. He has done really good work here, steady rather than sen­ sational, very seldom, indeed, failing to get wickets. Seven for 74 v. M .C .C .; four for 14 v. Oxford (first innings); three for 15 v. C am ­ bridge ; eight for 64 v. Yorkshire at Bradford ; seven for 98 v. Su rrey ; six for 105 v. E s s e x ; four for 77 v. England at Manchester ; and five for 92 v. Gloucestershire, have been his best performances •on figures. H is only score above twenty to date of writing has been 35 not out against C am bridge; but the eye trouble has accounted for his failure in the batting line, no doubt. He is quite an exceptionally good field. Here are his first-class figures to date (August 2 0 ):— Inns. N.o. R. A. H.S. O. R. W. A. 1905-6, Aust. .. 2 0 6 3-00 4 35 125 1 125-00 1906-7, Aust. .. 7 1 66 11-00 52 155 608 16 38-00 1907-S, Aust. ... 11 2 128 14-22 34* .. 174 563 15 37-53 190S-9, Aust. .. 8 1 183 26*14 62 155 494 17 29*05 1909-10, Aust. ... 4 1 96 32*00 82* .. 67 239 1 239-00 1910-11, Aust. ... 4 0 134 33.50 77 1122 295 10 29-50 1911-12, Aust. . 1912, Eng. .. 9 1 42 5-25 12 212-2 623 29 21-48 ... 26 5 155 7-38 35* .. 558.1 1320 72 18-33 Totals ... 71 11 810 13-50 82* .. . 1468-5 4267 161 26-50 As in Em ery’s case, this record is promising rather than great. B u t I believe Gervys H azlitt w ill make a lot of runs in England if he •comes again, and his bowling ability is not in dispute. J . N. P. Special Club Notes. C o n t r ib u t e d b y “ T h e C h ie l .” The atrocious weather and the apparent lack of week­ day matches, prevented me from visiting many grounds during the past week. 1 looked in vain through the fixture lists of the papers for club matches, and came to the conclusion that either most teams are on tour, or clubs, ■owing to the holidays, had no fixtures. Last week I journeyed to the Oval, and witnessed what I considered most unenterprising batting by the South Africans. Admit­ ting the bowling of Barnes and Co. was good—very good, I left the ground, feeling, with others, that our visitors might just as well have “ had a go,” as get out in the manner they did. After watching the keen fielding of good club cricket for so long, I was not favourably impressed with the all­ round fielding of the English team. Of course there were brilliant exceptions. The ground fielding was open to a lot of improvement, while the throwing in from the outfield was both slow and ill-directed. I am not grousing for the sake of grousing, but write as one of the crowd, who having paid the nimble “ bob,” expects something a bit out o f the common. Give me a good club game at any time ! At this period of the year the treasurers of a great many clubs are put to a big test in the collection of sub­ scription arrears from their members. With many members there appears to be an easy-going feeling that their sub­ scription will do at any time of the season. They do not give a thought to the heavy expenses their clubs have to meet. In many cases the new members are the culprits, and it is only by enforcing their rules that clubs are successful in obtaining these arrears in some of these cases. You will have noticed at this period of the year, too, the difficulty that many clubs have to fulfil their fixtures. Why 'i Holidays is chiefly the excuse, but such an excuse is not always substantiated. No, the trouble is members have not thought it worth their while to pay their subscription. The secretary or treasurer has made repeated applications —always an unpleasant task ; the members stay away, making some excuse, and the clubs are left to carry out the remaining games of the season as best they can. In many cases the non-payment of a sub. can be explained, and the club’s treasurer has a guarantee from a member the amount will be paid by a certain date—which is cricket. The other is not cricket, or at least as most good clubs expect it to be played. During the end of this month, or the beginning of next, most clubs will be giving their groundman his benefit. In many cases he richly deserves such con­ sideration. But it is a moot question whether these benefits are not overdone ? While personally I have nothing to say against a class of men who are in many ways a necessity for the welfare of a ground, the question arises whether a groundman does not get all he deserves during the season. His opportunities to do so are many, and in nine cases out of ten he does so. Again, how many groundmen appear ever to consider the question of bread and butter during the winter months ? The majority of club members are for ever during the season “ tipping ” their man, for bowling, looking after their belongings, and the like, and to many such the repeated subscription lists, entailing calls upon their pockets, make the cricket season too expensive. While always for fairness, I think it would not be a bad idea for clubs to raise their subscription a few shillings, such addition to go to the benefit of the groundman at the end of the season, thus avoiding many calls upon members, and being in the end of much greater benefit to the recipient. With the end of the season at hand secretaries are now up to their eyes in work arranging their fixtures for next season. Only those who have undertaken the duties of a secretary know the great amount of work and anxiety that are entailed in the arranging of a fixture list for a good class club. With clubs who are played year after year, there is little difficulty. It is in the fixing up with new clubs that the trouble arises. The question of their ground, condition of their wicket, accommodation for dressing, all these matters have to be considered seriously, and in many cases they are mis-represented. The question often arises whether by some means club secretaries could make arrangements for a definite date of meeting, and so save trouble over their fixtures. Many clubs, I know, would place their pavilion at the disposal of secretaries for such an object. A postcard or a small ad. calling club secretaries together, would mean the great saving of endless letters, etc. Matters could be amicably talked over, and all arrangements for the next season could be confirmed on the spot. The Editor of Ayres's Crirketers' Companion is preparing an illustrated article on Dulwich College, and will be greatly obliged if any old Alleynian will send him along any information of interest. Mr. W. Sapte is contributing to the Companion an article on “ Tbe Balance of Power in Cricket,” and the Editor of C ricket w ill also be among the contributors. G E O R G E L E W I N « Club Colour Specialists and Athletic Clothing Manufacturers. OUTFITTERS BY APPOINTMENT TO The Royal Navy and Army, Cornwall, Kent, Middlesex, Somerset and Surrey Counties, and London Scottish, Irish and Welsh, Blackheath, Harlequins, Rich­ mond, Catford Rugby Football Clubs, and all the leading Clubs in the British Isles and abroad; M.C.C. S. African Tour, 1909, S. African Cricket Association 1910, and Queen’s Club, Kensington, the HI.C.C. Australian Team 1911-12, and the South African Association Cricket Team 1912. Established 1869. W r it e f o r E stim a te s . Telephone: P.O. 607 CITY Works at Camberwell. 8 , C R O O K E D LANE , M O N U M E N T , E .C .