Cricket 1912

A u g u s t 24, 1912. CEICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 441 in to th e “ M o st in a n in n in g s ” co lu m n o f th e a v e ra g e ta b le s, it w ill n o t fig u re in W isden a t a ll, fo r W isden giv es n o th in g b u t su m m a rise d in fo rm a tio n a s to th e m in or co u n ties. T h e ir m a tc h e s a re n o w h e re else d e a lt w ith a s c a r e fu lly a n d a s th o ro u g h ly as in C r ic k e t , w h ic h g iv e s th e fu ll sco res o f th e m a ll, th e b o w lin g a n a ly se s w h e n e v e r o b ta in a b le , a n d som e a c c o u n t o f th e p la y . I w ish th a t m o re o f th e M in o r C o u n ty se c re ta rie s w o u ld reco gn ise o u r effo rts in th is d ire c tio n . A fe w o f th em d o a p p re c ia te th o se e ffo rts ; som e o f th e o th ers c a n n o t e v e n e x te n d th e ir c o u rte s y to th e le n g th o f a re p ly w h e n a stam p e d a n d a d d re sse d e n v e lo p e is en clo se d , an d w h e n th e q u e ry p u t is p ro m p te d b y a d esire to h a v e th e ir c o u n ty ’s scores c o rrec t a n d c om p lete . D u b lin U n i v e r s i t y d id n o t lo se a sin g le m a tc h th is se a so n , w in n in g 10 a n d d ra w in g 5 . R . A . L lo y d , th e c a p ta in , sc o re d 7 4 1 ru n s (h ig h e st 2 0 2 ), w ith a n a v e ra g e o f o v e r 3 3 , a n d B . J . W a rd to o k 98 w ic k e ts a t u n d e r 10 each . T h e la tte r is u n d o u b te d ly o n e o f th e b e st b o w lers in Ir e la n d th is y e a r. T h e b e st b a t is p r o b a b ly O. J . M eld on , th e e x -D u b lin m a n , n o w p la y in g fo r L e in s te r. H o is p ic k in g o u t th e p u n ish a b le b a ll w ith g re a te r c e rtitu d e th a n o f y o re , a n d in re c e n t m a tc h e s h a s sc o re d 15 0 v . N e sto n (L a n c s.) a n d 1 3 7 v . W o o d b ro o k . B a k e r , fo rm e rly o f S u r r e y , h a s to ta lle d fo u r figu res fo r W o o d b ro o k d u rin g th is c am p a ig n . T h e Ir e la n d v . S c o tla n d m a tc h ta k e s p la c e o n th e W o o d b ro o k g ro u n d o n A u g u st 2 9 , 30 a n d 3 1 . T h is is on e o f th e m a tc h e s t h a t sh o u ld , I th in k , b e reck o n ed first-c la ss. I t is a n in te rn a tio n a l, th o u g h n o p ro fessio n a ls are in c lu d e d , a n d th e c o rre c t t it le is Ire la n d v . S c o tla n d , I h o ld , n o t G en tlem e n o f Ire la n d v . G en tlem e n o f S c o tla n d . A fte r a ll, h o w m a n y b o rn Ir is h o r S c o ts p ro fessio n a ls w o u ld h a v e a n y c h a n ce o f se le c tio n ? T h e Irish Field o f A u g u st 1 7 q u o tes C r i c k e t , an d g iv e s d u e a c k n o w le d g m e n t. T h is is a s it sh o u ld b e ; b u t, a la s ! th in g s a re n o t o fte n a s th e y sh o u ld b e. W h en w e q u o te w e a lw a y s ac k n o w le d g e. T h e Daily Chroniclc on M o n d a y lifte d a sp e c ia l p a r a g r a p h fro m la s t w e e k ’s “ P a v ilio n G o ssip ,” a lte r e d o n ly tw o or th re e w o rd s, an d g a v e n o h in t a s to its so u rc e . T h e Evening News o f th e sam e d a te lifte d it fro m th e Chronicle, a n d p re su m a b ly d id n o t k n o w w h e n c e it o rig in a te d . W e w e re n o t ev en s ty le d “ a c o n te m p o ra ry ,” a fte r th e a b su rd fa sh io n w h ich is de rigucur in so m e n e w sp a p e r offices. I t is s a id t h a t J o h n M aso n w ill n o t a s s is t K e n t ag a in . I f th is is tr u e , m o re ’s th e p it y ! H e is in g r e a t fo rm ju s t n o w , a n d fo r B a n d o f B ro th e r s v . S t. L a w re n c e , C a n te rb u ry , la s t w e e k h e m a d e a c e n tu r y a n d to o k 16 w ic k e ts fo r 73 ru n s. A T rito n am o n g th e m in n o w s, i t m ig h t seem , y e t n e ith e r th e B . B . ’s n o r S t . L a w re n c e is a c lu b g iv e n to p la y in g d u ffers. Corr^spond^nc^. [The Editor does not hold himself responsible for the opinions oj his correspondents.] To the Editor o f C r ic k e t . S ib , Ju ly 25, 1912. Last year Mr. F . M itchell, long before he was thought of as a member of this year’s S.A . team for England, made a suggestion through The Times that a match “ Home born v. Colonial born” might be arranged during this Triangular summer, in which all the members of the “ World’s Best E leven ’’ would be seen taking part. H as anyone, Mr. M itchell included, ever thought further of this suggestion ? Is it now quite out of the range of practical politics ? Certainly one or two desirables are absent from England, but on the other hand Ean jitsin hji is here, contrary to expectation. If neither A ustralia nor South A frica alone can extend the Mother Country it might be of greater interest to let them try in combination at the end of the season. Yours truly, ZcMMEItZET. Big Matches of the Week. G lo u c e s t e r s h ir e v. A u s t r a lia n s .— There w as only a couple of hours’ play on the first day of tbe second match of the Cheltenham Festival; and during that time the Australians, by laborious batting on a soft wicket, put up 94 for 3. All three batsmen were caught, and in each case the catch was a really good one, Dennett in the slips, Sm ith at the wicket, and Langdon in the country being tbe fieldsmen. On Friday Warren Bardsley, 18 * overnight, took his score to 1 1 5 —his seventh century, and a splendid innings. He w as in under 3 hrs., gave only one chance, and hit two 6 ’s (both to leg off Dennett) and six 4’s. This innings took his total for the season over 2,000. No one else did much for the aide ; and when Gloucestershire went in only Sewell, Langdon, and C. S. Barnett could make any stand against Whitty and H azlitt. Barnett, after playing very stolidly for a time, hit out at the end, and, with Dennett playing steadily, the best stand of the innings (64) was made for the last wicket. Sewell and Langdon had put on 49 for the second. There was a little play between showers on the Satur­ day. and the Australians lost 7 wickets for 67, Dennett taking 5 of them. Y o r k s h ir e v . N o t t s . —The home side batted tbe whole of the first day at Harrogate, and made themselves safe from defeat. Rhodes was the central figure, staying all through without a chance. Two wickets were down for 31 ; but Oldroyd helped to add 64 for the third ; and after lunch Kilner and Rhodes made 85 in 70 minutes for the fifth, and Drake and Rhodes 86 in under 50 minutes for the sixth. Kilner hit seven 4’s, Drake 8 . The innings was. finished in half-an-hour on the second morning. Rhodes being out to the first ball he received, and Booth carrying his bat for a lively 38. The England m an’s hits included seventeen 4’s. He went on to bowl after Booth and H irst had been given a trial, and took 5 for 68 , no one but Hardstaff being at all comfortable with him . Tbe Notts, innings closed for 16 1, Iremonger having batted 90 minutes for 25*, and in the follow-on they lost George Gunn and W hysall, and had 63 for 2 up at the end of play. On Saturday the eight outstanding wickets only added another 63. Drake bowled very effectively, taking 6 for 24. The form shown by Booth and Drake of late, after both had been rather disappointing earlier in the season, has had much to do with Yorkshire’s success. S u ss e x v. S o u t h A fu ic a n s .— Fifteen wickets fell for 132 in a first day’s play interrupted by showers at Hove, and no batsman ever got on top of the bowling, though Albert Relf batted an hour for 2 1 and young Jupp played a plucky and lively innings of 27*. Nourse had 6 for 16 before lunch, but met with no success after­ wards. The Afrikanders lost 5 for 56 before call of time, after Taylor and Strieker had put up 29 for the first. Faulkner alone did an y­ thing on Friday m orning; but his 47* carried the colonial total to 118 . Albert R elf had 6 for 49. Upon Sussex going in again there was a great change. Robert R elf left early, and his brother was missed before scoring, after which he and Vine added 169 for the second wicket in 195 minutes, which was the duration of R elf’s innings. The wicket was never easy ; and the barracking to which the pair were subjected by an ignorant section of the crowd was quite unjustified. They were playing a great game for their side. On Saturday, with the pitch more difficult than ever, Pegler bowled in wonderful form, aud had the wicket 3 of Simm s, Cox, Fender, and Vincett while only four runs were being scored off him. The innings closed for 220, leaving the Africanders 179 to get for victory. Taylor, Beaumont, and Tancred all made useful scores, but it was in the main the fine batting of Faulkner which pulled his side through with 4 wickets to spare. He scored 100 in the match without losing his wicket. H a m p sh ire v. E s s e x .— These counties had not met for nine years. Only two hours’ play was possible on the first day, during which time E ssex made 80 for 1, Douglas batting an hour for four singles. In 95 minutes on Friday the innings was finished off for 65 more. Perrin was in 130 minutes for his 50 ; Freem an batted well, though slowly, for his 29; and later on Buckenham and Hadden showed pluck and resolution in a brief ninth wicket stand of 26. Kennedy came out with a fine analysis, and Newman also bowled well. Hants had about an hour’s bitting between showers, and made 4 1 for 1 . On Saturday no play was possible, tbe game being abandoned quite early af^er further drenching rains during the night. W a r w ic k s h ir e v . S u r r e y .— N o start was possible till after 3 o’clock on Thursday. Kinneir was in from the start till the last ball of the day, when he played on to Rushby. He gave two chances in the course of his 3 hours’ stay, and hit eight 4’s ; apart from the two mistakes his batting was exceedingly sound and good, and his 93 is his best score of the season to date. Charlesworth made 23 out of