Cricket 1912

A u g u s t 31, 1912. CEICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 461 That Very Queer Thing, the Test Match Temperament. X. m II. Whene’er ’gainst County team I play The welkin rings with lusty cheers. “ Hooray ! ” spectators shout. “ Hooray ! ” My century on the board appears. fy On form I’m chosen for the test; S I can make runs—I should—I ought! (W But, sadly though it be confessed, jff) My scores were thuswise—0 and 0! game did not allow of anything being given away. At Lord’s Rushby had 8 for 31, all bowled or l.b.w., and Tarrant also took eight during tho day. At Hastings East had 7 for 46 ; at Hinckley John King secured 7 for 56, and at Manchester Aubrey Faulkner 6 for 78. There were also J. T. Hearne’s 5 for 18 in Surrey’s first, and Blythe’s 7 for 81 in Gloucestershire’s two innings. A gainst these one has to set Charles Fry’s 79, Philip Mead’s century, George Brown’s 94, Robert Relf’s 64, and Septimus Paul Kinneir’s 60, the only innings of the day exceeding the half-century. A t Lord’s 253 runs were scored for the loss of 25 wickets, at Dover 268 for 30, at the Oval 176 for 16—in three matches J 697 runs for 71 wickets, which works out at under 10 per wicket. In the other five games 54 wickets realised 1206 runs, an average of over 22 each ; but Hampshire’s 353 for 8 helped these figures a good deal. Two successive days when all first-class cricket was prevented by rain form an occurrence happily without a parallel in the history of the game—at any rate during the time when any large amount of big cricket has been played. It is just possible that a similar disastrous period was experienced in the days of Alfred Mynn and Fuller Pilch,! but as to that I cannot speak with any certainty. A ccording to the Irish Field Vogler had 2 wickets for 321 for Woodbrook v. Free Foresters. This would j fairly out-Giffen Giffen, who once had 5 for 309 for South Australia ; but as the score of the F.F.’s was only 188 the “ record ” must go the way of B. Lee’s 903 and our own | 80 wickets down in one innings in an early issue of this summer. These things will happen as long as compositors and proof-readers are human. Humanum est errare. But I cannot help thinking at times that compositors and proof­ readers are rather too human—in that way. D uring September I hope to publish two or three articles from Ernest Vogler’s pen. He has promised me that he will write upon the googly ball—and who knows more about that subject than A. E. E. V. ?—the different conditions of cricket in England, South Africa and Australia, and the failure of the South African Team. I believe that the readers of C ricket will appreciate these contributions. V ogler saved the game for his side against the Free Foresters by a really fine innings of 68 not out. During their tour in Ireland the Foresters—whose side included F. W. Gillespie, R. H. Gillespie, W. G. Druce, W. P. Robert­ son, G. W. Ricketts, E. R. Wilson, and M. E. C. Baggallay— played 8 matches, winning 5 and drawing 3 of them. G. M. L ouden , the tall Ilford bowler and big hitter, was only able to play for Essex in one match this season ; but it is hoped and expected that next season his services will be at the disposal of tho Committee for several games. That, given a decent trial, ho would be of great use to the side is scarcely doubtful. T he rain spoiled all chance of Kent’s snatching the championship by a desperate spurt on the tape, and also discounted Northamptonshire’s prospects. If Yorkshire wins the match with Somerset which should be in progre ss as I write, the White Rose county must be first; and first