Cricket 1912

50 CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. M ae . 30, 1912. A Visit to the Editor. H e did not look like a poet, or ho would not have got in. Moor Lane isn’t the sort of place in which one would expect to see a poet, either. And, after all, I am not sure that he was a poet. I leave it for others to judge. “ I’ve a little thing here I should like to read to you,” he said. “ Oh, go on ! ” I replied. “ I can stand any­ thing—well, almost anything. That’s what I ’m here for.” He drew from his breast-pocket a collection of old envelopes. ” See here," I put in, “ if they’re love-letters, the deal’s off. For one thing, I ’m a married man, and for another it’s not fair to the girl.” “ W e a r e S e v e n . ” he declaimed, waving his hand in a “ Peace, be s t ill! ” manner. “ I hope you ’re not cribbing from Wordsworth,” I cut in. “ I am cribbing from no one. This is—more or less—■ a parody,” he replied. “ Is it-er-quite proper to parody W. W. ? ” I enquired. “ What else can you do with the chump ? ” he re­ turned ; and because of that I let him go on. I have never cared much for Wordsworth myself, you know. “ A crack Australian cricketer, Who lightly earns his cash, How should he understand the Board May think his methods rash ? “ I met a mighty Melbourne man— His name I will not mention—- He looks it, though— and thus began : ‘ I crave your kind attention. “ ‘ How is it that you six, whom all Wish well, from W ick to Devon ’ *— He shook his head, and straight broke in : “ We are not six, but seven ! ” “ ‘ I cannot understand %I said— I Own that was a thumper— ‘ There’s Cotter, Carter, Hill, yourself, Young Ransford, and Vic Trumper. “ ‘ And three of you at Sydney dwell, And one at Adelaide, A t Melbourne two ” — the big man here My further utterance stayed. ‘ ‘ A t Melbourne three,’ he sternly spoke. ‘ Do us the trifling favour Of telling all it may concern We won’t Sail without Laver ! “ ‘ W ith Frank as manager we were A happy family quite.’—- I murmured : ‘ Peter may demur, And Peter may be r ig h t! ’ “ ‘ Frank kept our books,’ he said—■*The Board Thought him un-frank about them. ‘ ’Twas Peter’s job, too .’— ‘ R o t ! ’ he roared. ‘ Board’s orders—-we just flout them ! “ Perpend— if Frank goes Clem will go, And. Clem’s a mighty master. And I will go and Vic will go— Our absence spells disaster ! “ ‘ And Tib will bowl— What ho, she bumps ! And Verney score like winking, And Father Noah behind the stumps ’— ‘ Hold hard ! ’ said I. ‘ I ’m thinking— “ ‘ You six ’— Again he interposed In manner most emphatic. ‘ Not six, but seven— Frank must go. The Board’s too autocratic ! “ ‘ They think to chuck Frank overboard ; But we’re resolved to save him. Frank Laver is our dearest chum ; In Melbourne we’ll not lave him I ” * I asked why Cornwall should be left out, and the poet said because it didn’t rhyme with “ seven.” Properly speaking, Devon doesn’t either—but no matter, I snatched up the office ruler, and the poet fled. He left these verses behind, but he took the rest with him. I am almost sorry now. I should have liked to know how the stuff ended. He was getting further away from W.W. with every line, which was something to the good, anyway. But that awful pun was too much for my patience. Never mind ! I don’t suppose anyone else is sorry. J.N .P. County Cricket Club Meetings and Reports. Some Items of Interest. The N o t t in g h a m s h ir e C.C.’s match receipts amounted to £1,918 odd last year, £735 being taken at the Whitsuntide match with Surrey. After £300 had been set apart for the Players’ Benefit Fund, a profit of £58 remained. But a balance of £2,001 is still due to the bank, besides £3,053 on the ground improvement account. The Duke of Portland is the new President, the Mayor of Nottingham Vice-President, and Mr. Charles W . Wright, the old County player and Cambridge Blue, succeeds Captain Tomasson as Treasurer. The S u s s e x C.C.C.’s deficit is now £1,157, the loss on the year 1911 being £334. But interest on mortgages and on the bank overdraft accounts for £349, so that matters are not quite as bad as they look. The county has a long programme for 1912, meeting all the first-class counties except Worcestershire, Cambridge University (home and away), Oxford University, the Australians and the South Africans. The revived Hastings Festival, during which the South will play the two Colonial sides, will also be held under the auspices of the County Club, which is a new departure. There will be a week at Horsham, where Oxford and Surrey play in June ; for the Brighton week in July Lancashire and the Australians are the attraction; at Hastings in August Northants and Warwickshire will appear. Two matches, in different months will be played, at East­ bourne. Both the Jam of Nawanagar and Mr. H. L. Simms will play in some matches at least. The new President is Mr. James Buchanan. A balance of £426 remained to the K e n t C.C.C. as profit, though Fielder’s benefit absorbed £553. There will be fewer Second Eleven matches in 1912. Sir Henry Lennard is the new President. A presentation was made to Fred Huish in recognition of his great feats behind the w ick et; he has now passed the 1000 total of catchings and stampings, and had a three-figure number of victims in 1911. Mr. J. R. Mason, who has done so much for Kent, is to be married shortly, and Lord Harris announced the resolve of the club to raise a fund for the purpose of giving him a handsome wedding-present. Mr. T. Coulson has retired from his dual post as Hon. Sec. to the D u r h a m C.C.C. and captain of the county team, and Mr. A. Beresford Horsley succeeds him in the secretary­ ship, Mr. C. Y . Adamson taking over the captaincy. During 1911 the team won seven matches and lost only three, and gate money was 40 per cent, higher than in 1910, though £40 was lost on the Lincolnshire match at Norton-on-Tees, where only £7 was paid at the gate. The Marquis of Londonderry was nominated as President. The statement made to the W il t s h ir e C.C.’s sup­ porters was less pleasant. The deficit of £205 a year ago has been increased, to £310, and Mr. A. M. Miller, the Captain of the eleven, stated plainly that unless subscriptions increased the Club must go under. The team had a very bad time in 1911, winning only one match. This year they do not play Kent Second Eleven, and meet Bucks, instead of Monmouth. The L e ic e s t e r s h ir e C.C. lost nearly £500 on the season’s working. The only match won was that v. Yorkshire, and the want of success affected attendances. There was also exceptional expenditure on behalf of Jayes.