Cricket 1913

A p r i l 19, 1913. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 103 Watch the phalanx of fieldsmen on the off-side when Trumper bats. Ordinary batsmen play ball after ball direct to the fieldsmen. Trumper doesn’t. He places the ball where the fieldsman is not. Presently the captain endeavours to block Victor’s stroke. No sooner is this done than the magician, with his wand of willow, places the ball in almost the exact spot vacated by the fieldsman who had gone to block the champion’s stroke. I remember once seeing Clem. Hill, on the M.C.C. ground, send a perfect length ball from Charlie M'Leod like a shot to square-leg for 4. He stepped back, almost on the wicket, and with the quickness of thought, mind, wrist, and bat working in simultaneous accord, the ball was on its way to the boundary. It was a rare bit of work, and the execution was simply perfect. I have never seen a better stroke. It was only a gifted batsman could make it. In fact, the only other batsman who could have done it is, in my opinion, Victor Trumper. Further round the ground you meet another veteran. “ Hallo ! Did you see that ? Shaped for a pull, changed his mind, and drove it to the off for 4. How does he do it ? ” This is the sort of stroke that must have puzzled George Hirst, the celebrated Yorkshire all- rounder. P. F. Warner said something to him about placing the field for Victor, and Hirst replied, “ I think it doesn’t matter much where we place them for Victor ; he does pretty well all the placing.” It puts me in mind of J. C. Shaw, the famous bowler, and “ W. G.” “ Oi poots ’em where oi loikes, and he poots ’em where he loikes.” Years ago I read a brilliant article in “ The Argus ” by James Smith. In it reference was made to what he termed, one, two, and three-storied intellects. In cricket Victor is full “ three-story.” Upstairs every time ; hence “ top- notcher.” In 1903-4, P. F. Warner made mention of Victor as the “ best batsman in the world.” “ Wisden ” said “ Ditto, ditto.” When P. F. Warner was here last time he considered that Victor was not the Victor of yore. That may be so, but he has come on again, and the splendid suc­ cess which has crowned his efforts in big cricket this season must be eminently gratifying, not only to himself, but to his numerous friends and admirers. His name is a “ household word ” in Australia, and in England he is known not only in London and other big cities, but in remote villages of Yorkshire and Lancashire. Perhaps the most eloquent tribute to him (if we rightly look into it) was from the black- j fellow in New York, who asked E. R. Mayne, during the recent tour, “ Where is Victor Trumper ? ” What is the j secret of this wide-world popularity ? I put it down, in part, to a charming personality, in part to the peculiar charm of his batting. His wonderful eye and quickness of foot- action enable him to get out or come back just as he pleases, i You will see him leave the crease, and, changing his mind, get back, and make a beautiful late cut, that sends the ball j to the boundary in a trice. See him hit a sixer without I apparent effort. Just a graceful swing, and away the ball goes, over the heads of the people, to the topmost part j of the embankment. But, undoubtedly, in my opinion, [ the most astonishing stroke of all is the way he gets a fine- length ball to the on side, just as Clem. Hill did with the fine-length ball of Charlie M’Leod. Victor’s batting on sticky wickets over and over again has proved of great j value to his side, and in this respect his supreme confi- [ dence enables him to attack with vigour where other bats­ men are content to keep their stumps up and look on while Victor is scoring. I recall one great innings he played on such a wicket on the Melbourne ground, when he got into the seventies against P. F. Warner’s team in 1903-4. It . was splendid. J. L. Toole, in his early theatrical days, was selling tickets for one of his own performancss. A hob- | nailed Lancastrian bought a ticket, and asked, “ Is young lady dancing poetry o’ motion to-night ? ” She was ill and couldn’t appear. J. L. told him so. “ Oh, then, give me back my money, I want poetry o’ motion. I don’t care for t ’other stuff.” Victor’s batting is the poetry of cricket. 1 He combines such grace of style with versatility of stroke, that he wins all hearts. He is, indeed, a master of all strokes and his consummate excellence in timing, united with per­ fect soundness of judgment, render him unrivalled, allied, as these attributes are, to a flexible wrist and a punishing power unsurpassed at the present time. He has won golden opinions as a man and as a cricketer all over the world, and I am sure every one will wish him the best of luck for his testimonial match. V ictor T rum per in F ir st -C lass C r ick e t . M. I. N.o. R. A. H.S. In Australia, before 1899 ................ 16 29 2 1087 40-25 292* In England, 1899 ... ... ... 33 48 3 1556 34*57 300* In Australia, bet. 1899 and 1902 ... 21 35 0 1665 47*57 230 In England, 1902 ............................. 36 53 0 2570 48-49 128 In South Africa, 1902-3 ... ... 4 8 1 307 43-85 70 In Australia, bet. 1902 and 1905 ... 18 34 3 1634 52-70 185* In New Zealand, 1905 ... ... 4 5 1 436 109-00 172 In England. 1905 ... ... ... 31 49 1 1754 36-54 110 In Australia, bet. 1905 and 1909 ... 16 29 0 1070 36-89 166 In England, 1909 ... ... ... 34 45 2 1435 33-37 150 In Australia, since 1909 ... ... 32 54 8 2 777 60-36 214* Totals ... 245 389 21 16,291 44-26 300* M. I. N.o. R. A. H.S. 23 40 4 1663 46-19 201* 21 37 1 1902 55-33 230 44 77 5 3565 49-51 230 20 40 2 1400 36-84 185* 5 9 2 661 94-42 214* 13 25 0 701 28-04 78 13 18 4 1525 108-92 292* 8 12 0 381 31-75 75 103 181 13 8233 49-00 292* The matches in South Africa included are those on even terms (three v. South Africa, one v. Western Province), and those in New Zealand are also the eleven-a-side games (two v. New Zealand, onev. Canterbury, one v. Otago). The match v. Fifteen of Scotland at Glasgow in 1905 is omitted. His first-class cricket in Austral' N.S.W. v. S. Australia N.S.W. v. Victoria Totals in Sheff. Shield Matches Australia v. England ... Australia v. S. A frica ................ N.S.W. v. Eng. and S.A. Teams N.S.W. in other matches Other first-class games Totals The other matches for N.S.W. include five v. Queensland, two v. Tasmania, one v. Western Australia, one v. New Zealand, and four v. combined Australian teams, whether called “ Australian Team ” or “ Rest of Australia.” The eight “ other first- class games ” were one for Eleven of Australia v. English Team (at Brisbane), three for the Rest of Australia v. Australian Team (in 1898-9), and four for Australian Teams v. Rest of Australia. Trumper’s scores during the first-class season in Australia just ended were : 51 and 55, v. Western Australia, at Sydney ; o and 11, v. South Australia, at Adelaide ; 25 and 10, v. Victoria, at Melbourne ; 201* and 25, v. South Australia, at Sydney ; 138, v. Victoria, at Sydney ; 126* and 61, v. Rest of Australia, at Sydney ; 53, v. Queensland, at Sydney ; 87*, v. Tasmania, at H obart; total, 843 in 12 innings, 2 not out, average 84-30, the best he has ever had, though as far back as 1898-9 he averaged 62-35, in 1899-1900 72-10, in 1900-1 65-42, and in 1910-1 69*2,2. In 1909-10 he played only one innings, and scored 105 ; but one can scarcely reckon this as a genuine average. An analysis of the batting in first-class cricket of Trumper and of five other crack Australian players of recent days gives the following result:— Trumper. Bardsley. Hill. Armstrong. Noble. Macartney 200 and over 150, under 200 ... 100, under 150 ... 75, under 100 ... 50, under 75 25, under 50 Doubles, under 25 Single figures . ... Ducks figures) were 5 in Trumper’s case, 3 in Bardsley's, 3 in Hill’s, 3 in Armstrong s, 6 in Noble’s, and 6 in Macartney’s. Basing the working on total innings minus neg­ ligible figures, the doings of the six great batsmen may# be thus tabulated in percentages, to the nearest decimal point. Centuries 7 3 4 6 7 1 7 6 11 6 6 2 27 16 29 21 24 13 26 12 32 12 13 12 59 26 48 32 52 12 82 43 75 9 i 72 37 79 35 105 7 i 81 42 77 43 82 76 86 51 25 12 25 17 31 15 389 196 411 332 372 185 (instances where a man was left not out for a score under double First-rlass average... V.T.T. W.B. C.H. W.W.A. M.A.N. C.G.M. 10-7 13-0 io-8 io-o io - i 9-0 100 22*1 19-7 19-6 13*4 17-8 13-4 , under 50 41-9 40-4 44-1 49*2 41-8 44-1 10 25-3 26-9 25-5 27-4 30-4 33-5 44-26 4906 43-17 45-14 41-00 35*97 The Jast line is average per innings, and has really nothing to do with the rest, but is given for the sake of comparison. It is based on matches played 011 even terms in South Africa, America and New Zealand, as well as in England and Australia. Some statisticians would delete the New Zealand and perhaps the American figures, and might not include a few of the matches played in Australia and England ; but 1 have taken my figures from those I have kept for years for my own pleasure, and where no definite ruling existed I have used my own judgment. Trumper was at one time quite a useful change bowler of the orthodox fastish medium type ; but there were so many of that kind in evidence that he never got very much chance, and now he has quite given up bowling. V ictor T r um per ’ s C en tu r ies . 292* N.S.W. v. Tasmania, at Sydney, 189-89. 253 N.S.W. v. New Zealand, at Sydney, 1898-Q. 135* Australia v. England, at Lord’s, 1899. 104 Tenth Aust. Team v. Gloucestershire, at Bristol, 1899. 300* Tenth Aust. Team v. Sussex, at Hove, 1899. 308 N.S.W. v. Queensland, at Sydney, 1899-1900.