Cricket 1913

M ay 10, 1913. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 179 Seventy-nine have thus been scored in the last seven seasons; and of these Lionel Jackson claims as many as seven, A. N. Jewell 6, R. A. Sheppard 5, P. C. Burnett, A. Collins, A. C. Greenfield, and T. C. Stafford 4 each. The highest score ever made for the club is J. S. Jewell’s 225 v. Horton Asylum. Jewell hit four 6’s off one over! We should have liked more detai's of -that innings. From 1889, when records are first available, to 1912 in­ clusive, the first team has played 673 matches, winning 336, losing 212, and drawing 125 ; the other teams (there seems to have been no second eleven in 1893) have played 800, won 361, lost 267, drawn 172. Grand total : 1,473 played; 697 won, 479 lost, 299 drawn. Wins to losses as 10 to 7 roughly—a fine record, for the sides met have a'ways been strong. Sutton has put four teams in the field on some Saturdays; of late years almost invariably three at least. Losses have sometimes outnumbered wins, even in the case of the first XI. This was so in 1890, ’98, ’99, 1901, and ’12. But in all the other years since 1899 there has been a balance on the right side; the figures were 10 wins, 3 losses in ’91, 21 and 9 in 1902, 21 and 8 in ’04, 25 and 7 in ’06, 16 and 4 in ’07, 21 and 7 in ’09, and 23 and 7 in ’10. Only four times have the half-day sides’ totals shown a debit balance. In 1906 the Sutton teams won altogether 49matches against 17 lost, in ’09 44 to 15, and in ’10 45 to 16. On June 24, 1908, Sutton scored 459 for 9 v. Hampton Wick in 3J hours—distinctly good going. T. C. Stafford (91), J. S. Brocklesby (79), and D. D. Napper (64) were the chief executants. Here are some of the best individual batting records from 1897 onwards (all matches included) :— Batsman. A. C. Havers A. C. Havers L. Jackson J. A. Knight G. H. Hadfield ... F. A. B. Anderson R. A. Sheppard R. A. Sheppard J. G. M. Bell ... C. C. Roberts ... J. S. Brocklesby R. A. Sheppard T. C. Stafford ... J. S. Brocklesby C. F. Reiner And here Bowler. W. B. Haycraft R. M. Bell W. A. Hunt G. H. Hadfield ... P. L. Haycraft ... J. Bell .................. G. H. Hadfield ... V. R. Bromage ... G. H. Hadfield ... R. M. Bell J. R. Haynes ... J. Bell R. M. BeU G. H. Hadfield ... G. H. Hadfield ... R- M. BeU J- R. Haynes ... G. H. Hadfield .. It must be something like a record for three bowlers of one club to take over a hundred wickets each, as Hadfield and J. and R. M. BeU did in 1902. If Haynes had only managed 15 more, the number would have been four. Much remains that I might say; much more that I cannot tell because I do not know it. It needs a volume, not merely an article, to give in proper detail the annals pf a club that has a record of fifty years or more. In treat­ ing mainly of recent times I am actuated by two motives. The first is that, in general, the modern period is likely to be more interesting. The second—and more important— is that I really have so very little information as to earlier days! J. N. P. Year. Total. Aver. Batsman. Year. Total. Aver 1897 666 35-05 R. A. Sheppard 1907 637 53-C8 1899 109c 37-58 H. G. Rushton .. • 1907 385 48-I2 1900 430 39-09 G. H. Hadfield . • 1907 631 J2-06 1900 55/ 34'81 P. C. Burnett .. . 1907 532 40-92 1901 1010 28-05 R. A. Sheppard 1908 693 57-75 1902 589 53-54 P. C. Burnett .. 1908 589 53-54 1903 800 38-09 A. N. Jewell 1909 805 40-25 1904 1037 5I -85 J. S. Brocklesby D. J. Knight 1910 624 62-40 1904 742 32-26 . 1911 457 57-12 1904 745 31-04 A. C. Greenfield 1911 345 43-12 1905 34r 34-90 F. R. S. Whitbourn 1911 548 42-15 i 9°5 616 32*42 M. F. S. Jewell 1911 707 41-58 1906 395 49-37 A. N. Jewell 1912 488 48-80 190 L 1049 45-6o L. Jackson 1912 628 .39-25 1906 XIOI 42-34 J. G. M. Bell .. 1912 634 37-29 are some of the chief bowling figures :— Year. Wkts. Aver. Bowler. Year. Wkts. Aver" 1897 76 5-97 R. M. Bell • 1904 82 20-04 1897 79 11-93 J. R. Haynes . . 1904 63 TI-22 1898 62 9-54 R. M. BeU . 1905 114 15-26 1899 73 14*57 R. A. Sheppard.. 1905 63 xo-93 1899 53 8-69 G. H. Hadfield . . 1905 63 16-42 1899 55 13*34 R. M. Bell 1906 170 1327 1900 124 11-95 G. H. Hadfield . . 1906 67 13-71 1900^ 76 13-75 R. M. Bell . 1907 68 12-48 1901 124 14-38 R. M. Bell . 1908 71 17-91 1901 74 18-05 J. T. Illington .. . 1908 52 io-88 1902 85 8*oi R. M. Bell 1909 108 14-40 1902 104 13-32 R. M. Bell 1910 98 TI’QO 1902 112 14-30 VV. H. V. Fitz­ 1902 121 10-25 gerald ... 1910 82 8-04 1903 IOO 8-66 J. B e l l ................ 1910 63 xo-15 1903 115 17*06 R. M. Bell 1911 139 I5-56 1903 65 9-06 R. M. Bell 1912 115 I5-36 1904 •102 12-05 Special Club Notes. C o n t r ib u t e d b y T h e C h ie l . C lu b cricket was in full swing last Saturday; but the weather was not inviting, and both players and spectators had an uncomfortable time. Of course, the wickets were on the slow side, and no very large scores are recorded. What the grand old game wants is plenty of sunshine. That is a tonic alike to player and spectator. A club secretary has written me as to water supply to his ground. I referred to this matter last year, and do so again with pleasure. My correspondent raises the important question whether it is imperative to have the supply by meter. From enquiries made, I find the M.W.B. are en­ forcing the supply by meter, owing to the discovery of so much waste. Club officials should look to this. Remember, the supply is registered on the meter, whether used or wasted. The expenses attached to laying on a supply are not very heavy. The cost of the water at lid. per thousand gallons cannot be considered heavy, either. In pavilions where cisterns are fixed care should be taken that the cisterns are kept clean. Club cricket is now a feature of the news columns of many papers that formerly disregarded it entirely. One now reads week by week of the doings of clubs practically un­ heard of till quite recently. And no doubt the advertisement does these clubs good. Yes, club cricket is booming, not­ withstanding the golf craze and other competing attractions. One is glad to note that the boom extends to Scotland. Some years back I lived in the north-east of Scotland. Then there was nothing but golf and football there. Later 1 removed to Edinburgh, and enjoyed some good cricket, being a member of that very old club, Leith Franklin. The Seafield Links was our ground, and many a grand game we had with such clubs as Leith Caledonians, Academicals, Royal High School, Watsonians, Fettes, and other sides. Club cricket in those days was not very go-ahead, however. There are some excellent grounds in Scotland; and the light is so good that I can recall practice kept up till ten o'clock of an evening! In Wales and the West of England there are also some strong clubs. To a great extent, though, they seem to rely upon visitors, and their strongest teams are fielded in July and August. The grounds are also of the best, picturesque, and generally with splendid turf. These Western organisa­ tions are always glad to welcome London clubs, who nowa­ days tour by the dozen, more especially in Devonshire. When you think of such clubs as Cardiff, Newport, Hereford, Ross, Monmouth, Gloucester, Ledbury, Malv m, Worcester, and many others, with the best of grounds and in most cases charming surroundings, it is only surprising that more London clubs do not tour in the West Midlands and South Wales. But if you are going, don’t go weak ! It takes a pretty hefty team to beat most of those mentioned. At this period of the season clubs are buying cricket materials; and the choice is now so large that officials should be careful only to obtain the best the club can afford. An experienced hand is needed for the purchase of these materials, and very often money is wasted by sending some­ one lacking that indispensable quality. Competition is now so great that all the better-class manufacturers are willing to send a representative with a se'ection, and in many cases this is the best plan. Look out for your discounts, too; the inexperienced official too often forgets these.