Cricket 1913

196 CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. M ay 17, 1913. Cricket Chirps. By E. H. I). S e w e ll. A note in last week’s C r ic k e t revived old and very pleasant memories. Of course it related to India, truly named the “ Land o ’ regrets.” It referred to the success o"f a son of an old friend, Buchi Babu Naidu, of Madras. His boy Ramaswami took 188 of the best v. Engineering College. I wonder whether they played on the E.C. ground, border­ ing the Chepauk ground? If so it is the ground some of us used to punch sixers into. 1 must plead guilty, and in doing so recall more than a passing interest in a case of 14 7 yards hit to pitch off Capt. Lamb (Cheshire Regt.), who was one of the most useful men at the butts from the business end of a rifle. He sometimes bowled a ball one could make into a half-volley ! Buchi Babu was keenness itself, and young Ramaswami’s 188 is certainly a case of heredity, although his portly father seldom got going in those days to such a tune. What j memories are not conjured up when thinking of this score in the piping days a Madras February can produce. The face of Chawles Wright on returning to the pavilion, bowled by a left-handed sneak sent along, rather than down, by Streenavasulu Naidu, who wore a gold bracelet on the wrist of his bowling arm. “ Fancy cornin’ all these miles to be bowled by a cove w i’ bracelets on,” was all the inimitable “ Chawles” could murmur for hours after. And then I see the picture of Sandford Robinson, of Notts., standing up! to C. Heseltine and stumping man after man in the match j with the natives. These all batted barefooted, except, I | believe, Rajagopaul Naidu, who made top score of 19, and Heseltine very likely alarmed them. For he was fast in 1892, and there was no really fast bowling (not for more than an over or two) from Peshawar to Newara Eliya in those days. Is there now? Folk were termed fast to whom Jack Hearne could give a yard and a beating. But that is no monopoly of Indian or Anglo-Ihdian critics. I wonder what some of them would have thought of “ Kortv ” on a fast pitch! “ Cricket is dead,” says the Daily Mail. “ There is no public interest in it,” etc., etc. The records say that more people than ever before paid to see cricket at Lord’s last season, in the worst weather cricket has ever suffered from ! ! Including tram conductors and passengers upstairs, 60,000 people watched the ninth Test last season in the very reverse of enjoyable weather conditions. But “ Cricket is dead.” When in doubt shout “ Degeneracy.” Faugh ! ! Isn’t it all rather sickening? What a pity every man, woman, and child in the kingdom has not read “ W. H .’s ” splendid article in last week’s C r ic k e t. I haven’t a notion who “ W. H.” is, but he’s a cricketer and a man. May August 28, 29, 30 be three glorious days at Hastings ! Doggo batting and yours truly were never friends, but I trust I am not so prejudiced in favour of punching as not to recognise the uses of such a difficult wicket to get as that of earnest Joe Vine, who has often made the path easy for the rest of the Sussex eleven by causing opposition bowlers to wish themselves in Jericho. What wickets Joe would get if only they’d alter the L.B.W . Jaw! I can see him smiling at the thought. Stirlingshire are counting on the prowess of E. L. Kidd this season. So are Cambridge University, Middlesex, and England (in South Africa). Stirlingshire looks like getting left! W. G. K. Boswell, C. U. Peat, E. F. Herrin?, G. R. Colman, G. B. Crole, A. L. Hosie, D. G. Wigan, F. W. H. Nicholas, and F. C. G. Naumann seem most in the running at Oxford; S. McCaughey (an Australian, both breaks and a good ’un), K. H. C. Woodroffe, J. H. Naumann (younger brother of F. C. G.), G. B. Davies, A. H. Lang, P. D. Pank, and J. White most probable at Cambridge. R. W. H. Mellor (Brisbane University and Balliol) and A. Wallace (Auckland and Ballio ) are also “ with their field ” at Oxford. Crole, of Edinburgh Academy, has his golf blue; cricket ami Rugger may follow this year. He is a good field and can bat. But Oxford wants bowling. Badly 1 I see there’s a doubt about Hayward’s total of hundred?. He’d better bag a brace of ’em in one match and settli matters properly- Who will lay odds, and what, he doesn’t / •g^g-a—----- Overseas Cricket. AU STR A L IA . •Some centuries since the last list was given :— March 15—W. Bardsley, 121, Glebe v. Redfern. ,, 15— E. Bull, 107, Middle Harbor v. Petersham. „ 15— R. J. Hawson, 101*, N. Hobart v. New Town. ,, 22—A. E. Johnston, m , L. A. Minnett’s X I. v. Wol­ longong. ,, 22— S. H. Emery, no*, W. Cullen’s X I. v. Maitland. ,, 22— T. J. Andrews, 126, W. Cullen’s X I. v. Maitland. „ 22— H. Davis, 114, W. Cullen’s X I. v. Maitland. ,, 24— P. Newton, 138, Dr. Blue’s X I, v. Maitland. ,, 24—W. L. Trenery, 101, Maitland v. Dr. Blue’s X I. „ 27— V. T. Trumper, 231,Goulburn B. v. Goulburn A. „ 27—C. G. Macartney, 116, Goulburn B. v. Goulburn A . „ 29— E. P. Barbour, 135*, University v. Burwood. ,, 29— F. Rix, 113, Redfern v. Glebe. The match at Goulburn was a benefit for John A. O ’Connor, o f N .S .W ., South Australia, and the. Aus tralian Team o f 1909. Trumper and Macartney went along and assisted Goulburn B to give the match attrac­ tiveness. Trumper’s 231 were made in an hour and a half. O'Connor was playing for the A team, and he is still a good bowler; but one imagines the rest o f the bowling must have been pretty poor stuff. O ’Connor made 60 for his side. He is leaving Goulburn for a municipal appointment in one o f the Sydney suburbs, and will probably turn out again in first-grade matches next season. Goulburn presented'him with a silver tea and coffee service and a gold sovereign case at the benefit. By a majority o f a single vote the N .S .W .C .A . agreed | to support Western Australia’s representation on the Board o f Control. Mr. W. P. McElhone opposed the granting o f representation. What surprises one is tha: anyone should have opposed it. I f the Board of Control is to represent Australian cricket fairly and fully, surely | every state should have its share in the deliberations? ! Western Australia preferred to hold aloof some years ago; but so did other states now represented. Raymond Bardsley, younger brother o f Warren,, made three centuries for Sydney Grammar School during the season just ended, and totalled 974 runs, with average 33.58. W. McLean headed the batting averages— 1,14 3 runs, average 45.72. C. E. Trumper, a younger brother of Victor, totalled 573, and averaged 30.15. G. A. Street, the captain, took 129 wickets at 8.72 each. Besides these R. C. Stafford averaged 33.77, H. S. Hendry 30.66, | B. B. Barrack 28.29, w - Macdonald 24.42, K . Robert- j son 22.10, and O. Cohen 20.75; J- T . Jeffries had 45 | wickets at 11.09 each, J. C. Brennan 33 at the same | figure, K . Robertson 28 at 13.92, and H. S. Hendry 38 | at 14.18. A pretty hefty crew, these S .G .S . bovs ! They were premiers in the Great Public Schools’ Champion­ ship, and o f 32 matches played altogether won 24, drew J7, and lost only one !