Cricket 1913

234 CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME M a y 24, 1913. (whom I. was sorry to find unwell and not playing), G. Dawdry, L. Hiscock, F. Ward, E. C. Huish, J. C. Christie, and several other members of Battersea—and how they do talk cricket [ Thirty years or so at the game has entitled some of them to talk. Before attending this match I had a stroll around the I..C.C. pitches provided in Battersea Park for hundreds of cricketers. I am pleased to record a very great improvement not only in the pitches but also the outfield. Mr. Rogers, the courteous superintendent, informed me that during the winter the I..C.C. had relaid a large portion of the cricket ground, and as the recent rains favoured the newly-laid part, the whole space devoted to cricket looks in capital order. Mr. Rogers also told me that the other parks under the jurisdiction of the L .C .C . had received similar treat­ ment, and it was the intention of his Council to do all they could to ensure that park cricketers should play upon good and safe wickets. My recent notes re umpires’ fees gave rise to a conver­ sation last Saturday in which I joined eventually. The general impression was that umpires in the good class cricket of London were somewhat underpaid, and that bad decisions resulted. On the whole, it was stated that many umpires are very useful in lugging members’ bags about, and so on, but when it comes to actual umpiring they are not in their element. To that 1 cannot agree. I have come across many bad umpires; but the majority are certainly not to be classed as such. Give a man his due ! The position of an umpire in London is different from that of one in the provinces. The London man has often to “cross London to reach the ground, with changes of trains and ’buses; while the pro­ vincial umpire in a sense has the ground at his back-door. Good umpires anywhere are well worthy of their hire, and those in London could do with better treatment. Is lawn tennis damaging cricket? 1 have often been told so, but have hitherto refused to be'.ieve it. But last Saturday, down Barnes way, I saw so much tennis going on that 1 began to revise my notions. Still, however, I am not certain that the game—which of course has the attraction of being played in the company of the fa'r sex—draws so very many men from the cricket field. After all, everybody cannot play cricket; and, in spite of the nonsense talked about all English­ men loving it, everyone is not interested in it. Tennis, it seems to me, appeals to the man with 'ess patience than the cricketer. A mistake on the court may mean the loss of a game and eventually of a sett; but it does not put the player out of the game at once for the time being, as a batting error may do. Cricket demands of its fo’lowers devotion to the side, putting self in the background. I do not maintain that all who play the game live up to this ideal; but I do think that lawn tennis appeals to a great many men who would never be real cricketers, because they are too self- centred. ------------— ■ • Obituary. M r . R owland S utcliffe L eather , who was born at Leeds, August 17, 1880, died at Heliopolis, Egypt, on January 3. He was educated at Marlborough and at Oxford, and was one of the Marlborough eleven in 1898, being contemporary with Mr. R. H. Spooner. That year he scored 22 against Rugby at Lord's. He was not in the eleven at Oxford, but for some seasons played regularly for the Authentics, and from 1904 to 1906 with the Yorkshire second eleven, which he captained on one or two occasions. In 1904 he made 108 for Yorkshire Colts v. Notts Colts at Nottingham. His only appearance in the Yorkshire team was in 1906, when he scored 5 and 14 against the West Indians at Harrogate. He also gained county honours as a hockey player. At the time of his death he held a scholastic appointment under the Government at Heliopolis. M r. W illia m S te p h e n s M a ir G o o d e n o u g h died at Savile House, near Bath, on January 28, aged 86. He was one of the oldest members of the Gloucestershire County Club, and for the long period of thirty years acted as Hon. Secretary to the famous Lansdown Club, retiring in 1897. M r. A r t h u r R o b in s o n , a member of the famous Backwell House family, died at Bristol on February 24. He was a member of the committee of the Gloucestershire C.C., and captain of the Clifton Club. In the notice of his death which appeared in the Sportsman it was stated that some years ago he played regularly for Gloucestershire, but a glance through Wisdon fails to bear out this statement. M a jo r W. H. S h e p h e r d , who died at Hadleigh, Suffolk, on January 20, aged 78, was from 1893 until his death a vice- president of the Yorkshire County Cricket Club. S ir A p c a r A le x a n d e r A p c a r , who was bom September 2, 1851, died at Bangalore, India, on April 17. He was educated at Harrow, and played against Eton in 1868 and 1869, scoring 21 in the former year, and 13 and 12 in the latter. He was President of the Chamber of Commerce, Bengal, a Member of the Council of the Governor-General, and one of the most prominent racing men in India. S a m u e l M o r g a n , the first regular wicket-keeper of the Warwickshire county team (re-formed in 1882), died at the Crown Inn (of which he was landlord), Edgbaston, Birmingham, in February. It is related that he took the first ball ever sent down on the Edgbaston County ground, in a match against the M.C.C. In 1885 he was described as being “ a very promising wicket­ keeper, nearly first-class. Can bat and bowl." In 1886 he was superseded as wicket-keeper in the Warwickshire eleven by Grundy, who two seasons later himself gave way to Lilley. The Rev. W illiam W in gfield , who was born at Gro, near Newtown, Montgomeryshire, September 30, 1834, died at Cotton Hill, Shrewsbury, in April. He was educated at Rossall and at Trinity College, Cambridge, and played against Oxford in 1855- 56-57. He was described in Scores and Biographies as being " a very hard hitter, especially forward and to leg, and in the field was noted as a wicket-keeper till his hands gave way, and then he generally took long-leg or cover-point.” In his three matches against Oxford he scored 85 runs in 6 innings, in 1857 having the distinction of being top scorer for Cambridge with an innings of 54. In 1855, when he stood third in the Cambridge averages for the season, he played an innings of 69 against the M.C.C. From 1853 to 1881 he assisted Shropshire, being perhaps the best batsman on the side. His highest scores were — against the Gentlemen of Cheshire, 74 not out in 1861 ; 59 in 1864 ; 82 in 1867 ; 62 in 1868 ; 56 and 89 in 1873 ; against the Gentlemen of Lancashire he scored 51 in 1865 ; and in 1870 he made 59 against the Gentlemen of Warwickshire. Mr. Wingfield had the very rare distinction of being a “ Double Blue,” being coxswain of the Cambridge Boat in 1856, besides occupying the same position the previous year in the now obsolete (that is, as far as the Universities are concerned) race for the Grand Challenge Cup at Henley ; he steered his boat to victory in both events. As a matter of record it may be stated that his height was then 5ft. 5jin., and weight 9st 41b. Mr. Wingfield was Vicar of Ford, Salop, from 1860-3 '• and of Leighton, Salop, from 1863 to 1901. T he R e v . C anon A lfred M illard W illiam C hristopher was bom at Ealing, Middlesex, August 20, 1820 ; and died at his residence 4, Norham Road, Oxford, early in this year at the great age of 92. He was educated privately and at Jesus College, Cambridge, where he formed one of the Cambridge eleven against Oxford in 1843, scoring 17 and 1. The match was played on Bullingdon Green at Oxford, and Cambridge proved successful by 54 runs. Mr. Christopher was the last survivor of the 1843 eleven, and the oldest Cambridge cricketer of note, but two of his opponents in that match of seventy years ago are still living—- Sir John Leslie and the Ven. Francis Lear. Mr. Christopher was ordained in 1849 ; Principal of La Martiniere, Calcutta, 1844-49; Curate of St. John, Richmond, Surrey, 1849-55 ; Association Secretary C.M.S., 1855-59 ; Rector of St. Aldate’s, Oxford, 1859-1905 ; Hon. Canon, Christ Church, Oxford, since 1886 ; besides being Vice-President C.M.S. and British and Foreign Bible Society. He retained his vigour and faculties until almost the end. A. C. D.