Cricket 1913

240 CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OP THE GAME. M ay ] 31, 1913. form would be acceptable in the County Palatine; but we don’t get energy and ability of that kind combined twice in the same decade, and Lancashire may just whistle for it— unless they are exceedingly lucky. T-hus early in the season a bow at a venture hits the bull as follows :—Kent, Middlesex, Lancashire, Notts, York­ shire, Surrey, Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Hants, Sussex, Northants, Derbyshire, Somerset, Essex, Leicester­ shire, and Gloucestershire. If Middlesex can get some more batting they will go closer still, for they have quite a lot of bowling of the suitable for any wicket type, and in the ordinary course of events Napier and Clarke should get a lot of wickets when the sun shines, leaving the mud-larking to Tarrant and the two Hearnes. Fast bowling seems almost everywhere to be at a discount, partly because in dry weather the fast people pitch too short and in wet weather their captains don’t put them on—witness Brown, of Hants, at Lord’s, when Newman and Pothecary were serving up all sorts of rubbish. In these days of the rain- guard, which ensures a firm foothold, the occasion is really rare when a fast bowler cannot do something for his side and his living. At any rate he might be given a chance. But lack of enterprise is one of the curses of modern first- class cricket. Most skippers seem in a funk of trying any­ thing like an experiment. Something of the kind when A. O. Jones began the bowling for England, or when W. G. put someone on for one over and took him off for his successor to very nearly if not quite win the match. Then, did not G. H. S. Trott once go on first for Australia at Old Trafford— or very nearly first—and get priceless wickets? I should like to skipper the Gentlemen and begin the bowling with C. B. Fry and M. C. Bird, if only to read the criticisms “ after the event.” I know if I skippered Surrey Bird would be higher up in the batting and bowling averages than he is by a good deal. We want more un­ orthodoxy these days. Some more of the unorthodoxy, or heresy, of Trumper and Ranji— blessed be their memories! though I hope on still to see Trumper get a hundred at Lord’s against England— and Clem Hill, too, for that matter. It is too much to expect Ranji to again annoy the greybeards by stepping in front of all three stumps and “ tweaking ” fours off the middle for Merrie England. Instead we have these sad days to sit and watch half volleys carefully sent to mid-off as though the man with the bat was backing himself not to hit the ball more than twenty- five yards two feet eight inches from the blade. Those who never tire of shrieking “ Degeneracy ” have entirely missed this, the surest sign of all that points in that direction. There is a bit of a lull after the reformation storm we have weathered; but that does not mean there is nothing to write about. As a matter of fact, cricket has been good from the beginning this season, and not the least interesting part has been the results of the efforts of the Derbyshire and Northants elevens. One hears that Capt. R. R. Baggallay is the right man in the right place, for some members of Derbyshire teams in the past may not always have dashed to their assigned posts in the field with that speed which is | part of the game of a first-class cricketer. Nor is it calcu- j lated to cheer a skipper up to be told to “ go and bowl thysen ’ ” when the opposition has taken hold of the proceed­ ings with both hands! Having made a pretty good start, it is now up to Derbyshire to keep things going, as I have no doubt they will do with a very fair measure of success. But it is doubtful if their batting is quite up to it.. In spite of the glorious performance against Warwickshire, which may have reflected on the bowling of the latter. The future will tell us. Su re! It seems a pity their public cannot give Northants better support, both as regards turning up and behaving themselves when they do get there. Things are pretty bad when a captain has to threaten to take his men off the field, generally worse than appears in print. It is this sort of thing that is helping to drive amateurs out of first-class cricket. Alto­ gether, the “ scene” during the Lancashire match was jolly hard luck on the executive, who, try as they will anywhere, are practically powerless to put dow'n this sort of thing. At the same time one cannot help wondering whether these are the sort of people it is desirable to cater for when, as was recently stated in a speech by a county official, “ cricket must be taken to the masses,” or words to that effect. The masses never have taken to cricket, and never will, because they don’t understand it; it is simply not in their line. And it is waste of time to work in that direction. I suppose this discovery will be made some day. A good public trial was run at Lord’s when Evans, who is qualifying as a wicket-keeper, made 41 for Hants against M.C.C. His is not the type of batting to cause the public to storm the turnstiles; but, for all that, it was one of the best of first appearances. But when Fry is not playing, Hants is not a very attractive batting side. Except when Sprot gets going. On a wicket that helps him Watson of Norfolk is a very likely bowler. For a small man he makes the ball “ get up,” and that means a lot. He is probably quicker than he looks, and just the sort to go through most Minor County elevens. Correspondence. D e a r Sie,—May I be allowed two or three lines for a correction in respect of my letter in last Saturday’s C r i c k e t ? I am made to state that I had seen H. P. T.’s County Championship scheme before writing my article of a few weeks back, whereas the words should have been, " I had not seen, etc.” Yours truly, W. H. May 26, 1913. ----------------------------------------------- Some Brighton College records, supplied to “ Leather-Hunter " of the Brighton Argus by Mr. Walter McCowan. Highest individual score: 173* by C. L. A. Smith, v. Eastbourne, 1898 ; highest innings, 502 v. Brighton Club, at Hove (County Ground), 1887 • best batting average, G. L. Wilson, 59-63 (13 inns.) in 1886 ; best bowling, S. M. J. Woods, 78 wickets at 7^38 each in 1886. BLANCO For Cleaning and Whitening White Buckskin and Canvas Shoes, Cricket Pads, and all other articles of a similar nature. 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