Cricket 1913

M a y 31, 1913. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 259 Overseas Cricket. C E Y I.O N . Up to April 30 twenty-two centuries had been recorded in the island’s cricket this year. A . L. Gibson, the old Wykehamist, claims three, L.C. Davies and T . Y . Baba two each, and the follow ing one e ach :— Colonel Block, A . H . S. Clarke, H . G. Cornish, V . F . S. Craw ford, K . H . M. D e Silva, S. B. Ekanayake, J. C . O. Ernst, Captain H . V . Greer, W . Gunasekere, R. Jayasinha, S. Nagendra, M. Orr, S. B . L . Perera, H . F . Silva, and J. J. Weinman. Most o f these have already been re­ corded in our columns. A . L . Gibson thus fa r heads the averages for what are termed first-class matches, with 74.63 per innings, V . F . S. C raw ford coming second with 44.80. C . Horan had 57 wickets to his credit at under 7 runs each, W . T . Gres­ well 37 at just over 10, H . B. Daniell 39 at 13.51, A . L. Gibson 43 at 18.34. Ceylon hopes to entertain a New South Wales team at Christmas j but up to the departure o f the last mail no definite action had been taken in Colombo. Up-country sportsmen have promised to put up the members o f the team (if it comes) while away from Colombo, and to give them every opportunity o f seeing the sights. T h e Rev. E. F . W addy, the Rev. P . S. W addy, E . L . W addy, Warren Bardsley, G. R . H azlitt, R . B . Minnett, and R. V . Minnett are among those who it is hoped w ill be included in the side. A U S T R A L I A . T he averages o f the first-grade clubs in the great cities are beginning to come along, and among those to hand are the Adelaide and Hobart figures. E ast Torrens, for whom E . R . Mayne plays, won the premiership in Ade­ laide, follow ed by North Adelaide (D . R . A. Gehrs’s team), Adelaide, Sturt (for which Clement H ill plays, though nowadays but seldom,), G lenelg (John Craw ford is their great man), University, West Torrens, and Port Adelaide. E ast Torrens were premiers last year, and also in 1908-9 and 1897-8. Twenty-two centuries were made in the 47 matches played in the competition (one game was forfeited), D. R. A . Gehrs and R . F . M iddleton claiming three each, E . R. Mayne two, and the follow ing one each :— H . M. Beresford, C .R . Davies, G. S. Dow'n, N . L. Gooden, H . P. Kirkwood, E . Kitson, S. Leak, J. McDonald, A. G. Moyes, K . H . Quist, J. C . Reedman, P . D. Rundell, A . Smith, and P . W . Zschorn. Mayne only batted four times, was twice not out, totalled 413, and averaged 206.50! Gehrs made 763 runs in 11 innings (69.36), and only fell 6 short o f the record season’s total in these matches— C . E . D ollin g’s 769 (64.08 per innings) in 1908-9. Among the names o f those w'ho have in one season or another topped the aggregate Bst I note J. D arling, C . H ill, S. H ill, J. N. C raw ford, Norman Claxton, C . B. Jennings, J. C . Reed­ man, and J. H . Pellew (twice). R . F . M iddleton’s average this last season was 56.18 (total 618), I,. S. W aye’s 55, A. G. Moyes’s 45.83, H . W illsmore’s 45.40, H . Sando’s 43.44, P . D . Rundell’s 4 1 3 3 , W . Mundav’s 40.33, G. S. Dow n ’s 39.36, A. Sm ith’s 37.80, J. F . T ravers’s 3 7.12 , C. R . Davies’s 37, G. C. Campltell’s 36.55, S. L ea k ’s 35.27, J. C . Reed- man’s 35, N . L . Gooden’s 34.72, J. N . C raw ford’s 34.63, L . W . Chamberlain’s 34.42, and F . T . H a ck ’s 31.30. It is good to see that veterans like Reedman, who first played for the State over a quarter o f a century ago, Travers, and H ack can still hold their own. Reedman has been rather seriously ill, I h e a r; I wish him a speedy recovery. Not even George Giffen himself has shown more devotion to the great game than the postman-player who scarcely ever missed a catch, always went for the runs when batting, and often did useful work as a bowler. W . J. Whitty headed the bowling averages, but played comparatively little^ and took only 21 wickets (at 8.23 each). John Craw ford had 66 at 10.18. This is a record for the competition, A. W . W right’s 59 in 1909-10 being the biggest bag previously. J. F . Travers eight times took more wickets than anyone e ls e ; but this season he had only 21. Among the best o f those behind Craw ford were W . S. Hewer (32 at 12 each), R . B. Rees (52 at 13,21), L . W . Chamberlain (31 at 13.41O, P . D . Rundell (46 at 14.86), H . J. M cK a y (36 at 16.38), and L . E . Howard (35 at 17.3). Except Hewer, all these have played for the State during 1912-3. The Hobart averages are set out in first-class style by Mr. W . Backhouse, Hon. Statistician to the Tasmanian C .A . North Hobart won the premiership, West Hobart, South Hobart, New Town, and E ast Hobart follow ing in the order given. North Hobart won their right to the first place in most undeniable fashion— played 8, won out­ right 4, won on first innings 4, averaged 32.44 per wicket as against their opponents’ 13.17, and made their runs at an average rate o f just on 92 per hour ! A ll the Hobart clubs seem to score f a s t ; South averaged 86 per hour, West 76, E ast 75, New Town 73. This is good going. But one fears the bowling is not very formidable. Ten centuries were scored in the 20 A grade matches. Reginald Hawson made two, K . B ailey, L . Butler, D . G. Paton, P . Payne, C . H . Robinson, R. W ilkins, G. W illiams, and G. Woods one each. The first three batsmen in the averages were all North men— R . J. Hawson (71.20), C . H . Robinson (65), and R . W ilkins (45.28). D . G. Paton (West) averaged 41, R . Pennycuick (North again) 36.45, G. Woods (West) 34.72, P . Payne (New Town) 30.55, L . Butler (South) 29.36, and H . P . F acy (East) 28.71. C . J. E ady averaged 29 for South, but had only 4 completed innings; fo r the same side H arold H ale, o f Gloucestershire and Cambridge in days bygone, had 25.33 Per innings. G. W illiams, the Kent colt, topped the E ast averages with 30.60, but living far out o f town he only batted five times. The veteran, Charles E ad y, figures at the head o f the bowling— 23 wickets at 8.21 each. H . Allen (54 at 8.24) did great work for North. D . G. Paton (39 at 12.97) and R . Pennycuick (24 at 17.08) were the only other men who took as many as 20 wickets at less than 20 runs each. Allen just beat by one the previous record aggregate for a season— E a d y ’s 53. -- -------- The 45th edition of the “ Cricket Calendar,” edited by Mr. Archibald Sinclair, and published by the “ Cricket Press," 25, Temple Chambers, E.C., contains so much interesting information that it should prove an invaluable companion to every cricketer. A feature of “ The Calendar ” is again the tabulated pages for keeping a record of individual batting and bowling averages, County and Club fixtures and list of Umpires, while the other items of interest include articles on the prospects of the present season and the County Championship. Excellent portraits of Mr. A. F. Somerset, captain of the M.C.C. Team that visited the West Indies during the winter, Wilfred Rhodes, and G. A. Faulkner, tl\e South African, are also included, while there is further an interesting account of the M.C.C. tour in the West Indies, and the complete results of last year's Triangular Contest. The “ Cricket Calendar ” is as usual, well printed and published in handy pocket size, bound in cloth at 6d.