Cricket 1913

C R I C K E T : A W E E K L Y R E C O R D O F T H E G A M E . — J u n e 7 t h , 1913. No- 4 1 >0VM ^ wSeri,s- S A T U R D A Y , JUNE 7, 1 9 1 3 . p«-ce 2d. Chat about Mr. L. M. Balfour=MelviIle. Mr. L. M. BALFOUR -MELV ILLE . For the last forty years at least the name o f Mr. Leslie B alfour-M elville (for the earlier twenty or more as Mr. Leslie B a lfo u r ; it was in 1893 that he changed his name from B alfour to Balfour-M elville) has been famous in Scottish cricket. Perhaps, as he never did execution as a bowler, it cannot be said that he was quite the W . G. Grace o f North B ritain ; yet, looking to the length o f his career, the number o f his big scores, and, above all, to the wonderful way in which he has retained, and still retains, his batting powers, it may fairly be claimed that he more nearly than anyone else holds in Scot­ tish cricket the place held by W . G . in England. Fo r forty-five seasons he has been in the public eye. It is his intention to play again this season— and not by any means as his last— and it may be confidently antici­ pated, given decent weather and wickets, that he w ill still find the gcorers plenty o f work. Mr. Balfour-M elville’s earliest memory o f taking part in a good match is when in the middle sixties the Free Foresters turned up one short to play the Grange. H e, then a small boy in a kilt, took the vacant p la c e ; batting last, he resisted the wiles o f a lob bowler, R . B. Ranken, an O xford blue, and, gaining confidence, drove him for two or three. H e carried his bat, and was promoted in the batting order in the second innin gs; and the Foresters were so pleased with his performance that he was asked to p lay for them another year. H e was then at the Edinburgh Academy, a school which has pro­ duced many a cricketer o f fame in Scotland. H e won his way into the school eleven in 1868 at the age o f fourteen (it might have been mentioned before that Mr. B alfour- Melville was born on March 9, 1854), and remained in it for the years 1869, ’ 70, and ’ 71. In the last year he was captain.