Cricket 1913

262 CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. J u n e 7, 1913. Besides being the leading batsman o f the side, he was its wicket-keeper, a position in the field which he con­ tinued to fill until about twenty years ago, when he retired to short-slip, where he has held many an excellent catch. H e also bowled occasionally for the Academy, both fast and lobs. W h ile still at school, in 1870, he played for Twenty- T w o o f Edinburgh against G. P a rr’s A ll-England X I ., whose ch ief bowlers were J. C . Shaw and Tom Emmett. A gainst this form idable pair he stayed in for over an hour, and made 17, once hitting Shaw for 5 over cover-point; and his display so much impressed Parr that he asked him to play for the A ll-E nglan d X I. in their next match at Perth ; but being still at school he was, much against his w ill, compelled to decline. On his leaving school, in 1872, he began his still un­ finished career with the Grange Cricket Club. That season they were just entering on the possession o f their present ground at Raeburn P la c e ; and Mr. Balfour- M elville made 150 in the first match played on the ground, which was the inter-city game between Edinburgh and Glasgow . H is most recent century fo r the Grange at Raeburn Place— not his last, we hope— was in 1907, though he has made several on other grounds since. Few cricketers have made centuries separated by a space o f thirty-five years on the same ground. Ever since then he has been the most dangerous batsman on the Grange side. In his earlier days, it may be, he too often got himself out, being over-fond o f hitting at a long hop on the off side before he got s e t; but if he did get set, bowlers were in for a bad time ! Unfortunately the club scores have not been preserved fo r all the years since 1872 ; but the records o f twenty-nine o f the seasons between 1875 and 1910 show the follow ing results :— Completed innings, 200; total runs, 7 ,6 5 3 ; average, 38.26. H is highest score was 207* v. Drumpellier in 1893 ; his best year 1903, when he played six innings, was once not out, and made 567 runs, his scores being 145*, 108, 103, 100, 76, and 35. H e was top scorer in every innings he played : surely a unique performance ! Y et in the year before— his worst— he only made 51 in seven innings. Such are the ups and downs o f cricket ! In 1891, in a losing match v. Forfarshire, he made 99* out o f a total o f 132. So fa r as can be traced, he has made twenty-eight centuries for the Grange, but the total would probably be much higher if all the missing scores could be recovered. It is remarkable that fo r the years from 1903 to 1908, inclusive, his average was 57.2 1, with eight centuries. An accident prevented his playing much in 19 11, and bad weather and other causes in 1912, but ! it is safe to say that if he approaches his old form , the i club cannot yet be considered at fu ll strength without him. Mr. B alfour-M elville’s cricket has by no means been j confined to Scotland and the G ran g e; he is a member o f ! the M .C .C ., I Zingari, and the Free Foresters. For the M .C .C . he has made at least one century ; he has played for the I Z. v. the Gentlemen o f England at Scarborough, and both for them and the F oresters has made many runs in ordinary matches. H e regularly plays at Glamis Castle in the month o f A u gu st; there in 1908 he made 140, 200*, and 117 * in three consecutive innings, and that against: professional bowlers who were up fo r a trial ! In 1909 he captained the Gentlemen o f Scotland in their first match j v. the Gentlemen o f Ireland, made 93, and led his side to victory in a single innings. It is hardly necessary to say that for many years he represented Scotland in all its | representative matches when he could find the time. In , 1882 he made 13 and 24 (top scorer) v. the Australians, and 73 in an extra match, and in 1887 41 and 54 v. the United A ll-England X I ., and 28 v. Yorkshire. Mr. B alfour-M elville has always been a very fast scorer; o f medium height, strongly built, with an excep­ tionally powerful forearm and wrist and a marvellous eye, he can score fast off any but the best length bowling when he is fa irly set. I f pitched up, the ball goes to any part o f the long fie ld ; if a foot short, it is cut or pulled with equal decision. H is hitting is often high, but it goes a very long way, and he generally knows where the fielders are. H e used often to hit a ball just short o f a length on the off over third man’s head almost out o f the ground, making an upward shot with a vertical b a t; but he has given up the stroke as too dangerous. Yorkers were never a terror to h im ; he was always quick enough to see them and make fu ll pitches o f them. H e also confesses that he does not know what is meant by the “ blind spot ” ; even if a ball beats him, he can see what it is doing. It may be confidently asserted that with these powers o f physique, arm, and eye he would have been in the highest rank o f English batsmen, if circumstances had brought him into first-class cricket. It is scarcely necessary to say that Mr. Balfour- M elville’s athletic renown does not depend on his cricket alone. H e played fo r Scotland against England at Rugby football in 1872 ; in the later seventies he was champion o f Scotland at lawn tennis; and at g o lf for fo rty years he has been one o f Scotland’ s leading amateurs. In 1895 'ie won the Amateur Championship; possibly he would have won it oftener, i f the competition had begun earlier than 1887, for in the previous decade he was recognised as the best player at St. Andrew ’ s. H e has won medals innumerable both o f the Royal and Ancient G ;C ., St. Andrew ’s, and o f the Honourable Company o f Edinburgh Golfers, and is likely to win others yet. H e is not as young as he was, o f course, but he is just as f i t ; in fact, no finer example could be found o f the value o f games, wisely pursued as a relaxation and not as a business, than is he. BLANCO For Cleaning and Whitening White Buckskin and Canvas Shoes, Cricket Pads, and all other articles of a similar nature. It is prepared in a v e r y careful manner, and extra p recau tion s are taken to ensure an even n ess of colour. 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