Cricket 1913

24 CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. J an . 18, 1913. Mi. A. Grundy took the chair. The hon. sec. (Mr. E. Lewis Todd, of Sunderland) presented a full and inter­ esting report, from which I cull a few items. Sunderland won the F irst Division championship for the second season in succession and the sixth time in all (excluding 1905, when the club tied for first place with W earmouth); Burnmoor II. carried off the honours in the second divi­ sion ; five centuries were recorded, all b y pros.— Weight, Clode, Hendren, Harry and James ; Hendren (Durham City) headed the batting averages, with James (Whit­ burn) close behind ; Morris (Sunderland) took over xoo w ickets for the fourth season in succession, and Harry (South Shields) had a record aggregate of captures (113) ; Philadelphia was dismissed for 11 in one match, the smallest total made b y any club since the league was formed. Mr. B. B. Cowings (Boldon) proposed a new rule to the effect that any club scratching should forfeit the two points, which should be put to the credit of their opponents for the d ay ; but this failed to be carried for want of a two-thirds majority. An addition to Rule 9, that no player should be allowed to play as a professional and as an amateur in the same season, was passed. Mr. A. Grundy was re-elected president, and Mr. E . Lewis Todd, hon. sec. and treasurer. Durham County have arranged their card so as to have no fixtures on Saturdays in 1913, and the League clubs will thus not suffer b y the w ithdrawal of their best players at times. The West Ken t Wanderers’ annual meeting was held on January 2. The report presented was in every w ay ! satisfactory, and the Hon. Sec. paid a tribute to the active support given the club b y its honorary mem- j bers, and b y a number of friends not actually members ; ! the ladies especially had helped greatly. The club has | not for years past been in a stronger position. Great | appreciation was expressed of the splendid work done j b y the Hon. Sec. and other officers. The election of i officers for 1913 resulted thus : President, Malcolm Christopherson, Esq. ; Hon. Sec., G. F. H ow ell; Hon. Treasurer, W. A. Halstead ; Hon. Auditor, A. Huntley ; Hon. Match Sec., A. E. Lugg ; Captain, 1st X I., J. H. Longman ; Vice-Captain, H. Waller ; Captain, A Team, H. J. Phillips, Vice-Captain, A. Truelove. The club celebrated its annual dinner at the Holborn j Restaurant two days later. Mr. M. Christopherson, t the President, took the chair, supported b y the club’s captain (Mr. J. H. Longman) as vice. A company of 100 (many ladies included) sat down. The Hon. Sec. (Mr. G. F . Howell) had arranged a very attractive programme ; and the entertainment, admirably managed b y Messrs. J. E. Poole and A. J. Cleaver, proved quite j the best the club has ever had. The subjects most { discussed during the evening were the whole-hearted | work of the Hon. Sec., who has practically carried the [ club on his shoulders during 1912, the strong support given b y honorary members and friends, the perennial | excellence of Mr. A. E . Lugg’s bowling, and the unflag­ ging kindly interest of Mr. Christopherson, who has so } many other claims upon his time and attention. The musical programme, supplied entirely b y members and friends, was of a very high standard. Miss Florrie Longman, Miss Inez Mabbs, Messrs. J. R. Mabbs, A. J. Cleaver, Donald Knott, A. G. F. Willis, A. E . Longman, G. F. Howell, and J. G. Ward were the artistes. Quite the hit of the evening was Mr. A. E. Lugg’s speech. He was not among the scheduled orators (of whom one, the Editor of C r ic k e t , was unavoidably absent) ; but called upon unexpectedly for “ a few remarks,” he surprised everyone by his eloquence. The company was highly amused b y his statement that when the club was founded (in 1856), the elected treasurer was Mr. W. Lugg, an ancestor of his ; but since then never had the family supplied another treasurer to the W .K .W . ! To whom, success! ------------------ -trap's-------------------- Men of the Moment in London Club Cricket. (B y " S u r e C a t c h .” ) In this issue of C r ic k e t I am able to present a photo, of one of the most remarkable club cricketers playing in London. That is Charles T. Burgess, the Shepherd’s Bush match-winner. I shall always remember Burgess for his exceptional deeds in the East and West match at Ilford last June. But for his wonderful catches the East would have saved the game and West London might never have won the Inter-District Championship, M r. C. T. BUROESS (Shepherd’s Bush C.C.) for had the game I speak of been drawn it would have been replayed in West London, and East London with a much stronger side might easily have won. A G r e a t F ie l d e r . I should say it is extremely doubtful if there is a better match-winning cricketer playing in London club cricket than the subject of this sketch. Burgess can bat above the average. He can bowl well enough to get the best men out and he can field. It is his work in the field that impresses me the most. E ither in the slips or in the long field he is a perfect wonder. I saw him make a catch at Ilford which I doubt if any county player would have been capable of making. It was one of young Anderson’s low drives. The ball cleared mid-off’s head and gradually descending all the way it