Cricket 1913

J une 28, 1913. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 335 T he choice is for a match on the Wanderers’ Ground, Johannesburg. Now this and Newlands, Cape Town, differ essentially, while both are unlike L ord ’s, Durban. For a match at Durban, “ Cypher ” would substitute D . J. Nicol, S. J. Pegler, and C. O. C . Pearse for Ward, Elworthy, and Cook, and for a game at Cape Town would prefer P . A . H . Hands to either Pearse or Cook. O ne is sorry to see Frank M itchell in Carey Street. The old Yorkshire cricketer and South A frican captain seems to have had some rough luck. For seven years he was in the stock and share business on the R a n d ; but the returns had grown less, and he closed up the business before coming to England, hoping to find employment here. Ranking liabilities were not lkrge— a trifle under ,£1,250, the principal item being a sum o f /[900, money lent. --- ‘ T he follow ing dates have been fixed for the great matches o f this year in I n d ia :— Aug. 28, 29, and 30— Presidency v. Hindus, at Poona. Sept. 1, 2, and 3— Presidency v. Parsis, at Poona. Sept. 8, 9, and 10— Parsis v. Mahommedans, at Bombay. Sept. 11, 12, and 13-— Presidency v. Hindus, at Bombay. Sept. 15, 16, and 17— Parsis or Mahommedans v. Presi­ dency or Hindus, at Bombay. The last three matches form the Quadrangular Tourna­ ment. L ater on there w ill be more big games, when the M .C .C . T eam reaches the land o f H ind. From Mr. Bruce E . Gordon, o f K in g Williamstown, an old Border representative, comes an interesting note concerning cricket in St. Helena, lately referred to in these columns. “ There is a league still in existence in the island, ” he writes, “ and while the Rev. Canon A lfred Porter takes a hand in the game it is never likely to die out. Reference to the photo group in the .S '. .4 . Cricketers’ Annual w ill show you the reverend gentleman in the centre. “ I am writing because I should like to tell you about the fine work done for the game here and elsewhere by Mr. Porter. H e was at K eble, O xford, some forty years ago, so I suppose he must be 60 or thereabouts n ow ; but he still plays. I understand that he would have had his blue but for Prebendary A . P . W ickham getting in as a wicket­ keeper instead. Mr. Porter was a first-class wicket-keeper. H e appeared for the Cape Colony X V . against Major Warton’s side in the matc^ at Cape T own , Christmas, 1888. H e also played fo r K in g Williamstown in the Grahamstown Tournament o f a year earlier, and in five innings against his side only 11 extras in all were recorded. In the match with Kimberley he stumped the late A . B. Tancred, South A fric a ’s foremost bat in those days, before he had scored. “ M r. P o r t e r was four years or so a master at St. Andrew ’s College, Grahamstown, and afterwards head­ master o f the Diocesan Grammar School, K in g W illiam s­ town. Border cricket has a lot to thank him for. H e brought on many promising youngsters, and we still feel the advantage o f the good seed sown. About ten years ago he went to St. H elena, and there pursues the same course o f encouraging the game in every way possible. He believes in it as a help to a man’s moral, as well as physical, w elfare.” U n le s s my memory is at fau lt, Mr. Porter kept in a few matches fo r Hampshire some twenty or more years ago. V in e ’ s twenty-fourth century for Sussex, made on the 14th, was one o f the most useful innings he has ever played for the county, and he has played a great many. [ When a game is to be saved, no chance existing o f pulling it off, what an asset so imperturbable a batsman as Joseph o f W illingdon is ! “ Here I am, and here I stay ,” is his motto, and he lives up to it. “ Doggo cricket ” — yes, but doggo cricket at the right time ! L a t e s t news o f Worcestershire is bad. It is said that the professionals, whose contracts expired this year, have been warned that there may be no ren ew al; and that is ominous indeed. Regular readers o f these columns will not need telling that I have a strong personal interest in Worcestershire’s fortunes, and no one deplores the situation more than I do. I t has to be faced. For years Mr. P . H . Foley prac­ tically ran the club, and everyone seemed content that he should shoulder the whole burden. T h a t was a mistake, to which I think some people have awakened since. When he ceased to be so keen, there was a vague kind o f notion that it was up to someone else to appear and take up his role. The benefactor was looked fo r in vain, however. Generous friends did m uch; but Paul Foleys are not to be replaced. C o u n ty cricket at Worcester can never be run on the gate. Some years o f experiment have proved that con­ clusively. Dudley may offer better things, but not if all the matches are taken there. For three or four matches a season good gates are possible— scarcely great on es; but there is no town in Worcestershire that w ill provide good gates for half-a-score o f matches, and the attendances at the F aith fu l C ity— not over faith fu l to crick et!— always have been, on the average, contemptible. The word is a strong on e ; not too strong, I think. N e w s has just reached me o f the death o f Mr. D . E . Mody, a prominent Parsi cricketer. M y obituary column' has to be held over from time to time on account o f pres­ sure o f other m atter; I wish I could keep it up to date, and I wish it were shorter. Notices o f Dr. E . R. Ogden, the Rev. G . E . Cotterill, and others are in ty p e ; whether they w ill appear in this number I cannot say at time o f writing. T h e Citizens’ Committee which was organised to help in the raising o f the Trumper Testimonial Fund handed a cheque for £ 1 ,0 3 2 to the N .S .W . Cricket Association as a result o f their efforts. Altogether the amount realised is £ 2 ,9 5 1 , which will in all probability be invested for Trumper’s benefit by trustees appointed to deal with it. • A . H . S. C la r k e , who has lately reached England from Ceylon after a considerable absence from the old j country, has been prominent in the island as a cricketer, and even more so as a golfer, four times in succession winning the Ceylon Gold Championship. F or S a l e . — Wisden’s Cricketers’ Almanack, 18 volumes, 1896- 1913 inclusive, in publishers’ cloth covers, complete and in perfect condition. Will accept £3 10s.— J. S., c/o Manager of Cricket, 125, Strand, W.C. F or S a l e . — Lillywhite’s Guide to Cricketers , 1856, 1858, 1859, | and i860 ; rare. What offers ?— J. S., -c/o Manager of Cricket, \ 125, Strand, W.C.