Cricket 1913

384 CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. Ju ly 5, 1913. Mr. P. J. Higgins, of California. H is friends call him “ P a t ” ; but such fam iliarity is not fo r me. I can only salute with wonder a man who p lays practically every game, and plays them all like a master, as it is said P . J. H iggin s does. T h at he is a very fine cricketer admits o f no d isp u te; he is also an ex­ pert at hockey, g o lf, both codes o f football (perhaps I should say all three codes for he has played the fearfu l and wonderful American variety), baseball, and water- polo. Moreover, he is a very fine swimmer. Whether he would be w illing to take on Mr. Lionel Palairet at croquet I don’t kn ow ; lacrosse, I believe, is not played in C a li­ fornia ; coddam, spillikins, marbles, and stoolball are not mentioned by my informant. Who, by the way, says that fo r strenuosity P a t has the recent T . Roosevelt whis­ pering for h e lp .” I think I understand, though the American language has its difficulties. But is not “ the recent T . R o o sevelt” rather an unkind cut? P . J. H iggins is an Australian. H e hails from S y d n e y ; but he never played for New South Wales, I believe. N o doubt he would have done so if he had stayed on there. H e is the sort o f man certain to come to the front wherever his lot cast. And he not only knows, but he can teach others. H e has during the last year or two coached both the University o f Southern California and the Santa C lara University at the Rugger game with great success. As a cricket coach he ought to be right there. (Is that correct American?) H is fielding is said to be wonderful, and he is a good wicket-keeper. H is bowling is fast and varied. His b a ttin g ' powers are attested by his deeds. Such good judges as C. P. Hurditch, H . F . E llio t, and E . H . W ilkes, all o f whom have had a lot o f experience of cricket in England, are said to consider him a marvel. Before 1912 he had done well. For instance, in 1911 he had the very fa ir average o f 57 per innings. But last year he averaged 180 ! Seven centuries came from his bat, all on the ground o f his own club, Los Angeles. Here is a list o f them —- 159*, First X I. v. Next X X II. of Los Angeles C.C.,. June 22. 100, Los Angeles v. Fresno, July 4. io o , Los Angeles v. Fresno, July 7. 121, Los Angeles v. Mountain Ash (Wales) Glee Clubr July 20. 182, Los Angeles v. Pilgrims, August 11. 110*, Los Angeles v. Pilgrims, August 18. 240*, Los Angeles v. Wanderers, August 25. H is centuries in the States prior to 1912 w e re :— - 127, Los Angeles v. Santa Monica, in 1908. 104'*', Southern California v. Phoenix (Arizona), in 1908. 155*, Santa Monica v. Los Angeles, in 1911. n o*, Santa Monica v. Los Angeles, in 1911. Enthusiastic Californians proclaim H iggins the most wonderful cricketer in America. But to that dictum the eastern players are not likely to assent. Is there not Barton K in g, the man o f many centuries, against stronger opposition than the Mountain Ash Glee Club, too, and a really good bowler? The Mountain Ash Glee C lub, by the way, rather sticks in my gullet. Fresno, the Pilgrim s, the Wanderers, Santa Monica, Phoenix— all these doubt­ less had bowlers and fieldsmen. H ad the G lee Club either? Was it not rather a slaughter o f the innocents, P . J. H . ? Were they worthy o f your w illow ? But, anyway, being there, it was up to you to make good (I partly understand American, and hope in time to be able to write it quite a piece)— and vou did ! J. N . P. Thousand=Runs Scorers in Recent Years. The first ten English batsmen to qualify for the list in each of the last six years are given hereunder, in the order in which they qualified :— 1912— Hayes, Mead (C. P.). R. H. Spooner, C. B. F ry, Denton, Relf (R. R ), Vine, Hobbs, Woolley (F. E.), Humphreys. 1911— Vine, Seymour (Jas.), Hayward, Makepeace, Denton, C. J. B. Wood, R. H. Spooner, Rhodes, Sharp, P. F. Warner. 1910— Tyldesley (J. T.), Hobbs, K. L. Hutchings, Hirst, Hum­ phreys, A. Hartley, Rhodes, Vine. Seymour (Jas.), Sharp. 1909— Hobbs. Hayes, Denton, Rhodes, Sharp, K . L. Hutchings.. Relf (R. R ). Tyldesley (J. T.), A. Hartley, Humphreys. 1908— Hayward, Hobbs. Marshal. Denton, J. N. Crawford, P. F. Warner, Sharp, V. F. S. Crawford, Rhodes. G. L. Jessop. 1907— Tyldesley (J. T.). Hobbs. Hayward. Tarrant. Braund, G. L. Jessop, Vine. P. F. Warner, Seymour (Jas.)r C. B. Fry. Nobody’s name occurs here six times. That of Hobbs appear five times, and those of Denton. Rhodes, Sharp, and Vine four times each. Printed and published for the Proprietor*- »>v ripicKET <* fcpoMB PUBI.ihhkks Ltj>., 2ft. N'hite Street, Moor Lane, London, F.C., July .*>tl'k 1813 . Agente ior Australia, <tc., O o e p o n Sl noTfh, London, Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide Brisbane, Perth. Launceston, TTobart and Wellington. N.Z. For South AfrVn, C rv tra l Nevti AOKNCT, Ltd., Can<» Town. Johannesburg and branches. The tmf'e supplied by E. Seale. 10 . Imperial Arcade. Lndcat*- Cireu*. E.C.