Cricket 1913

434 CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. J uly 26, 1913- b in a tio n s o f ta le n t w a s v isitin g o u r sh o res, in itself a su ffic ie n tly d is tr a c tin g in flu e n ce from p u re ly co u n ty m a tc h e s. N e v e rle s s, L o rd D a lm e n y set g a lla n tly to w o r k to b r in g b a c k g o o d fo rtu n e to K e n n in g to n O v al, a n d h e s u c c e e d e d b e y o n d a ll p raise. A s again st a re a lly q u ite d e p re s sin g ta b le o f re su lts in th e p re ced in g sum m er, S u rre y u n d e r h is e n e rg e tic c a p ta in c y a ctu a lly w o n fo u rte e n a n d lo st six o f th e m a tc h e s on h e r p ro g ram m e, six o th e r m a tch e s rem a in in g u nfin ished , a n d o n e e n d in g in a tie. T h is e x c itin g con test, th e g am e w ith K e n t, w a s th e se v e n th tie -m a tch th at h a d b e e n p la y e d at th e O v al. T h e w e a th e r w a s b a d , and on w in n in g th e toss, L o rd D a lm e n y a d o p te d th e b o ld if h a za rd o u s co u rse o f p u ttin g h is o p p o n en ts in. H o w ­ e v e r, h e d id n ot lo se th e m a tch in co n se q u en ce. A s illu stra tin g th e stre n g th o f S u rr e y ’s b a ttin g in “ D a lm e n y ’s y e a r,” h e w a s o n e ou t o f h a lf-a -d o ze n m em b ers o f th e te am w h o sc o re d u p w a rd o f a th ou san d runs. M o re o v e r, a lth o u g h h e cam e ou t w ith th e e x c e lle n t a v e ra g e o f n ea rly tw e n ty -fiv e ru n s p e r innin gs, th e re w e re no le ss th an e ig h t batsm an in fro n t of him , th e list b e in g h e a d e d b y H a y w a r d w ith th e sp len d id a g g r e g a te o f 1916 ru n s a n d a v e ra g e 46 . 73 . L o rd D a lm e n y ’s fu ll first-cla ss figu res fo r S u rre y w e re 1114 in fo r ty sev en in n in gs, (tw ice n ot out). T h is to ta l in clu d ­ e d tw o cen tu ries, 138 v. L e ic e s te rs h ire a n d 116 v. W a r w ic k s h ir e , b o th a t K e n n in g to n O v al. In th e first o f th e s e m a tch es, h e d id an e x tra o rd in a ry th in g in p a rtn e rsh ip w ith J. N . C ra w fo rd , th is p a ir a d d in g 260 ru n s to th e sc o re in 130 m in u tes. S till fie rce r w h ile it la ste d w a s th e p a c e of h is h ittin g in th e W a rw ic k s h ir e fixtu re. A t on e tim e lie sc o re d th irty -o n e ru n s off fo u r­ te e n b alls, a n d a lto g e th e r h it h is 116 ou t o f 203 in a h u n d re d m inutes. N o t th e le a st h a p p y in cid e n t o f L o rd D a lm e n y ’s ca p ta in sh ip w a s th a t it sy n c h ro n ise d w ith th e in itia l a p p e a ra n c e s o f th a t g rea t c ric k e te r, J. B . H o b b s, fo r th e co u n ty of h is a d o p tio n . H o b b s , a C am b rid g e sh ire m an b y b irth , h a d a lre a d y d o n e w o n d e rs as a batsm an fo r th a t co u n ty w h ile q u a lify in g to p lay fo r S u rrey b y re sid e n c e . H is su cce ss w a s in stan tan eo u s, as h e am asse d u p w a rd s o f a th o u sa n d runs in th is his in itial sum m er fo r S u rre y . A n o th e r fa c to r w a s th e e x c e lle n t fa st b o w lin g at L o r d D a lm e n y ’s com m an d in 1905 — 6 . In W a lte r L e s s a n d N . A . K n o x h e h a d tw o o f th e fin est fa s t b o w le rs o f th e d a y , a n d th e re w e r e se v era l le sse r lig h ts to b a c k up th e effo rts o f th is b rillian t co u p le. B u t p e rh a p s it w a s, a b o v e all, in th e m atter o f esprit de corps th a t th e le a d e rsh ip o f L o r d D alm en y w o rk e d su ch w o n d e r s fo r S u rr e y ’s c ric k e t in a sh o rt sp a c e o f tim e. M r. S. H . P a rd o n in Wisden w ro te o f h im th u s :— “ Im p ro v in g ou t o f a ll k n o w le d g e b o th as batsm an a n d as field sm an , L o r d D a lm e n y p ro v e d h im se lf a v e r y ca p a b le le a d er, g a in in g th e fu ll c o n fid en ce o f all th e m en, am a teu rs as w e ll a s p ro fessio n a ls, w h o p la y e d under him . O f co u rse h e m a d e o c c a sio n a l m istakes— a cap tain d o e s n o t b e c om e p e r fe c t in a d a y— b u t fo r th e m o st part h e m a n a g e d h is sid e w ith so u n d ju d gm e n t, a n d like a w ise m an h e w a s a lw a y s re a d y in m om en ts o f d ifficu lty to co n su lt e x p e rie n ce d m em b ers o f th e team . U n d er h is g u id a n c e , in a w o rd , S u rre y h a d a real e le v e n and n ot a m e re c h a n c e c o lle ctio n o f in d iv id u a l c ric k e te rs.” P e rh a p s th e g re a te st trium p h w o n b y th e sid e u n d er h is le a d e rsh ip w a s a b rillia n t ten w ic k e ts ’ v ic to ry at L iv e rp o o l o ver a L a n ca stria n c om b in a tio n th a t in­ clu d ed su ch sterlin g a n d fam o u s c ric k e te rs a s R. H. S p oon er, A . H . H o rn b y , W a lte r B re a rle y , W . F in d la y , Sh arp , a n d John T y ld e sle y . T h e w in w a s la rg e ly ow in g to th e m arvellou s b o w lin g o f W a lte r L e e s an d N . A. K n o x , w h o p e rfo rm ed th e u nu su al fea t o f secu rin g n ineteen out o f th e tw e n ty L a n ca stria n w ic k e ts th a t fell, the tw en tie th b e in g a case of run out. S u rre y c ric k e t su ffered a h e a v y lo ss in d e e d w h en , a fter tw o or th re e seaso n s o f com m an d a t th e O val, L o rd D a lm e n y found th at o lh e r irile ie sts w c u ld p ie v e n h is b e in g a b le to co n tin u e in th e p est h e h a d so w el filled. H is figu res fo r S u rrey in a ll first-class m a tch e s w e re :— Season. M. Inns. N.O. R. A. H .'. 1904 9 17 0 279 16.41 39 > 9°5 29 47 2 1114 24-75 138 1906 24 35 2 7 o* 21.24 86 1907 27 44 1 1112 25 86 92 1908 4 6 0 >45 24.16 71 Totals 93 149 S : 35 * 23-27 138 Correspondence. W O R C E S T E R S H I R E C R I C K E T C L U B , W O R C E S T E R . T o t h e E d it o r o f “ C r ic k e t .” Sir, W ill y o u a llow m e th e h o sp ita lity of y o u r colum n s to b rin g b e fo re th e n o tice o f W o rc e s te r s h ire m en in L o n d o n th e u n satisfacto ry state o f th e fin a n ce s o f th e C o u n ty C lu b ? B rie fly , th e clu b is h e a v ily in d e b t ; and it is v ital to its e x iste n ce th at £1500 b e raised at on ce. T h e C h a irm an o f F a r ro w ’s B a n k L im ite d has p rom ised £ 10 0 p ro v id ed th e lia b ilitie s b e e x p u n g e d b y th e en d o f th e m onth ; a n d p rom ises a g g re g a tin g som e £500 or £600 h a ve b e e n a lre a d y re c e iv e d from o th e r sym p ath isers w ith th e C lu b . I th in k yo u w ill a g re e th a t it w o u ld b e a v ast p ity th a t a c o u n ty w h ich h a s p ro d u ce d tw o su ch fine fam ilies o f c ric k e te rs a s th e L y ttle to n s and th e F o ste rs sh ou ld b e th e first to d ro p ou t o f th e C h am p io n sh ip T a b le o w in g to la c k o f fin an cial su p p ort ; a n d I co n fid en tly a p p ea l to W o rc e ste r sh ire m en in L o n d o n to com e to th e rescu e o f th e ir C ou n ty. D o n a tio n s m ay b e sen t to m e a t th e C o u n ty G rou n d , W o rc e ste r, or to th e C a p ita l & C o u n tie s B an k , W o rc e ste r. Y o u rs faith fu lly , A . W y b e r g h H o w , S e c re ta ry . G E O R G E : L EW I N & C o . , Club Colour Specialists & Athletic Clothing Manufacturers. OUTFITTERS BY APPOINTMENT TO The Royal Navy and Army, Cornwall, Kent, Middlesex, Somerset and Surrey Counties, and London Scottish, Irish and Welsh, Blackheath, Harlequins, Rich­ mond, Catford Rugby Football Clubs, and all the leading Clubs in the British Isles and abroad; M.C.C. S. African Tour 1909 , S. African Cricket Association 1910 , and Queen’s Club, Kensington, the M.C.C. Auatralian Team 1911-12, and the South African Association Cricket Team 1912. Established 1869. W hite for E stimates . Telephone : P.O. 607 C IT Y . Worki at Camberwell. 8 , C R O O K E D L A N E , M O N U M E N T , E . C .