Cricket 1913

438 CR ICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OP THE GAME. J u l y 2 6 , are in England. Tancred, Zulch, Strieker, Campbell, White, and Snooke have practically retired from the game. None of them took any part in the Currie Cup matches of the past season. And now Pegler, the great success of the last South African side, has left this country for England. So that of those who have played test cricket before and are still playing regularly only Beaumont, Ward, Carter, Cox, Nourse, and Taylor are left. Gerald Hartigan played no cricket at all last season ; but it is hoped that his arm will allow him to play again next season. Thus it will be seen that a considerable amount of new blood will have to be introduced into the next South African eleven. Let us start to build the eleven. First as to the captain. We will assume that Louis Tancred and Gordon White are not playing and therefore cannot be considered. If either of these two should strike form the choice would probably fall upon him; but apart from them there seems to be no other choice than Herbert Taylor, of Natal. Taylor is quite young, only twenty-five years of age; but he captained the Natal side very well indeed in the last tournament and seems to have excellent judgment in the management of his bowling. He is above all a cricketer of the right type—a good bat, and a man who sets his side a fine example in the field. Put .him down as captain. Five other batsmen are needed. Dave Nourse was a perfect child as a batsman last season. He seemed able to do nothing right. As a batsman he would not on that form have much chance of being chosen. So that perhaps the chosen five would be G. Hearne (Western Province), who could accompany Taylor to the wickets as opening batsmen; L. G. Tapscott, the brilliant young Kimberley player (if he hasn’t gone farming to Rhodesia, and I’ve just heard a rumour that he has); R. Beaumont, of the Transvaal; who was scarcely given a good trial in England in 19 12 ; P. A. M. Hands (Western Province), if he can find the form he showed against the Transvaal last season, and N. V. Lindsay, if his farming allows him to get sufficient practice. Though, for that matter, his displays against the Transvaal and Natal without practice were almost good enough to ensure him a place. As a wicket-keeper Ward should be the first choice ; but Nicol, of Natal, would run him very close. Perhaps the first choice as a bowler might be Baumgartner of the Transvaal (slow left). He is now at his best, and superior to Carter. He has discontinued bo\Vling lobs up into the air, and was a trifle faster chan in previous years. Thomphson, of the Transvaal, would probably be the fast bowler of the side, though unfortunately he is only really dangerous for the first few overs, when he has a very decided swing. Cox, of Natal, a medium paced bowler of the steady type, who has'greatly improved since his visit to England, and possibly old Dave Nourse, would be the other two bowlers. Nourse’s bowling has improved, and he is said to be a much better bowler now than ever before. The side selected in the order of going in might be :— H. Taylor, G. Hearne, P. A. M. Hands, R. Beaumont, N. V. Lindsay, L. G. Tapscott, A. D. Nourse, R. A. Thoniphson, T. A. Ward, H. V. Baumgartner, and J. L. Cox. But would this be a strong side ? Reluctantly, I must confess that in my opinion it is not a really strong side. In fielding it would be decidedly good. And we recognise in South Africa that the reputation the last side in England lost us for fielding has to be regained. In batting it would be very much of an “ i f ” side. There is nothing very solid—nothing experienced—about it. Its batting might come off, or it might fail. But is not this the case with every young untried side ? Then as to its bowling. Here, too, the side lacks greatness. There is no outstanding bowler in it—no Vogler, Faulkner, or Pegler, on his form in England. No, it is not a great side. But it is a young side. And that’s a good thing for South African cricket. Our representative side remained very much the same for too long. Younger players were given very little chance. Now most of the old players have suddenly disappeared “ e.i bloc,” and the chance of the young players has come. Formerly South Africa could put only one South African side into the field. There were only some fifteen outstanding players in the country. Against Warner’s team (1905 — 6 ) the same eleven actually played in all five Tests. Now, though South Afri.a may not be able to muster quite so strong a first eleven, more than one good South African stde could be selected For example, I am not sure whether a side chosen from the following would not defeat the side enumerated above. As batsmen, A. V. C. Bisset, M. Commaille, and P. T Lewis, of the Western Province; H. W. Chapman, C. O. C. Pearse, and T. Beningfield, of Natal; A. H. Cooper, M. J. Susskind, D. C. Jackson, P. j. Heather, and A E. Cook, of the Transvaal; and G. P. I). Hartigan, of the Border. Nicol, of Natal, would keep wicket, and the bowlers might be selected from F. Le Roux and R. O. Saunders (Transvaal), J. Blackenberg and R. De Smidt (Western Province), L. R. Tuckett and Claude Carter (Natal), and possibly E. H. Crouch (Eastern Province). Thus there are more cricketers in the running for [ South African honours at the present time than formerly. Yet, in my opinion, the standard of our best cricketers is scarcely as high. Still, South Africa wants a really good M.C.C. side to come out next season. If we get beaten we will accept defeat as sportsmen. But we want to try our strength and we want to learn ! In conclusion it may be mentioned as a curious fact that at the present time there is no really good googly bowler in South Africa. One or two would-be aspirants were met with in the past Currie Cup Tournament; but they were merely change bowlers who bowled for a few overs. Perhaps H. W. Chapman, of Natal, may develop into a googly bowler of merit; but at present he comes too slowly off the pitch. We seem now after too much “ googling” to have returned to the orthodox style of trundling. R.A.M.H. Special Club Notes. CO N TR IB U T E D BY T H E C h IEL. There are many good club cricketers who play cricket all the summer, and during the winter take no exercise at all worthy of the name. This helps to account for so many cricketers being disabled for a time by strains and the like. Every cricketer should have exercise of some kind during the winter, to keep his muscles supple and his body fit generally. Those who play winter games can gener­ ally turn out fit at the start, and jump into form at once. Many cricketers think themselves too old for footer or hockey—and, of course, some are—but these can get good cricket practice at some of the public baths during the off season, and the charges are quite moderate.