Cricket 1913

F bb . 15, 1913. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 37 feat to L. G., who did so well in the trial matches at Johannesburg a year ago; but just in time a reference elsewhere showed me that it was clearly not L. G. Further researches have disclosed the fact that it was E., the youngest o f the brotherhood, not N. V. On November 30 Eclectics made 193 in response to a total o f 320 put up by Kimberley a week earlier. E. Tapscott scored 69 o f the 193, L. G. 71. Eclectics followed on, and the young batsman hit up 158, one of his drives carrying a clear 25 yards outside the boundary fence, although the ground is a good-sized one. His 227 runs during the afternoon came at the rate o f a run a minute. A week later he made 77 v. Pirates. C. P. Buckenham, the Essex pro., who is coaching the Oudtshoorn (Cape Province) C .C ., helped his side to a victory over Port Elizabeth on January 2. H e was top scorer, with 30, in a total o f 106, and took five wickets for 34 in the home club’s innings, which only realised 66. On December 2 the Somerset (Cape Province) B team had lost 9 wickets for 21, after Diocesan College had made 125. It looked all over bar the shouting, but E. Eyre then joined Reinbach, and kept up his wicket while his partner hit. F ifty appeared ; Eyre began to hit also; the field widened out. A hundred went up ; they kept on hitting; bowling changes became numerous. In the end Eyre was caught for 37, but not before he and his partner had added 131 (Reinbach 61 not out), and had won the match for their side by 10 runs. “ There’s something like cricket! ” says the Cape Town Times. “ And so say all o f us.” The second in command o f the New _7.ealand, the magnificent battle cruiser which started on February 6 for a voyage round the world, is Commander Edgar Grace, and that gallant officer is a son o f the great W. G. He will be welcome in every colonial port, for his father’s sake as well as his own. We forget much in these busy, bustling days, but the cricket world will never forget W. G. The Evening News Matting Wicket Championship, for a 50-guinea challenge cup, 22 gold medals, and two matting pitches, open to clubs playing on the parks and open spaces in and near London, should attract numerous entrants. There is no entrance fee, by the way. The final will be played on a Saturday in September. The Hon. R. S. Aucher Warner, elder brother of P. F ., is now, I believe, in England, with Mrs. Warner and their family. Mr. Warner was an excellent batsman some years ago, arid several times captained Trinidad teams. He was also leader o f the first West Indian team to England in 1900. He is a K .C ., and holds the office of Solicitor-General o f Trinidad- The Yorkshire Post o f January 30 stated that in the last ten years 3,167 members have been admitted to the Yorkshire C.C., yet at present the number on the book is only 2,700 ! Even in a big county like York­ shire this is a goodly number; but it surprises one to learn that there are so many people whose interest in the game is merely fleeting. Death reaps its annual harvest, o f course, and. financial considerations mav force a man here and there to resign his membership; but an average loss per year o f nearly 300 is very heavy. I learn that the present Warwickshire membership is about 2,100 (this compares well with Yorkshire), and that during the last six years 2,059 new members had been admitted to the club, so that the leakage is very much the same as in the case o f the White Rose county— rather bigger pro­ portionately, indeed. I suppose other counties have similar experiences. What a difference efficient canvassing makes in membership numbers ! During the last six seasons Warwickshire have three times had the benefit o f a special personal canvass by their secretary. The results show 593 new members enrolled in 1907, 294 in 191X, and 509 in 1912— total 1,396, over 460 per season. In 1908 (no canvass) the number was 188, in 1909 (a test match at Edgbaston that year) 393, and in T910 only 82— total 663, average 220; and this would have been much smaller but for the test match. Santall has been appointed to coach the young players af Warwickshire— a capital choice, for his heart and soul are in the game, and he ought to be able to explain the why and wherefore o f things better than the average coach. John Bates, for 25 years head groundsman at Edgbaston, has been compelled by ill-health to resign, and will receive a testimonial (not in the form o f a benefit match). Arthur Taylor, lately with the Leamington C .C ., succeeds him. After all, Frank Foster i.s not giving up big cricket, and he will lead his county’s team again this season. The importance o f that fact— I don’t call it news, for it had leaked out some months ago-—can hardly be overestimated. There is no greater asset to a team than a skipper o f the real lifting type, a man who has confidence in his men and in himself— and such is Foster. Neither Warwick­ shire nor England can afford to do without him for years to come yet, though whether his services will very long be available remains to be seen. Peter McAlister, in the course o f a speech delivered at the Victorian Junior Cricket Association’ s dinner, made an interesting reference to Mr. Rudyard K ipling, who hurt the feelings o f so many people some years ago by his 1 epithets o f “ flannelled fools ” and “ rnudd'ed oafs ” in I “ The Islanders.” “ When I was at Canterbury with the Australian Eleven in 1909,” said McAlister, “ a well- known cricket writer came to me with a bat, and asked me if I would obtain the signatures o f the team on the face o f it. Printed on the other side were the words, ‘ John K ipling, his bat.’ 1 Mr. Rudvard Kipling would be very much obliged if vou could do this for his son,’ said the writer alluded to. I was glad to be able to do it, for it showed me that the one poet who had written against cricket had been converted to it.” But I don’t think Mr. K ipling wrote against cricket, only against the neglect o f the great national duty o f self- defence in favour o f games and sports generally. “ The Islanders ” is a great poem, embodying a great lesson; it is better than a thousand sermons. The bitter sarcasm o f it— “ No doubt but ye are the P eop le- vour throne is above the K in g’s ” ; “ Also vour gods are many ; no doubt but your gods shall aid. Idols o f greasy altars built for the body’s ease; Proud little brazen Baals and talking fetishes ” — and the like— was. too strong meat for some Stomachs ; but the lesson was needed, and is still needed. F >ICHART> HAFT'S NOTTINGHAM SHIRE M ARL.— Particulars, apply 1 Radcliffe-on-Trent, Notts.— (A dvt :)