Cricket 1913

CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. August A, 1013. a n d b y c o n s is te n t su cce ss, n o t e n t ir e ly u n a id e d b y lu ck , b e is p re p a rin g fo r h im se lf th e p u sh from th e p e d e s t a l w h ic h th e p u b lic is a p t to g iv e a p o u la r id o l in th e w o r ld o f sp o rt w h e n o n c e th e in e v ita b le p e r io d o f f a ilu r e com e s. I n e v ita b le , I s a y , b u t p e rh a p s t h a t is n o t th e r ig h t w o r d . T h a t T e n n y s o n c a n g o o n s c o r in g a s h e h a s s c o r e d th u s f a r is s c a r c e ly lik e l y . O n th e o th e r h a n d , it is im p r o b a b le th a t h e w i l l b e a b le to p la y fir s t-c la s s c r ic k e t a t a l l r e g u la r ly . N o s o ld ie r can . T h e b ig g r o u n d s m a y se e lit t le m o re o f h im , a n d h e m a y com e to b e rem em b e r e d a s o n e w h o m ig h t h a v e d o n e a n y t h in g h a d o p p o r t u n ity o ffe r e d . O r , b y m a k in g , o w in g to c irc u m s ta n c e s n o t u n d e r h is c o n ­ tr o l, c o m p a r a tiv e ly ra re a p p e a ra n c e s , a n d th u s a v o id in g a n y c o n tin u o u s s p e ll o f f a ilu r e , h e m a y b e a r h is la u r e ls u n ta r n is h e d f o r y e a r s . M a r k e d f a ilu r e a n d to o g r e a t su c ce ss a re th e tw o th in g s th e p u b lic c a n n o t f o r g iv e . K ic k s (m e ta p h o r ic a l) a n d h a r d w o r d s f o r th e f a ilu r e , sn e e rs a n d in u e n d o e s f o r th e to o s u c c e s s fu l m a n — su c h is th e w a y o f th e w o r ld . In th e la n g u a g e o f th e c la s s ic s , it is n o t a ll v io le ts to b e in th e p u b lic e y e ! A n y t h in g le s s s u g g e s t iv e o f fu tu r e su c ce ss a s a b a ts m a n th a n T e n n y s o n ’s fir s t se a so n in th e E t o n X I . (19 0 7 ), it w o u ld b e d iffic u lt to d is c o v e r in a ll th e a n n a ls o f c ric k e t. H e p la y e d 8 in n in g s a n d t o t a lle d 1 7 ru n s. A t L o r d ’s h e w e n t in la s t , s c o re d 1 a n d 1, a n d to o k 2 w ic k e t s f o r 13 2 . A g a in s t W in c h e s te r h e m a d e 0 a n d o , a n d h a d 3 f o r 5 1. H is 21 w ic k e ts t h a t se a so n c o s t n e a r ly 29 e a c h . B u t in iq o 8 he m a d e a b i g s t r id e fo r w a r d . H e h a d a g e n u in e a v e r a g e o f 22.8 0 , w ith o u t a n o t o u t to h e lp h im . H is h ig h e s t sc o re w a s 76 . In th e s e c o n d in n in g s v. H a r r o w h e s c o r e d 26 w h e n h is s id e h a d a n u p h ill g a m e to p la y . H e d id lit t le b o w lin g th a t y e a r . In 1909 h e w a s u p a t C a m b r id g e . G o in g in la te in th e F r e s h m e n ’s m a tc h , h e b it u p 38 a n d 5 1 » b o th in n in g s n o t o u t. F o r P e r a m b u la to r s v . E t c e te r a s h e m a d e 3 a n d 2 1— la s t in . In th e tw o m a tc h e s h is 4 w ic k e t s c o s t 19 5 ru n s. H e h a d n o fu r th e r t r ia l, a n d th e re d o e s n o t se em to h a v e b e e n a n y s p e c ia l re a so n w h y h e s h o u ld h a v e h a d . A . J a q u e s , th e o ld A ld e n h a m b o y , w h o is s a id t o b e l i k e l y to c a p ta in H a m p s h ir e in th e n e a r fu tu re , w a s a c o n te m p o r a r y o f h is a t C a m b r id g e , a n d , lik e h im , n e v e r p la y e d in th e e le v e n . I t w a s n o t, th e n , via E t o n a n d C a m b r id g e th a t T e n n y s o n p a s s e d in to fir s t-c la s s c ric k e t. A r m y m a tc h e s fo rm e d h is r o a d to h ig h e r h o n o u rs . I h a v e n o t h in g in th e s h a p e o f a r e c o r d a s t o w h a t h e h a s d o n e in th e s e g a m e s ; a n d o n e c a n n o t rem em b er e v e r y th in g . B u t I k n o w t h a t h e m a d e c e n tu rie s, a n d m a d e th em w e ll, a n d m a d e th em fr e q u e n tly . W h e th e r h is in v it a tio n to p l a y f o r H a m p s h ir e w a s th e re s u lt o f h is c e n tu r y f o r th e M .C .C . a g a in s t th e D a r k B lu e s e a r l y in J u l y is a n o th e r m a tte r a s to w h ic h I m a y c o n fe s s ig n o r a n c e . V e r y li k e ly th is sc o re h a d s o m e th in g to d o w it h i t ; b u t I s h o u ld n o t b e s u r p r is e d to h e a r t h a t h e h a d b e e n a s k e d to p la y b e fo r e th a t . T h e H a n t s C o m m itte e a re n o t in th e h a b it o f n e g le c t in g th e c la im s o f p o s s ib le s u c c e s s fu l c o u n t y p la y e r s . H is sc o re s in th e m a tc h r e fe r r e d to w e re 20 a n d 110 . H e m a d e th e n o in 100 m in u te s, w ith t w o or th re e c h a n c e s, b u t b y h it t in g o f th e b e s t. S o b r il­ lia n t a b a tsm a n a s M e r v y n P a y n e w a s m a d e to a p p e a r q u ite slo w . S in c e th en h e h a s, u p to d a te o f w r itin g , a p p ea re d in lo u r m a tc h e s f o r P la n ts , s c o r in g 28 v . W o r c e s te r ­ sh ire a t D u d le y , 38 a n d 1 1 6 v . E s s e x a t L e y t o h , 111 a n d 4 v . N o tts a t T r e n t B r id g e , a n d 9 6 a n d 19 v. Y o r k s h ir e a t H a r r o g a te . In 9 in n in g s in first-c la s s c o m p a n y h e h a s t o t a lle d 542 ru n s, a n d it w o u ld n o t b e m a tte r f o r s u rp r ise i f , p r o v id e d h e c a n p la y th r o u g h A u g u s t, h e r e a c h e d fo u r fig u r e s b y th e e n d o f th e c a m p a ig n . O n e n o te s th a t up to d a te h e h a s n o t b e e n seen f o r th e c o u n t y o n a h o m e g r o u n d . T h e re s h o u ld b e a ra re w e lc o m e f o r h im at S o u th a m p to n o n th e 14 th in s t ., i f he tu rn s o u t v . S u s s e x . H is 1 1 6 v . E s s e x o n ly to o k 105 m in u te s, a n d it in ­ c lu d e d se v en te e n 4 ’s. I t w a s (I b e lie v e ) c h a n c e le s s. H is h i v . N o tt s la s t e d 130 m in u te s , a n d h e m a d e n o m is ta k e in it. S ix t e e n 4 ’s th is tim e . H is 96 v. Y o r k s h ir e w a s a lu c k ie r in n in g s ; b u t fo r tu n e d e ­ s e r te d h im a t a c r itic a l m om e n t, a n d in m a k in g a b ig h it th a t w o u ld o th e rw is e h a v e g iv e n h im th re e fig u r e s f o r th e fo u r th tim e in fiv e m a tc h e s h e w a s c a u g h t a t sq u a re -le g . T h a t h e is e s s e n t ia lly a iir s t- c la s s b a t is n o t m a t­ te r f o r a rg u m e n t. H e h a s s t y le a s w e ll a s p ow er, a n d h is d r iv in g is r e a lly g r e a t. It is s c a r c e ly lik e ly th a t h e w ill e v e r b e o f g r e a t u se to h is s id e a s a b o w le r , I th in k . T h e r e is n o t h in g s u g g e s t in g m o re th a n o r d in a r y a b ilit y in h is fa s t is h s tu ff, m a in ly off t h e o r y ; a n d f a s t m e d iu m to f a s t b o w le r s w h o e x ­ p lo it th e o ff t h e o r y a re le g io n , th o u g h th e r e is som e ­ w h a t le s s o f th a t so rt o f th in g th a n a f e w y e a r s a g o , p e rh a p s. A n y w a y , h e is a w e lc o m e a n d a g a lla n t fig u r e in th e c r ic k e t fie ld . T o som e o f u s w e lc o m e fo r h is fa m o u s g r a n d f a t h e r ’s sa k e , a s w e ll a s h is o w n ; to a l l w e lc o m e b e c a u s e h e is a b a tsm a n o f th e ty p e th e g a m e n e e d s— a m a n w h o , h a v in g a b ilit y to h it, d o e s h it, w h o c a n p la y a m a n ’s p a r t in a c ris is— in sh o rt, a s o ld ie r a n d a c ric k e te r ! J . N . P . Correspondence. ELGIN CITY CRICKET CLUB. To t h e E d it o r o f “ C r ic k e t .” July 28 th, 1 9 1 3 . Dear Sir, I was very pleased to see your remarks on cricket in the Highlands in your issue of July 5 . As an indication of the class of cricket played in the “ semi-barbarous North”, I enclose the score of a recent game between Elgin City and the old boys of Glenalmond School. In this 556 runs were scored for 12 wickets in five hours. I venture to think that the North of Scotland League could put into the field a team capable of making a decent show against any second-class county side in England, and I know that the Elgin ground isias good as anyone need wish to play upon. Publish this or not, as you like; but if you do I hope it will tend to broaden the minds of those who write down cricket in the Highlands as practically a farce. Yours faithfully, A. G. COCKBURN.