Cricket 1913

54 CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OP THE GAME. F eb . 15. 1913. C E Y LO N . Six batsmen totalled over i o o o runs in Ceylon cricket during the year 1912— J. E. Melder (1,548), V . F . S. Crawford (1,466, including the runs he made in the three matches in Burma), R. E. S ’ Mendis, F . J. Siedle, L. C. Davies, and A. C. Z. Wijeyratne. Seven bowlers took 100 wickets or more— R. E. S. Mendis, F . J. Siedle, C. Horan, D. Joseph, R. de Saram, E. C. Weinman, and E . A. Bartlett. Two names, it will be .seen, occur in both lists; and in scoring 1,208 runs and taking 125 wickets, R. E. S. Mendis did a fine year’s work. A. C. Z. Wijeyratne made five centuries (which equals the Ceylon record), and R. E. S. Mendis and J. E. Melder each made four. In a recent number of the Ceylon Sportsman there was a capital list o f cricket records for the island. I should like to quote extensively from it, but have only room just now for.one entry, that o f the individual scores o f 200 or over These are four :— 241*, T. W. Roberts, Kalutara Bar v. Galle Bar, igoS. 231*, W. E. Kindersley, Kalutara v. Kelani Valley, 1904. 218, A. E. Gibson, Dickoya v. Dimbula, 1907. 202, T. Y. Wright, Kandy v. Matale, 1899. Roberts hailed from Barbados, and played for that island against'one English team. Kindersley is, I believe, a Dorset county player. Gibson, o f course, is the old Wykehamist and Essex man. I hear that D . F . FitzGibbon, the old Reptonian, is not returning to Ceylon, and it is likely that he will be seen in the Middlesex side this year. The scores o f the matches played by a Ceylon team in Burma will be found on another page. Here are some interesting notes from Amicus, a capital little Colombo illustrated weekly, about the tour :— “ O f Indian cricket we have a fairly accurate idea, and we have heard o f the strength o f the Straits players, but Burma cricket and cricketers were an unknown quantity till Grant-Peterkin’s men put them to the test. Then there was a rude awakening, especially in the last match o f the tour, when Ceylon were beaten by an innings. We had heard that the wicket at Rangoon was a matting one, and on such Greswell does not love to bow l; but we hoped and believed that he would prove as deadly in Burma as he has done in Ceylon. . . . In justice to the Ceylon men, it should be said that they found the weather very trying, and had to play three three-day matches with very little time in between for rest. Greswell was not adequately supported in the field. In three matches 2,986 runs were piled up for the loss o f only 96 wickets. In the second game o f the tour 1,077 runs were scored for 29 wickets. . . A feature o f Ceylon’s batting was the consistent work of W. E. M. Paterson, of the Colombo C .C . The old captain, who led Ceylon to victory in the Madras Presi­ dency three years ago, was in rare form with the bat in the first and last matches. . . . Crawford scored 248 runs in all, but 185 of these were made in the second game of the tour. . . . Greswell bowled reallv well, and had he been assisted by A. L. Gibson, H. G. Cornish. E. R. Waldock, and F . J. Siedle at the other end, he should have kept the totals o f the opposing elevens always under 200. . . . We should all like to see what men like F . M. Garnett, brother of the well-known Lancashire left-hander, Captain Beasley, Eddis. Drayson. Sinclair, White, and Cunningham can do against the full strength o f Ceylon on our wickets. I f they are able to hold their own against us when they visit us in December, well, then, Burma cricket must be of a high class indeed.” U N IT E D S T A T E S . The four teams which the New York Veterans put into the field played among them 72 matches in 1912, winning 36, losing 13, drawing 22, and tieing in one. A. G. Laurie (a West Indian) headed the batting averages with 412 in 7 completed innings (average 58.85), and A. G. Hoskings (an Australian) came second, with 1,048 in 21 (49.90). 0 . Turville (another West Indian) aggregated 656, with an average o f 29. H . Leith-Ross (from Mauritius) made 554 (27.70), S. Deane (one time of N.S.W.:) 614 (26.70), and the evergreen F . F . Kelly 472 (23.60). I don’t believe they are all genuine, veterans; but I know K elly qualifies for that distinction. He took 84 wickets at 11.26 each, and only Hoskings (102 at 11.48) lowered more. J. D . Cave (71 at 10.91) and L. W. Stoughton (49 at 10.36) also deserve mention. Altogether the New York Veterans seem a very hefty crowd. F lorcant! TH E A R G EN T IN E . Some kindly subscriber in the Argentine Republic has forwarded the cards o f the Buenos Aires C .C ., the Argentine Cricket Championships, and the B .A. Saturday Cricket League. I fancy that the information culled from these as to the amount o f organised cricket in Buenos Aires will surprise some o f my readers, though o f course everyone knows that there are many Britons in the South American city, and where there are Britons there will surely be cricket. There are three divisions of the Cham­ pionship, all matches being played on Sundays. In the first division figure: Buenos Aires, B .A . Great Southern Railway Co., Belgrano, Hurlingham, Lomas, Quilmes, and San Isidro. In the second the second strings o f all seven of these clubs play, together with Western Rail­ way Co. and Pacific Railway Co. The third elevens of B .A .G .S ., Belgrano. Lomas, Quilmes, and San Isidro, with Banfield and Estudiantes, make up the rearguard. In the Saturday League Buenos Aires, B .A .G .S ., Ban­ field, British Bank, and Hurlingham have teams. Allow­ ing only fifteen players for each side— a low estimate— this accounts for well over 400 active cricketers in the Argentine capital and its suburbs. But I believe the actual number is far ahead o f th is; and there are, of course, Rosario and other towns, to say nothing o f the great estancias. I should much like to add to my informa­ tion about cricket in the Argentine, if any there who see this will oblige. I notice that the three cards are all printed by the firm of Sheridan and Rodolfo, the senior partner in which I take to be J. B. Sheridan, one of the foremost cricketers in the Republic. He is captain of the Buenos Aires C .C ., and Hon. Secretary and Treasurer of Ihe Saturday Cricket League. C r i c k e t P r o f e s s i o n a l desires engagem ent for the com ing season. Excellent batsman and bowler. H ighest credentials as a coach. Apply C r i c k e t e r , Office of this paper. THE AMERICAN CRICKETER. Founded 1877 - Published by the Associated Cricket Clubs of Philadelphia. A11 Illustrated Journal of Cricket, Association Football, Tennis» G olf, and Kindred Pastimes. No. 114 , South 18 th Street. Philadelphia, Pa-» U-S.A. Price— 15s. per annum , post paid anywhere. Specimen copies mailed on request.