Cricket 1913

M arch 15, 1013. CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 85 P. A. Goodman, 103, Barbados v. English Team, Bridgetown, 1904-5. P. A. Goodman, 102*, West Indian Team v. Yorkshire, Harro­ gate, 1906. A. E. Harragin, 123, Trinidad v. British Guiana, Georgetown, 1977-8. A. E. Harragin, 103, Trinidad v. Barbados, Bridgetown, 1903-4. N. F. Hart, 147, Trinidad v. Barbados, Bridgetown, 1908-9. N. F. Hart, 100*, Trinidad v. Barbados, Port of Spain, 1909-10. G. John, h i , Shepherd’s Team v. British Guiana, Georgetown, 1909-10. C. H. King, 135, British Guiana v. Trinidad, Georgetown, 1895-6. C. H. King, 104, British Guiana v. Trinidad, Georgetown, 1901-2. O. H. Layne, 106, West Indian Team v. Essex, Leyton, 1906. G. C. Learmond, 120, Trinidad v. Jamaica, Kingston, 1905-6. Capt. T. B. Nicholson, 121*, Jamaica v. Snow’s Team, Kingston, 1909-10. C. A. Ollivierre, 159, West Indian Team v. Leicestershire, Leicester, 1900. S. G. Smith, 140*, West Indian Team v. South Wales, Cardiff, 1906. S. G. Smith, 100, West Indian Team v. Hants, Southampton 1906. S. W. Sproston, 118, West Indian Team v. Liverpool and Dist., Liverpool, 1900. ---------- ■- --------------------------- Obituary. M r . J. H. S in c l a ir . J a m e s S in c l a ir dead ! Another splendid cricketer passed over to the great majority. The news must have come quite as a shock to every one who knew the stalwart Afrikander— to every one who had seen him play, indeed. For he was a big favourite with the crowd, and— which is not always the case with the crowd’s idols— he was held in the highest esteem by those who really knew him. There was great winningness about this good-humoured giant, with his pleasant smile and his generous heart. Most people thought of Sinclair as an older man than actually was the case, for he was only 36 at the time of his death, having been born on October 16, 1876. But he had been in the public eye for a very long time. He was not yet sixteen when, in January, 1892, he played his first match against an English team, going in last for XV III. of Johan­ nesburg, scoring 4 and 2, and taking 2 wickets for 60. Among those who played for Johannesburg in that match were Sir Abe Bailey, George Allsop (the manager of two S.A. teams since), A. B. Tancred (elder brother of Louis), E. A. Halliwell, and C. E. Finlason. In the next season Sinclair played for the Transvaal in the Currie Cup Tournament at Kimberley, and showed distinctly promising all-round form. He did very well again in the Tournament at Cape Town in 1893-4, and probably only his youth kept him from getting a place in the First South African Team. But it was after that team’s return that he rose to indubitable greatness. Transvaal’s winning the Currie Cup in Natal in 1894-5 was largely his work. He made the highest score for his side in the first match, v. Natal at Maritzburg, and was not out with 61 when the victory was gained by one wicket. The other match was with Western Province, who had in their team Frank Hearne, George Lohmann, H. Calder, and C. Mills, all English county cricketers, C. d'O. Mainon, an Australian of repute, and Murray Bisset, C. F. Prince, G. A. Rowe, and J. Middleton, members of South African teams to England. Transvaal made 134 ; Western Province replied with 160 (Sinclair 3 wickets for 52). Then Transvaal made 175, and the Cape Town men only needed 150 for victory. They were all out for 91, Sinclair taking 7 for 40. His bowling was really great. For ten or a dozen years after that Jimmy Sinclair— everybody called him Jimmy— was unmistakably the best all-round cricketer South Africa possessed. I have no space here to tell of his career in detail; a few notes as to some of his beet performances must serve. Against Lord Hawke’s team in 1895-6 he made 75 for XV. of Johannesburg, and 40 and 29 for South Africa at the Wanderers’ Club ground. In the following season he hit up 79 in Transvaal’s one Currie Cup match, v. Western Province— Transvaal, as holders, standing out till the final game. The 1897-8 tourney was at Cape Town. He had then analyses of 9 for 88 v. Western Province and 6 for 37 (one innings) v. N a ta l; and he scored 51 v. Border and 73 v. Griquaiand West. Lord Hawke took another team to South Africa in 1898-9, and in both its test matches Sinclair showed splendid form. At Johannes­ burg he hit up 86 in the first innings. A t Newlands he began by taking 6 wickets for 26, and followed this up by a dashing 106 in a total ofji77, next highest score being the Mr. J. H. SINCLAIR. 26 of F. Kuys. At this stage his all-round prowess seemed to have put his side well on the way to victory ; but a transformation scene followed. The English side, in arrears of 85, made 330 (John Tyldesley 112), and South Africa collapsed before Haigh and Albert Trott for 35 ! Thereafter came the War, and Sinclair, like a good manv more cricketers, played a man’s part in that. The story of his meeting with Frank Mitchell has often been told. The War was not quite at an end when he paid his first visit to England in 1901, and some people were inclined to criticise severely the Second South African Team for travelling so far away to play cricket at such a time. If in any case the criticism was deserved, it was certainly not in Sinclair’s ; indeed, the majority of the team had taken their turns in the fighting line. Sinclair never did himself full justice in England. His bowling was a great asset to the teams of 1901 and 1904 ; in 1907 he was overshadowed by the googly merchants. His hitting was very fine on occasion, too ; but he failed to come off to anything like the extent hoped for. He played in several matches for London County in the course of his three visits, and including these his work in the United