Cricket 1914

THE WORLD OF CRICKET. M a y 23, 1914. B u t the Easter game was played, the feud having been, to some extent, at least, healed. The score is not yet to hand. F o r help w ith the averages of the Australian Team in New Zealand we are much indebted to Mr. A. R. Barker (of Wellington), who kindly sent us full statistics. He was forced to include the scores made after the game had been won in two cases, not being able to get at the exact position of affairs a t the real finish ; but another good friend and willing helper, Mr. A. F . Wiren (also of Wellington), has pu t us right as to these. The figures in such exhibition games should not, of course, come into the averages ; and by including them Armstrong is credited w ith a century v. South Taranaki, which had nothing to do w ith the match— and, to balance, a pair v. Wellington, of which the second round ’un equally had no real justification. -------- 4--------- Notes f r om t h e ’V a rs itie s . OXFORD . W e cannot scrape much comfort out of the first ’Varsity match of the season. The fielding was very good on the whole, though a chance or two was put down. Davies’s bowling was good also. The bat­ ting was very bad indeed ; no one inspired any confidence except Colman, and he threw his wicket away in his second knock, and Boswell, though he had little chance of showing up in his second effort, having strained his back while bowling. Wilkinson does not seem able to strike form. Knott is very scratchy indeed. Bristowe did not come off. Tarrant was never easy to play ; but less difficult bowling than his would have done the trick. Several of those who should be the best don’t look like making runs against any sort of stuff at present. As a sitter on the splice Wilkinson is not a success. W hy has he given up hitting ? Howell and Heathcote-Amory, each after his kind, look likely run-getters— Howell by reason of real class, the other man because he has a quick eye and plenty of pluck. When in with the old Etonian, you had a better watch out, or one of his full-shouldered drives m ay seek a passage through you, as was the case with White the other day. Davies first, Melle second, and the rest nowhere describes the bowlers. Neither Fraser nor Bristowe could find a length, and the former will now have to drop cricket owing to the near approach of schools. He may not find a place open for him when term ends, but that sort of luck is all in the game. White kept wicket very well indeed, and brought off two beauties. If his hands don’t go to pieces again, he should be there or thereabouts w’hen the final team is chosen. The trial match was really an extraordinary game. Why did the men tumble out one after another on a plumb wicket ? The bowlers really cannot flatter themselves that they did it all ! The side in which the only blues playing were included scored 136 and 142. Colman again got some each time, and Manger (Wellington) batted freely. Boddington’s side started in very similar style, but later Bristowe, Naumann, and Carr gave them a lift. These three all looked quite comfortable, thereby showing up other people in an even more unfavourable light. W icket-keepers— Boddington and Gilligan— both excellent. Burton’s bowling very good ; he had his tail up, and sent down some real snorters. Rucker ought to have another show, though why he got so many wickets so cheaply was rather a puzzle to onlookers. One does not altogether envy Knott his job. It looks as though he would have to make some radical alterations in the side. -------- 4--------- I n the six League matches no really big score w as made, the best being 54* by the county captain, Bernard Meakin, for Stone v. Knypersley. I n the North Staffordshire League Riley (Notts) did the big bowling performance of the day, taking 9 for 9 (Oldfields v. Longton). He swerved from both sides and kept an irreoroachable length. B a r n e s had 6 for 15 (Porthill Park v. Burslem), Charlesworth 5 for 23 (Silverdale v. Tunstall), Day 5 for 11 and Arnott 5 for 14 (Leek v. Norton), E. J. Johnson 6 for 17 (Stone v. Knypersley), and Nichols 6 for 16 (Stoke v. Crewe Alexandra). O b it u a r y . W il l ia m U n d e r w o o d , a well-known farmer, was found shot dead at the village of Bradmere, in Nottinghamshire, on May 9. He was. born at Ruddington, February 26, 1854, and appeared in the Notts- Colts match in 1875 and again in 1876, in the former year batting 80* minutes for his innings of 10 runs. His only appearance in the county eleven was against Gloucestershire at Clifton in 1881,. when he scored 10 in his only innings. For more than twenty years Underwood was cricket coach to the cadets on the training ship Britannia stationed in the River Dart, and on retiring from that position he received a. testimonial of over £100 as a mark of appreciation of his services. He played for Devonshire w'hile thus engaged,, and made at least one century for the county. M r . C. T. R o l l e r , who died during the winter, was born February 28, 1865, and educated at Westminster School, where he was in the eleven in 1881 and 1882. He made one appearance in first-class cricket, scoring 14 and 1 for Surrey v. Middlesex at Lord’s in 1886, The same season he played in both matches against Essex, and in 1885 against Leicestershire, when he had no opportunity of batting. He was a younger brother of Mr. W. E. Roller,, the famous Surrey amateur of the eighties, and an artist of considerable ability. Mr. M o r to n P e t o B e t t s died on April 19. He was born in Tavis­ tock Square, London, August 30, 1847,. and educated at Harrow, but did not get into the eleven. He represented both Middlesex and Kent,, though he only appeared once for each county. In 1872 he scored. 25 not out and 14 for Middlesex v. Surrey at Prince’s ; and in 1881 he made 39 not out for Kent v. Sussex at Brighton. From 1887 to 1890 he acted as Secretary to the Essex C.C.C.,. being succeeded by Mr. O. R . Borradaile, but he never assisted the county in the field. In the season of 1876-7 he represented England v. Scotland at Association football. T h e R e v . E d w a r d P o ph a m S p u r w a y , rector of Heathfield, near Taunton, died early in February. A well-knowrn member of the Somerset Stragglers’ Club, he upon two occasions represented the county, scoring 10 and 1 against Hampshire at Southampton in 1885 ; and 15 and o against Gloucestershire at Bristol in 1898. T h e R e v . F a t h e r R ic h a r d C h ic h e s t e r , for the last eighteen years of his life priest-in-charge of the Minehead Roman Catholic Church, died in February at the age of 46. He was for some years captain of the Minehead C.C. and a member of the Somerset Stragglers’ C.C. He played in one of the Somerset trial matches, but never represented the county. M r. B a r t o n L a u d J o h n S c o b e l l was born at Lewes, August ig r 1836. He played occasionally in the matches arranged by the Gentle­ men of Sussex, but never represented the county itself. He died at his residence, Kingwell Hall, in Somerset, July 18, 1913. Mr. C h a r l e s H . A s h l e y , part proprietor of the Sportsman, died on April 26, aged 80. Although he never attained any great distinction, at the game, Mr. Ashley was a keen cricketer, and once or twice repre­ sented the Sporting Press in their one-time popular matches against the Jockeys and Turf Officials. A . C . D. Mr. H a r r y H il l ia r d , the last man left of those who took part in the first match between New South W’ales and Victoria (1856), died in Sydney on March 19. He was born on November 7, 1826, and was thus in his eightv-eighth year. Though he used to tell present-day players of the wonderful things he and his comrades of yore would have done with such bowling as is served up in first-class cricket to-day, there is no evidence that Mr. Hilliard was anything more than a moderate cricketer. He played in five matches against Victoria, his- scores being o, 1*, 20, 2, 1, 1, 1,. 1, 15, and o, and hiis one analysis 2 for 27. Doubtless the 20 loomed large iin his eyes, and it is true that 20 took as much getting then as 50 does now ;•but not because the old bowling (mostly underhand in his days) was so superior to that of the present, but because grounds w'ere so much inferior and bats so much less well made. But, whatever his claims as a cricketer, Hilliard had keenness second to none. As an apprentice he had a few days in the cells for absenting himself for a couple of days from his employment to watch cricket, and considered the price none too high. He never missed an important game on the Sydney Cricket Ground, and nearly always went west to see the N.S.W. team play in Melbourne and Adelaide. At the funeral Mr. Sydney Smith, jun., represented the Australian Board of Control, and Mr. R. A. Oxlade the N.S.W.C.A. M r . C h a r l e s S t . G e o r g e G o r e , for many years one of the best batsmen in Wellington cricket, died on December 11, 1913, at Welling­ ton. A member of the staff of the Crowrn Lands Office, he volunteered for special constable duty during the waterside strike ; and this may have been the direct cause of his death, for that was due to pneumonia following on a chill. According to present-day standards, his feats with the bat do not loom very largely ; in senior club cricket he averaged a trifle under 20 ; but such an average over a long term of years meant something in the eighties and nineties. He played frequently for the province and once for New’ Zealand, among his best scores being 33 v. Canterbury at Christchurch in 1891-2, 36 v. Auckland at Wellington in 1893-4, 29 and 40 v. Canterbury at Wellington and 39* v. Canterbury at Christchurch in 1894-5, 57 v. Canterbury at Christchurch in 1869-7, 35 v. Hawke’s Bay at Napier in 1897-8, and 28 and 37 v. Auckland at Auckland and 51 v. Canterbury at Wellington in 1903-4. In later years he was a proficient at golf. A very popular man, he is widely regretted. J. N. P.