Cricket 1914

J u n e 20, 1914. THE WORLD OF CRICKET. 263 A C o m p e t it io n fo r o u r Boy Sub sc ribe rs . U n f o r t u n a t e l y m y instructive article for boys is crowded out this week. Instead I have devised a competition for our boy readers. A bat will be given to the boy who makes the nearest guess at the correct number of runs scored b y Harrow, both innings added together, against Eton, a t Lords, and a bat for the boy who guesses nearest E ton’s runs (both innings added together), a t Lord’s, July 10 and 11. The competition is open to all boys who are on our postal subscribers’ list. Estimates must be forwarded not later than July 4th, and the envelope shotild be marked “ Competition.” B u t this was a lucky innings, and for merit no way com­ parable to his magnificent 148 at Lord’s in 1884. As late as 1888, when his first-class cricket was well-nigh ended, he was still chosen for England (as why should he not have been, a t 29, and still a briliant cricketer ?), and m ight ha' e continued to be chosen for years later had he not retired from the arena. In thirteen test matches he totalled 600 runs (20 innings, 3 not out), averaging 35-29, and took 29 wickets at a little under 21 each. Steel was at Cambridge in the greatest days of Cambridge cricket. The 1878 team is generally reckoned the best that the Light Blues ever put into the field, though that of 1890 ran it very close. Among his comrades during the four years were the Hon. E . Lyttelton, the Hon. A. Lyttelton, H erbeit Whitfeld, A. P. Lucas, P. H. Morton, A. F . J. Ford, L. K . Jarvis, the Hon. Ivo Bligh, C. T. Studd, G. B. Studd, J. E. K . Studd, H. Pigg, C. Pigg, F . W . Kingston, R . S. Jones, his brother D. Q., C. P. Wilson, O. P. Lancashire, C. W . Foley, R. Spencer, and F . C. C. Rowe. Among the Oxonians against whom he played in the great matches of Lord’s were A. J. Webbe, H. R. Webbe, A. H. Evans, W . H. Patterson, C. F . H. Leslie, Howard Fowler, R. L. Knight, A. D. Greene, A. H. Heath, A. P. Wickham, E . T. Hirst, W . A. Thornton, A. H. Trevor, A. O. Whiting, E. Peake, Norman McLachlan, M. C. Kemp, G. C. Harrison, and G. E. Robinson. In his four ’Varsity matches he took 38 wickets for 9 runs each— a wonderful record— and averaged over 30 w ith the bat. Cambridge won in 1878, 1879, and 1880, but lost to the team led by A . H. Evans in 1881, a defeat due in large measure to a great innings by Patterson. Of all the bearers of illustrious names mentioned above, most (like Steel himself) were but occasional players in big cricket once ’Varsity days had become fair memories of the past. A. J. Webbe was the great outstanding ex­ ception, for Lucas and Patterson, though they continued to appear for many years, could not devote the whole sum­ mer to the game. Against Australian bowling Steel almost always did well. He had plenty of self-confidence— justified self-confidence— and was not one to be awed b y the m ighty name of Spofforth as were some who should not have been. A loose ball from the Demon was to this man a thing as easily to be hit as a loose ball from Smith, Brown, Jones, or Robinson. And he did not wait for the loose ones ; keen eyes, nerves like steel, and quickness of foot enabled him to score off balls which most batsmen would have been satisfied merely to play. He was President of the M.C.C. in 1902. He was called to the B ar (Inner Temple) in 1883, became a Q.C. in 1886, when he came to live in London, having previously practised in his native city, and was Recorder of Oldham from 1904 to the time of his death. He represented Cambridge in the racquets doubles in 1880 and 1881. In later life he became very keen on billiards, both as a player and as a spectator of big contests, His son, A . I. Steel, now in India, gave great all-round promise as a cricketer in his E ton days, and played for Middlesex (as in the later eighties it was hoped his father would do) in a few matches. His figures year by year in first-class cricket were :— • SEASON. INNS. N.O. R. A. H.S. B. R. W. A. 1877 ................. i o 87 8700 87 60 25 O — 1878 ................. 27 3 538 22-41 78 .. 4473 1546 164 9-42 1879 ........................ 23 3 556 27-80 96 .. 3790 1133 93 1218 1880 ................. 24 o 559 23-29 118 .. 3834 1298 93 13-95 1881 ................. 33 4 848 29-24 106* 5144 1746 130 1343 1882 ................. 30 2 818 29-21 171 .. 4433 1582 78 20-28 1882-3 (A.) ........... 11 1 415 4i'50 135* 1132 401 24 16-70 1883 ................. 14 2 370 30-83 68 . . 1736 631 36 17-52 1884 ................. 28 3 967 38-68148 . . . 2087 1074' 47 2285 1885 ........................ 7 o 245 3500 74 .. 723 273 2i 1300 1886 ................. 12 2 418 41-80 83 . . 1545 754 37 20-37 1887 ................. 4 o 249 62-25 105 .. 288 165 5 33-00 1888 ................. ro r 150 16-66 34 .. 327 140 15 9-33 1889 ................. 7 o 221 31-57 65 .. 270 146 5 29-20 1890 ................. 7 o 73 10-42 26 .. 566 280 17 16-47 1891 ................. 3 1 49 24-50 23 80 45 2 22-50 1893 ................. 7 o 52 7-42 16 .. 207 119 7 1700 1894 ........................ 4 o 92 23-00 70 .. 105 82 4 20-50 189: ................. 2 1 52 5200 38* .. 175 109 3 3633 Totals -- 254 236 759 2925 171 .. 30.975 10 , 5.49 78i 1350 His first-class centuries were :— 118, Cambridge University v. Surrey, Oval, 1880. 106*, M.C.C. v. Yorkshire, Scarborough, 1881. 171, Gentlemen of England v. Cambridge University, Cambridge, 1882. 135*, England v. Australia, Sydney, 1882-3. 134, M.C.C. v. Australia, Lord’s, 1884. 148, England v. Australia, Lord’s, 1884. 105, Lancashire v. Surrey, Manchester, 1887. J .N .P . ------------ + ------------ C o u n t y C h a m p i o n s h i p P o i n t s . B y A. C. M a c L a r e n . T h e awarding of points for a win on the first innings is frequently responsible for games becoming dull in the later stages. Let us have one innings’ cricket b y all means, but to make it a three points win should the first innings be won, and a win proper should one’s opponents be got out twice, renders matters complicated when a man has to think what game he should p lay when he gets to the wicket. Can we blame cricketers if they reckon the best game to p lay at the outset is to make as many runs as possible, since three points arc earned in almost every case when so many have been made that it has not been possible to get the other side out twice, even if only a few minutes may have been needed ? Here ultra-caution is rewarded when, had the game been played w ithout first innings points being concerned, an earlier declaration would have been made, and the game properly won. The quiet tactics employed b y Tarrant and Hearne this week, when they refused to push home the advantage they had obtained, can always be excused on the ground that they must almost for certain win three points. This system of points is responsible for a good deal more than meets the eye. When the rules were drafted for two innings’ cricket, there were not the many good batsmen playing that there are now. I should say that batsmen of good class out­ number the old players b y at least two to one. On that reasoning, when the wickets are true and in favom of run-getting, one innings for each side is as much as can be expected to be got through in three days. Truer and better cricket would be the result of one innings’ games. I am not sure that finances would suffer, for many of us could do w ith a little less, and, at the same time, more exhilarating cricket. O l d a n d I n t e r e s t i n g O i l P a i n t i n g , C r i c k e t M a t c h a t C a l c u t t a . Size 2 ft. 7 ins. by 2 ft Also Coloured Engraving England X I, 1847.— W r i g h t & Co., 7, Temple Lane, London* E .C . — Advert.