Cricket 1914

J u n e 27, 19 14 . THE WORLD OF CRICKET. 279 £be Morlfc of Cricket. E d i t o r : M r . A. C. M a c L a r e n . A s s is t a n t E d i t o r a n d M a n a g e r : M r . J. N. P e n t e l o w . 61, TEMPLE CHAMBERS, TEMPLE AVENUE, EMBANKMENT, LONDON, E.C. Correspondence should be addressed to the E d ito r; sub­ scriptions, advertisements, and all communications on business matters to the Manager. Subscription rates: Inland. Nine Shillings per annum ; Overseas Ten Shillings. Pavilion Gossip. Somewhere beyond Death’s river dark, in the fields of asphodel, Be sure they play— our great ones dead— the game that they loved so w ell! And haply there the player who here was keen but was never great Shall have added to him such measure of skill as may make him the masters’ mate, And shall hold his own in the friendly strife with Foster and Grace and Steel— The dream of the duffer whose heart was big come true in the Land of the L eal! T h e Old Etonians v. Old Harrovians match at Lord’s was a very jolly one. B u t two days gave us no chance of a finish. Amateur sides are almost always short of bowling, and these were no exception to the rule. P l e n t y of batting, of course. P . R. Johnson played a really delightful innings from the first ball he received. He is one of the most graceful bats I have ever seen. He plays w ith a beautifully straight bat, and there is no sign of effort in the w ay he makes his strokes. M o r e people would attend the big games— such as M.C.C. South African Team v. Rest of England— if there were more batsmen of Johnson’s type playing in them. A great player fit and well will always pull out fours enough, even if he is a bit short of practice, to swamp the less great player in practice. B u t the latter type is chosen every time, and that means fewer spectators. I n the R est of England side playing a t the time I write there are not two men I would prefer to P . R. Johnson. E very ball he plays brings satisfaction to comrades, opponents, and spectators alike. He was very nearly at his best last week, little as he has been playing. L e g g a t t played a very painstaking innings, but made many mistakes for which he had not to pay. He did valuable work in wearing down the bowling, however, and his type of batsmen is quite necessary. N o t h in g else in the innings caught one’s eye specially, except the last w icket stand. The E ton fast bowler made several very paying on-drives, and C. E. Hatfeild played well at the finish, w ith a long head, as usual. O r the Harrow bowlers M. C. Bird, bowling well, had the worst of luck. M. Falcon, who is verv little short of England form, did well w ithout quite giving of his best. His younger brother always kept a good length, and should certainly get his blue next year. F . S. Jackson got a wicket the moment he w ent on, quite in his old way. In figure he is very much what he was at eighteen. W h e n Harrow went in A. H . Hornby was well caught at third slip, and then Bird played out time with yours truly. N ext morning the late Surrey captain took his score to 50 or so, after the Editor had given a tame catch to mid- on, through hitting the ground in playing Hatfeild. Jack­ son, who has not played for a couple of years or more, though he found it difficult to get the ball away, showed all his old grace of style and ease in defence. Later he got fairly going, and brought off some delightful shots. His was in every w ay an interesting innings, even apart from the pleasure one felt a t seeing him once more a t the wickets at Lord’s. E r ic D o w s o n nicked in w ith a capital innings which just put us ahead. Cartwright was far and away the best of the E ton bowlers on figures, and he bowled really well throughout too, so that the figures did not flatter him. F. R. R. B r o o k e ’ s keeping for Harrow was one of the features of the match. W ith no chance of a finish, Tenny­ son, who had split a finger, played an innings that made as understand his previous successes, while Longman was very good and sound in everything that he did. T h e old boys on the pavilion were as keen as mustard, and cheered well when the last man in saw Dowson make the hit which put Harrow in front on the only completed innings possible. A g o o d many years have passed since Old Etonians and Old Harrovians last met— on the Lyric Club’s ground at Barnes, in 1892. The teams were not nearly as represen­ tative then as in last week’s match ; but among the players were A. J. Webbe, M. C. Kemp, H. W . Bainbridge, T. Marchant, F . Thomas (now Lord Willingdon of Ratton), H. Philipson, A. W . Ridley, and P. J. de Paravicini, who had all played for the Gentlemen in their day. Old Harrovians scored 377 (E. Stogdon 102, P. J. T. Henery 71, E. M. Lawson- Smith 51) ; Old Etonians 294 (P. J. de Paravicini 77, H. A. Arkw right 53) and 132 for 3 (F. Marchant 85). I n 1891 (also at Barnes) the scores were : Old Etonians 297 (W. R. Hoare 100, F. Thomas 71) and 150 for 8 (P. J. de Paravicini 46) ; Old Harrovians 270 (E. M. Hadow 84, A . J. Webbe 54). T h e match ought to be an annual one in future ; though if it is there m ay be more difficulty in getting county players to leave their sides— as A. H. Hornby, H. P . Chaplin, N. Haig, and C- E. Hatfeild did last week— to take part in it. E v e r y o n e regretted not only the absence of A. H. Lang, but the cause of his absence— the death of his father, Mr. Basil Lang, late Advocate-General in Bombay. O n e of the Club and Ground batsmen in a match between Bath and the Somerset C. & G. was appealed against for stumping. The decision was “ Not out.” While it was being given, or immediately after it was given, he dragged his foot over the crease, the wicket-keeper, ball in hand, snatched out a stump, and another appeal was made. He had to go. W a s the decision correct ? There was much discussion afterwards. The laws do not seem to cover such a case. He was certainly not stumped — vide Law 23— for he did not get out of his ground in playing at the ball, but after he had completed his stroke. He may have been run out— Law 28— but that depends entirely upon the question whether the ball was still in play at the moment. We should say that it was not in play. There seems to have been no question of attempting a run to complicate the decision. P r o b a t e of the will of the late Mr. R. E. Foster has been granted to his widow, who is sole legatrix and executrix. The estate is valued at £6,318 10s. gross, with net personalty £4,965 3s. 5d.