Cricket 1914

A u g u s t i , 1914. THE WORLD OF CRICKET. 387 Lastly, here is a list of : H o b b s ’ s C e n t u r i e s in F i r s t -C l a s s C r i c k e t . 155, Surrey v. Essex, Oval, 1905. 102, Surrey v. Essex, Leyton, 1905. 125, Surrey v. Worcestershire, Worcester, 1906. 130, Surrey v. Essex, Leyton, 1906. 162*, Surrey v. Worcestershire, Oval, 1906. 103, Surrey v. Middlesex, Oval, 1906. 150*, Surrey v. Warwickshire, Oval, 1907. 135, Surrey v. Hampshire, Southampton, 1907. 166*, Surrey v. Worcestershire, Oval, 1907. ^110, Surrey v. Worcestershire, Worcester, 1907. 104, England, v. Tasmania, Launceston, 1907-8. 115, England v. Victoria, Melbourne, 1907-8. 161, Surrey v. Hampshire, Oval, 1908. 117*. Surrey v. Notts, Nottingham, 1908. 102, Surrey v. Oxford University, Oval, 1908. 125, Surrey v. Northamptonshire, Northampton, 1908. 106, Surrey v. Kent, Blackheath, 1908. ^155, Surrey, v. Kent, Oval, 1908. ^205, Surrey v. Hampshire, Oval, 1909. 159, Surrey v. Warwickshire, Oval, 1909. 160, Surrey v. Warwickshire, Birmingham, 1909. 100, Surrey, v. Warwickshire, Birmingham, 1909. 162, Surrey v. Hampshire, Bournemouth, 1909. . 133, Surrey, v. Gloucestershire, Bristol, 1909. 114, England v. Western Province, Cape Town, 1909-10. 163, England v. Natal, Durban, 1909-10. 187, E n g l a n d v . S o u t h A f r i c a , Cape Town, 19 09 -10. 133, Surrey v. Derbyshire, Derby, 1910. 119, Surrey v. Oxford University, Oval, 1910. 116, Surrey v. Leicestershire, Leicester, 1910. 154*, Players v. Gentlemen,* Lord’s, 1911. 117, Surrey v. Lancashire, Oval, 1911. 127, Surrey v. Leicestershire, Leicester, 1911. 117*, M.C.C. Team v. Lord Londesbrough’s XI, Scarborough, 1911. 126*, E n g l a n d v . A u s t r a l i a , Melbourne, 1911-2. 187, E n g l a n d v . A u s t r a l i a , Adelaide, 1 9 1 1 - 2 . 178, E n g l a n d v . A u s t r a l i a , Melbourne, 1 9 1 1 - 2 . 104, Surrey v. Notts, Nottingham, 1912. 107, E n g l a n d v . A u s t r a l i a , Lord’s, 1912. h i , Surrey v. Lancashire, Manchester, 1912. 136* Surrey v. Northants, Northampton, 1913. 113, Surrey, v. Gloucestershire, Oval, 1913. 150*, Surrey v. Scotland, Oval, 1913. 109, Surrey v. Hampshire, Southampton, 1913. 144*, Surrey v. Middlesex, Oval, 1913. 115, Surrey v. Kent, Oval, 1913. 122, Surrey v. Warwickshire, Birmingham, 1913. 184, Surrey v. Worcestershire, Worcester, 1913. ^107, Surrey v. Gloucestershire, Bristol, 1913. 170, England v. Cape Province, Port Elizabeth, 1913-4. 102, England v. Transvaal, Johannesburg, 1913-4. 137, England v. X I of Transvaal, Vogelfontein, 1913-4. 141, England v. Griqualand West, Kimberley, 1913-4. 131*, England v. Transvaal, Johannesburg, 1913-4. 100, Surrey v . Yorkshire, Bradford, 1914. 183, Surrey v. Warwickshire, Oval, 1914. 215*, Surrey v. Essex, Oval, 1914. 163, Surrey v. Hampshire, Oval, 1914. 156, Players v. Gentlemen, Oval, 1914. 142, Surrey v. Lancashire, Oval, 1914. His 40 centuries in championship matches include 6 v. Hants, 6 v. Warwickshire, 5 v. Worcestershire, and 4 v. Essex. He has not yet put up three figures against either Somerset or Sussex. He has made two centuries in a match (v. Warwickshire at Edgbaston in 1909), and has scored three centuries in successive innings ( v. Warwickshire, Worcestershire, and Gloucestershire last year). He has five times scored the century in test matches. Twenty-one of the 60 centuries (including all the last five) were made at the Oval. Thirteen were made in matches overseas. He takes his benefit in a few days, and the O val crowd may be trusted to make it a bumper. J. N. P. ------------ + ------------ H . H o d g s o n (Rock Ferry v. Liverpool) took 8 for 20, seven clean bowled. Curtis (who has done good service for Leicestershire), playing for Sefton v. Formby, secured his hundredth wicket of the season. Smoker (Hants and Cheshire) took 6 for 41 for New Brighton v. Bootle. O. R i c h a r d s o n , formerly a professional and a good man for Northumberland but a very few years ago, but now playing as an amateur for South Northumberland, took 8 for 19 v. Old Novocas- trians on Saturday, and had the last 5 without a run scored off him. T he C h a n g e in t h e G am e . T hat a very great change has come over English batting is beyond dispute, and in m y opinion the game is by no means the better for it. W ith the exception of the top sawyers, the m ajority of batsmen to-day absolutely decline to advance their left leg to the line of the well-pitched-up ball, for the purpose of driving it hard and true, as nine out of ten good players used to do. Nowadays the right leg is brought back, and the weight of the body must come back w ith it, and as the left is drawn back over the crease up to the right leg the bat is pushed out in front of the knees, the weight meanwhile being taken in the opposite direction to that in which the ball is to be driven, mind you. I ask all my young readers to give me credit for knowing what I am writing about, and urge them on no account to fall into this absurd and brainless w ay of batting. Every time this stroke is executed my readers can take it for granted th at an opportunity for a four has been thrown away. The fieldsmen are placed in the same positions as used to bs the case when driving was far more frequently indulged in. The batsman who can drive the well-pitched- up ball forces two outfieldsmen to be placed out for him and thus opens out the field for other scoring shots nearer the wicket. To-day bowlers generally are far too ready to have outfields before they know the opposing batsmen can hit, and even if they can a mistake is often made b y the wrong ball being picked out to be hit into the country where no man is. A man who really knows the game will have no out­ fieldsmen to these go-back-and-play-forward batsmen, who will find their strokes blocked against all length bowling. Bowlers to-day should not hesitate to bring in any outfield to this type of player. I personally always encourage a bowler to do w ithout an outfield if possible, and I have not yet found one this season who has faulted me for the advice. A. C. M. ----- +----- E. A. S e y m o u r and W. H. L. Horton added 223 in n o minutes together for Chiswick Park v. Hampstead Nomads, Seymour making 140, Horton 51. G. W. H a m m o n d took 7 for 18 (Hornsey v. Horley), H . W. Weston 7 for 43 (WalhamGreen v. Albemarle and Friem Barnet), F. Scoulding 7 for 44 (Beckton v. Crofton Park), E. Connor 6 for 12 (South West Ham v. Woolwich Polytechnic), Goodyear 6 for 40 (Ealing v. Finchley), and L. P. Gilliard 7 for 53 (South Hampstead v. Ealing) in metropolitan district matches on Saturday. T h e Hon. H. G. H. Mulholland (one of the most discussed cricketers of the year, though for causes apart from his play) made 134 for Lord Decies’ X I v. Stoke Poges on July 25. ------------ + ------------ THE COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP TABLE. (To M o n d a y , J u l y 27, i n c l u s i v e . ) m a t c h e s c o m p l e t e d PLAYED. MATCHES. FIRST INNINGS. RESULTS. POINTS. PER­ Surrey 16 w. 10 L. I W. 3 L. 2 POSS. 80 OBTD 6 l CENT. 76-25 Middlesex 13 8 I 2 2 65 48 73^4 Kent 1 7 11 3 I 2 85 60 70-58 Hampshire 18 8 3 3 4 90 53 58-68 Warwickshire 16 6 3 3 4 80 43 53-75 Sussex* 1 7 6 4 3 3 80 42 5250 Nottinghamshire .. 13 3 3 5 2 65 32 49-23 Essex 15 6 7 2 0 75 36 48-00 Yorkshire 18 6 3 2 7 90 43 47-77 Northamptonshire 15 5 5 2 3 75 34 45-33 Leicestershire 16 4 6 4 2 80 34 42-50 Lancashire 16 4 5 2 5 80 31 38-75 Derbyshire 13 3 8 2 0 65 21 32-30 Worcestershire* 15 1 10 2 1 70 12 17-14 Somerset 12 2 10 O 0 60 10 16-66 Gloucestershire 14 0 11 2 1 70 7 IOOO * Worcestershire v. Sussex at Worcester—-no result on first innings.