Cricket 1914

3^8 THE WORLD OF CRICKET. A ugu st i , 1914. Gbe TRUorlb 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 lo 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. The soul is glad in the thick o’ the game, a song through the spirit swims, For the brain is King of the muscles’ swing, and Lord of the eager lim bs; And it’s joy, pure joy, for the hearts of men, the clean, the strong and the sage, Till the pulse is cold, and we’re out (Well bowled!) to a flattering lob from Age. H arold B egbie . H a r r i s o n played the best innings he ever put together against Lancashire at the Oval, his off-driving in front of cover being very well timed and executed. H o b b s appeared to play as if the moderate Lancashire howling was too good a thing to miss, for he took fewer risks than usual, probably because they were quite un­ necessary. Risks are all very well when the w icket is suiting a really good bowler, bu t it is another story alto­ gether on a fast O val w icket against Lancashire trundling of to-day. T h e manner in which practically all the Surrey batsmen stepped back w ith the right leg to balls well up to them and not turning on th a t fast w icket was a revelation to me, and caused me to wonder no longer why over-tossed balls are not full driven to the boundary as of old. F o r the first time in a first-class match I have been caught napping, leaving a ball alone th a t a friend in the pavilion told me was straight all the w ay. The Surrey men and the batsman had different views, however, The ball swung in a trifle in the air and then nipped back, which was so wholly unexpected that I did not even cover my w icket w ith my leg, the off stump being hit plumb. K n i g h t had a very long w ait through a partnership of over 200, to be bowled b y Cook w ithout scoring. Such things often happen. Does the eye get tired following the ball from a distance ? L . O. S. P o i d e v i n never used to look at the game during the partnership before he went in to bat, and these Austra­ lians think the game out rather more than some of us do. R. H. S p o o n e r played an innings full of sparkle and delightful to watch, and there is no doubt th at his enforced absence from the field has not caused the least falling aw ay in either his batting or fielding. His n ext appearance will be for Lancashire v. Yorkshire at Manchester on Bank Holiday. T h e Surrey X I are a good lot of cricketers, otherwise 10,000 would not have turned up on Saturday to see them put up 400 against Lancashire. H itch is undoubtedly a very much improved bowler, and young Abel I would never leave out of the side, for he is likely to get anyone out when the w icket is plumb and runs are easy to get. W i t h K irk and Razor Smith to come in later, Surrey is my selection for the top county stakes. M i d d l e s e x want another bowler, whilst Tarrant and J. W . Hearne are likely to feel the effects of their many excellent performances before the end of August. K e n t , like Yorkshire and Lancashire, have a goodly supply of old ’uns who have a habit of fading aw ay at the distance, and who should not be asked to get more than five furlongs in the month of August, unless it be at the seaside. O n e is always pleased to hear of the recognition of good work in cricket’s cause, and an instance of this was afforded b y the recent complimentary dinner and presen­ tation to Dr. J. Earl Norman. D r . E a r l N o r m a n has for nearly twenty years been Hon. Sec. to the Hertfordshire C.C., a post which he is now resigning, though he w ill continue to steer the bark of the Minor Counties Cricket Association. Under his manage­ ment Hertfordshire has advanced markedly. The sub­ scription list has been largely increased, and in spite of small gates’the finances are ample for the modest programme which the county club undertakes. H e r t f o r d s h i r e has quite a good side, and there are those who would like to see the county promoted. But promotion would in all likelihood mean largely added responsibilities w ithout adequate makeweight, and no doubt, like Staffordshire and Norfolk, also strong when they can command full sides, the county will continue to prefer the safer position of second class. T h e dinner given to Dr. E arl Norman took place at the Imperial Restaurant, Regent Street, and the chair was taken b y Sir Alfred Reynolds, who spoke in the highest of terms of the retiring secretary’s excellent work. The presentation, subscribed to b y members of the county club, took the form of a handsome silver rose bowl. W o r c e s t e r s h i r e has had a full experience of the thorny ways of first-class cricket in a county not really keen on the game. Crises have recurred with all too great frequency, and now one hears th a t the fate of the club again hangs in the balance. More support must be forth­ coming before the annual general meeting if it is to carry on. O n e fears th a t the knell of doom has sounded, and th at the county will drop out altogether in 1915, for it is scarcely likely th a t it will be continued as a second-class side. But, while fearing, one hopes for better things. There are a few counties which have no properly organised exist­ ence in a cricket sense. There are sixteen first-class counties, of course, and, setting aside second elevens, eighteen which engage in the minor competition. One of these, Glamorgan, is Welsh, so th at 33 of the 40 English counties are to be reckoned as playing their parts on the cricket stage. T h e remaining seven are Cumberland, Westmorland, Shropshire, Herefordshire, Oxfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Rutland. Cumberland has a club, and plays a few matches each season, meeting Westmorland, which, however, does not appear to be organised. Shropshire and Herefordshire play occasional gentlemen’s matches ; but if they still have county clubs, those clubs are practically moribund. They had such clubs for many years, but never undertook anything but very modest programmes.