Cricket game summaries from the Times,
1905
CRICKET.
GENTLEMEN V. PLAYERS.
(FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.)
The rain which threatened to come down at the
end of the first day's play of the Gentlemen and
Players match held off, and it became obvious
that the wicket would play easier the second day
as it would be rather faster but the sting would
not be there. As a matter of fact, as far as
spectators could judge at Lord's yesterday, it was
just the sort of wicket that breaks bowlers'
hearts, the ball never rising much more than half
stump high and coming on straight and at an easy
pace. The almost complete collapse of the
Gentlemen came as a surprise, and can only be
explained in one way, and that was that, with
few exceptions, they batted badly.
Mr. Warner and Mr. Beldam gave their side a
good start, for the first wicket did not fall until
53 runs were made, when Arnold bowled down
Mr. Beldam's off stump with a fast ball, the
batsman having played in his usual careful way
for 22. Mr. Fry came in, and began as is his
wont with indomitable patience ; but when he had
scored nine he was clean bowled by Rhodes with
a fine length ball that broke back and took the
off stump. The ball looked as if it pitched on the
blind spot, the sort of length that the batsman is
uncertain whether to play forward to or back.
Mr. Fry played forward but did not smother the
ball at the pitch, and the break then beat him.
Mr. Spooner then came in, and almost at once
tried to hook Arnold, who was bowling from the
Pavilion end, and sent the ball straight to mid on.
It used to be an old principle of batting that it is
well to remain quietly at the wicket to get a
knowledge of the pace of the ground before
attempting to pull, and if this rule had been
observed Mr. Spooner would not have got out
as he did. Mr. Jackson unfortunately hit
one of Rhodes's balls on to his legs and from
thence to the wicket, and Mr. Evans was clean
bowled second ball. Thus the three greatest Gentlemen
bats and Mr. Evans had been got rid of for
18 runs on an easy wicket, and five wickets were
down for 84 runs ; and something heroic would
have to be done to put the Gentlemen in anything
like a good position. Arnold and Rhodes
were now bowling with the skill that often accompanies
success ; but Mr. Bosanquet, who more
than once this year has batted successfully in
similar circumstances, again did what was
required, and with Mr. Warner put on 62 runs
that were sorely needed. Mr. Bosanquet batted
well, and scored faster than Mr. Warner. Lees,
Haigh, and Hayes were all tried, and they all
bowled well, but both batsmen played skilfully
and looked like staying in until luncheon. Arnold
had, however, resumed at the Pavilion end, and
got Mr. Bosanquet caught in the slips for 38
runs obtained in his usual somewhat stiff style,
but with the exception of Mr. Warner he had
played the best cricket for the Gentlemen. After
luncheon Mr. Warner was joined by Mr. Jessop,
but almost at once the former was stumped by
Lilley off Arnold. The ball was on the leg side,
and a more beautiful bit of work has not been
seen this year, as the ball was put down at once
gracefully and quickly. Mr. Warner has never
played better cricket than in his innings of 59,
although he gave one very difficult chance early
in his innings. He hit all round the wicket, and
played thoroughly sound cricket. Mr. Jessop is
in no batting form this season, and gave an easy
catch to short slip off Lees from the Nursery end.
Mr. Martyn and Mr. Hesketh-Prichard stayed
some time and put on 38 runs, Mr. Martyn playing
very well and making several really beautiful
strokes on the off side of Lees ; but both got out,
and the whole side was out for 185. The Players
fielded and bowled very well, but no bowling
that has ever been seen could have got such a
batting side out on an easy wicket unless the
batsmen had batted badly. It is possibly true
that the Gentlemen had been playing on fast
wickets lately and might have been short of
practice for slow wicket play, but this after all
can only partly account for the failure. All the
bowlers did well, but Arnold and Rhodes did the
best, and Arnold, who has covered himself with
glory in this match, was the most successful, and
in addition fielded very well at point in the early
part of the innings. The whole side, however,
fielded well, and Lilley's wicket-keeping was as
near perfect as wicket-keeping can be--and on
this head the same can be said of Mr. Martyn,
who on the first day kept practically the whole
day and only let four byes out of a total of 356.
At about half-past 3 the Players were batting
again, Lilley probably having a vivid recollection
of the Gentlemen's following on two years ago,
when the Players fielded out for 500 runs for two
wickets. The Players began badly, for Mr.
Brearley bowled Bowley for 4 and Tyldesley first
ball, but even after this inauspicious beginning
they were 170 runs on with eight wickets in
hand. Hayward and Hayes now made a prolonged
stand and put on 120 runs. The play was slow--
very slow for a long time--but Hayes then began
to open out and scored faster than Hayward,
who at the same time never looked at all likely to
get out ; and gradually the Gentlemen's bowling
got tied in a knot. Hayes has a rather peculiar
style of batting, as he faces the ball and brings
very little left shoulder into his play, and he
always looks as if a bumping ball would bring
him to grief. But at Lord's yesterday, with all
the sting taken out by Sunday's rain, no ball got
up the whole day ; and Hayes hit very finely all
round the wicket, pulling and cutting with the
greatest skill. He was twice missed, once from a
very difficult left hand catch in the slips off Mr.
Jackson, and once in the deep field, the fieldsman
obeying the almost invariable instinct of running
forward to the catch instead of backward, which
in this case would have given him the catch.
Denton was soon out, and then Hayward and
Hirst played out time, Hirst having scored 30
and Hayward 106. Hirst batted as he always
does, cutting and pulling and thoroughly enjoying
himself, especially in pulling Mr. Bosanquet's
longest of long hops to the boundary.
Advancing years have made Hayward far slower
than he used to be, but his defence is stronger
than ever it was, and he gave nothing like a
chance in the whole of his innings. The match was
not quite safe when Tyldesley got out, but
nothing could disturb Hayward, who was as
steady as a rock. The Gentlemen's bowling,
except Mr. Brearley's, could not be said to be
difficult, but Mr. Brearley bowled well, and was
only worn down by the inpregnable defence of
Hayward. Mr. Bosanquet had again one of his
off days, which is tantamount to saying that he
hardly ever bowled a moderately good ball, but
revelled in a profusion of long hops, a kind of ball
that made the whole field tremble. Mr. Bosanquet
likes a hard wicket, and is a bowler of such
original and eccentric genius that it is impossible
to explain why his length should be so bad on a
slow wicket.
The Players are now over 400 runs on with six
wickets in hand, and even after the University
match it is difficult to see how they can lose.
Their policy on the third day should be to play
a free game and to declare after putting on
another 100 runs, thus leaving the Gentlemen
with about 500 runs to get to win. It may seem
strange that all these runs should be necessary
to make them safe, but such extraordinary batting
feats have been performed by the Gentlemen
in the last two seasons in this match that the
Players will not probably run any risk.
The weather was very hot, and about 9,000
people paid at the gates. Score : --
[[STATS]]
DERBYSHIRE V. THE AUSTRALIANS
In some rather uneventful cricket at Derby yesterday,
the play went largely in favour of the Australians. For
the addition of 104 runs, the last six Derbyshire wickets
fell in an hour and a half, and then in two hours and
50 minutes the Australians scored 230 for the loss of six
men. As they led on the first innings by 86, the visitors
at the drawing of stumps were 336 ahead, but probably
they will only have two wickets to fall to-day. Mr.
Hopkins has cut his hand so badly with broken glass that
he will not be able to play for some time ; and the extreme
heat overcame Mr. Gregory when fielding yesterday morning.
It is hoped that Mr. Gregory's illness is not serious,
but it may not be considered wise for him to take further
part in the game. Except during the partnership of Dr.
Ashcroft and Mr. Walkden, who put on 40 in 25 minutes,
the Derbyshire batting was poor. Mr. Armstrong bowled
with great effect. Keeping an accurate length and bowling
straight, he had his field placed in an ordinary way
and so little could the batsmen do with him that he took
the last five wickets at a cost of less than six runs each.
Mr. Darling altered the Australians' batting order, and
Mr. Laver, who was sent in first, played his highest
innings of the tour. Hitting freely he completed his
50 out of 88 in an hour, but, although staying in nearly as
long again, he obtained only 28 more runs. He gave no
chance and his strokes in front of the wicket possessed
much power. Mr. Kelly helped to add 59 in 45 minutes
for the third wicket, and, when Mr. Laver left, fourth
out at 145, Mr. Armstrong gave a splendid display of hard
and accurate cutting and driving. Score : --
[[STATS]]
To Cricket from 1920