CRICKET.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 27 September 1924, Page 10

CRICKET.

A GROWING AND POPULAR GAME ' FOR GIRLS.

Woman’s active * participation in cricket began much earlier than is generally' realised, declares a woman writer in the Daily Mail. ’Although Mr John Willes, the Kent amateur, who lived from 1777 to 1852, is usually credited with the invention of roundarm bowling, lie got the idea of it from his daughter, who used this mode of delivery when bowling to him for practice. Incidentally, Mr Willes, his daughter, and theii* retriever dog formed a single wicket combination that could beat any other in the country.

Between 30 and 40 years ago two teams of women cricketers toured England, playing exhibition matches. They did not attract attention, and provoked Dr. W. G. Grace to the declaration in his memoirs that women were wholly unsuited to play cricket. But feminine cricketers of the doctor’s day were usually unsuitably attired, and for the most part played farcical matches against men armed with broomsticks or compelled to bat and bowl left-handed. The game is taught and played seriously and scientifically in,most of the athletic curriculum of the physical training colleges. There are numerous women’s clubs throughout the country, with Kent as one stronghold, and in some places women are associated with men’s clubs. The bowling feats, for and against men’s clubs, , of Miss Muriel Maxted, of Ashford, have attracted much attention. Last season she captained the Beaver Wednesday C.C., and took 79 wickets for iust over 4 runs-apiece, and this summer she is playing for Ashford Authentics, under the captaincy of her elder brother. Up to June 28 inclusive her analysis read ns follows: 47 overs, 6 maidens, 39 wickets, 119 runs. Miss Maxted bowls overhand, hut few excel in this style, and the average girl is advised to cultivate underhand, or the old-fashioned round arm. Usually the younger a girl is the more determined is she to attempt fast overhand bowling, thinking underhand “childish,” and perhaps fatiguing herself. She should study the successes of such famous lob bowlers as the Hon. Alfred Lyttelton, Mr D. L. A. Jepheon, “Punter” Humphreys, and Mr G. H. vSimpson-Hayward, and come to realise that lob bowling, varied with an occasional fast ball, is quite as great and difficult an art as slow overhand. Among women bats is Miss Mabel Bryant, holder of the feminine hockey record for international “caps.” Playing in a ladies’ match at Eastbourne some years ago, Miss Bryant made over 220 not out in a trifle more than two hours —a remarkable achievement.

Women also share in cricket as umpires, scorers, hostesses, and spectators mostly of a far more understanding type than she who asked Mr “Warwick Armstrong whether he had never taken all II wickets! Cricket for women is sometimes objected to on the score of its dangers, but the writer has not heard of a serious injury to a woman player.

GREAT LEFT-HAND BATSMAN

Of those of the M.C.C. who. have never been in land of the golden fleece, probably least is known of John Lindsay Bryan, who was born at Beckenham on May 28, 1896, being the eldest of the three brothers, Rom aid Thurston Bryan and Godfrey James Bryan, who are the sons of Lieut.-Col. Lindsay E. G. Bryan—himself most enthusiastic in all that appertains to cricket.

Educated at Rugby, John L. came under the influence of Willis Outtell, and was in the school eleven in 1912, 1913 and 1914. In the last year, when captain, he hit 118 against Marlborough at Lord’s, and 111 against the M.C.C. Going to Cambridge in 1920 he scored 83 for the Freshmen, and, in 1921, 126 for the Seniors. That year his university average was 55, and lie hit 62 against Oxford.

Since 1919 he has, without being able to play regularly, scored 2741 runs for Kent, and his averages in the championship for the last three years have been: 1921, 48.31: 1922, 42.20; 1923, 43.37.

The summer of 1921 brought his great season, as in all matches, including those for Cambridge, he made 1858 runs, and had an average of over 50. ,•

His first century for Kent was 125, against Worcestershire, at “Worcester, in 1920. In all principal matches from 1919 to 1923 his aggregate wa® 4049, and his average 42.17. A left-hand batsman, he has plenty of strokes, can face the best bowling, and take the sting out of it, while he is not afraid to hit. He is a soiincl No. 1 in the hatting order, and fields well. Bryan ■is just the type of player who should make runs- on Australian wickets. ' Nor has. he played so constantly as to lose his freshness and vitality.

TRUMPER. MEMORIAL

(Referee.)

Victor Timm per needs no material memorial on account of all he did for cricket, but the Gordon,Club has paid his memory a very commendable tribute by naming its new pavilion in honour of him.

The new structure is of exquisite modern design, having accommodation for 500 persons. There are an assembly room, two teams’ rooms, lockers, buffet and bathrooms. The total cost was £2090, the chib’s direct contribution being £590.' The Willoughby CbunciL raised a special loan of £ISOO, and the interest will be borne by the club:

(From Punch.) “Mr. Taylor, who had relieved Mr. Higgins, here had the misfortune to see Seymour badly hit over the right eye on attempting to hook one of his rising deliveries.”^—Daily paper. Seymour, we understand, sympathised warmly with Mr. Taylor over this piece of bad luck. “I have never been comfortable batting on matting.”—-Lord Hawke. To-day’s story: Some cricket professionals are wealthy men. . A few ♦fays ago one of them, fielding at cover-point, returned a ball to the stumper yards wide, a four overthrow resulting. Later the skipper went to the dejected wicket-keeper and said, “Never mind, old man, it was So-and-So’s fault.’’ “Oh/’ replied the man with the gloves, “I ought to have expected it; you never can get a correct return from a man who pays super-tax.” The cricket crowd was bored to tears by the slowness of the game. Not a run had been scored for twenty minutes, for the batsmen were stonewalling persistently. At length one of the players drove the ball in the direction of cover-point. Point fumbled the ball and a run nearly resulted. “Careful . . •. careful!” boomed a warning voice from the crowd. “We’ll have to wake the scorer if you don’t look out.”