Cricket Notes.

Thames Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 9615, 18 April 1900, Page 4

Cricket Notes.

(By Trundlwr.) J. Lang's proverbial luck failed him at the second asking on Friday. He made a single off an uppish stroke in the long field,-which -was badly missed, but th| wicket peeper was l'eWsobliging and Lang had'to retire. Low gave \ess> trouble to the bowlef than usual, and was clean bowled by ai ball that looked simple enough, but which he played ail round. F. Derecourt did not meet with the same measure of success as he did the week before, but he bowled fairly well on the whole and the balls that got wickets were good ones. Winning the toss was .of, decided advantage to Thames for : the visiting bowlers were greatly handicapped by the wet ball. ; The Thames "A" innings, ppened in a manner that augured badly for it. Six good wickets were down for 20 runs when Young and A. Lang "made the needed, stand, putting on 14 runs for the 7th wicket. :

8..; Derecourt contributed his quota like\v;isep- and' when';;; Newton joined Lang'the runs came quickly and 29 runs were put on for the ninth wicket, Newton claiming 15 of them. A. Lang batted very well,indeed for his 30 runs, making the bowling 100k 1 very simple, and there was general regret that he just failed to cany out his bat. : ;Of the visiting bowlers Knaggs alone was really successful. His slow curly onea were treated with far too niuch respect, and he came out of the •ordeal with'4i wickets for 31. ;

Of the visitors Shepherd and Rice, twc> school^:; teachers—by the bye, %ere were three in each of the "A" teams —showed the best form with the bat, and well deserved the: 15 and 23 made by them respectively. ..„,., , The double change of bowlersfung on by, Nieoll proved very successful a^' the board showed in quick! succession :#—2—15 ; 30—3—0; 30—4— O^iandip—s—o. ' Nicoll is emulating Trott's) example to such; aii extent that one is, tempted to; hive ai look' at that 'lion' shilling with'which, hV tosses. On; each occa^ sion that he has captained the local 'reps'.' 'he has won the toss. ; The captain of the "B"team won the toss likewise, but the "B's" were jftot busy enough either with the bat or in the field, and had to acknowledge defeat by, 40' runs on jthe Ist „inning& ■, : . ''■■'■■ Nicbll's run gut was unfortunate, i and on all sides was deemed j a. mistake on tHe umpire's part, but H. Derecourt misjudged the rim and threw hl3 wicket away to sav6 Lang, whom he had called. , ;

What the "B" team batsmen were like-may be imagined when W.Rowe (1$ Rudkin (9) and Chester (9) were the top scorers. E. Derecourt 5 wickets for 22 and E. Fenton % for 8 were ;;a; trifle tWqj Igciod for the local .batsmen. '"' " ! •:• In the second inningsi Johnsßuchan ,27 .not out and J. Lang 12 were the Chief''contributors to the total of 59 for 8 ,wickets. .... , , j E.'Derecourt again got on : the job and took 6 wickets for .18 runs.

Darrach 32 nob out and E. Reed 25 hit the local bowling about to same, purpose, taking full advantage of am indulgent field. ' ■.'■*•-Rowe was the only bowler who did anything worth,noting; he: took 3 wickels for 17!" Chester as u^ual distinguished ,himself by claiming no fewer than 5 maidens. ' T*urning * now to Saturday's match -^-"Whaii! a/: fall •: was . my countrymen.l" „ The, w? c.ket was bad, horribly bad, but for two teams comprising at least nine goocii men who are certainties for any Thames 'rep.' team, to be? .sent; to the. right about in. 2J. hoursi for totals of 28: and 1 37: respectively is worse, much worse. -No,one Will,deny that had the chances..:given by. St. Albans' batsi,men been accepted thetir total would liave'been :much less;'" 'Derecourtwas fairly: dropped twice and Pratt also, the latter before he scored at all,* the former when he had made 3'arid 4

reepectively. ' 'r"'v' , Saturday's play demonstrates plainly that between the t\ro Yearns there js little to choose j although St l Albans are the 1 better team in* the field. , . One of our Kodiiey visitors 1 'acted 1 as umpire, aiyl the thanks of the teams are due, to> Mr Shepherd for doing so, especially as his gave every satisfaction; W. McGregor':. pd unusually well "behind the stick*," " stopping the bpjvlmg well. The catch that sent Pratt to the right, about just; when he looked like getting dangerous "was particularly creditable. . : , The match y/isi V>n© of .coincidences. Tha top scoreite%n each*; side, Derecourt and Ypu*iig, both rriade 13. -' The successful bowlers' analyses. I read .thusj;: ll^D.erecourt) 14 runs,,^ I wicEets, s'B**^alts, 3..jnaidens; W. H. [ Newton,; 14 ; runs, '7.\wickets,] 55,ba115, ,3,maidena Each team wasi credited with T extrar-^a^leg byej'.in each case.

3T,i'A;, ißillingi'maide :d; brilliant catch, in !the: long -fieddj and Carter made an etjually good-onenat/square leg." :•:■-! Both iiteams):: are*, yarned to be on the ground next Saturday at 3 :ip;m. ; j sharp, and although St. Altrans" has tead^of 9 runs om Xh& .first; linmngs, lyery exciting finish may^ be expected, as they will again have the> disadvantage of batting in the fading light—no small handicap.