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Scotland v Philadelphians 10 & 11 August 1903
by Cricket Scotland


Ground:Raeburn Place, Edinburgh
Scorecard:Scotland v Gentlemen of Philadelphia
Event:Gentlemen of Philadelphia in British Isles 1903

DateLine: 4th February 2013

 

Scotsman

 

Day 1:
After concluding their engagements in England, the Philadelphian cricketers. Who have been very successful on the other side of the border, began a two days' match yesterday afternoon at Raeburn Place, Edinburgh, with an eleven of Scotland, and by occupying the wickets during the whole of the time play was in progress, they made it certain that they would not be defeated.

 

Of the sixteen matches previously played by the Americans during the tour, seven had been won, six lost, and three drawn, the victories having been secured over Gloucester, Notts, Lancashire, Glamorgan, Leicester, and Surrey; the defeats suffered from Cambridge University, M.C.C. and Ground, Somerset, Kent, Warwickshire, and Worcestershire, and the drawn games were with Oxford University, Hampshire, and Sussex.

 

There was only one change on the visitors side from that which beat Surrey so decisively on Saturday, P.N. LeRoy taking the place of A.M. Wood, and the only alteration in the Scottish team was, as previously announced, that J.H. Orr took the place of W.R. Sharp. The Scottish eleven, however, though fairly good, was anything but representative; such men as L.M. Balfour-Melville, A.G.G. Asher, R.H. Johnston, H.J. Stevenson, and G.W. Jupp, being among those who for one reason or another, were unable to play.

 

Owing to rain, a start was not possible until three o'clock, and even then the wicket was very soft and wet, and all in favour of the batting side. The opening batsmen at once took advantage of the difficulties under which the fielders were placed, and so smartly did the runs come that the first 50 were obtained in little more than half an hour's time.

 

At 54, and when he had made 19 himself, Sharpless got two "lives" off successive balls from Dennett, J.T. Anderson dropping a catch at long off and Hole failing to hold the ball at mid off.

 

Pepall and Dennett bowled unchanged until 81 had been scored, and long before that figure had been reached people were wondering when some of the other trundlers were going to get a chance. At that total, however, Webster was given the ball vice Pepall, and the value of a change in the attack was at once seen, for the Aberdeenshire representative got Sharpless bowled middle stump in his first over and in his third he dismissed Lester in the same fashion, bowled off his pads, with only 3 runs hit off him.

 

Graves got his individual half-hundred in little less than an hour, and just afterwards he should have been stumped by Blacklock off Dennett's bowling, and at 54 he got a "life" from Ferrier, again off Dennett's bowling. On this occasion the fielder was far out behind the bowler and misjudged a high ball completely.

 

King, probably, the best all-round man on the side went at 117 to a smart catch by Dennett who took the first chance which came his way after four had been offered and not accepted off his own trundling. On being joined by Bohlen, Graves who, by the way, bears a striking resemblance in appearance to G.L. Jessop, but, though a free and on the whole sound bat, does not possess anything like the punishing powers of the Gloucester captain, hit somewhat freely, and though he gave a hard chance high up to Webster at mid-on, he reached his hundred in two hours and eight minutes. He did not survive much longer, however, and in his total of 107, which was marred by three chances already referred to, were nine 4's, five 3's, and fifteen 2's.

 

The fourth wicket carried the score from 117 to 200, and at the latter figure both Graves and Clark were dismissed. Of the others Bohlen was the only one to give any trouble, and his innings was perhaps the best of the day, for, if slow at times, he gave no chances, and hit all round the wicket.

 

Fifth man in, his wicket was the eighth to fall, and while he was in 164 runs were made. Included in his 80 were two 4's, and nine 3's. Morris, when 3, was badly missed by J.T. Anderson in the long field, but Cregar was out to a great catch at cover point, the third taken by the captain of the side.

 

Cairns did not have a turn with the ball until the Philadelphian's score stood at 264, and Ferrier was not tried until the total stood at 283. In each case the change was effective and his two wickets for 9 in five overs suggested that the captain might, with advantage to the side, have been a little less modest as to his capabilities as a bowler. He got his wickets in his second and fourth overs and he it was who succeeded in disposing of Bohlen when he appeared to be thoroughly set.

 

The last wicket fell a minute or two before seven, just as the third hundred had been hoisted. It is arranged that the game will be resumed at eleven o'clock this forenoon.

 

Day 2:
The two days' match at Raeburn Place between the Philadelphians and the Scottish eleven captained by A.S. Cairns, which was again interfered with by rain yesterday, ended in a draw in favour of the visitors.

 

On resuming yesterday the Scotsmen, having to face a total of 302, were in the position that they could not win, and had plenty of time to lose, and if in their efforts to secure a draw the cricket was at times painfully slow, the Scottish players are entitled to take some credit to them selves that they were able to achieve their purpose, more especially as they had a badly cut up wicket to play on.

 

With five men out for 33 before lunch in the first innings, it seemed as if the Americans were on the fair way to add another success to their list, but, thanks to good batting by Joe and J.T. Anderson, and a minor contribution by W. Webster, the innings did not close until 145 had been recorded. J.B. King, who at one time had the splendid analysis of five for 13, was hit more freely later in the innings, and came out at the finish with six for 49.

 

The second innings of the Scots was a dreary business, as the players for the most part contented themselves with keeping up their wickets, and towards the close the Philadelphian regular trundlers were taken off, and a chance was given to the untried men.

 

A little more life was consequently put into the game, but even then the proceedings cragged along, and no one could have been very sorry when the arrival of seven o'clock brought the match to a close. About a thousand people were present during the course of the day, and as only some 200 or so witnessed the play on Monday, the Grange are likely to lose money over the engagement.

 

After a good shower of rain, play began at fifteen minutes past eleven, when, before a hundred spectators, J. Anderson and Orr opened to the bowling of King and Clark.

 

King, who had done so well with the ball across the border, has an exceedingly curious delivery. He sends down the ball very fast, after taking a long run, at the beginning of which he crouches low, and then getting quite erect, he brings both his hands behind his head, and discharges the ball with a swing of his arms.

 

At the beginning of the innings the Scotsmen could make little of his bowling, Orr was nearly snapped off him by Lester, who was standing ay "silly leg" about five yards from the batsman. That, it might have been thought, would have served as a lesson to the Stirling County man, but in his next over King had him so completely "stuck up" that he could do nothing more than poke the ball in the same direction into the fielders hands, the Philadelphian captain taking the catch very neatly.

 

This happened with the total at 6. Anderson and Hole were next associated, and they batted in easy fashion, and played as if they quite realised that a draw was Scotland's only hope. At 25, however, Hole was bowled with a ball which curled nicely round his bat, and 3 later Hoggarth was out lbw for nothing, Dr Lester taking his wicket.

 

Lester had relieved Clark at 25, and got the wicket in his first over. Then Blacklock joined Anderson, and the pair, though they only added 5 to the total, were together for half-an-hour. During their stay the cricket was very slow, though Anderson had some pretty strokes, and after an hour's play only 29 runs had been recorded.

 

The Selkirk representative was in for half an hour without opening his account, and ultimately forgot himself, and hitting out with the intention of reaching the ropes, failed to get hold of the ball, and was easily taken at point. This wicket was also claimed by King, and in the same over, two balls later, Cairns was clean bowled by the American "crack," who at this stage had four wickets for 12 runs.

 

When Ferrier and J. Anderson were together rain caused an adjournment at half-past twelve, and no further play was possible before lunch. During the interval a thunderstorm broke over the ground.

 

Though an early lunch was taken, the game was not resumed until half-past two, and on the easy wicket runs came more freely than before, albeit the rate of scoring was always very slow. Only 13 had been added when Ferrier left with the total at 49, but from that time things took a decided turn in favour of the batting side.

 

The partnership of Joe Anderson and Webster realises 27, and if the latter had some tricky strokes through getting too much under the ball, he gave no real chance, except one of running out at 8, until just before being dismissed, caught at sharp square leg.

 

Another very profitable stand was made by the next pair, namely, the Andersons. They put on exactly 50 runs, and even then the Perthshire man only retired because of an injury to his wrist, sustained in playing a fast ball from King. At that time he had been at the wickets for two hours and fifty five minutes, had given absolutely no chance, and had played as confidently and well as if the match had been a very ordinary one on the familiar North Inch.

 

Pepall and Dennett were not long in being disposed of, and then Joe Anderson was able to resume his innings, and with a 2 and a single he reached his 50 amid loud cheers. Immediately afterwards, however, he was taken in the long field, and it is not too much to say that it was largely through his splendid effort that the situation was saved, and a complete collapse averted.

 

Credit must also be given to J.T. Anderson for his capital score of 38 not out, and it was off his bat that the only boundaries (two) of the innings were obtained. His was the brightest innings of the day. While the two Andersons were together 68 had been score. The innings lasted for fully four hours.

 

One hundred and fifty seven behind, the Scotsmen followed on, and an hour and thirty five minutes remained for play, so that a draw seemed pretty certain. As, however, the first and second wickets fell at 3 and 4 respectively, there was just a chance that another "rot" might set in, and that the Americans might secure a win, but by exercising the greatest care, Orr and Blacklock put defeat out of the question.

 

So much caution was being taken by the batsmen that more than an hour was occupied in getting 34, at which figure Orr was bowled in trying to pull a ball from Lester. Three wickets were then down, with more than half an hour still to go, and it put quite a respectable appearance on the position of affairs when Blacklock and Webster the next pair, were successful in playing out time.

 

The former, however, got a "life" a while before close from Jordan, who usually keeps wickets, but who was fielding at point, and that batsman was nearly thrown out immediately afterwards.

 

Following these escapes Jordan and Bohlen, who, it seems, never bowl in matches, were put on, and though the batsmen continued to keep their wickets safe, runs came at a smarter pace than before, and when stumps were drawn the Scotsmen were still 74 behind the Philadelphians' first innings score with seven wickets in hand.

(Article: Copyright © 2013 Cricket Scotland http://cricketscotland.com)

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