Scotland v Yorkshire 1 & 2 May 1924 by Cricket Scotland

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Ground:	Hamilton Crescent, Glasgow
Scorecard:	Scotland v Yorkshire
Event:	Yorkshire in Scotland 1924

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DateLine: 4th February 2013

 

 

Day 1:
A start was made yesterday at Hamilton Crescent, Partick, with first-class cricket for the season. The Yorkshire team are on a short visit to Scotland, and have two engagements, one with a representative eleven of Scotland, and one with Forfarshire at Broughty Ferry.

 

Play in the Glasgow game started shortly after one o'clock, and lasted in all just under five hours, all of which time, except for a quarter of an hour at the close, was occupied by the Yorkshiremen, who won the toss and took the first of what proved to be a lifeless wicket, not favourable either to fast bowling or fast scoring.

 

Probably the Yorkshiremen, who were making their first appearance for the season, were not seen to the best advantage through want of practice, and no doubt the dead wicket affected their play; but their batting was never of a lively character, and most of the batsmen showed a lack of enterprise. There was also a want of variety about their strokes, and it is safe to say that close on 200 runs, out of the aggregate of 267, were got from balls that were pulled.

 

Holmes, who was top scorer with 74, got in two hours all but ten minutes, favoured that stroke greatly. He had also a few forward cuts, and one perfect straight drive to the boundary off Watt's bowling.

 

Kilner and Robinson put more force into their strokes than Holmes, though the innings opening batsman was the more polished cricketer. Kilner was an hour and a half at the wicket, and Robinson an hour and a quarter.

 

Runs were never made at a rapid rate, and the batsmen never took liberties or attempted bug hitting. The bowlers were never severely punished. Boundary hits were not numerous. Holmes had 8, Kilner 6, Robinson 5, and Sutcliffe 3.

 

The batsmen were probably indulging in what might be regarded as a full dress practice game for the more serious work of the summer, and it is to be noted that the runs obtained and the wickets taken count in the first class averages. The batting, taking it all over, was disappointing; it was good and sound rather than entertaining. Rhodes took an hour to make his 15.

 

Perhaps the bowling had to be treated with care, and it is certainly the case that some of the Scottish bowlers were made to appear more difficult than is generally the case in Scotland's representative games .

 

Anderson, Scotland's fast bowler, did not find the wicket suiting him, and he never got any sting in his deliveries, but Graham, Hole, and Watt bowled with effect, and particularly Graham and Hole, Graham's figures were the best, though there was little difference between the averages of the three.

 

It was a splendid debut the Stenhousemuir man made playing for Scotland to secure five wickets, and all the more so as his victims included Holmes, Sutcliffe, and Kilner. For his own sake, as well as the side, it was a pity he failed to take a chance Holmes gave him when the batsman had made 42.

 

From the Press seats, the return seemed a fairly simple one to the bowler's left side. That was the only chance of catching that was declined, though it looked as if Patten might have stumped Kilner on one occasion.

 

There was little that was particularly brilliant about the Scottish fielding, except for one or two smart bits of work by Kerr at cover point, but it was always of a good standard and few runs were given away unnecessarily.

 

It was far from being an eventful day's cricket that was seen, but the Scots, by their work in the field and with the ball, came out of it well, and one of its outstanding features was the splendid display of wicket-keeping given by Patten, the old Oxford University "blue," who, now settled down in Edinburgh, should be Scotland's stumper in many matches to come. He proved himself to be a high class stumper.

 

It was altogether creditable to the Scottish side that they were able to dispose of such a strong eleven of the champion county for such a comparatively small total as 267.

 

Waddington and Robinson opened the bowling for Yorkshire for the quarter of an hour Scotland had to bat, and Burt and Graham were Scotland's first pair.

 

The latter was never comfortable, and, after surviving an appeal for lbw, he cocked a ball up through the slips, which went for three. It was a lucky stroke. Burt was shaping well, and with such confidence that there never seemed any probability of him losing his wicket.

 

An unfortunate misunderstanding between the two batsmen led to Graham being run out with the total at 16. He had snicked another ball through the slips, and had some difficulty in getting back to his ground to conclude a second run; in fact, had Dolphin, the wicket-keeper, taken the ball cleanly Graham would have been out.

 

The wicket-keeper, however, failed to field the ball, and it went away for what should have been an easy run. Burt saw that that was so, but failed to notice his partner was not on the alert to run for the overthrow. The result was that both batsmen found themselves at the wicket-keepers end, and, on the ball being thrown to the bowler, Robinson, the Stenhousemuir man, sacrificed his wicket, and retired. Graham was playing very gingerly, and any ball might have been his last.

 

Macaulay, who is probably Yorkshire's fastest bowler, went on for one over just at the close of play in an effort to secure another wicket, but Burt and Patten played out time, which arrived with the Scottish total at 17 for the loss of one wicket.

 

With one wicket down, the Scots have still 151 runs to make to save the follow-on, and, should the wicket be helping the bowlers today, these may be difficult to get, particularly if Rhodes is in good form with his left-handers.

 

Yorkshire had their full side on duty with one exception, the captain G. Wilson, standing down, and being replaced by C.E. Anson, who has played for the Gentlemen of Yorkshire, but never previously for the county.

 

The match did not prove the attraction it was expected to be, and at no time during the afternoon would there be more than 600 people inside the ground. All told well under 1000 would pay for admission, and unless there is a marked improvement today to see Scotland's effort to save the game, there is sure to be a loss, for the Scottish Cricket Union to bear.

 

There was more than one reason for the poor patronage given to the game. The weather for the most part was cold and dull, and the season is so young that interest in cricket has not yet been aroused among followers of the game. The light was never good, and at times was very bad, especially during the visitors' innings.

 

Day 2:
No play was possible yesterday in the match between Scotland and Yorkshire at Hamilton Crescent, Partick. Rain fell during the night and in the forenoon, and it was still very wet at the hour fixed for starting, one o'clock.

 

Though the wicket ends had been under tarpaulins, it was decided, on an inspection being made by the captains shortly before three o'clock, to give up all hope of play, and the match accordingly was abandoned.

 

The ground was in such a water-logged state that it was not even possible to get ready another pitch. The rain had ceased by that time, but soon after the decision had been come to give up the game rain came on again.

 

Owing to the poor Attendance on Thursday, and the fact that the gates were never opened yesterday, there will be a heavy loss on the match. The Drawings on Thursday came to a little over £50 inclusive of tax.

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