The book \u201cSixty Years of Canadian Cricket\u201d was published in 1895. It was compiled by John E. Hall, Secretary of the Canadian Cricket Association, and R.O. McCulloch, a member of the Toronto Cricket Club. The copy of this book at Toronto\u2019s central Reference Library was originally given by John E. Hall to the Toronto Cricket Club in June 1933.
\nTwo individual centuries in an 1879 game on PEI a Canadian first
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe first known domestic Canadian cricket match where two players scored a century for the same team took place on August 5th [or 6th], 1879. Johnson and Boughey \u201cadded 210 runs together at the tail of the (Halifax Garrison) innings\u201d against the Phoenix club of Prince Edward Island. Johnson scored 100 not out and Boughey 117. A list of centuries known to have been scored in Canadian cricket is the source of Johnson and Boughey\u2019s achievements in the book. Earlier in the book a summary of games during the 1870’s provides few words about an August 5th, 1879 game where Charlottetown scored 50 and the Halifax Garrison 250.
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\nBut Canadian cricket match records on the Cricket Archive database suggest there were two different games, one played on August 6th. The score for the \u201cdouble centurions\u201d match on Cricket Archive is given as Halifax Garrison 319, Phoenix Club of Prince Edward Island 55 on August 6th, 1879. It has the Charlottetown 50, Halifax Garrison 250 match score as being on August 5th, 1879. <\/p>\n
So there\u2019s some potential research that could be done to verify these two games for the budding Canadian cricket historian! And, possibly, an extra note on corrections needed in the front of \u201cSixty Years of Canadian Cricket.\u201d Although, a re-check of the book may be needed. Canadian cricket\u2019s Atlantic T20 Championship begins on Friday, July 6th, in Stratford, PEI, next door to Charlottetown. <\/p>\n
In recent times, three Canadian batsmen scored centuries at the Maple Leaf Cricket Club, King City, Ontario as Canada reached 588 all out in an ICC Intercontinental Cup match against Bermuda in August 2006. John Davison opened the innings and made 165. He was joined in a third wicket stand of 233 by Ian Billcliff, who scored 128. Abdool Samad, batting at number eight, scored 119. Samad and Umar Bhatti, who struck 50, added 149 runs for the eighth wicket. Canada scored 60 for one wicket in 12.2 overs, with time running out in the last hour of the game, to win by nine wickets. All three centuries were, and remain, personal bests in first-class cricket. <\/p>\n
Only a hit out of the ground was an \u201cautomatic\u201d six runs ….<\/p>\n
During a game between Eastern Ontario and Western Ontario in September 1871, Mr .J Wright \u201csent the ball twice out of the field\u201d to score six runs. A hit over the boundary line or fence was not an automatic six in those days, unlike the current era. <\/p>\n
Mr. Wright\u2019s two sixes came from a personal score of 28 as Eastern Ontario tallied 123 in the first innings. Wright scored a few more runs in the second innings, but his side was bowled out for 107. Western Ontario rallied to win the game with a second innings 116 for five wickets after a first innings total of 115. <\/p>\n
Those who love flashing signs for \u201c4″ and \u201c6″ at T20 and 50-over games in the modern age, – notwithstanding celebratory screams and background music – would certainly not be appreciated by Mr. Frederick Gale. Some of Mr. Gale\u2019s recollections of Canadian cricket are contained in an article in \u201cSixty Years of Canadian Cricket\u201d. <\/p>\n
Mr. Gale was pleased about the \u201cabsence of noisy appeals by the wicketkeeper\u201d on the chance of an lbw decision \u201cmade by a chorus of the field who could not have any possibility of seeing the line of the ball.\u201d Perish the thought that there are too many appeals in any modern games of cricket. Especially one-day, or T20 games where a team has made a mess of batting first. <\/p>\n
He was unimpressed by players \u201crushing in (to the pavilion) for a sprinkle of rain\u201d – perhaps OK in a major storm or hurricane, or even a gale, if supported by bucket loads of rain?. Nor did he appreciate batsmen \u201cnot making any attempt to hit the ball sent up on the offside for fear of spoiling an average.\u201d The latter idea is closer to modern thinking of keeping the score ticking over, looking for the one\u2019s and two\u2019s, and turning them into two\u2019s and three\u2019s if possible. So you must run your runs. <\/p>\n
But, and this is not for the unfit batsman on a blindingly hot day, Mr. Gale complains about batsmen not being made to \u201crun all their runs\u201d. For example, some \u201c48 boundary hits in a total of 338″ is not what proper cricket is about. This is just \u201cnot cricket according to the old school. Not all runs were run out\u201d (which means not all runs were \u2018properly\u2019 scored by physically running from one end to the other, and then back for the next, etc, etc).<\/p>\n
He does admit that some run outs were achieved by some methods contrary to the spirit of cricket. It seems some fielders might continue looking for a ball under the stands, chairs, etc whilst someone else might manage to get the ball to the wicket to achieve a run out dismissal. <\/p>\n
Mr. Gale might not sound too progressive on some things, but progressive on others. He commented on decisions made by committees at English county clubs \u201cmuch comprised of members who do practically not understand the game in its true sense, but who get on committees for aggrandizement and position.\u201d <\/p>\n
Well, one does not meet too many committee or board members from the various levels of Canadian cricket who admit to not understanding the game in its true sense. Although there are some who are not too interested in a second, or independent opinion. But that happens in life beyond the cricketing boundary, whether running the runs, or sleeping though the action. <\/p>\n
Mr. T. C. Patterson\u2019s reminiscences of Canadian cricket indicated \u201cthere has been progress….but not as much as in Philadelphia or Australia.\u201d Apparently rich people controlled the game in Australia, and there was no shortage of funds in Philadelphia. Well, Australia is still doing quite well in cricket, but Philadelphia is not flying so high in modern day cricket. <\/p>\n
Some of the \u201cRemarks\u201d by Mr. F.W. Terry were, possibly, a touch ahead of their time. In batting and bowling \u201ccricket needs a brain perfectly free from any cloud.\u201d He moves on to the scientific aspects of fielding. \u201cIn fielding and throwing to the bowler or wicket-keeper, science is very predominant. No green-horn can pick up and throw in to the wicketkeeper unless he has taken pains to practise and make himself proficient in this department of the game. I am quite sure that fielding is thought too little of, especially by those who consider themselves first-class in the game as a whole.\u201d<\/p>\n
So thinking, fitness, preparation and the blending of the physical and mental aspects of the great game of cricket….with or without boundaries being all-run or not. With wicket-keeping \u201ca science within itself\u201d and point standing just six-to-eight yards from the bat \u201cnot twelve to fifteen yards off…..that position is not cricket \u201d, according to our friend Mr. Gale. <\/p>\n
But on some of the basic principles – the mission statements and goals – Mr. Gale is, possibly, close to modern. \u201cThe game of cricket was, and ought to be a trial of courage, training, condition and endurance, plus skill and nerve.\u201d Batting helmets? (The odd beamer?) Fielding circles? (Point halfway to the boundary?) <\/p>\n
Mr. Patterson made comment about \u201cbad cricket….many a time redeemed by the joviality of the players, or by their physical unfitness for the game.\u201d <\/p>\n
But he liked the personal gain from others weaknesses and failings. When batting, he enjoyed \u201ctaking a lad\u2019s delight in sweeping the half volleys of opposing rustics from the neighbouring villages.\u201d But there may have been just the odd time when one of the \u201cyokels\u201d or \u201crustics\u201d might have dismissed Mr. Patterson cheaply. If it happened, if just once, he might not have been too pleased about the accompanying joviality of the fielding side. But perhaps it never did happen. <\/p>\n
A groundsman may have continued to produce \u201ca capital wicket\u201d from \u201ca field of ridges and furrows\u201d to prevent such a \u2018disaster\u2019. Long may there be \u201cmany kindnesses and unbounded hospitality\u201d around Canadian cricket fields! Loudly let the trumpet bray on the hope of such joy, peace, and harmony in Canadian cricket. <\/p>\n
Eddie Norfolk <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The book \u201cSixty Years of Canadian Cricket\u201d was published in 1895. It was compiled by John E. Hall, Secretary of the Canadian Cricket Association, and R.O. McCulloch, a member of the Toronto Cricket Club. The copy of this book at Toronto\u2019s central Reference Library was originally given by John E. Hall to the Toronto Cricket […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.canadacricket.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3298"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.canadacricket.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.canadacricket.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.canadacricket.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.canadacricket.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3298"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.canadacricket.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3298\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3299,"href":"https:\/\/www.canadacricket.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3298\/revisions\/3299"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.canadacricket.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3298"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.canadacricket.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3298"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.canadacricket.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3298"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}