Scotland v Ireland 20, 21 & 22 July 1911 by Cricket Scotland

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Ground:	Hamilton Crescent, Glasgow
Scorecard:	Scotland v Ireland
Event:	Ireland in Scotland 1911

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DateLine: 3rd February 2013

 

 

Day 1:
Play in this thee days' match was commenced yesterday at Hamilton Crescent, Partick, but owing to a breakdown in the weather it was only of some seventy minutes duration. That took the game up to the lunch interval, after which not a ball was bowled. Even prior to lunch rain was falling pretty heavily, and the fielding side would have not been acting unreasonably had they asked for an earlier stoppage.

 

The abandonment for the day was resolved upon shortly after four o'clock, but as it was quite fair at that hour, there were many who thought the decision to abandon might at least have been deferred for an hour or so. The condition of the wicket did not seem altogether hopeless. The early stoppage, however, may be the means of causing the match to go on over Saturday, which might not otherwise have been the case, and Scotland has made a very fair start, for in the hour and then minutes that play lasted 110 runs were got for four wickets, and the fourth was practically thrown away.

 

There were two changes on both sides from the elevens originally chosen, J Storrie and W.F. Turnbull coming into the Scottish team for A. McNab (Uddingston) and G.L.D. Hole (Edinburgh Academicals), and this year's Cambridge "blue" the Hon. H.G.H. Mulholland, who is a son of the Earl of Dunleath, a North of Ireland Peer, and B.J. Quinlan were included in the Irish Ranks for H.M. Read and R. St. L. Fowler.

 

The Scottish captain, Thorburn, won the toss, and though there had been rain during the night, it was readily decided to bat first, the wicket being quite dry, with rain threatening. The start was a depressing one from a Scottish point of view, for in the first over of the game, from Kelly, who began the attack with Harrington, and who stands well over six feet, the young Grange representative, Fraser, was bowled by a yorker without a run scored.

 

Bowie and Tait soon turned the game in favour of the Scots. The former did most of the scoring at the start, and his play was of the best, some of his leg strokes being delightfully taken, but Tait quickly got to work too, and he made his runs chiefly by drives and cleverly taken snicks to leg. In taking these, however, he was inclined to get in front of his wicket, and it was in attempting such a stroke that he ultimately owed his dismissal.

 

R.H. Lambert, the old Leith Caledonian player, relieved Kelly at 55, and if 11 runs were hit off his first over, in which Tait should have been caught in the slips, his second saw that player returning to the pavilion for obstruction. The total then stood at 76, which was the outcome of the partnership.

 

Tait had played fair cricket, but Bowie's batting was the feature of the innings. He got his 50, which included seven 4's, in his brightest style, but he was out to a very weak stroke, the only weak one he had played during the hour he was at the wicket. Just on the stroke of the lunch interval, Thorburn paid the penalty for attempting a short run, being thrown out from cover point by G.J. Meldon.

 

It was a fine bit of work on the part of the Irishman, and Tait had had a narrow escape from being disposed of in a similar fashion owing to the activity and quickness of Mulholland, whose fielding, picking up, and returning were repeatedly recognised. All over the work of the Irishmen in the field was very fine.

 

Play will be resumed today at noon.

 

Day 2:
This match was at Hamilton Crescent, Partick, was again interrupted yesterday by rain, there being an adjournment for an hour and a half after lunch on that account, but some of the lost time was made up by the play being continued to seven o'clock, instead of closing at half-past six.

 

It was also decided, in order to counter-balance the stoppages, to begin play today at eleven o'clock in place of twelve. There was yesterday in all four hours and twenty minutes play, and at the close of the day's proceedings the Irishmen had gained a very decided advantage, for they were only 39 runs behind Scotland's first innings score, and they had still seven wickets in hand.

 

For that strong position they had to thank a great second wicket partnership by Mulholland the Cambridge "blue," who, by the way, came into the side to fill a vacancy, and Lloyd, the Rugby International half. These two came together when matters were going against Ireland, two wickets being down for 38, and they put on no fewer than 130 runs.

 

Their batting, and notably that of the Cambridge man, was the feature of the day's play. The exhibition given by the Cantab had the stamp of class upon it, just as his fielding had, and he seemed well set for his 100 when stumps were drawn. His driving, though always easy, was characterised by power, perfect timing, and good placing. Then his leg play, as is customary with left-handers, was most effective.

 

It was, indeed, a fine all-round display. His innings, too, was practically without fault, and his only "life" was given when 41, was of stumping, Chalmers failing to gather the ball when the batsman was palpably out of his ground. Mulholland's strokes were always safe, and only once was he beaten by the bowler (Webster), and the next delivery brought a straight drive for 6, the sweetest his of the match.

 

Lloyd was slow in comparison, especially at the start, when he seemed to set himself out to play a purely defensive game, with the result that he was in for three-quarters of an hour before reaching double figures. But he wakened up later when his side was in a comfortable position, and towards the close was picking up runs as fast as his partner, who was still in possession at the end, after being at the wickets for over two hours.

 

Lloyd was distinctly uncomfortable with Chapel early in his innings, and he might have been stumped at 21, and taken in the slips at the same figure, but the latter chance, if chance it were, was a desperately hard one. Lloyd's was a sound display, and his keenness in watching in every ball made him hard to get rid of. He was out to what proved the last ball of the day.

 

Scotland's innings, which, of course, came earlier in point of time, was tame in comparison, at least that part of it which was played yesterday. Runs came so very slowly at the start of the day's play, when Turnbull went in with Grieve, that only fourteen were got in the first half hour.

 

Though naturally a free hitter, Grieve kept himself in wonderful restraint, and thirty was all he put together in an hour's time. The wicket to all appearance was playing easily, and if neither batsman was in a hurry to score, neither seemed to be in difficulties with any of the bowling. The two brought on several changes, R. Lambert having a long spell until Grieve sent him over the paling with a fine drive for six.

 

The Poloc representative was them showing something like his usual form, but he never indulged himself to any great extent in the matter of liberties, and Turnbull was even more sedate, and all that he could muster after an hour's stay at the crease was 17. The wicket put on 62 runs in seventy minutes, when Turnbull was taken by the wicket-keeper, and without any addition to the total Grieve, letting out to Kelly, mis-hit the ball, and was nicely caught in the slips.

 

It was an invaluable partnership that had ended so disastrously, and had put Scotland in a very favourable position. Turnbull did not bat with his accustomed freedom, but his innings was a more than useful one, and Grieve's was even more so. The latter's was undoubtedly the better as well as the bigger innings. Grieve was at the wicket an hour and a half, and gave only one chance, at 41, and it was a very hard one to R.H. Lambert in the slips. The ball came to the fielder's right hand high up, and as it bounced away both Lambert and Morrow, who was second slip, had also a chance of taking it before it fell to the ground.

 

None of the other batsmen shaped like giving serious trouble, though it was unfortunate that James Storrie should have been run out when he appeared to be settling down. His brother was out to a tame stroke to square leg; he fell into the trap very simply, and Chapel had the ill-luck to get a rap on the knuckles and see the ball cannon on to his wicket off the second ball he received.

 

The "tail" did not give much assistance. The Irish captain changed his bowling frequently, and if Quinlan the Dublin University man, had only three overs, he it was broke up the only troublesome partnership of yesterday on the Scottish side, and that in the second over.

 

As events proved, that was a remarkably useful bit of work. It brought down the fifth wicket at 172, and the Scotsmen never really recovered after that, for the sixth fell at the same total, the seventh one run later, the eighth at 200, the ninth at 201, and ten at 207.

 

Another very useful bowling change, this time on the Scottish side, was made when Bowie was put on at the close of the day, after Chapel and Webster had had two turns with the ball, and Tait and J Storrie one each. No fewer than 166 runs had been scored before the Clackmannan County captain was given a chance, and at once he met with success. In his second over he broke up the partnership that did much for the Irishmen, and placed them so well that they can scarcely lose the game.

 

The fielding on both sides, it was satisfactory to note, was very fine, with the Irishmen first and the Scots a very good second. Tait and Thorburn were prominent on the Scottish side, and Walter Storrie did as smart a bit of stopping as the match contained, for which he got a round of cheering from the thousand or so spectators present.

 

The wicket-keeping of Chalmers was hardly up to his usual standard. Apart from the chances of stumping he missed, he gave away far too many extras. The game was left in quite an interesting state.

 

Day 3:
After the interruptions and delays of the first two days, it was all the more pleasing to have a full day's cricket in this match at Hamilton Crescent, Partick. There was six hours' play in all, and some capital sport was seen, though, unfortunately, the finish was rather tame, and no definite result was arrived at.

 

The Scottish eleven had undoubtedly the worst of the game as it stood, but they did pretty well to make a draw of it after Ireland's huge first innings total of 409 for four wickets, and their second response of 294 for seven was quite creditable, and better than the bare figures made it out to be.

 

But for Turnbull's accident, a blow to the stomach, which caused him to retire, but from which he soon recovered, the probability is that the total would have been well over 300 for the loss of but five wickets, for Turnbull looked as if he could have carried out his bat.

 

The two had put on 89 runs during their partnership, and had a complete grip of the bowling. The Scottish captain played with the greatest steadiness all through, and did well by his team at a critical time. He was at the wickets for close upon two hours. Turnbull was in for not much more than half that time, and if he opened quietly, as befitted the requirements of the situation, he was batting quite freely when he was "knocked out."

 

But the best stand of the Scottish innings, which realised no fewer than 113, and the merriest cricket, were seen when Fraser and Tait were together. Both after getting settled played with delightful freedom, and both had nine 4's, chiefly drives, and their strokes to the off along the ground were a feature of their play. The Grange player, who also scored freely on the leg side, more than justified his inclusion in the Scottish side.

 

He had an awkward stroke or two, but gave only one actual chance, and that was when he had 53. It was G.J. Meldon, the finest fielder probably on the Irish side, who gave him the "life" and if the ball came sharply, it certainly came straight to hand. Fraser's fine stand with the Forfarshire representative went far to save the game.

 

That the Irishmen were the better lot admits of little doubt, and it was in the bowling department that the Scots were weakest in comparison. The Irishmen had two hours batting on Saturday and in that period, so lively was the hitting at times, as many as 241 runs were got, and only three men were at the wickets.

 

Mulholland, who batted so finely on Friday, only wanted 22 to complete his hundred, but he took fifty five minutes to get these, and it was a splendid drive for 6 that ultimately brought him to the three-figure score. After that he hit out with great power, and altogether in his big score he hit five 6's, all straight drives, fifteen 4's and five 3's. In all he was at the wicket three hours and a half, and except for the chance of a stumping at 41 on Friday, his only "life" was from Tait at cover-point when his score stood at 86.

 

Mulholland's cricket was good, but that of R.H. Lambert was even better, though he had not so many hits over the paling or out of the ground. He was in all through the forenoon's play, two hours, and if Chalmers let him off at the wicket when he had made 32, he gave no other chance, hitting freely on all sides, and having one 6 and eighteen 4's. Lambert was still not out when the Irish innings was closed immediately after getting his hundred.

 

None of the Scottish bowlers did well, but some of them, particularly J. Storrie, did better than the results would seem to show, The fielding continued good, as was that of the Irishmen later. R.H. Lambert had the lion's share of the bowling in the second innings, and had wonderfully good figures considering the long stretch of trundling he had, and over the whole game his average was eight wickets for little over 14 runs each. When stumps were drawn the Scots were 89 runs on, with three wickets to fall.

 

The Scottish eleven to play the Indian at Galashiels on August 3rd. 4th. and 5th. has been selected but will not be made public until later in the week.

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