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Scotland v All India 3, 4 & 5 August 1911
by Cricket Scotland


Ground:Mossilee, Galashiels
Scorecard:Scotland v Indians
Event:India in British Isles 1911

DateLine: 2nd February 2013

 

Scotsman

 

Day 1:
Good progress was made yesterday at Galashiels in this match, the principal one of the three the Indians had arranged to play in Scotland. The Indians were all disposed of in two hours and three quarters for 195, and Scotland in response made 113 for the loss of only two wickets in an hour and three quarters, so that the representatives of the home country at least held their own with their rivals.

 

The record of the visitors to date was seventeen matches played, of which twelve were lost and five won, and they accounted for the North of Scotland eleven at Inverness early in the week very easily, Their batting yesterday, however, hardly came up to expectations, though in the end their aggregate was quite a respectable one.

 

The men of whom most was expected, Meherhomji, who during the tour has scored over 900 runs, and Shivram, getting no further than the thirties, whereas Warden, though at the wickets for a considerable time, did no more than "break his duck," and it was left to Mulla, who has not had many successes, to provide the only real feature of their batting. He went in for hitting, and was specially severe on Fergusson, whose bowling analysis, good though they were, would have been much better but for the punishment he received from this batsman.

 

One over from the Perthshire man yielded 14 runs to Mulla, a 6 and two 4's, and he had another six off the same bowler. One of the straight balls, however, which went to the boundary, a straight drive, should have been held by Chapel, who made a poor attempt to hold the catch, which, however, would have been a good one had it been taken, for the ball was travelling fast. But Fergusson, who at one time had two wickets for nothing, then three for 4, and again four for 12, had the satisfaction of bowling the hitter with the ball following the second 6, and he came out of the first day of the match for Scotland with marked success. Besides the two 6's, Mulla had eight 4's in his score of 51.

 

Bruce-Lockhart did the lion's share of the bowling for Scotland, and it was surprising the amount of work he got on the ball on such a hard wicket. He was continually bothering the batsmen, and breaking so much at times that the wicketkeeper was often completely deceived, which accounts in a measure for the large number of byes recorded to the Indians.

 

The early batsmen in particular were in difficulties with the Cantab, and two of them lost patience with him, and got stumped. Lockhart quite paid his way, but he was kept on too long, especially before lunch, when he bowled the whole time, an hour and twenty minutes, and sent down twenty two overs. The Scottish bowling was good, and the fielding on the whole good, and if there were catches dropped, two by Thorburn, one by Bruce-Lockhart, and the one already referred to by Chapel, none of them proved expensive. Tait, Herriot, and Fraser all excelled in ground work.

 

Scotland, too, did well when it came to batting. A bad start was made when Fraser, who could not resist the temptation to touch rising balls on the off, was quietly caught in the slips with the total at 7. Tait, however, showed characteristic confidence, and, along with Herriot, made a useful stand at what was a critical period of the game.

 

Between them they put on 61 runs for the second wicket, and whereas the Grange player got most of his runs on the off side, including some fine late cuts, Tait had several grand drives, and was in quite a merry mood, when, being taken in two minds, and with the total on 68, he sent a ball straight to Salam-ud-din at mid off. Baloo, who had gone on at 44, was the bowler. Tait had six 4's, and so freely was he hitting latterly that there was much disappointment at his retirement.

 

Fergusson followed up his contribution with the ball by a useful contribution, and he and Herriot were still at the wicket, and batting with ease and confidence, when stumps were drawn for the night, just before six o'clock. Fergusson got his runs in thirty five minutes, and Herriot, who played sound, if quiet cricket, was in for an hour and three quarters. The latter proved an excellent man to take the first of the bowling, and both Salam-ud-din and Warden sent up many a good one at the start.

 

The Scotsmen thus finished the day in an excellent position. Though the match started shortly after noon, the actual time of play was not more than four hours and a half, there being an interval for tea, as well as the usual hour or thereabout for lunch.

 

Sir Andrew Fraser, a former Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal, whose son was playing on the Scottish side, was present, and was invited by Mr. A.M. Grieve, the president of the Scottish Cricket Union, to preside at the luncheon, after which he welcomed the Indians to Scotland as a Scotsman who had spent a good deal of his life in India.

 

The cricket field, where men respected each other and played the game, was, he thought, a good place for Englishmen and Scotsmen and Indians to meet, and he was perfectly certain nothing but the best of relations could ensue from such intercourse. On behalf of his fellow countrymen, he desired very specially to welcome the visitors, and he hoped they would take back with them to India the very best of recollections on the home land.

 

K. Sesha Chari, the captain for the match of the Indian side, said in reply that they were all very pleased to be there to see something of the country, and to learn something of the game of cricket. They had learned something already, and hoped to go on doing so. He thanked Sir Andrew for his kind words of welcome.

 

During the day there would be close to a thousand people present.

 

Day 2:
When the second day's play in this match at Galashiels came to an end yesterday, Scotland had gained a distinct advantage, the Indians being only 86 ahead with five wickets down, and that that was possible was largely due to a fine innings by the old Fettesian, Herriot. There is every prospect of a full day's play today, and the result is still open, for the wicket is hardly likely to improve as the game goes on.

 

Yesterday was another fine day, cloudy at times, but very warm when the sun was shining at its height. The attendance, however, was disappointing, not more than 500 or 600 people being present.

 

The leading feature of the Scottish innings was the fine batting of Herriot, who, continuing his good work of Thursday evening, carried his total from 37 to 80, and was at the wicket in all for fully three hours and a half. It was a great display of sound and patient cricket, and the Scottish total was 225 when he left, eighth man out. Apart from a risky one through the slips when about 20 or so, and which could hardly be said to have been a chance, though the fieldsman did get the tips of his fingers to the ball, he hardly made a faulty stroke, and though his rate of run-getting was slow, the value of his innings to his side can hardly be over-estimated.

 

He seemed certain to get his hundred and also carry his bat, when he sent one back to the bowler. All through he had the bowling well under control, yet never at any time did he take liberties with it. It was sound three-days cricket that Herriot played.

 

With Fergusson for the third wicket he added 71, and both men were out to exceedingly tame strokes after playing really good cricket. Following Fergusson's dismissal, a series of misfortunes befell Scotland, Grieve, Turnbull, Thorburn and Dunlop all going out for little or nothing. Turnbull was out to a fine bit of stumping, Thorburn to a soft stroke, and Dunlop to a lofty one over the bowlers head.

 

Storrie, however, batted nicely until he got in front of one from the slow left-hander, and Bruce-Lockhart roused up the crowd by a great drive to the pavilion for 6, one of the best hits ever taken on the ground. The innings which lasted for three hours and fifty minutes, closed for 250, which left Scotland 55 runs to the good. Warden, who has a fine easy action, was by far the most successful bowler, seven wickets for 94.

 

The Indians made a capital start in their second innings, and by steady, plodding cricket the arrears were hit off without loss. At 63, however, both the opening pair, Meherhomji and Shivram were out, Chapel breaking up the troublesome partnership, and then Bruce-Lockhart came away with three very profitable overs, in which he took three wickets for 2 runs, the third, fourth, and fifth men going at 92, 97, and 99 respectively.

 

So far the batting of the Indians in the second innings has been quite good, without , however, possessing any special feature, except that the opening pair had shown a most stubborn defence, and a most exemplary patience in waiting for loose balls. They were together for nearly an hour for their partnership of 63. Salam-ud-din who was run out in the first innings without getting a ball, and Baloo stayed a long time together at the close of the day. They, too, took no risks, which could also be said of Jayaram, and were still the not outs when stumps were drawn, and had put on 42 runs during their association.

 

The ground fielding of the Indians was disappointing. There was too much using of the feet to stop the ball, and their picking up was not good, and neither was their throwing in. Their catching, however, left nothing to be desired.

 

Day 3:
Heavy rain in the early part of the day restricted the actual play in the match at Galashiels to an hour and three-quarters, and as a result the game ended in a draw, Scotland being in such a good position when stumps were drawn that only 43 runs were needed for victory with seven wickets standing. The Scotsmen could thus claim to have had the better of the draw.

 

It was after four o'clock when the players took the field, and in three quarters of an hour the remaining five Indian wickets were captured at a cost of only 24 runs. Good bowling by Chapel, was mainly responsible for the collapse. He found the wicket, soft on top and hard below, greatly to his liking.

 

Salam-ud-din, one of the overnight not outs, was caught in the slips in his first over, and Baloo, the other, was taken in the same position, and Balsara at mid-off from successive balls in the second over. Altogether during the day Chapel gained four victims in seven overs and one ball for only 8 runs, and besides that Shafquat Hussain was missed at the wicket off his bowling.

 

This batsman, though he did not get many runs, stayed in a long time, when time was precious with the Scots, who were ultimately left with 111 to get in fifty five minutes, They set out with the idea of making the runs if possible, and with that end in view the first innings order of going in was altered. Almost from the start, however, it was apparent that the task was an impossible one. The bowling was good, and was splendidly managed to keep down runs, and on the sodden ground the ball would not travel.

 

Fraser was caught at wicket at 5, and though Grieve and Tait made a useful stand, and put on 43, while together, the rate of run-getting was never fast enough to secure a win. Grieve was never comfortable with the rising balls on the off side, and was out to a fine one-handed catch in the slips: and Fergusson fell in the same fashion from what proved to be the last ball of the match.

 

Tait played a sturdy game, and had many clever strokes, chiefly on the leg side. He got his 42 in fifty five minutes, so that he was not losing much time, but he, too, found it difficult to get the ball away, eager though he was. The fielding of the Indians was much better than on the previous days. Stumps were drawn at six o'clock and the Indians left Galashiels later in the evening for Perth, where, on the North Inch, they play the Scottish Counties today, tomorrow and Wednesday.

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

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