SENSATIONAL CRICKET

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 7 August 1907, Page 4

SENSATIONAL CRICKET

A wet season is usually a compensation:) in the way uf sensations, and 1907 (wrote a London correspondent on June 14) is to he no exception to the rule. Fancy a county team supposed to lie tit to rank as "first class" being dismissed in forty minutes for 12 runs! Such was the late that befell the Northampton County Kleven at Gloucester on Tuesday last. The home team had been dismissed for the trilling total of till in the first innings, the rain-sodden pitch playing very cjiieerly after a lew hours' brilliant sunshine. Then eaiue Xorthans' turn, Dennett and Jessop opening the attack. Six runs were scored oil' the former before he began his tricks, but for the remainder of the j innings only 3 runs were hit from his bowling. In :l(i balls he dismissed eight batsmen for '.I rims; ami meanwhile •lessop, who bowled 33 balls, had accounted for the other two batsmen at a cost of :i runs. Dennett's triumphs' for the day did not end with this sensational performance, for after (Gloucester had gnoe in and out for 88, the Xorthant* batsmen had another taste of his ijuality. Before play ceased for the day Dennett had captured no less than seven of them at a cost of 11 runs, thus making his analysis for the day fifteen wickets for 20 runs. On rough pitches in club pricket it is no uncommon thing for a side to be dismissed without scoring a run. but for fifteen batsmen in a first-class team to be dismissed for 20 runs is stupendous. Dennett was not denied the glory of "the hat trick,'" for in the second innings he dismissed Hawtin, Beasley, and liuswell with successive balls. Dennett, who is a Scotsman, has played for Gloucester since 1003, and for the past four years has been reckoned one of the few great slow bowlers England possesses.

The "heroes" of the Northauts' team in the 12 all told innings were Crosse and Pool, who scored 4 runs apiece. Cox also scored a couple, and Beasley and liuswell one apiece, but the rest, including that often useful scorer Mr Extras, failed to break their ducks. In the list of previous small totals jjiven below it should be noted that the previous county record was the 13 made by Notts against. Yorkshire, and that Oxford University's 12 stood supreme as the lowest total ever made in any first class match. It is also worthy of note that Gloucestershire, the heroes of Tuesday's sensation, also hold the record for making the lowest total ever put up against an Australian side in this country. Oxford University v. M.C.C. (1800) 12 'Notts v. Yorkshire (1901) 13 Australians v. M.C.C. (1805) .... 18 Australians v. Yorkshire (1902) .. 2.1 Gloucestershire V.Australians (1895) 17 M.C.C. v. Australians (1878) .. .. 19 Victoria v. M.C.C.(Melbourne, 1904) 15