1941: Cricket

The popular British sport of cricket suffered a decided setback due to the War, which caused the curtailment of regular schedules. The county matches were discontinued and the international games with Australia for The Ashes were abandoned.

In America, the championship of the New York and Metropolitan District Cricket Association supplanted as an annual classic the Halifax Cup competition, originating in Nova Scotia, when an eleven representing the General Electric Company of Philadelphia defended its right to the championship successfully in fourteen games, of which it won twelve, drew one and lost one. The Staten Island Cricket Club finished second, the Brooklyn Cricket Club third, and Union County fourth.

On the championship General Electric team was C. H. Archer, of Philadelphia, who was first in batting averages of the association and second in bowling averages. George Lewis, a team mate, headed the bowling figures for the season. R. A. Wiles, of the Brooklyn (N. Y.) Cricket Club, with a score of 101 not out against the Crescent Athletic Club of Brooklyn (N. Y.) was the runner-up to Archer among the batsmen. Another century was 107 by A. M. Broadhurst, of General Electric, also scored against the Crescent A. C.

1940: Cricket

Cricket has long been considered the national sporting event of the British Empire, but it is now taking a firm hold in the United States. Even though the war curtailed the big-time international competition, followers of cricket in America indicated their growing interest in their game by staging games between British and American players. There was a match between a team of British-Americans and British-West Indians, won by the former team. So successful was this match that the British Purchasing Commission organized a team to play against a picked eleven from among members of the New York and Metropolitan District Cricket Association, and this match was won by the New Yorkers.

Americans showed their interest in the game to their Canadian neighbors when the Philadelphia General Electric Cricket Club sent a team on a brief tour of Canada. The G. E. team won premier honors in the United States, winning both the U.S.C.A. Cup and the New York and Metropolitan Association title. The Brooklyn Cricket Club was runner-up for the title event. R. A. Wiles, of Brooklyn, scored the only 'century' of the year, and George Lewis, of Philadelphia, captured 30 wickets at an average cost of 6.90. Paterson won in the annual series of the New Jersey State Cricket League, scoring nine games, losing two and drawing one.

1939: Cricket

In 1939, cricket in the United States made considerable progress over previous years. In the cup competition of the United States Cricket Association, the Philadelphia General Electric eleven was victorious, defeating Union County (Pa.) in the final. The Brooklyn (N. Y.) Cricket Club regained the title for the championship of the New York and Metropolitan District Cricket Association, playing fourteen matches with a record of nine won, four drawn and only one lost. Individual honors went to Herbert S. Cockeram, of Brooklyn, who barely nosed out his clubmate, R. A. Wiles. Cockeram finished with an average of 44.89, and his high score of the season was a century of 102, not out, which he scored in a game against Veteran St. George. The best bowling average was that of F. Garcia, of the latter club, with twenty-nine wickets at an average of 7.58.

The Paterson (N. J.) Cricket Club won the championship of the New Jersey State Cricket League, with T. Vaughan first among the batsmen, and P. Knight heading the bowlers. The Brooklyn Cricket Club played five games in Ottawa and Montreal, winning two, losing two and drawing one. The Bison Cricket Club, of Buffalo, defeated the New Jersey State League at Plainfield and Newark, but lost to Staten Island.

1938: Cricket

Although cricket is a game quite foreign to Americans, it is the national sporting event of the British Empire. The outstanding game of 1938, and one that attracted world-wide attention, was the match between the Australian and the English team, in London, where the home team completely baffled the Antipodean bowlers, running up a score of 903 runs for the loss of seven wickets. Leonard Hutton hit up 364 runs, also a record. Australia came out even with the English team in the five-game schedule, each team winning a game and with two draws, and the last game postponed because of rain.

A Canadian team defeated a picked team of the New York and Metropolitan District Cricket Association, and the Haverford Alumni team. The Philadelphia General Electric Cricket Club won the New York and Metropolitan championship, with the Brooklyn Cricket Club second. The Brooklyn team toured Canada, winning one match, losing two and drawing two.

Playing games in New England and Nova Scotia, the Philadelphia General Electric team won five games, and one was a draw. High individual batting honors in the New York and Metropolitan series went to C. H. Archer, of Philadelphia, who had an average of 45 and a high score of 104, not out.

A. A. McLellan, bowling for Staten Island against Crescent Athletic Club, secured all to wickets in an inning for 33 runs, a record for New York in Championship games.