Day 1:
The West Indian cricketers, who have been touring England since early in June, with but indifferent success, began their three days' match with Scotland yesterday at Raeburn Place, Edinburgh.

Owing to rain, a start was not made yesterday until ten minutes to two, after an early lunch, and towards the close of the day's play there was a brief stoppage owing to bad light, which at no time during the afternoon had been particularly good.

The Scottish eleven turned out as announced, and the West Indians, who had never played in Scotland, were well represented, A.E. Harrigan, said to be the Jessop of the side, being the most notable absentee. Though the visiting team held a distinct advantage at the close of play, there is still every indication of a well-contested game, for in response to Scotland's 147, the West Indian lost four good wickets for 109.

The batting display given by the Scots, if considerably ahead of that against Surrey, might nevertheless have been a great deal better. There were still traces of shakiness and lack of confidence, and though six of the eleven managed to get into double figures, more than one was lucky to keep clear of fielders with bad strokes.

Little fault was to be found with the fielding of the colonials, and though R. Ollivierre, a brother of the Derbyshire player, made the ball get up awkwardly at times. S.G. Smith, who is an Englishman, and bowls left-hand slows, seemed the most difficult of their trundlers.

The bad weather of the early part of the day had its effect upon the attendance, which at no time exceeded 600, and unless there is a big crowd today and tomorrow, the Grange under whose auspices the match is played, will lose money, as they did over the Surrey engagement.

J. Anderson and C.H.M. Ebden went out to start the Scottish innings, and the bowling was in the hands of Ollivierre and O.H. Layne, a bowler who is faster than he looks. The wicket was kicking a bit at the start, though it improved later, and Anderson cocked up the first ball of the match to leg, where, luckily, there was no fielder.

Ebden got what few runs were going, but had only 6 to his credit out of 7 scored when he returned the ball to the bowler, and was easily secured. The Scottish Captain, M.R. Dickson, filled the vacancy, and was lucky right away to escape behind the wicket, while a little later he put the balls so near G. Challenor at point that the fielder got his hands upon it.

Runs came steadily after this, Anderson hooking a short-pitched ball from Ollivierre to the boundary, and then Dickson got the same bowler away to leg for 4 and 3, which with a single made the most expensive over so far. Smith for Layne had been a bowling change at 13, but at 46 Layne came on again at the same end. Dickson at once got the new man away to deep-leg for 4, and brought out 50 after fifty five minutes play.

At 61, Dickson, who, it was hoped, had overcome his recent bad luck, played on to Ollivierre. A quiet spell followed the advent of G.W. Jupp, the only incident being when Anderson ducked quickly to save himself from one of Ollivierre's short-pitched bumping deliveries. With four men in the slips, Jupp was inclined to leave Layne's off-theories alone, but at length he got one to hit, and a cheer greeted his lifting of Layne to the boundary.

The same over the Carlton captain was lucky to get a 4 through the slips. Then a couple of disasters befell the Scots; Anderson who had batted an hour and twenty minutes for his 17, got the ball low down on the bat in playing forward, and was held by the West Indian captain at mid-off, while Jupp failed to get a grip of the ball in putting Layne to square-leg, and was easily taken by Smith.

The heavy outfield was causing the batsmen to work for their runs, and a stroke to leg and a fine square cut by C.T. Mannes would usually bring boundaries instead of the 2 and 3 they did. At 87 C. Cumberbatch for Ollivierre and Smith for Layne was a double change in the attack, and in Cumberbatch's first over T.A. Bowie sent the ball dangerously into the slips, while Mannes, who now had 15 to his credit, gave Challenor a one-handed chance at point.

The century was reached in five minutes under two hours when Mannes cut Smith to the ropes, but next ball he jumped out for a bang, and, failing to get the ball away, was held in slips. Three runs later Bowie was taken at mid-off by Cumberbatch from a tame shot, and the newcomer, White, failed to survive his first ball, being well stumped by C.K. Bancroft, who is a smart keeper.

With the association of F.H. Hoggarth and Nixon, the batting was of a lively nature, the heartiest so far of the innings. The Gala player especially hit hard, but at 133 he lost Nixon, well beaten by Ollivierre, who an over before had come on in place of Cumberbatch. Hancock kept his end up well, but at 147 Hoggarth drove Smith close to the ropes. The hit was too high to be safe, and Cumberbatch got under it. He failed to take the ball at the first attempt, but took it at the second, and brought off a capital catch.

J.T. Anderson, who in the opinion of many, should not have been eleventh man, never gave any trouble, and the innings, which had lasted two hours and a half, closed for 147.

The West Indians made a disastrous start, as opening with G. Challenor and L. Constantine to the bowling of J.T. Anderson and Nixon, they lost Challenor, played on, without a run being scored.

With Layne as partner Constantine hit out vigorously, though with 19 to his credit he might have been taken by Jupp when from a mis-hit he sent the ball up high behind the wicket. At 44 Jupp for Anderson was the first change tried on the bowling, and twelve runs later Hancock replaced Nixon.

The second change was expensive, Constantine hitting the Drumpellier professional for three 4's in succession. Runs came apace till at 85, Jupp, who had been bowling well, got rid of Layne. With the fall of this wicket an adjournment was made on account of the bad light.

On resuming after a stoppage of quarter of an hour, Smith played carefully, but only 17 had been added when Nixon got his wicket, the batsman never attempting to play the ball, which must either have turned a bit or kept lower than was expected.

Three wickets were down for 102 after the innings had had a duration of an hour and a quarter, and only five later Constantine was out to a brilliant left-hand catch by Jupp in the slips. His innings had been a dashing one, and the great majority of his runs were got on the leg side. Three exceedingly hard chances marred his display, and his chief hits were eight 4's. Time was called soon afterwards.

Day 2:
The match between the West Indian cricketers and Scotland at Raeburn Place, Edinburgh, was still in an interesting condition at the conclusion of the second day's play yesterday. There will be an early start and an early finish today, and as matters now stand the result is still open to question, though the colonials occupy the stronger position.

There was nothing in the slightest degree sensational in yesterday's cricket, but notwithstanding the slow scoring, 295 runs only were got in over five hours play, was never dull or wearisome to any one having a real interest in the match. As had been anticipated, a keen fight was seen, and there is every prospect of some good sport today.

It would have promised even better had the last West Indian wicket not done so well to put on 72 runs, which enabled the side to claim a lead of over a hundred on the first innings.

That hundred took the Scottish players a bit of getting, but they got them alright, and when play ceased they were 53 on with six wickets in hand. It was M.R. Dickson and C.T. Mannes who did the lion's share of the good work, but, excepting G.W. Jupp, all the six who went to the wickets got runs. The weather yesterday was fine, and there was an attendance of between 1000 and 2000.

On resuming shortly before twelve, matters went well with Scotland, and other three Colonial wickets fell before the Scottish total was reached. C.S. Morrison was caught in slips with only one run added, and P.A. Goodman was splendidly stumped by White with a ball which had been taken well on the leg side, and in the succeeding over R. Ollivierre put up a tame one to mid-on and had to retire.

Scotland's successes came to an end at this point, and, playing with much steadiness and getting runs surely if not rapidly, H.B.G. Austin and C.K. Bancroft made a determined stand which realised 40 runs. They brought about changes in the Scottish attack, Jupp and Hancock coming on, and in the professional's second over he got the Colonial wicket keeper well held in the slips.

C.P. Cumberbatch gave little trouble, but the last pair put on 30, and were together when the lunch interval arrived. On resuming, they continued to have the measure of the Scottish bowling, and runs came more quickly than before, and the end of the innings was not reached until the pair had put on 72 for the last wicket, an invaluable stand.

Austin carried his bat, and in making his 68, which included five 4's, six 3's, and five 2's, he had given no chance, and had played good and careful cricket. The West Indians were 102 ahead on the first innings, which as matters turned out, was a useful lead.

The Scottish eleven began their second innings in anything but a promising manner. Joe Anderson and C.H.M. Ebden played with great care, and they put on 35 by good cricket, before they were parted. It was Ebden, whose defence was broken through, and the partnership lasted thirty five minutes.

Once a break had been made matters went badly, and at 44 and 45 respectively Anderson and Jupp had their wickets lowered, the Perthshire man after showing great patience as in the first innings.

M.R. Dickson again had a stroke of luck, for at 7 he put a ball to P.A. Goodman at slip, but that was his only mistake during a splendid partnership with C.T. Mannes. The pair were in no hurry; there was plenty of time, and it was runs that were wanted. They took the total from 45 to 123, and thus the arrears were wiped out before a separation took place.

Numerous changes in the bowling were made, but both batsmen were quite at ease, and only picked out the loose balls for hitting. After adding 78, Mannes touched a rising ball, and Layne brought off a wonderful one-hand catch. The Drumpellier man's innings was a great one, and the partnership between him and his captain counted for more than the mere number of runs scored. Mannes had four 4's in his contribution.

F.H. Hoggarth and Dickson played together for nearly forty minutes, and they were still not out, with the total at 155 for four wickets, when stumps were drawn for the day. The Scottish captain may not have been at his best, but the value of his innings to his side was incalculable. He found great difficulty in getting the ball away, but that was due partly to the smart and often brilliant fielding of the Colonials and the heaviness of the ground after rain.

There was an adjournment of about twenty minutes on account of the shower, when the score was 65, and it took the Scotsmen just over two hours to make good the 102 deficiency.

A start will be made today at eleven o'clock, and play will not be continued beyond 5.15, so that the West Indians may get an early train south. They play an England Eleven at Blackpool tomorrow and the two succeeding days.

Day 3:
Brilliant weather favoured the concluding day's play in this match at Raeburn Place, Edinburgh, yesterday, and the result was a win for the West Indians by four wickets. This was their third success of the tour, and it was thoroughly well earned, for right from the start they held a slight lead.

Where the Scotsmen failed was in their first innings batting, but the splendid stand made in their second attempt more than atoned for any previous shortcomings. In fielding, too, the Colonials were a good deal ahead of their opponents.

The match might have been much closer if G. Challenor, the top scorer of the game had not been missed twice, once when about 20 and again at wickets when 52; but the luck in that respect was not all on one side, for the highest scorer in the Scottish eleven, the captain, ought never to have got double figures. The attendance yesterday was about a thousand and all over the Grange are hardly likely to make ends meet, far less reduce the deficiency on the Surrey engagement. It is understood that the West Indian's terms were half gate.

Dickson (46) and F.H. Hoggarth (14), the not outs overnight, continued their innings shortly after eleven o'clock, and only 8 runs had been added when the Gala man was bowled, Then, however, came a most serviceable stand by Dickson and Nixon, and before they were parted they put on no fewer than 70 runs.

Nixon was inclined to be reckless at the outset, but he soon steadied down, and both he and his captain played a sound game and got runs at a time when they were badly required. The 200 went up after the innings had lasted three hours and three quarters, but when 33 more were added a couple of disasters befell Scotland, both batsmen going at the same total, 233.

Dickson had some more luck before he left leg before, and it was the rival captain who was kind to him, for when the Scotsman had 79, Austin was slow to get to a spooned ball at short leg, and 2 later he dropped one which came straight to his hands. These mistakes, however, were not costly, for without any more runs being added the Scottish captain was out.

He had been at the wickets for three hours and thirty minutes, and he it was who laid the foundation upon which the handsome score of 304 was built. It was C.T. Mannes who assisted him most of Tuesday; yesterday it was Nixon, who if he had one or two risky shots, gave no chance which came to hand.

T.A. Bowie, who followed his captain's lead in steady play, and White continued the good work, and put together 42 while they were together for half an hour, and of these the Grange professional had 31 before being bowled off his pad. White was let off in the slips when 7, through one of the blacks attempting a difficult catch, which would have been an easy one for one of his colleagues to whom the ball was going.

The Clackmannan County representative carried his bat for a stylishly played 21, and the total of 304 enabled Scotland to have a lead of 202 runs, an excellent performance for a side which was 102 in arrears on first innings.

The West Indians had a trifle less than three hours to bat, without any apparent effort to force the pace, and were always well ahead of the clock and always looked like winners. At 31, L. Constantine, the ready scorer of the first innings, was beaten and bowled, but the next pair put on 69 before Layne was out to a clever catch in slips, and, though other four wickets fell, the runs were hit off with nearly half an hour to spare.

Challenor gave chances to Hancock and White, but the cricket he showed was as fine as any in the match, and he got his 90, which included nine 4's, and four 3's, in unless than two hours.

Captain Dickson showed a great partiality for his fast bowlers, J.T. Anderson and Nixon, and on them fell the brunt of the trundling. Bowie got a trial at 68 in the second innings, and Hancock was not called upon until the very end. Hoggarth on the other hand was never asked to assist.

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