All Ten: The Ultimate Bowling Feat

64 Bill Howell the 6,000 crowd home having seen little play (or a glimpse of the Prince of Wales who had been due to arrive at 5 pm). There was a smaller crowd on the last day but at least the weather had relented. Although only wicketkeeper James Kelly reached fifty a number of batsmen made useful contributions as the visitors gained a lead that would prove too much for Surrey. Having been bowled by Howell, Hayward at least had the satisfaction of inflicting the same fate on the Australian, one of his three wickets in the innings. Bowling medium-pace off breaks he was a useful bowler in his early years and would finish his career with nearly 500 wickets. By now the pitch had become difficult and Surrey had little hope of saving the match against Howell (five for 29) and Trumble (five for 34) who bowled unchanged. Howell started the rout by bowling Abel again, this time with no runs on the board, and the innings became a procession: in an all-out total of 64 only Ernie Hayes with 43 scored more than seven. Twenty– two-year-old Hayes was to become a Surrey stalwart, scoring his maiden century in the later return match with the Australians (which Surrey won with Howell taking just two wickets while Trumble took thirteen). In 1926, while Leicestershire coach, Hayes returned to the first-class game after seven years away and was run out for 99 in his first match. Although he underperformed in the five Tests Howell had a good tour, together with Trumble and fast bowler Ernest Jones taking over 100 wickets. His final Test record was relatively modest (49 wickets in 18 matches) but he was playing in the same side as a number of fine bowlers. He was very economical, but only took five wickets in an innings once (five for 81 against South Africa on Cape Town matting on the short tour made by the 1902 Australians on their way home). He also had match figures of 17 for 54 against Western Province on this same tour. 1899 was the first of his three tours to England. He started the 1902 tour well, taking another 11 wickets against Surrey. However, his form fell away, no doubt affected by the sad experience of receiving the news that his mother and father had died within days of each other. He played no Tests in 1905, and after one match on his return to Australia his first-class career was over. When he retired only the great Charles Turner, with 263, had exceeded his 195 wickets for the state. Bill Howell died in 1940 in Castlereagh, Sydney aged 70. He had lived long enough to see his son William play 14 matches as a right-arm off-break bowler for New South Wales during the 1930s.