Clem Hill's Reminiscences

I was at the other end for some time while he was in, and he sent many a cold shiver down my spine. He would play forward to a ball from Tom Richardson right on his middle stump and edge it between the wicket and his legs to the boundary. He did this so often that the English captain had to move a man to the fine-leg boundary. This was the first time a fieldsman had been placed there for a fast bowler. There is always one there now. McLeod was quite pleased when he came into the dressing-room, and remarked, ‘Well, there you are! I knew that they would have to put a man there sooner or later. You cracks are not the only batsmen who can puzzle an English skipper.’ He always argued that he made the stroke deliberately, but we thought it was a fluke. He was a fine fellow to travel with, and we always barracked him about his mishap in a bath. It was after a long and tiring Test, when anything was excusable. We were all dressed and packed up when we heard a fall in the bath. Hughie Trumble immediately rushed in to see and coming back said, ‘It is only “Lightning”. He is so thin that the shower has knocked him over.’ He was the slowest man at dressing I have ever known, hence the appellation “Lightning”. Like other cricketers I have met, Charlie was superstitious. He was sure that, if he passed a cross-eyed person on his way to a cricket ground, he would fail that day. Once when were staying at Coogee during a Test match he came down to breakfast and taking his seat, said, ‘I had a horrible dream last night, boys.’ ‘Yes, Charlie,’ we said, ‘what was it?’ ‘I dreamt I got a pair.’ He had been dismissed without scoring in the first innings. His dream came true. That occurred in Sydney in 1901. Dream that didn’t come true Writing about dreams reminds me of one that Ernie Jones had. South Australia were playing Victoria. ‘Jonah’ had injured the wicket-keeper and the prospects of victory were not very encouraging. He announced that his wife had had a dream during the night in which she saw him doing the hat trick. He did not do the trick but he certainly made the sparks fly. He clean bowled three batsmen in four balls, and later two more fell victims to his express deliveries. There are two more incidents associated with McLeod which I must tell here. He was deaf in one ear. He played in a match at Leyton against Essex, whose captain, A.P.Lucas, was also deaf. McLeod was fielding at mid-on and therefore close enough to Lucas when he was not facing the bowling to talk to him. McLeod remarked to his captain. ‘This chap Lucas is a funny old stick. I speak to him but he won’t answer.’ During the luncheon adjournment Lucas asked what sort of a fellow McLeod was, as he took no notice when spoken to. The two players were brought together, explanations followed, and they became great pals. The other incident was in Sydney in a Test match. McLeod was bowled by a no-ball. Being deaf, he did not hear the umpire call, and started to walk to the pavilion. The English wicket-keeper, who was standing back to the fast Stoddart’s Tour of Australia 35