Clem Hill's Reminiscences

short would be taken by the scruff of the neck, and belted to the outfield. He square cut with great power past point. In this third Test of which I am writing he was approaching his century when Johnny Briggs pitched up a ball just outside his leg stump. Darling connected, and with a mighty hit sent it square over the eastern gate of the Adelaide Oval. It was a sixer, and gave him his century. I was told afterward that the ball bounced and then skimmed along the top of an ice-cream vendor’s stall, and smashed the whole of his glasses. I was at the other end, and recall that we had to wait for some minutes, while the ball was being recovered. While on the subject of big hits, there was one that Bill Howell made on the Melbourne Cricket Ground when playing for New South Wales against Victoria. He lifted it out of the ground, and it landed between some passing trains. When he returned to the pavilion he remarked that it was a pity that he did not get on to it properly. Albert Trott, while playing for Middlesex at Lord’s, hit Noble on to the top seat of the members’ pavilion. Jessop, an Englishman, was a big hitter. I remember in a match at Hastings that he jumped out to Ernie Jones and hit one that went skimming over the bowler’s head and out of the ground. A spectator in the pavilion at Adelaide Oval tried to catch a ball that sailed over the pickets, and his finger was broken in the attempt. Made pair of spectacles I thought Darling’s best innings was the 160 he made at Sydney. It certainly was a masterpiece. Australia was set 276 to win, and two were out for six. Darling and Worrall became associated. Darling was in a hitting mood, and he was always at his best while forcing the pace. How he did hit Richardson that day! Ball after ball went through the covers past Briggs to the boundary until at last MacLaren, who was leading the Englishmen in the place of Stoddart, was forced to place a man deep on the off-side to save the four. Even that move did not prevent Darling from forcing the ball time after time to the chains. The left-hander stood firm footed and drove Richardson straight on both sides of the wicket – beautiful, low, skimming shots. MacLaren had to put another man out in the deep field – the only time I witnessed such an occurrence with Richardson, the fast Surrey bowler, swinging them down at his top. Finally he was caught in the outfield. Australia won by six wickets. During the 1902 tour Rhodes was worrying Darling with a ball which the Yorkshireman used to swing with his arm, and during a chat in the dressing room Trumper told him exactly the way Rhodes held the ball for that delivery. Darling remarked, ‘I’ll hit him out of the ground next time.’ And he did. That was at Old Trafford. The ball went clean out of the ground into the station, and we wondered how it was not lost in the engine ready to trail out. I remember when Joe got his first pair of spectacles. It was at Bradford in a match against an English team. He returned to the dressing room and started to throw things about. Bill Howell, hearing the commotion, put his head round the corner and in a most unconcerned voice exclaimed, ‘What’s the matter, Paddy? Stoddart’s Tour of Australia 38