Clem Hill's Reminiscences

Gradually Trumble and I changed the complexion of the game. I remember that when I reached my century somebody called out in a stentorian voice to MacLaren, ‘Hulloa, Archie, the kangaroo is still hopping.’ At the tea adjournment we were still together. I had a shower and changed into dry clothes, and felt as fit as when I started. I mentioned to Trumble as we were coming out that I was feeling refreshed and added, ‘I think I shall have a go at them now.’ Hughie looked at me very seriously out of the corner of his eye, and said, ‘You young devil; you have to stop there. Go along as you have been doing.’ We carried the score to 223 and then the great knock of Trumble was brought to a close. The wicket-keeper, Storer had been brought on in order to effect a separation. He sent down a long hop – one of the worst balls bowled during the day – and Trumble banged it round deep to square leg, where Mason took a good catch. He told me afterwards that as Mason was standing behind Phillips, the umpire, he did not see him there. If he had known he had been there he would not have hit the ball in that direction. We had put on 165, and that still stands as the record seventh wicket partnership in Test cricket. When I reached my century the score was 142. The great crowd went wild with excitement. I must confess that I was pleased to see the three figures opposite my name, because I had never before had that success in a Test match. It was some time before I recovered from the applause and got back to normal. A batsman, when he goes in, wants to open his score; next his aim is to reach double figures; then to see 50 opposite his name; and having arrived there to go for the three figures. I now set out to get another hundred. At the close of play I was 182 not out after five and three quarter hours batting. The Englishmen were very generous in their congratulations. I always had a preference for fast bowling. Tom Richardson told me afterwards that he seemed to have become a fast bowler for my special amusement. The people of Melbourne were very excited. It was stated in one of the Melbourne papers on the Monday that a funeral stopped in Swanston Street so that the mourners could read the scores posted on a board outside of an hotel. Reaction after long innings I have often been asked whether a batsman feels the strain of such a long, fighting innings. He does, and the reaction is pronounced. It was more so in my case, as Saturday intervened, and I had more time in which to relax. On the Monday I added six more and was then caught off Hearne in the slips. In the next innings I went for a duck. Such is cricket. To our score of 323 the Englishmen replied with 174 and 263, leaving us 115 to make, which we did with the loss of two wickets. After the first match against the Englishmen in Adelaide, in which I made 200 not out for South Australia, Ranjitsinhji wrote about me, ‘I was forced to the conclusion that he has not many strokes. He relies chiefly upon two for his runs – the pull to the on and the off drive.’ Somebody tried to prove to Ranji that he was wrong so prepared a diagram showing how I made my 188. These diagrams are often produced, but this was Stoddart’s Tour of Australia 42