Clem Hill's Reminiscences

innings. It was so close that a cold shiver went down my spine at the thought that I had got a pair. I turned to Kelly, who was keeping wickets, and said, ‘That must have been close, Jim.’ ‘Close be blowed,’ he exclaimed, ‘it went right through the bally stumps.’ The luck of the game! After that I made a big score. Darling put me on to bowl at Brighton during the 1899 tour. I never took myself seriously as a bowler, and much to the amusement of the other players, began with great deliberation and a show of authority to order them about the field. I took so long about it that Darling threatened to take me off and put on another bowler. To the surprise of everybody, including myself, I knocked the batsman’s stump out of the ground with my first ball. Encouraged by my success, Kelly persuaded the captain to give him a try. But he was not so lucky as I was. His slow full tosses on the leg were as welcome to the batsmen as the flowers in May. Duff was dismissed in a remarkable way in a match against Kent during the 1902 tour. The ball was kicked towards the stumps by a fieldsman. It missed the wicket, ran along the pitch, and hit the stumps at the other end with Duff out of his crease. Surprises are sprung upon Australian teams when playing against counties. No fixture had been arranged as we were to attend the King’s coronation. When His Majesty became ill and the ceremony was postponed a scratch England team was brought together to play us. A local player named Knutton captured 9 wickets for 100. There was a doubt regarding his delivery; that probably was the reason he was not included in the Yorkshire team. Rubber won despite rain Despite the unfavourable climatic conditions in 1902 we did exceptionally well, suffering only two defeats in 39 fixtures. We had a splendid team. At a banquet given to the Australians at Cheltenham, W.G.Grace remarked that England had been lucky in winning the rubber and he added, ‘Mark my words – it will not be long before Australia turns the tables, as she has some very fine young players who will reach the highest class.’ Three years later Australia brought home the Ashes, and ‘W.G.’ said, ‘I told you so. Your great strength is in your all-round ability,’ which he maintained was an important factor. In this season of 1902 we kept the Ashes, and in my opinion the teamwas the strongest which ever played for Australia. We adapted ourselves to the wet conditions. We always had the will to win. Here are the names of the players in batting order: Trumper, Duff, Hill, Noble, Gregory, Darling, Armstrong, Hopkins, Trumble, Kelly, Saunders. Others in the team were Jones, Howell, and Carter. What would Woodfull have given in this season for all-rounders of the calibre of Noble, Trumble, Armstrong and Hopkins? They could get wickets and they could make runs. There was an outcry in Australia against the selection of Hopkins. Noble, Trumble and I debated for an hour whether he or Laver should be chosen for the last place. When we decided upon Hopkins, the Melbourne press charged us with having been dominated by Noble who, they said, wanted to have another His Third English Tour 62