Cricket 1883

Nov. 29, 1883. CRICKET; A WEEKLY BECORD OE THE GAME. 4 3 7 thinking me a fool, and wishing that more of his customers did their arithmetic according to the same rule. The story which I did not wait to tell him, I will, with your leave, tell to you. It was a brilliant summer’s day, aud the hot sun poured down on the old cricket-ground in Wharf-street, Leicester, now long ago cut up into a labyrinth of squalid streets, and the white hats of Alfred Mynn, Fuller Pilch, “ Jimmy” Dean, old Lillywhite, and Mr. Felix, with that of George Parr as a “ colt,” shone like illuminated sugar-loaves between the green turf and the blue sky. Lord Burghley had made a brilliant score of 60 runs for the Twenty-two of Leicester against the “ All-England Eleven.” The twentieth wicket of the provincials had- succumbed, and the twenty-first man was not forthcoming. If no one else went in, his lord­ ship would have to ieave the wickets, but if a partner could be found for him he might get ten or a dozen more runs. “ Pull off your jacket, boy,” cried old Barker, the gouty land­ lord, “ anil take a bat and keep your wicket up.” It was to me he spoke. I had played truant from school to see the match. I trembled from head to foot, but without any hesitation I pulled off my jacket and took a bat, and strutted to the wicket amidst the clapping of 5,000 people. I was eleven years old and short for my age. The cricketers smiled good-naturedly, and Alfred Mynn, who was a gentle giant, looked down at my flushed face with a kind laugh upon his countenance, and said “ Now for it, stand out wide for the ‘ tall hitter ! ” I had to receive a ball from old William Clarke, the grea islow bowler of his day, and with a nervous flutter I stepped out of my ground and “ let go ” at it. By a miracle of good luck I hit it, leaving Wen- man, who was waiting to have stumped me, had Imissed it,bending empty-handed overthe wicket, while with the long-legged Lord Burghley, who strode over the ground like a giraffe, and amidst shrieks of cheering from the local yokels, I ran four runs for the big hit. How the players did “ chaff” the redoubtable Clarke for letting a child, a small schoolboy, swipe him for four. The old bowler, albeit never the sweetest of tempers, took it in good part, and preparedto bowl down my wicket with the first ball. His lordship came over to me from the other end, and, patting me on the head, said, “ Well done, my little man, but don’t try to hit again ; take it easy, and stop ’em. ” I could hardly see in my excitement, but I grounded my bat as the old bowler trotted towards the opposite wicket, intent on my de­ struction. The ball was pitched up enticingly, but I was not to be beguiled; there was also a wily spin on it which made it break sharp from the “ off,” but my young, quick eye was alert, and I blocked it with a soience which elicited cheers almost as loud as had greeted the bighit. There was still one more ball for me to takebefore the umpire called “ over,” and the great slow bowler’s credit was at stake, so he bowled his best. But again I made the ground ring w'ith excited plaudits as I stopped the insidious ball, and kept my wicket standing. “ Over!” cried Adams, who was umpire, and I breathed again as the bowling changed ends, and Lord Burghley faced the unerring arm of William Lillywhite. His lordship hit two fours, and I was ont of breath with running. Had I had longer legs we might have run six for one of his great hits, but he was very kind, and humoured my short limbs. I had another over from old Clarke, and then Lord Burghley hit a three, which brought me to the other end, and Lillywhite prepared to bowl st me. Now, in a schoolboy’s mind, at that day, the name of Lillywhite was more terrible than Napoleon, and I quaked before the champion. He bowled much faster than old Clarke, and with a “ high delivery.” As the ball came shooting down, a mist seemed to come before my eyes, and I whirled my bat wildly in the air. I expected to hear the terrible “ rattle in the timber yard,” so fatal to every batsman’s hopes, by which he is dismissed back to the pavilion ; but, instead of that, the bat seemed to bend in my hands, and the ball went flying- to the furthest corner of the field, and the shouts broke out again. We ran four more, and his lordship came and patted me on the back, till I felt as though the universal world would have to be enlarged to hold my eleven years and my two hits for four. I kept my wicket for nearly half an hour, during which I scored 15 runs and enabled Loid Burghley to increase his score from 61 to 87. His lordship had cut a ball cleverly, and called me to run. I ran as in duty bound, but it was sharply returned by the young colt, George Parr, and so smartly handled by Wenman at the wicket, that I was out before I could hear Lord Burghley shout “ Go b a ck !” But I had won my spurs, and as I walked to the pavilion by his lordship’s side, dividing the plaudits he had won by his fine play, he gave me half-a-crown. I kept it through all the perils of school and college life. I polished it up with whiting with as much assiduity as the “ Ruler of the Queen’s Navee ” was in the habit of “ polishing up the handle of the big front door.” I have that coin still. I was once nearly dropping it into a mis­ sionary box; but had I done so I should have sent Livingstone in search of it. I shall bequeath it as a legacy to my eldest son to set up in life with. This is the story of my unchanged half-crown. —Rev. A. M orsell, in The Fountain. O X F O R D U N I V E R S I T Y I N 1884. M. C. K e m p (Hertford) has been re-elected Cap­ tain for the ensuiDg season, T. Case, of Corpus, continuing to act as Treasurer. J. G. Walker, last year’s Secretary, having taken his degree goes down, a«d his successor is Mr. T. R. Hine Haycock. The old blues eligible for next year’s eleven are:—C. F. H. Leslie (Oriel), E. I). Shaw (Oriel), M. C. Kemp (Hertford), A. G. G. Asher (Brasenose), H. Y. Page (Wadham), E. W. Bastard (Wadham), H. G. •Ruggles-Brise (Balliol), andW. E. T. Bolitho (Trinity). Robin­ son and Peake have gone down, thus depriving the University of the services of its two most reliable bowlers. A ext year will again revive the question, “ Wanted a good fast bowler.” With the batting strength, which will be very formidable with the addition of such powerful hitters as Higgins and Key, the eleven bids fair to be efficient in that respect, but agood bowler continues to be the most pressing need. The most prominent of the cricketing freshmen who have come into residence this term are :— O r ie l . —K. J. Key (Clifton aud Surrey County), J. H. Brain (Clifton and Gloucester County), and G. W. Ricketts (Winchester). N e w . —A. R. Cobb (Winchester), B. E. Nich­ olls (Winchester), E. H. Buckland (Marlborough), and R. H. Pemberton (Eton). M agd alen . —F. M . Ingram (Winchester). B r a se n o se .— A. S. Blair (Loretto), andE. H. Hobart-Hempden (Clifton). C h r ist c h u r c h .— F . T. Higgins (Westminster). U n a tt a c h e d .— C. W. Berry (Loretto). K eisle .—C. E. F. Bunbury (Wellington), 0. Wynne (Marlborough), R. G. Legge (Hailey­ bury), C. P. Hastings (Rossall), and W. de V. L. Maistre (Brighton). Of these the batting should be recruited from Key, Brain, Higgins, Pemberton, Cobb and Hastings ; the bowling from Ricketts, Nickalls, Buckland, Blair and Berry. We are glad to hear that the old fixture with Surrey at the Oval will be revived. In all pro­ bability the Australians will play their tirst match in England at Oxford. C R I C K E T A B U S E S . Lord Harris has addressed the following letter to the Secretaries of the different first-class Counties on the subject of throwing and over­ sized bats:— 64, Ebury Street, S.W. November, 1883. Dear Sir,—I have mentioned to the Committee of Kent County C.C. my intention of writing to the Secretaries of all the first-class cricketing counties on the matter below, and am assured of its support: but I beg you will read this not as coming from a member of that committee, but from a private individual. I beg to address your Committee through you on two subjects. The first, on the subject of unfair and doubt­ ful bowling actions, is whether by united action the counties cannot do that which M.C.C. has honourably tried, but failed to effect, I hope I may take it for granted that we are all anxious to put a stop to the ton numerous and palpable cases of infringement of Law 10. I fear we must also take it for granted that the umpires have not the courage to stop these trespasses, as after the action taken by M.C.C. this year, they might have very well done by showing a rigid determination to admit of nothing approaching to the appearance of a throw ; on the contrary, I think I am not stating the ease too plainly, when I say that they appeared to me to show a rigid determination to sanction every­ thing, and if this is so, I fear no law however stringent, and no definition of a throw however close, will be of avail in encouraging them to do their duty. What then remains to be done ? Surely not to submit tamely to the decision or rather in­ decision of profissional umpires, and allow the evil to become by custom no longer illegal. I think it remains for the County Clubs to pu * a stop to it at once by refusing to employ any bowler who cannot, or will not keep within th® strict letter of the law. This might be done now, in a few years it may be impossible. I quite feel that some Counties might say— “ This is particularly hard upon us. We employ bowlers whose actions some people take exception to, but opinion is not unanimous about them, why then should we spoil our chance of holding our- position among the Counties by entertaining so quixotic an idea,” but I Would, reply that great evils require drastic remedies, and other means being absent I offer this suggestion. I am able to do so with greater freedom, because we have a pi omising young bowler in Kent, whose ser­ vices we shall certainly require, but whose action when bowling his fastest, I consider more than doubtful. I shall warn him, whether the coun­ ties come to any agreement or not, that he must bowl so as to satisfy me of the fairness of his delivery every ball, or I shall dispense with his services. Combination, I venture to think, can do what the law apparently cannot. Tlie other matter I beg to call your attention to is the invariably undue width of bats. May I suggest that the Committees of County Clubs should insist upon every one who plays in a County Match using a bat of the regulation width, and seeing that the request be complied with. The Committee of K.C.C.C. have authorized me to warn all Kent players that a bat of regula­ tion width will be insisted on ; and I feel sure the matter has only to be mentioned for it to receive willing attention. Perhaps it would be possible to meet one hour before that fixed on for the Secretaries’ meeting at Lord’s, in December, to discuss these ques­ tions, and on hearing that that time would be covenient to your representatives, I would advise Mr. Perkins. H a k e is .