Cricket 1892

478 CRICKET: A WEEKLY BECORD OE THE GAME. NOV. 24 , 1892 still—and that’s the reason why I could always do the late cut so easily : it was not a pat, not a snick, but a purely wrist stroke, like this. “ I played first for Surrey in 1849, when I was 21 years old, but I didn’t come off, getting only one run in two innings, and I didn’t bowl a ball. I did not bowl for some years, as we had Sherman, Day, and Martingell in the County team, and they were all first-rate with the ball. But in 1850 I came out first in batting, with an average of 44, and I was first next year, though with a much smaller average. I scarcely missed a match till I left England for Australia at the end of 1863. When the old bowlers gave up, I used to open the innings for Surrey, besides being expected to make as many runs as any of the others- It was fear­ fully hard work at times, and many a time I have been so fagged out that I could scarcely crawl home after play was over. I remember scoring 102 against England in 1858, and I was several hours at the wickets, for England had its full strength. I was none too fresh for fielding soon after I got out; but Mr. Miller tossed me the ball, adding ‘ Bowl the first over, Cafl'yn.’ That year was one of my very best, I headed both the lists ; bat­ ting average 42, and took 44 wickets for eleven runs apiece. I used to envy men like Csesar and Mr. Lane, who fielded close in and never bowled. But I took care of myself, and so lasted a good many seasons. *■Surrey had a grand bat­ ting team about that time, and I have heard Mr. Miller, our captain, say after that he didn’t know what order to pui us in, and that it wouldn’t make any difference if he drew our names out of a hat: anyway it would save him a lot of bother. I had many cricket engagements outside Surrey and the Eng­ land elevens ; I was at Win­ chester (five years), Christ Church, Oxford, Eton (twice), Clifton, Cheltenham, Brighton (three years), Tottenham, and Hertford College (five years). Besides all my coaching in Australia. And some day I purpose writing a short account of these engage­ ments, and how I used to teach batting and bowling. •Did you ever hoar of a single wicket match I played ? 1 think it was unique. Ben Griffiths, when we were in Australia in 1862, played eleven of the ‘ Ovens' and beat them; and E. M. Grace, when we were there in 1864, played six of Maryport, and stayed in all day, scoring 106 (not out). But both these matches were arranged to fill up time, the regular matches being over early. My match was fixed months before it was played, and lasted two days. I played eleven of Winchester, tho Mayor being one of them. I had three scouts. But when I batted, the single wicket boundaries were up, there was no stumper, and all the fielders were in front of the wicket. I managed, however, to make two hits for two each, and in all some 30 runs in one innings ; my opponents got only eight in their double innings. “ Yes, the grounds were very different then from now. They were nearly all bad. The Oval was about the best, led by the great lob-bowler, Clarke. He was a wonder; that occasional fast under-hand ball of his came so quick off the ground that your only chance of playing it was by a dead block, or else going out to it right up to the pitch ; short of that, and the spin and rise would beat any batsman that ever lived. I joined the United Eleven as soon as it was formed. Clarke was a bit of a despot, though a grand sportsman. He but even there winning the toss meant |used to agree to take down his Eleven for winning the match. Lord’s was posi­ tively dangerous, especially when Jack­ son was bowling. I have often seen the ball go straight from the pitch into Diver’s hands at longstop. There was no doing without longstop in those days. Again and again, when shaping for a cut to a rising ball, has it got up and struck the round flat disc at the top of the handle. We used to say that at Lord’s there were holes in the pitch large enough to put a tea cup in ; a roller was THE LAST MATCH THE SEASON. no good there, especially the one we christened *Dark’s 2-ounce Boiler.’ On a rough wicket Jackson was the awk- wardest bowler; Ned Willsher came next. Bickley, of Notts, wasn’t much behind them. They were very fast, especially Jackson, and Willsher bowled very high. They were also dead on— none straighter, and so difficult on all wickets. But the finest round-arm bowler of my day on sound wickets was Buttress: he had a wonderful leg-break, could bowl you round your legs. He didn’t play much in first-class matches, but we often met him in the matches against odds, just as we did Slinn and Hodgson, of Yorkshire, later on. I am glad to hear you say that only this year Bob Carpenter says exactly the same thing about Buttress. In my earlier years I played for the All England, a certain sum ; and we were paid by him in varying amounts. Well, some of us youngsters began to strike for better pay; we thought we should get as much as the older hands, especially those who, getting stale, were not then as useful to their side as younger men were. As our claims were not regarded, we seceded in 1854. “ My best bit of bowling was against Kent at Canterbury in 1862. Alfred Shaw once took seven wickets for seven runs at Lord’s. So did I against the hop-men. But he bowled 41 overs, I bowled 24 only. Yet that same year my bowling was not always up to the mark. It was in 1862 that Surrey played England, the match in which John Lilly no-balled Willsher 6 times running. I shall never forget that match. England opened on the Monday with Grundy and Willsher. At lunch, which was then taken at three o’clock, not two as now, they were still together. The first wicket fell after three hours’ play. Daft was next. We had had a taste of his quality up at Lord’s a little before, when he scored a splen­ did 118 for the North v. South. He was at his very best just then, and there never was a better than that. I was pre­ pared for another century from his bat. The first ball I bowled to him was a long hop on the off—about as bad a ball as was ever sent down. To our sur­ prise and delight he played it up into the air, straight, and Lockyer held it. For all that England scored 503, Hayward and Car­ penter getting more than 200 between them.” My Australian experiences would make a small volume.I went there first in1861; we opened our tour on New Year’s Day, 1862. I have the proud satisfaction of knowing that I bowled the very first ball in any match between England and Australia ; thongh I didn’t take a wicket that innings. My first innings amounted to 79, which proved to be the highest any of us scored during the tour. Stephenson was our captain. I went again at the end of 1863, Parr boss­ ing us. And I didn’t return home until 1871. The Melbourne Club offered me an engagment as coach for a term at a good salary, I accepted it. It was very hard work for a man of thirty-six, under uch blazing suns as they get out there. For