Cricket 1892

494 CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. DEO. 29, 1892 their lowest against Yorkshire in 1869— 40 and 49—Tom Emmett bringing off perhaps the best bit of bowling during his long career, taking sixteen wickets for 38 runs. But let’s have a look at the cricketers that gave Cambridgeshire an honourable place among the leading counties. Some have been already mentioned. Others, like Bell and Beynolds, Few and A. T. Scott, must be named only. Beynolds did but little for his native County during its palmy days, having accepted an engagement in Manchester as far back as 1861, first as bowler, afterwards as ground superintendent for the Manchester Club. Since 1875 he has been Secretary to the Lancashire County Club. In him Cambridgeshire lost a first:rate bowler, who combined greatpacewith an awkward break from the off. H. Perkins deserves prominent notice ; both he and his younger brother John worked indefatigably for the success of their county, both in the field and off it. It was through no fault of theirs that Cambridgeshire fared so ill. The elder brother formed the County Club in 1866, but received scant support. In 1868 it had to be broken up through lack offunds. As a cricketer he was more than useful, being a most dashing bat, and a safe field close in. Since 1876, he has been the respected secretary of the M.C.C., and in that capacity has rendered splendid service to our great National game, the extent of which it would be difficult to overstate. But Cambridgeshire, as a cricketing county, owes everything to the genius of three men—George Tarrant, Thomas Hayward, and Bobert Carpenter. Little John Smith should not be forgotten ; so long as he played, he was in the first flight of professional batsmen, sound and hard hitting—ju3t the man to open an innings. For two seasons he was engaged at Lord’s, and many of us will never forget his splendid neck-and-neck race with W.G., in 1871, when they started the batting for M.C.C., against Middlesex. First one, and then the other, showed his nose in front, until the score reached 161, when the little man retired for 81, W. G. having made 79. For the A.E.E. he was all there ; indeed his two innings of 74 and 133 against 22 of Malton in 1863, when opposed by such bowlers as Free­ man, Atkinson and Iddison, and the year previous, 99 and 69 against 22 of Arnold, also against good Notts bowling, stamped him as a batsman of the highest rank. But his fielding was even more con­ spicuous than his batting. We have had many wonderful out-fields during the last 35 years, but I have no hesitation in saying that we have never had Smith’s equal at long-leg. He could run like a deer, and at top speed picked up the ball, and shied it in without losing a moment. His pick-up was as clean as his shot un­ erring. I should p'ace him above even poor G. F. Grace. In front of the Tennis Court at Lord’s he used to do wonders. I have often wished men like Gunn would learn that a first-class out-field must lose no time between stopping and returning the ball. Unfortunately John Smith had but a frail constitution, and consumption claimed him at the early age of 29. Tarrant (whose real name was George Tarrant Wood) was also slight and deli­ cate ; nothing of him to look a t; and where he got the terrific pace on his bowling from used to surprise everybody. True, he took a long run, or rather rush— enough to frighten a nervous batsman. He got christened “ Tear-em ” in conse­ quence; “ tear-away,” we youngsters called him. And the arm was not above the shoulder in those days. No wonder he broke down all too soon. We used to say (I give it for what it’s worth) that he bowled his arm out. One glorious day in 1866 stands out clear to memory ; Cam­ bridgeshire were meeting M.C.C. at Lord's. Tarrant put on a pace with a vengeance that day,and only one batsman could look at him, viz ; C. F. Buller, per­ haps the handsomest young cricketer I ever saw, with a quite perfect style. A more splendid innings than his 55 one could not possibly wish to see. Tarrant died in 1870, aged only 31. In build he was not unlike P. H. Morton of 1878 Light-blue fame, another very fast bowler, light of frame, but with very powerful muscles at the back of the shoulder. But the greatest of all Cambridgeshire cricketers were Tom Hayward and Bob Carpenter, for many years household names all the world over, and as insepar­ able as Jupp and Humphrey of Surrey, and Shrewsbury and Gunn of Notts. Carpenter is happily still with us, looking very much as he did 30 years ago, though perhaps carrying less flesh to day than then. Hayward had run his race as far back as 1876, another victim to consump­ tion. What can one say of them that has not been better said many and many a time ? Their cricket, like their physique, formed a delightful contrast. Carpenter, as you would guess from his appearance to-day, was strongly built, of fairish complexion, and thoroughly pelf-controlled. Hayward was built on lighter lines, was dark of skin and hair, all nerves, and judged by his looks, must have known what it was to be blessed with a liver. With bat in hand, these differences became more pronounced. Carpenter looked like “ patience on the Monument”—his style was back-play. Hayward stood as if on hot bricks instead of a well kept pitch, and moved his bat much as if by mechanism to resemble a pendulum; his play was forward. Opinions have always been divided as to their relative merits, though many of us were quite contented to bracket their names, and pronounce them the finest pair of bats­ men any County could show. Hayward was the better all-round cricketer, as he was a capital change bowler, if not some­ thing more. The year is 1871 : W. G., fresh from the Oval, where he had notched the biggest innings (215) ever scored against the Players, is ready to repeat the dose in the return at Lord’s. He has passed the century, when Hayward was tossed the ball; after a few minutes he did the hat-trick, clean bowling W. G., Francis, and G. F. with successive balls. Carpenter simply lobbed, but often with effect; but at point he was excelled by cone, Y. E. Walker alone in those days (E. M. Grace came later) rivalling him here. Carpenter used to be thought the safer batsman, especially on rough wickets. Mr. Pycroft once in “ London Society ” wrote a capital article (since reproduced in “ Cricketana ”) in honor of Carpenter’s splendid 63 (not out) for the United v. All England at Lord’s in that year. And two years earlier be scored the leger (97) in perhaps the finest series of purely professional cricket matches that have ever been played. Lord’s was the test of a batsman’s abilities in those days. But then did not Hayward score two centuries in the Players v. Gents’ matches, getting 132 in 1860, and 112 (not out) in 1863 ? And both at Lord’s. So they may cry quits on that score. Carpenter, not to be beaten, scored 119 in 1860, and 106 in 1861, in the same match at the Oval. Before then, the hundred had only thrice been made in this match, the last time being in 1827 ; and since then, barring W. G., Shrewsbury and Ulyett are the only batsmen that have twice passed the century in the historic match. Including John Lillywhite’s benefit match in 1871, Hayward, for the Players, played in only sixteen innings, but his average was 38; Carpenter’s was 26 for 27 innings. For many years they were left out of all Southern cricket, owing to the wretched cricket schism, of which fortunately we know nothing to-day. I should like to have noted all their great combined performances with the bat ; here are a few :—- v.Surrey in 1861, Hayward 108,Carpenter 100. v. Surrey in 1862, Hayward 117, Carpenter 94. v. Yorkshire in 1885, Hayward 112, Carpenter 134. (In this innings of 524 every batsman scored double-figures, as happened again in 1886. when Lord Londesborough’s eleven met the Australians at Scarborough.) v. 18 of Radoliffe-on-Trent in 1870, Hayward 118, Carpenter 174. Carpenter was more successful in the matches against odds, twice in one year (1862) scoring a hundred. He played for the United, though he often helped the A.E.E. ; whilst Hayward was a member of the lat­ ter. Both went to America in 1859, and to Australia in 1863. Carpenter, though the elder by more than four years, came out after Hayward; thus Hayward played in the 1857 match against Surrey, and in 1859 scored an innings of 220 against the University. Carpenter’s name does not appear in the Cambridgeshire matches before 1861, though he had in 1858 made his bow at Lord's, playing for the United v. A.E.E. in that year. The reason may be that forward players are generally spotted sooner than back players, their play being more attractive. Carpenter, however, was a very powerful hitter, was very quick on his legs, and was much given to running in to hit balls, especially the slows. I believe he was the first batsman to hit a ball out of the Oval when the wickets were pitched