Cricket 1897

“ Together joined in Cricket’s manly toil.”— Byron. n o . 4 5 i . v o i . x v i . THURSDAY, JUNE 3, 1897. p r i c e aa. CHATS ON THE CRICKET FIELD. M E . F. H U E W ILLIAM S . For so many years has Mr. Williams been the captain of the Leatherhead team that it is no unusual thing for him to find that the other ten players had not been born when he first went to the village and was elected captain. For many years be combined the duties— arduous enough in either case— of captain and hono­ rary secretary of the club, and although he does not play nowadays as often as he did, he still always arranges the elevens. It is hardly necessary to say that a man would not continually be chosen as captain of a club like that of Leatherhead, in spite of increasing years, if he did not possess special qualifications for the post, and it is admitted on all sides that Mr. Williams is a won­ derfully good judge both of the game and the capability of individual players. That he is also one of the most popular of captains will be readily granted by everyone of the thousands of cricketer s who have met him. Mr. Williams has three sons, one of whom had an average of 25 for Leatherhead last year, and another an average of 30 for Ashsted. When Mr. Williams first went to Leatherhead he found merely a village club, which used to play the other villages and towns in the neighbour­ hood. “ But,” he said, “ in course of time it was found that many cricketers went to and from town every day, and gradually they joined the club ; with the result that we could soon play better cricket. Nowadays, several of our team get their practice at Lord’s or the Oval. In the early times of the club it used tobe very difficult to raise a team, and I have often got up early in the morning, lidden five or six miles before breakfast to per­ suade men to play— they almost made a favour of playing at all, and often refused to come unless a carriage were sent to fetch them. I find even now, in the cold weather of this spring, that men are won­ derfully adept at making excuses, when the cold easterly wind is on. A funny little thingoecurred to me aboutFebruary, of all mor:hs in the year. I had been unfortunate enough to meet with an acci­ dent whilst hunting which resulted in a black eye. Soon afterwards I met a man on the Stock Exchange, an Englishman too— who looked at my eye in a sympa­ thetic manner and said ‘ Ah you’ll have to give up that silly game of cricket.’ To him, evidently, there was no close time for cricket.” “ When did you first undertake the duties of captain ?” “ I have been the captain of some club or other ever since I left school. For five years I was captain of the Belgrave, a roving club which used at one time to play at Battersea, Vincent Square, Wormwood Scrubbs and other grounds. Funnily enough I have alwaysbeenchosen captain year after year at Leatherhead for some 27 or 28 years, anu some aoiuung things have happened during that time asyou may imagine. Once, when we were playing M.C.C., we only wanted four runs to win when I went in for the tenth wicket. Rawlin was bowling all he knew. I played a ball in the direction of the short leg— a nnvice— and pretended to start for a run although I had my bat well in hnnl. The novice banged as hard ashe could at the wicket, missed it, and the match was won. I happened, iu a ma'ch at Leatherhead, to be fielding at short leg, when the church bells began to toll. I asked the umpire, a local man, what this was for, and he replied that the wife <f our ground landlord was dead. ‘ What was the cause of her death?’ I asked, ‘ I don’t kuow what began it,’ he said, ‘ but what hactually killed her was a haricot vein in her leg!” ’ “ As acaptain of such long and wide experience, can you give any advice which oug 't to be useful to young cap­ tains ? ” “ I don’t quite see how it is possible to do so, and I think that a man has to find things out for himself. A captain feels instinctively, or ought to feel, when a left hand ‘ cock up ’ bowler would be almost certain to get a wicket, and soforth. I may say that I, personally, have certain ideas which I always act upon. For example, if I know that a man is nervous I put him in early— it is much better to do so than to let him wait about, getting more nervous every minute. Of course I keep an eye on young cricketers and give them MR. F. HUE WILLIAMS. (From a Photo by G. & R. Lavis , Eastbourne )