Cricket 1897

“ Together joined in Cricket’s manly toil.”— Byron. * > . 4 6 2 . v o l . x v i , THURSDAY, AUGUST 19, 1897. p r i c e 2 a . CHATS ON THE CRICKET FIELD. ALEC HEARNE. One of the most useful professionals that Kent has ever turned out, Alec Hearne, one of the brothers of G. G. and a cousin of Walter and J. T., has represented his county legularly since 1884, except when illness or. accidents have kept him out of the field. At firsthe was played for his bowling alone, and it was not until four or five years afterwards that his batting was considered to be his strongest point. Since he has been a bat he has played many very fine innings, seldom failing to make a useful score, but his bowling has by no means fallen into obscurity, for he often gets wickets when nobody else can do so. His highest innings for the county was 155 against Glouces­ tershire ; but perhaps the best innings that he has ever played was his 120 at the Oval in 1893 for the South of England against the Australians, on a wicket which had broken up at one end. This year he has been in as good form as ever, but has twice been obliged to take a rest on account of an injury ; just when he was in his very best form. His last break down was against Surrey on July 22nd, after he had made 50 in the first innings. Just previous to this he had done some remarkable things in club matches for the M.C.C., scoring 168 not out against Edmonton on June 30th, 148 against Mote Park on July 2nd and 3rd, and 155 not out against Northbrook, at Lee, on July 10. His first county match was against Somerset, in 1884, when he made 19, not out. “ I had no engagement when I played in this match,” he said, “ but after­ wards Lord Harris asked me if I should like to go to Mote Park. Of course I said that I should like it very much, but I was afraid that I was not strong enough, as I had a strained side. I heard afterwards that Lord Harris told Mr. McAlpine, the captain of the Mote C.C., not to let me bowl too much, and Mr. McAlpine was very kind indeed about making me tell him whenever I felt in the least tired, or when my side hurt me. At that time I took to leg-break bowling, because I was only able to bowl so slow that the off-break did not get me many wickets, but when my side began to get better, I was able to use the off- break more frequently. Since then I have used either break, according to circumstances. On a sticky wicket I now generally find that the off-break pays best, because with the leg-break you can’t get a ball to pop up so straight, although it may come faster oft the ground. This is owing, perhaps, to my inability to bowl the leg-break as I used to. I have only bowled one actual wide in my life, and that was in a match this year, when I was trying to get a lot of leg-break on a ball off the wicket. There was a strong wind blowing, and the ball went right away. I own, however, I have let the ball slip out of my hand. The first time was in 1885, during the last match we played on the Tunbridge Wells ground. I was trying to put on a lot of leg-break, and let the ball go out of my hand too soon, with the result that it rolled out towards the umpire. Thoms was the umpire at my end. He did not call a wide, but cheerfully'said, ‘ You’d better have another one for that, my little man.’ We all laughed, and when I went up to the wicket to bowl the next ball, I was laughing so much that I expected I should bowl a wide at least, but as it happened I suddenly made up 3my mind to put in a fast one, which bowled Mr. Winter. We were playing against Somerset. The other case occurred in the same year, but this time the ball went up straight, and nearly fell on my head. Carpenter, who was umpiring, gave it a ‘ wide.’ I told him what Thoms had done, but he said, ‘ Well, I shall call a wide.’ ” “ What was your first big success ? ” ‘ ‘ I had been playing once or twice for the second eleven, and I believe that Mr. Phillip Hilton, who was captaining us, suggested to Lord Harris that I should play at Canterbury against the Aus­ tralians, saying that he felt sure I should come off. Lord Harris did not think that I was strong enough or old enough to bear the strain of such an important match, but at the last moment, fortunately for me, decided to let me play. As luck would have it I took seven wickets in the match—five in the first innings and two in the second. We were the only county which beat the Australians that year. Since then I have played in every Kent match, except when I have been unable to do so through illness or accidents.” “ You have been unfortunate in the way of accidents ?” “ I am sorry to say I have. My first serious accident occurred in a match against Yorkshire, when I ruptured a muscle of my right armjkin bowling. I had been very successful in the inn­ ings, taking eight wickets for not many runs, and doing the hat-trick, though I fancy that two of the three men who were out in succession had not played regularly in county cricket before. Last year I was batting for the M.C.C. against Mr. Laverton’s XI. Lees Whitehead was in at the other end and he drove a ball from a slow bowler back to me. I tried to j ump out of the way but it hit me on one of the lower ribs. 1 had made about a hundred *1^5 ALRCjHEARNE. (From a Photo by Ilawkins <h Co ., Brighton «)