Cricket 1897

78 CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. A p r il 15, 1897. LOST B Y A CATCH . I was once unluckily instrumental in helping a man to lose the girl he hoped to make his wife, and as the gentleman in question is now comfortably settled in Australia, and the lady has married another fellow, I don’t suppose that any harm will follow the telling of this story. At the time of which I write, I was fulfilling a professional engagement with the Sladeshire County Eleven. It hap­ pened that Mr. Jack Ilowley, that famous wicket-keeper, the captain of the team, was desperately in love with Miss Daisy Collard, whose father, you will remember, was the well-known Loamshire “ Skip­ per.” Miss Daisy was a pretty little dark haired lady, very lively, and with any amount of “ cheek,” as seems to be the fashion with modern girls. Now the last match of the season, one between Sladeshire and Loamshire, was played on the latter’s ground, at Prender- ham. During the summer, old Mr. Cal- lard had totalled 900 runs, and unless he put on the odd hundred in the match with us, he would lose his chance of completing his thousand that season. He was very keen on accomplishing the feat, and Miss Daisy was also in hopes that he would do it. In Loamshire’s first innings he made exactly 50, the highest score on the side, and thus wanted precisely the same number to complete the thousand. Slade­ shire scored profusely, and on the third day the home team required 368 to win, with an innings to play. As the wicket was, this appeared to be a hopeless task, or Mr. Rowley would never have dared to execute the scheme which was presently forthcoming. The last day of the match was bright and sunny, and altogether exceptionally fine weather for early September. Mr. Jack took no part in the morning net practice, but preferred to sit beside Miss Daisy in the covered stand. However, as half past eleven drew near he had to tear himself away from her and lead us into the field. Instead of “ skylarking ” about with the ball before the first pair of batsmen appeared, our captain, padded and gloved in readiness for taking the wicket, called us all round him, and said : “ Boys, most of you are aware that I am—er—sweet on Miss Collard. Well, —er—I—ahem—proposed to her this morning, and she declined to give me a definite answer until after the match, but she added that she might perhaps look more favourably on my suit if her father completed his thousand runs. Now what I am going to propose to you is hardly ‘ playing the game,’ but I think you’ve all got sufficient regard for me to do as I ask. Let old Collard complete his thousand. I don’t mean to say that the bowlers are to bowl badly and that catches must be dropped, but don’t appeal for anything before he makes fifty. If he gets bowled, or caught out in the field, that can’t be helped. Will you do this for me, lads ? ” “ Rather ! ” we cried in chorus, for every man in the team, pros, and amateurs alike, fairly worshipped Mr. Jack, and would sooner have died than have disregarded his desire.” “ Wouldn’titb e advisable,” I suggested “ to get the umpires to answer every appeal against Mr. Collard in his favour ? ” “ No good,” was the answer,” just look at ’em. Concientious old ‘ bounders ’ who would’nt do a ‘ bally ’ thing savouring of sharp practice! ” He was right, for the two stolid, white- robed figures were old, thick-headed, honest, upright cricketers, whom no persuasion or “ blarney” would move from the execution of what they con­ sidered to be their duty. By this time Messrs. Collard and Jameson, the first pair, were approaching the wicket, and our men promptly retired to their appointed places in the field. To me fell the duty of sending down first over, Mr. Collard being the batsman. He was standing bang in front of the of the leg stump, and my opening ball caught him a sharp rap on the pad. Faithful to Mr. Jack’s orders I did not appeal, and our wicket-keeper nodded gratefully. “ Why on earth didn’t you shout ?” asked old Chips, the umpire at my end. “ Didn’t think he was 1. b. w.” I replied mendaciously. “ Dick Summers,” said the old chap, with a solemn shake of the head, you’re a fo o l!” I thought so too, especially as Mr. Collard cut my next ball to the boundary, and scored a single off the third. However, I cleaned bowled Mr. Jameson with the last of the over, and that some­ what consoled me. Well, Old Collard struck and struck, and somehow managed to put on runs, though he had luck that seemed marvellous to the spectators. Three times he ought to have been run out, the ball just missing the stumps by inches. Once Mr. Jack bungled a chance of stumping him, and Mr. Coote, of Oxford, dropped the easiest of catches at short slip just' afterwards. A. quarter of an hour before lunch saw him only ten runs off his thousand. Two boundaries off successive balls from me brought his total for the season up to 998, and then--------- it happened ! I sent down a slightly rising ball, a little bit to the off, and the old man attempted a square cut. I saw his bat swing, heard a slight “ click,” and beheld Mr. Jack make a quick snap at the leather and throw it up with a yell of “ Howzat!” “ O u t!” cried Chips; “ and a very smart catch, too ! ” Old Collard looked as black as a thunderstorm when he turned to go, and the scowl with which he favoured poor Mr. Rowley fairly made that gentleman wince. Amazed at what had happened after the orders we had received, we crowded round our captain, and Mr. Coote expressed the common curiosity and astonishment by exclaiming. “ Why the Dickens did you appeal ?” Heaven only knows ! ” groaned Mr. Jack, helplessly; “ because I am a thundering fool, I suppose! I didn’t mean to make the catch, but I somehow brought it off by instinct, and then found myself howling ‘ How’s that ? ’ like the con­ founded idiot that I am ! wish to good­ ness I’d been born dumb! Kick me, some of you fellows ! And now I suppose I ’ve lost the girl by catching her darned old father! ” He was quite right, for neither Miss Daisy nor old Collard would ever speak to him again. L e o . M u n r o . WARWICKSHIRE C.C. MAY. 13. The Oval, v. Surrey. 17. Birmingham, v. Essex. 27. Birmingham, v. Hampshire. 31. Derby, v. Derbyshire. JUNE. 7. Sheffield, v. Yorkshire. 14. Birmingham, v. Kent. 21. Birmingham, v. Leicestershire. 24. Birmingham, v. Surrey. 28. Manchester, v. Lancashire. JULY. 5. Birmingham, v. Lancashire. 8. Birmingham, v. Philadelphia. 12. Leicester, v. Leicestershire. 15. Leyton, v. Essex. 19. Birmingham, v. Gloucestershire. AUGUST. 2. Birmingham, v Yorkshire. 12. Southampton, v. Hampshire. 16. Gloucester, v. Gloucestershire. 19. Tonbridge, v. Kent. 30. Birmingham, v. Derbyshire. Three-day Matches. JUNE. 7. Birmingham, Club and Ground, v. N. and E. Ridings, Yorks. 10. Birmingham, v. Staffordshire. JULY. 29. Walsall, v. Staffordshire. AUGUST. 23. Scarbro’ , Club and Ground, v. N. and E. Ridings, Yorks. Two-day Matches. GLAMORGANSHIRE. JUNE. 7. Oval, v. Surrey 2nd X I. 18. Newport, v. Monmouthshire. JULY. 9. Swansea, v. Monmouthshire. 14. Cardiff, v. M.C.C. 16. Cardiff, v. Worcestershire, 22. Swansea, v. Cornwall. 30. Cardiff, v. Wiltshire. AUGUST. 2. Cardiff, v. Surrey 2nd X I. 13. Swindon, v. Wiltshire. 23. Worcester, v. Worcestershire. 27. Penzance, v. Cornwall. C RICKET ROLLER, good as new. W eight 13 cwt. Fitted for pony. Address A.B. Box 1206. Sell’s Advertising Offices, Fleet Street, London, E.C. ABEL & LANE, (Surrey X I.) (25 years with E. J. Page & Co.) PATENTEES AN D SOLE MANUFACTURERS OF THE FLEXIBLE CRICKET BALL, (Patent No. 9190) “ A pleasure to play w ith.” AND THE CELEBRATED COUNTY BALL. OF A L L DEALERS. W O R K S = 310, KENNINGTON ROAD, LONDON, S.E.