Cricket 1898

114 CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. M ay 12, 1898. nate, getting five wickets for about 22. Tbis gained me a place in the Middlesex county team, and as I was successful in the first match against Notts at L ird ’s, getting rid of Gunn, Scotton, Daft and Flowers, I was played in most of the county matches throughout tbat season. In one ma*ch I own that I was horribly nervous when I went out to bowl. It was when I had to start the Glouces­ tershire innings at Lord’s, and W .G . took up his well-known position at the wicket opposite to me. I hardly knew what I was doing when I delivered the first ball— and it was a leg-bail ! I feel grateful to tbis day that W .G . missed it. Have you ever seen the photos of W .G . hitting to leg ? That is how he went for it. If he had caught hold of that ball, the famous clock at Lord’s m ight not be there now. A few overs later I was lucky enough to clem bow l the champion, and no one was more suip-ised (I could almost say astounded; than 1. However, he had his revenge in the second innings, and knocked us about considerably until he had made his hundred.” “ Y ou had an illness which made you give up first-class cricket ? ” “ Yes. But I am inclined to think that m y breakdown b g-tn in the match against Ycrks'iire in my first season for Middlesex. Up to then I had done fairly well. I ’ was suffering from a very bad cold during the match. The weather was very hot, the wicket hard and good, and the scoring very heavy. I suppose that the strain was too much for me, for I never bowled up to my form again that year. In a county match it i i not always possible to give a man an ‘ easy ’ place, where he will have no running about. H e may have to bow l, and perhaps, run bard to the boundary two or three times when the other man is on. Last year I saw Hearne, who had no man out, run to the pavilion at Lord’s for a ball which did not quite reach the railings, and then run back. That was of course exceptional. But one must always w oik hard iu the field in a good match, even when tired out, whereas in club cricket a bowler netd not make a martyr of himself.” “ Was it ia this Yoikshire match that Sir T. C.' O ’ Brien made so many runs ? ” “ He made 98 in the first innings, and 100 not out in the second. H is hitting in the second innings was something to be remembered. He was scoring against time too, and made the winning hit a few minutes before seven on the last day. It was also a match in which Louis Hall gave us a specimen of what he could do when he tried in the w j t of taking time over scoring his runs. Never shall I for­ get bowling to him on that perfect w .cket; it was heart-breaking. He, like O'Brien, was in great form, although the Styles of tLe two men were, of course, in strikii g contrast. H ill cariied his bat througn the first innings and almost through the second too—blocking, block­ ing the straight ones with wonderful patience. My experience is that, though the spectators don’t care for stonewalling, it is quite as demoralising to a bowler— certainly to ayoung bowler—as big hitting. I myself prefer to bow l to the batsman who adopts the latter kind of play.” “ Don’t you find it a little difficult to get to some of the Hornsey matches from Muswell H ill when theyare away ? ” “ There are very few trains at certain times of the day, it is true, and it has happened that I have missed the one which would bring me to my destination in time. We were playing at Wanstead. and I missed the train from Muswell Hill. I waited for the next train, and did not reach Wanstead until half-past four. I didn’t get an innings, but bowled all the rest of the afternoon without taking a wicket. On another occasion when I missed the train my fate w h s infinitely more pleasant, for when I at last l£n3ed at Teddington, where the match was played, I found one wicket of Teddington down for 25, went on to bowl, and took five wickets for two runs. W . H . Davies tock four for ten.” “ It must be very trying to have to climb up to the top of Muswell H d l after you have had a hard day’s match on the Hornsey ground ? ” “ Oddly enough I don’t find it so in the summer. Even after a very long outing, the climb seems to present no difficulties; but in the winter I often think I can’ t put up with the hill any longer.” W . A. B e t t e s w o r t h . IMPORTANT SPEECH BY LORD HAWKE. A little while before the beginning of the match between Yoikshire and Bedale and district, Lord Hawke opened the new pavilion, ar d in the course of a speech made the follow ing remarks about Aus­ tralian and English cricket:— H e asked his audience to join him in welcoming back the two Yoikshire cricketers who had been to Australia. (Applause.) Although they had not repeated the feat which they accomplished for Yorkshire last season, when they each scored a thousand runs and took a hundred wickets, yet, when they took the light and the heat of the climate of Australia into consideration, he thought they had in no way lost their laurels. (Hear, hear.) Lord Hawke proceeded to say that he wished to make further re­ marks about Australian cricket. Already they had seen in the papers that another team was to visit this country. He had seen a letter asking the different county clubs whether they (the Australians) would be welcome. He could assure the Australians that they were always wel­ come in this country. (Hear, hear.) JNo doubt they would be keen to play the full strength of England, and we at home would be as keen to try to regain our lost laurels. (Hear, hear.) At the same time they had asked the question as to whether cricketers in England would welcome them under the Cricket Association of Australia, or if conducted by a man of substantial means, very highly honoured in Australia, who had been already wel­ comed in this country, and, he had no doubt, would be welcomed again. In his opinion, as the Australian test matches created so much excitement throughout the world, the time had come when the management of them should be under­ taken by the Cricket Association of Australia and b y the Marylebone Club in England. (Applause.) They had probably seen a letter written b y a county secretary. H e personally knew who wrote the letter, and he was more or less in accordance with it. The writer advo­ cated that the test matches should be absolutely in the hands of the M.C.G. Although he (the speakei) was a member of the committee of the M.C.C., he could fay that the committee had for years been looked upon as the head of cricket, aud they were above suspicion. (Hear, hear.) Iu his opinion, therefore, the committee of the Marylebone Club should select the team for each test match, and choose the grounds also on which they should be played. Lord’s must, of course, have one match, but the Oval and Man- ch< s‘er should not be allowed to take the other two test games. In Yorkshire they had a grouud second to none —two [or three grounds, in fact, ■capable of ac­ commodating 30.000 persons—and it was only fair that Yorkshire should have a share of the test matches. (Applause.) Ancther point, continued Lord Hawke, was that payment should be absolutely in the hands of the M.C.C. He was one of those who thought the players should be paid liberally. Ten pounds, with £5 for travelling expenses, had been suggested, but he thought £20 should be allowed and have done with it. Then 15 per cent, on the takings was suggested to be allowed the grounds on which the matches were played. He suggested, however, that the allowance should be 20 per cant., and that the balance should be divided among the clubs who had representatives in the English team. That was certainly somewhat difficult, but it came to this, that for years the gate-money had gone to the clubs on whose grounds the matches were played, and they in Yorkshire had allowed their players to take part in the games year after year, and had never bad a test match played in the county. If the matches in future were arranged on the principles he suggested, he was sure they would give satisfaction to the cricket world in general, and there would be an end of cavilling. Ha was also sure that if a change were not made Yorkshire would take a strong stand, and not allow their players to take part in a test match unless it was arranged b y the M.C.C., to whom they owed allegiance as the head of cricket. As the other counties were being asked for their opinions on these matters, it was as well that those of Yorkshire should be kno\frn. (Applause.)