Cricket 1898

Together joined in Cricket’s manly toil.” — Byron. H o. 4 8 1 . VOIi. X V I I . THUKSDAY, JUNE 9, 1898. P R IC E 2 d. tempting that I had a go at it aud wag caught right on the boundary.” “ Ia there any hope that your knee will be quite sound again ? ’ ’ “ It is possible that it may get well enough to allow me to go through another season or two, but I am getting older. I have never got my pace back. I have now to put my leg down in a manner which prevents this. Formerly I came down on m y h eel; now I have to use the toe, and get the pace from the shoulder. Moreover, I can’t go through the run. It may be that if I could get over the fear of hurting myself it would be all right once more, but unconsciously I find my­ self guarding against the chance of accident instead of letting myself g o.” “ Where did you get your first engagement ? ” “ A t Streatham. G. G. got me a place there in 1884 as second ground man. I bowled at the nets, but otherwise had very little cricket. When I first went there, Harry Wood was the head ground man, but his place was soon after­ wards taken by Fred Johnson, the old Surrey county man. The next year I went to Gravesend—through G. G. I think— and at the ‘ Bat and Ball ’ ground I had a fairly successful first season. But my early experiences have led me to think that it is a mis­ take foraveryyoung cricketer, such as I was, to undertake the duties of ground man and bowler to a big club. The work decidedly requires an older man. I had, for in­ stance, to get wickets ready, to put nets up, to bow l from three o’clock till five o ’clock, with a rest of half-an-hour for tea, and then bow l again until it was dark—sometimes up to nine o ’clock. Of course, on match days, I had to make the wicket, and then go on to bow l. I believe that far better remits would be obtained if there were men to play, and men to do the rough work, wherever it can be managed.” C H A T S ON T H E C R IC K E T F IE L D . W ALTER HEARNE . One of the finest bowlers that ever the Kent committee was fortunate enough to discover, Walter Heame was improving so rapidly year by year, that his future seemed to offer all sorts of possibilities. In 1893, he was at the top of the bow ling averages in E n g­ land, and although a broken finger kept him out of the field during part of the season, there can be no question that he quite deserved the honour. In the follow ing year he took 116 wickets for 13 runs each. In the three consecutive matches against Surrey, Gloucestershire and Notts he took thirty-eight wickets at an average of five runs apiece —a remarkable record. But, unhappily, after he had shown greater promise than ever in 1895, an accident to his knee practically put an end to his career as a first-class cricketer; it was an irreparable misfor­ tune for his county. H e is still able to bowl, and his services are highly valued as a coach. He has just finished an engagement at Harrow School. When Mr. Crow, the Kent county scorer, gave up his duties, the position was offered to Walter Heame, who was very pleased to accept i t ; he can now, to his great relief, still keep in touch with county cricket. After the accident to his knee he was able to play in one or tw o county matches, but eventually it gave way again. The acci­ dent was brought about when he was playing for St. Lawrence, Canter­ bury, against Westgate-on-Sea. “ While I was bow ling,” he said, “ my knee gave way. I have always put it down to the long spikes which I was using. I used to come down very heavily on my heel, and then spin round. I think that the spikes must have been firmly fixed in the ground. ’ ’ “ Y ou did not play again that season ? ” “ No. N ot until the follow ing season, when I thought that I had quite recovered after the long rest. Against Gloucester­ shire and Lancashire I was all right, but in the Yorkshire match I was batting with Mr. Marchant, who was in a scoring mood, and I was playing a better innings myself than I had ever done before, when I slipped in turning to run, WALTER HEARNE. (Fvom a Photo by H. B. Collis, Canterbury .) and once more the mischief was done. When I broke down I had made 34, which was my highest innings in county cricket. I never could do much with the bat, and I recollect goinginlast to make 13 in one of the matches against Notts. Of course, when I went to the wickets I intended to play a very careful game, but the second ball from Flowers was so