Cricket 1898

“ Together joined In Cricket’s manly toil.” — Byron. Vo. 4 9 0 . V O !. X V I I . THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 1898. P R IC E 2d. A CHAT ABOUT J. T. RAW L IN . The career of the famous Middlesex and Yorkshire professional is an object lesson to all young cricketers who, by reason of their want of sue :ess, feel inclined to despair. Despite the strongly expressed opinions of many gcod ju lges, that he was good enough for any county team when he was still a colt, he met with but little success when he received a trial in the Yoiksbire eleven, and finally seemed to have lost all chance of making a name for himself as a cricketer. When very young he was engaged as profes­ sional by Leek and afterwards by the, Lincoln Lindum cricket club, and the two clubs were quite satisfied with his doings for them. Such good accounts had been re­ ceived of him that when he was only nineteen years of age he was selected to play for the Yorkshire Colts against Notts in the same match in which Gunn made his first appearance in im­ portant cricket. Each of these young players made over 70 in the match, and both of them were imme­ diately afterwards put into their county teams, Gunn never to be left out of it when he was able to play, Rawlin to be tried, on occa­ sions, for several years, until he had drifted from number seven to number ten in the batting order, and finally to be omitted altogether, which was not to be wondered at since he was played for his batting, and seldom managed to make a score. It seemed to be his fate that he was to be an ordinary club cricketer, but one day when he was playing for Lincoln Lindum against the Harrow Wanderers, he made some runs and took some wickets, and, what was of immense importance to him in after life, attracted the notice of Mr. Webbe. The Middlesex captain finding that Rawlin was not wanted by Yorkshire, suggested that he should qualify for Middlesex, and the suggestion was promptly acted upon. So far, so good. While he was qualifying for Middlesex he frequently represented the M.C.C., gener­ ally with such success that the Yorkshire Committee offered him six matches in the follow ing year. I t was a serious time for Rawlin, but he decided to stick J . T . BAW LIN. (From a Photo by It. W. Thomas , Cheapaide , London , E .C ) to the county which had taken him up when he was abandoned b y Yorkshire. He played in 1889. and at first did fairly well. Then he fell off, and was at last left out of the team for several matches. The outlook was apparently hopeless, for it looked as if he had fallen between two stools. But the turning point in his career had come. He was not chosen to play in the Lancashire match at Old Trafford, but by a fortunate accident for Middlesex a place had to be filled up in the team at the last moment, and Rawlin’s oppor­ tunity had arrived. H e went to Man­ chester, and played two very fine innings of 56 and 88 not out, each innings at a time when his county was in difficulties. Prom that day to this he has always played when he has been able to do so, but acci­ dents have from time to time kept him out of the field. He has been somewhat unfortu­ nate in the way' of accidents. Once when batting—about three years ago—he had the back of his right hand broken by a very slow ball, which got up quickly from the p itch ; at another time he broke a finger when a ball was gently played back to him ; and again he broke a finger b y getting it between the ball and the back of an umpire in trying to make a catch. For Middlesex he has been a remarkably consistent scorer, and his bow ling has] very fre­ quently won the game for the county. His has often been the place to go in and stop a rot, and it is indeed seldom that his coolness has not availed him in the most des­ perate situations. H e does not often make runs quickly, although he can do so when it is advisable that he] should, but the chief feature of his batting is his ability to keep up his end when wickets are falling. It is then that he is seen at his very best, and when he really makes up his mind that he must not get oat, it takes a remarkable ball to dispose of him. Even in the days when he first played for Yorkshire he could bow l. A t that time there were so many shining lights in the team that his chances came but seldom, and as it had not occurred to anyone that he was ever likely to be of much use to the side with the ball, and