Cricket 1899

“ Together joined in Cricket’s manly toil.”— Byron. no. 507 . v o l . x v n t . THURSDAY, MAY 11, 1899. f r i o b ad. CHATS ON THE CRICKET FIELD. H . A . CARPENTER. It wouW have indeed been surprising if none o f the sons of Robert Carpenter, the famous Cambridgeshire batsman of bygone days, and the equally famous umpire of recent times, had turned out a fine cricketer, and when H er­ bert Carpenter began to show excellent promise for Essex everyone felt that this was in the eternal fitness of things. Like his father, he is a steady batsman whose wicket is very hard to get, and also, like his father, he can make the prettiest strokes imaginable. His first appearance in good cricket was in the match between M .C.C. and Essex in 1888, when for the county he made between thirty and forty runs. It was on the suggestion of his father and Thoms— who ever heard of Thoms failing to spot a likely colt ?—that Mr. C. E. Green, ever anxious to do some good for Essex cricket, sent for the young Cambridgeshire crick­ eter. After a trial, from which he emerged with success, he was engaged, although for the first two or three years after he had qualified he did not play regularly for the county. It was the fine cricket which he showed against Surrey that settled the question as to whether he should be one of the elect, and since that time, despite a few periods of low scoring, he has kept his place without question. As a rule he has always gone in first with Mr. Owen, but, when luck has deserted him for the time being, he has been placed low down in the list with the happiest results—he has scored and gone back to his old place. His highest score for the county was 153, against Somerset, in the memorable match when Essex made over 600 runs, and only missed having four scores of hun­ dreds b y one run. For in addition to the 153 of Carpenter, Mr. McGahev made 143, Mr. Lucas 137, and Russell 99. Perhaps the most useful innings that Carpenter has played for Essex was his 50 odd against Lancashire in 1897. Briggs was bow ling with great effect on a crumbling wicket, but thanks chiefly to Carpenter’s plucky innings Essex won by six wickets, which so pleased the crowd H. A. CARPENTER. (From a Photo by R. W. Thomas, CheapsideLondon.) that a collection was made for him on the ground, realising £44. Against the Aus­ tralians he has generally done well, and it will be the wish of every Essex man that he should excel himself in the match which begins to-day. For the last five seasons he has been engaged on the staff of the M .C.C. It m ight perhaps have been thought that Carpenter learned all his cricket from his father, but that famous old player has a theory that self-taught cricket is the best for a boy. “ He often gave me advice and encouragement,” said Carpenter, “ and I believe that he always had an idea that I should be abl« to play. I never remember seeing him bat. Of course he has often been one of the umpires when I have been playing, and two or three times he has given me out— the deoisions were good. He nas never given me out when I thought he was wrong. It is perhaps a little curious that although I am the youngest of a fam ily of nine I am the only one who plays cricket.” “ In your early days you played on Parker’s Piece ? ” “ Yes. Tom Hayward used to play with me, when as boys we picked up sides in the evening. When I was older I was engaged as a bowler by the University Cricket Club for several years. In those days I used to bow l fast round the wicket with a not very high action, but I found that it didn’t pay, and that I should never do anything as a bow ler.” “ But you still bow l in club matches ? ” “ Well, occasionally I do, especially when the M .C.C. goes on tour in Sussex, but in a big match the best thing I ever did with the ball was to take four wickets for 12 runs against Derbyshire about six years ago, when Mr. Buxton was the Essex captain. In one of the matches against Sussex schools in the M.C.C. tour— I fancy it was against Brighton College— I remember a tall youngster com ing in late and startling all our team. He only made eleven runs, but he hit tremendously hard— so hard that he lamed four or five of us. When he went out three of us were down on the ground rubbing the places where the ball had hit us. Mr. Borradaile, who was our captain, was very much amused at the way in