Cricket 1900

“ Together joined in Cricket’s manly toil.”— Byron. m o. 6 3 8 . v o l . x i x . THURSDAY, MAY 17, 1900. p b i o b ad. CHAT ABOUT TOM HEAENE. Although the famous old Middlesex and All England cricketer was known to be in ill-health for some time past, not even his immediate relatives had any idea a week or two ago that he was so near his end. He was the oldest cricketer of all the Hearnes, as he^ was, perhaps, the most famous. On wickets which would have surprised many a modern batsman by their possibilities in the way of shooters and bumping balls, he was essentially a man to send in early to take the edge off the bowling. Like all the family, he was cool and collected, and it is hardly likely that any bowler ever succeeded in fright­ ening him out. His scores were not often very large, for large scores were not in his time things of every­ day occurrence even by the greatest batsmen, but they were nearly always large enough to be eminently useful additions to the total. His twenties and thirties and forties were very often the results of some of the pluckiest play imaginable on the worst of wickets. It was so seldom that he failed to make a reasonably good score, that he would have almost cer­ tainly been chosen for one of the All England Elevens for his batting, even if he had not been a very useful bowler and a first-class longstop. It is impossible for a young player in these days to realise what a vast difference a good longstop made to the strength of a side ; he was of at least as much importance as is a good wicket-keeper nowadays. As long ago as 1860 Tom Hearne appeared in “ Lillywhite’s Guide” asone of the best men of the day, He is described in the list of “ The Professionals of England” as “ bom at Chalfont St. Peter’s, Bucks, September 4th, 1826, but now resides at Ealing Dean. He com­ mands a first-rate defence, and is also a good longstop. Member of U.A.E.E. (United All England Eleven).” In the previous year, 1859, he had played a splendid innings of 62 for the United All England Eleven against the All England Eleven, putting on 149 for the first wicket in partnership with Robert Carpenter. He was then in his 33rd year. When he began to play for Middlesex he made himself extremely useful with TUB LATE TOM HEARNE. om a Photo by B. W. Thomas, 41, Cheapside, London, the ball as well as with the bat. He was never a bowler with a vast amount of science. On the other hand, he was always very straight indeed, which, in the days of round-the-wicket bowling with the hand below the level of the shoulder, was sufficient in itself to make him noticeable. In addition, he was most accurate in his pitch, and as he had a certain amount of spin and devil in the ball, he was never a bowler to be despised, even when he began to get old for a first-class cricketer. In his later years for Middlesex some of the critics used to refer to him as an old crock, and asked why on earth the com­ mittee still played him. Then he went and took a lot of wickets against some strong team or other, and the critics got out of it as best they might. But, even in those far-off days, a critic generally managed to get out of a tight place with admirable dignity. Heame never forgot the finish of the famous tie-match at the Oval in 1868 between Surrey and Middlesex. Things were getting to a pretty pass when the last man—an unfortunate colt named Roberts—came in, for Surrey wanted a couple of runs to win. Mr. Ernest Rutter had been bowling with very great success at one end, and, indeed, it was owing to him that Middlesex had succeeded in getting a favourable chance of winning. If it had not been that he had the greatest faith in his captain, Mr. V. E. Walker, he would probably have been the most astonished man in the world when he was suddenly taken off at this moment. Mr. Walker calculated that a steady old bowler like Tom Heame, who could hardly bowl a loose ball if he tried, would be more likely in such a crisis to upset the apple cart of a frightened debutant, and accordingly he tossed the ball to Heame. Tom had been watching the state of affairs with a keen sense of enjoyment, notwithstanding the serious position of the game, for, as good boxer, he loved a fight to a finish. He took the ball, walked up to the wicket with as much calmness as if it was the first ball of the match, and after one run had been obtained, which made the game a tie, he found himself face to face with the colt. One ball only was needed to settle the matter. It was, of course, straight and well pitched, and to the colt, F.C.)