Cricket 1901

CRICKET, JUNE 20, 1901. “ Together joined in Cricket’ s m an ly to il.” — Byron. n o . 5 7 3 . v o i . . x x . THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 1901. p r i c e 2 a. CHATS ON THE CRICKET FIELD. M R . G. W . BELDAM . It is only a year ago since Mr. Beldam began to play for Middlesex, but already he has risen to the front rank of cricketers, and is at the present moment, perhaps, the safest batsman in the Middlesex team. For years he has been known as a fine batsman in London club cricket, but somehow or other he was passed over. He himself gives as a reason for this apparent neglect that owing to over anxiety he could never come off in any match when it was advis­ able for him to do so. Be this as it may, he was un­ heard of in first-class cricket (except in one match two years ago) until the begin­ ning of last year, when, after making 20 in a London County team, and gaining most favourable opinions for his fielding, he scored 44 and 74 for Mr. A. J. Webbe’s team v. Oxford University, and 62 for Middlesex against Sussex in his first match for the county. 8ince that time (except for some weeks last year, when the loss of one of his little ones kept him out of cricket) he has played r e g u la r ly in first-cla ss matches, nearly always with success— sometimes with very great success. He went to Cambridge University when he was only seventeen years old, M d was contemporary in the Peterhouse eleven with Mr. C. Pigg, Mr. A . G. McArthur, and Mr. H . G. Fuller, the lamous footballer. Before he left, he was captain of Peterhouse, both in cricket and Association football, and was o in the Six at lawn tenniB. His best year in club cricket was in 1899, when he made 2,200 runs in fifty innings, with an average of nearly 50, and also took 100 ickets. H e has the reputation of being slow scorer, but this is more because circumstances have made it expedient that he should keep up his wicket, rather than that he cannot score quickly. Students of the game have noticed that when his side is pretty safe he begins to score as fast as most people, for he is not a man who plays for his average, but for his side. He always tries to play the ball with the bat, for he is of opinion that the bowler ought to have the credit of bow ling you if you play with the legs—possibly he also realises that it is a most difficult thing to use the legs instead of the bat, and requires great quickness in decision. A t his home near Brentford he has had two cricket pitches made. The pitch for the winter is covered in with canvas blinds and netting, and has a skylight which does all that is required of it. The other is completely covered in with stout netting, and the pitch is one of the best for practice that any man could desire. Mr. Beldam has always been fortunate in having his younger brother, Mr. C. A. Beldam, to bow l to him, and he attri­ butes much of his success to this fortunate circumstance. His brother is and has been for years, a very good right-hand bowler indeed, with a special ball which comes with his arm rather than breaks, and nips up very sharply from the pitch. In 1896 he was tried for Middlesex against Kent, and being put on when a stand was being made, bowled five overs for 14 rims and the wicket which was required. He was not tried again as a bowler. Last year Mr. Beldam determined to play his way into first-class cricket if the thing were possible, for he realised that if he failed again two or three times he would have no more chances of playing for Middlesex. “ Although,” he said, “ I felt sure that ‘ the D octor ’ would give me a first-class match with the London County when he could. He is always most encouraging to a man who is making his first appearances, and if he sees that he is trying to field, he w ill make all man­ ner of excuses if he misses a catch. A t the beginning of the present season I was talking about the game to that keenest of cricketers, B . H . Mallett, and I asked him whether he thought that a slight change in the manner of holding my bat would help me to play with more confidence on the off-side. When I showed him the changed position, he replied, ‘ I ’ll tell you a little story. I once was playing at Uppingham for the M .C.C. and had made a fair number of runs, but was not at all satisfied with myself. Stephenson, the famous coach,