Cricket 1902

CRICKET, FEBRUARY 27, 1902. “ Together joined in Cricket’s manly toil.”— Byron. no. 591 . v o l. x x i. THU RSDAY , FEBRU ARY 27, 1902. p b ice 2 d. CHATS ON THE CRICKET FIELD. ARTHUR HIDE. Although Arthur Hide retired from firBt-class cricket several years ago, he kept up his connection with the game until this season by acting as one of the umpires in county matches. He was a cheerful cricketer when he played for Sussex in the days of Jim Lillywhite, Mr. Ellis, Mr. Whitfeld, Mr. Morton Lucas and Mr. Greenfield, and his cheerfulness endured to the end of the longest innings, even when, as often hap­ pened, catches were missed wholesale off his bowling. His cheerfulness lay rather in his manner than in his remarks, for as a conversa­ tionalist he was not brilliant; he said few words, but they were generally very much to the point. As an umpire he was perfectly unmoved by any feeling which might be ex­ hibited after he had given a decision, and it is not on record that he ever gave a reason why he had decided in such and such a way; he rightly insisted that it was the duty of an umpire to attend to his business seri­ ously and honestly, without fear and without favour, but he emphatically did not consider that it was his duty to enter into explanations. He was never anything of a batsman, but as a bowler he ought to have been in the front rank, and probably would have been if in those days professsonals had received the same consideration as is now, justly enough, given to them by nearly all county committees. But when Hide was playing, few committees took much thought for the morrow; they might, or might not, engage a man for an entire season, but receipts were not large enough in most cases to justfy them in looking out for a man’s future. It often happened that a professional had some trade to which he could return when the season ended, and in such a case, he would probably continue to play for his county year after year. But if he had no definite employment he sometimes disappeared before the next season began, no one new whither. Now, Arthur Hide had to think of the ▲BTHUB HIDE. From a photo ly Emil Vielery Btxhill-on-Sea. future, and not being able to obtain satisfactory employment during the winter, he looked about him for some means of making a living, finding it in coaching schools. This, however, to all intents and purposes, put an end to his career as a'first-class cricketer, formas he could only play during the holidays, he was gradually dropped out of the team, and a first-class man was thus lost^to county cricket. At the present time Hide has a flourish­ ing business as a tobacconist at Bexhill- on-sea, near Hastings, and as he is a mechanician of considerable parts, he employs his spare time in making appliances for fishing, golf, lawn-tennis, etc.—a branch of his business which seems likely to increase largely as time goes on. “ Where did you learn your cricket ? ” “ At Elphick’s Field, Eastbourne, close to the New College — it was the ground of the Eastbourne club before it went to the Saffrons. Here I was groundman and bowler, although I was really only a boy of seventeen or eighteen. Mr. A. S. Hurst, a; well-known Eastbourne cricketer of that period, noticed me and recom­ mended me to the author­ ities, and George Heame did so also, with the result that I was given a trial for the county.” “ What was your first county match ? ” “ Against Yorkshire at Dewsbury. I was not a success, my only victim with the ball being George Ulyett. After that I was not given another trial for some time, but at the Oval I did pretty well, and began to play regularly in the team, until I went as coach to Marlborough Col­ lege, when, of course, I could only play during the holidays.” “ That seems to have been a pity ? ” “ Well, what could I do ? In those days cricket was quite a different game from what it is now, and county author­ ities had not begun to look after the interests of professionals in the winter. I tried to get employment in the winter months, but found it very difficult to do so, and the result was that I answered an advertisement for a coach. I was very