Cricket 1902

CRICKET, JULY 31, 1902. “ Together joined in Cricket’s manly toil.”— Byron. no. 6 0 9 . v o i. x x i . THUESDAY, JULY 31, 1902. p r i c e aa. A CHAT ABOUT TOM HAYWARD. It has fallen to the lot of Hayward to take his benefit in a year which has not been fortunate for him as a batsruan—a year in which he has been twice left out of the England eleven, most unwisely, as most judges of the game think. For Hayward is a man who can never be fairly judged by his average or by his failure in a match or two to distinguish himself. When he seems to be tempor­ arily out of form he is most likely to come off, more especially if it is imperatively necessary that he should do so, and such a man is of inestimable value to a side in a big match. There would be no nervousness about him in a crisis —there could not be—nor would his face become blanched if he had to face the most deadly bowler at a moment when the most callous spectator felt his heart beating with excitement. Hayward is a man of infinite pluck and infinite resource. He has not lived on a bed of roses during his career in the Surrey team, for scores of times it has been his fate to be batting when he could not help realising that a mistake on his part would mean the failure of his side. Again and again he and Abel have borne the fortunes of the team on their shoulders, and the occasions when both of them have failed twice in the same match are so few as to be hardly worth consideration. It is, there­ fore, greatly to be hoped that Surrey men, by handsomely sub­ scribing to his benefit list, will show their appreciation of his many successes, and will forget his few failures. To watch an innings by Hayward, when he is not tied down by force of circumstances to play a steady, defensive game, is a source of pure delight, for there is art and science in every stroke. Even when he is batting against the most desperate odds, when he dare not think of taking even the slightest risk, there is pleasure in studying the masterly way in which he adapts himself to the situation. But the real time to see him is when he is unfettered by any considera­ tions as to the welfare of his Bide. Then he is seen at his best, a batsman with powerful strokes, which get through any field, however well placed, and which reach the boundary in a twinkling. The middle of the bat meets the ball with a twenty horse power behind it, and whether the ball rises shoulder high, or keeps low, the same force is brought to bear upon it. His strokes all round the wicket are so uniformly good that it would be difficult to say which gives the TOM HAYWABD. (Photo ly Herbert Tear , Clapham Road , London .) greatest satisfaction to an onlooker, but, perhaps, the big drives along the ground are the most telling of Hayward’s hits. They are made with so little effort, and yet go at such a pace, that one cannot but admire the perfect timing which produces such a result. It is well worth while to sit or stand among the crowd when Hayward is at the wickets, for he is a popular hero, and Surrey sportsmen are ever ready to let their admiration for him be known to all and sundry. “ Why didn’t they play Tom ’ Ayward ? ” said a man on Friday at the Oval, after he had given a disser­ tation on the causes of the small score made by England at Manchester on the previous afternoon. ’E would ’ave dusted Trumble about until ’e would ’ave felt ’imself as small as Gregory, and as for Sarnders—well, who is Samders, anyway ? ” Another spectator ventured to suggest that Hayward had not done very much against Somerset, but his advocate was not convinced, and replied with acerbity, “ ’Ayward would have ris to the occashun if ’ed been there—you mark my words, ’e would.” One of {the most amusing things that I have ever heard at the Oval followed a conversation between some gentle­ men who might have been expected to know more about railway cuttings than about cricket. They had commented on the many fine innings which they had seen played by Hayward. They all agreed that they had never seen him in better form than in the match at which they were looking (Gentlemen v. Players on July 10th.) There was a pause, after which one of the gentlemen said in a thoughtful way, “ Rummy thing, ain’t it, that so many Surrey men ’as their names begin with ‘ H.’ There’s ’Ayward, ’Ayes, ’Olland, and—” “ And Abel,” said another spectator, who had been an interested listener to the dis­ cussion. “ Habel,” was the reply, “ there aint no ‘ H.’ in Habel. Any fool knows that I” To which the gentleman answered, “ Oh, I thought from what you said there was.” “ From what I said?” And then the conversation became so extremely personal, that it cannot be reproduced here. For several years Hayward was consid­ ered one of the best all-round players in England,perhaps the very best, forhe was a good bowler as well as a great batsman anda brilliant field. Butof latehehasdone verylittle in the way ofbowling, probably because he is convinced that a man cannot be successful both as a bowler and a bats­ man for more than a few years. Opinions differ very much on thig question,