Cricket 1903

CRICKET, FEB. 26, 1003. “ Together joined in Cricket’s manly toil.”— Byron. n o. 0 2 1 . v o l . x x i i . THUESDAY, FEB. 26, 1903. f b i c e 2 d. A CHAT ABOUT MR. A. ( presid en t op THE M.C.C.) The historian of the future will not have a hard task in deciding what place he is to give Mr. Steel in the world of cricketers, for, in his day, Mr. Steel was as unquestionably second only to Dr. Grace as an all­ round player, as he was unquestionably the best amateur bowler. He was one of the very few men of whom it may truly be said that the bigger the occasion the more likely was he to do himself justice; he was essentially what is known in these days as “ an England player” —that is to say he was to be relied on in a match against Australia to play quite up to his ordinary form at the very least. As a matter of fact he was never more formidable than when a big effort was re­ quired of him. It may be that occasionally he failed in a match either to make runs or to take wickets, but it may with certainty be said that never in the course of his career did he in the same match fail to make runs, to take wickets, and to do nothing brilliant in the field. He was an all-round man of quite exceptional parts. From the point of view of a cricketer, it seems a great pity that Mr. Steel could not play regularly in first-class cricket, but if he had done so he would decidedly never have attained to the high honour of being made aK.C. Until his University career ended he played regularly in first-class cricket, but afterwards his professional work took up so much of his lime that his county, Lancashire, was only able to reckon on obtaining his valuable services at intervals, which as the years went on became less and less frequent. But whether he had much practice or gives the batsman no rest; he was for ever trying to get him out. He broke either way, but probably his leg-break was much the more useful to him, for he had a great command over the ball. In batting he adapted himself to circum­ stances in the most admir­ able manner, and it made no difference whatever to him whether other batsmen had given proof that the bowl­ ing was beyond their powers of resisting. He had no fear and no respect for reputations. The first time I ever saw him play was for Cambridge against Oxford, in 1878— his first University match. He went in when five wickets had fallen for a few runs, at a time when Mr. A. H. Evans, the Oxford fast bowler, was carrying every­ thing before him, having just previously dismissed two men in succession for a duck’s egg. In a few minutes the tide had turned. Mr. Steel did not wait for the fast bowling to jump over his head or hit him in the ribs, as it had done to other men; he walked out, and met it with the greatest coolness. He carried his bat for 44, after showing such cricket as was very unusual from a new man in a ’Varsity match. He then proceeded to bowl in such a way that the Oxford men, a good side, could do next to nothing with him. Perhaps the finest innings he ever played was for M.C.C. against the Austra­ lians in May, 1884. He went in when three wickets had fallen for 75, and with Dr.W. G. Grace as a partner, began at once to knock the bowling all over the field, and Palmer, Giffen and Spofforth could do nothing with him. Of this innings Cricket of May 29th, 1884, says, “ He had made 134 out of238, while hewas in, and his cricket was G. STEEL. little—and often enough a Saturday afternoon match was all the practice he could get for weeks—he nearly always met wi'h success in first-class cricket. Even when he had practically given up the game he used to astonish first-class MR. A. G. STEEL. (From a photo by Messrs. Hawkins Co., Brighton.) men who had not previously met him by his exceeding cleverness 'with the ball, as well as by his skill with the bat. As a bowler he was the kind of man who