Cricket 1903

CRICKET, APRIL 23, 1903. “ Together joined in Cricket’s manly toil.”— Byron. Ho. 625 . voi. XXII. THURSDAY, APEIL 23, 1903. p r i c e aa. CHATS ON THE CRICKET FIELD. WILLIAM HEARN. For many years Hearn has been known as one of the most trustworthy umpires in the world. His honesty has never been questioned even by those who see a thrower in about six fast bowlers out of seven, while his quickness of eye, his promptitude in giv­ ing a decision, and his im­ perturbability have resulted iu far fewer wrong decisions than generally fall to the lot of umpires, who, not being mechanical instruments, are bound to err occasionally. For a long time he has been chosen by the M.C.C. to act as umpire in the more im­ portant matches at Lord’s, and it is not too much to say that he has invariably given satisfaction to both sides, than which there can be no higher praise. As a cricketer he was decidedly a useful all-round man in his day, and if it had not been disco­ vered when he was still young and in good form that he possessed uncommon qualiScations for the position of umpire, his career as an active cricketer would have been prolonged for a con­ siderably greater time. As it is, he has an honourable past, and it may be taken for granted that he will have an honourable future. Hearn regularly began to act as umpire when he was still very young, and before he was on the list of county umpires he stood in first-class cricket at Lord’s in Gentlemen v. Players, Oxford v. Cambridge, England v. Aus­ tralia, aud other big matches. “ I think that the present arrangement of having fewer county umpires,” he said, “ is better than the old one as far as results are concerned. For when there were as many as thirty of us, it sometimes happened that we had no match for a fortnight or three weeks, and for first-class cricket it is much better that a man should be constantly in practice.” “ Is it much of a strain to umpire in first-class cricket ? ” “ Well, I do not suppose that there is an umpire breathing who does not feel very glad whan the day’s work is over. There is a tremendous strain on you all the time, for your attention must be so WILLIAM HIARN. (From a Photo''bymJHellis &• Sons, Regent Street , W.J fixed on what is happening that you see an incident as if it were in a picture, without any thought whatever of the particular batsman who is concerned. Personally, I see only the catch, or the leg before the wicket, or whatever it may be, and the batsman is nothing to me. I have always been in the habit of giving a decision instantly, for if you do so it is impossible to think of the batsman or to favour anybody. You may make mis­ takes at times, for an umpire is a human being and not a machine, but you will make far fewer mistakes if you decide quickly than if you take time to think or hesitate for a moment.” “ Is the work very tiring P” “ It is at first, and you feel it very much about the loins and hips, but the longer you go on the better you stand it. Naturally, the work is at first inclined to make you very anxious, and this helps to make it tiring, but the feeling wears off after a time, and even when a game is in a most exciting position you are not disturbed in the least. And why should you be disturbed? You have nothing whatever to do with the players or their feelings ■—only with what they actu­ ally do. I am sorry to say that there are professionals, and also gentlemen, who seem to wish to make umpires as uncomfortable as possible. They are never out. It is so much more satisfactory to an umpire when a man who knows perfectly well that the decision was just,honour­ ably admits that he was out instead of asserting that it was an outrageous decision. But I am very glad to be able to say that the vast majority of cricketers are not given to thinking that the umpire has cheated them out.” “ Have you umpired in any matches in which the proposed new l.b.w. law was tried ? ” “ I umpired in a match between theM.C.C. andWiltshire at Lord’s at the end of last season—Mr. Lacey and Captain Wynyard were playing. Before the match there was a discussion as to whether the proposed law should be in force, and as the Wiltshire captain said that his team had been playing under it all the season, it was decided to try it. It was astonishing to see how few of the