Cricket 1904

C R I C K E T , A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE QAME. M A Y 2 6 , 1 9 0 4 . “ Together joined in Cricket’s manly toil.”— Byron. KO. 6 5 9 . VOL. X X III. THURSDAY, MAY 2 6 , 1 9 0 4 . p b i c e 2 a. CHATS ON THE CRICKET FIELD. MB. A. M. LATHAM . An old Cheshire County cricketer, Mr. Latham has for the last four years been honorary secretary of the well-known Wanderers Cricket Club. For the last few weeks he has had a busy task in getting together a team of Barristers to oppose the Clerks at the Oval on Friday. Born in Cheshire, he came to London in 1889, and for some years was frequently to be seen in Surrey Club and Ground teams. He went to Oxford in 1881, and played in nearly all his college matches for four years, but the only time that he was given a trial for the University was in 1885, for Etceteras v. Perambulators. No doubt one of the reasons why be did not have a further trial was that W e llin g t o n C o lle g e , where he was at school, was then considered un­ fashionable. But in addition tothis the times were against him, for he was contemporary at O x­ ford with Mr. M. C. Kemp and Mr. A. E. Newton, two of the best w io k e t-k e e p e r s e v er turned out by the Uni­ versity. Mr. Latham rem em b e rs p la y in g against the famous Mr. David Buohanan, who was representing the Gentle­ men of Warwickshire, and although the great bowler was then getting very old, he still required a lot of watching. In his early days Mr. Latham played cricket under difficulties, for not only was he obliged to go several miles if he wished for practice, but his father—who was by no means a cricket enthusiast— regarded all time spent over the game as sheer waste, “ though I think he was always pleased if I made a few runs.” “ When I was a b oy,” said Mr. Latham, “ we used to have a family match every year —Eleven Lathams against Sandbach, a little town in Mid-Cheshire. Our Bide included the late W . H . Latham, who used to play for Cheshire. When bow l­ ing he had a most peculiar action, bringing his arm from right behind him. His father, who is now eighty-eight years old, used to play for us. H e is, and always waj, a keen cricketer, and in 1899 he cim e to London from Sandbach on purpose to see the Australians play. He still goes in a bath chair to see the local matches.” The first time that Mr. Latham took part in an important match was in 1880, when he played for Eighteen of Crewe against the Australians. “ I was only a schoolboy at the time,” he said, “ and I bagged a brace—run out, and bowled by Spofforth. On the second morning of the match, ow ing to our proper wicket-keeper not having turned up, our captain asked whether anyone would volunteer to keep wicket. With a schoolboy’s cheek I boldly offered myself for the position, and felt very happy when I caught Groube on the leg tide. After that I was generally put behind the sticks—some are born great, and others have greatness (such as it is) thrust upon them.” “ You were in thejeleven at Wellington College ? ” “ Yes. I had often kept wicket at the private school where I first went, and at Wellington I kept in house matches, finally being promoted to the eleven. Edward Lyttelton, the presentheadmaster of Haileybury, was a master at Welling­ ton in those days, and used to give valuable hints to the eleven, as you may well suppose. M y old house master, Edward Davenport, was another cricketer who coached us. But the care and atten­ tion now lavished on young cricketers was at that time unknown, and what was considered a lot of coaching then would n ow be c o n sid e re d neglect. The profession­ als at Wellington in my time were JohnOscroft, a brother of the great Notts player, Briscoe, a Surrey man, and Relf, the father of the Relf who now plays for Sussex. I still g o down every year to the school for the Old Wellingtoniau match and for the M.C.C. “ When did you begin to play for Cheshire ? ” “ I first played for the county in 1881. A t that time there was no county club, but we had an amateur side with head­ quarters at Chelford. Soon afterwards we went Stockport and a county club was formed. In one of the matches played at Stockport against Staffordshire more than half the players on the two sides were nearly poisoned by something they h id eaten at lunch. We never found out what it was, but, although I escaped, I think I had a bit of everything that was eaten by those who were ill. Two of the Staffordshire men were unable to bat, and five or six of them were seriously ill for a time.” “ What sort of a team had Cheshire in