Cricket 1904

CRICKET, A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. JUNE 30, 1904. CHATS ON THE CRICKET FIELD. THE KEY. J. G. McCORM ICK . Six feet four inches in height, Mr. McCormick reminds one very much of his famous father, Canon McCormick, the rector of St. James’s, Piccadilly, and the old Cambridge Cricket Blue, who also represented theUniversity in row ing and the athletic sports. Like the father, the son has a splendid physique, and there can be no doubt that but for a recurring trouble to his knee, he would have been in the front rank of cricketers. Even as it is, he is one of the best men in the N or­ folk County eleven, and has also played forDevon- shire. A few years ago he went to Liverpool, and is now Vicar of St. Paul’s Church, Prince’s Park, which is one of the largest churches in Liver­ pool. He now plays for the Liverpool C.C., and makes heaps of runs. His highest score is 135, but this he has made four times, while last year he played four innings of a hundred, all between 130 and 140. Mr. McCormick was at Exeter School at the time that Mr. A . M . Sutthery, the old Blue, was one of the masters. “ Sutthery used to play for Cam­ bridge and the Gentle­ men,” he said, “ and I think that he once played i or England against Aus­ tralia. Iwasatschool with Henry Martyn, the Somersetshire wicket­ keeper, and I well remember how it was that he began to keep wicket. I was captain one year when he had been through a bad illness, and I was very anxious that he should play for the eleven, because he was such a good bat. But he was unable to run, and could not field. But on a fortunate day I saw him keeping wicket, and I said, ‘ You must keep wicket for the eleven.’ Accor­ dingly he did, and took to wicket-keeping as a duck takes to water. I very well remember my first match at school. I was a very tall, thin boy and had to go in first with Sutthery in a scratch match. For the first wicket we put (From a photo . BEV. J. G. MCCORMICK. 1 Miller, 14a, King Street, Great Yarmouth), on 77, of which my share was seven. The biggest score I made that year was 25, an innings which comprised 23 singles and a two. In that match Sutthery and I made 200 odd for the first wicket, so that you may easily guess that I played a pretty slow game.” “ When did you first play for Devon­ shire ? ” “ I played for the county when I was a boy at school. Ted Arnold and I were each about seventeen years old, and it happened that we were both chosen to play for the eleven in the same match. We went to Glamorganshire, and the matoh came off at Swansea. Our opponentswere pretty strong at that time, with the two Brains, Bancroft, and other well-known men. Devonshire did nothing in particular in the first innings, and when we went [in a second time we were about 200 runs behind. To our horror Arnold and I were told to go in first, and we both went to the wickets in an absolute funk. But somehow or other we got over our terrors and kept together till the score was 85, when I was out for 47. Arnold made 85 or 86. He could bow l well even then, very much in the same style as he bow ls now, with a fine swing. But in those days he used to try to bow l too fast, with the result that he soon be­ came tired. After that I played for Devonshire as long as I was at school.” “ Y ou went to Cam­ bridge University?” “ I was at St. John’s, and played in some of the trial matches, but in m y second year I hurt m y knee, and this des­ troyed what chance I ever had. Sometimes I kept wicket for my col­ lege, but after a match in which B. A . Studd played against us I came to the conclusion that I did not care much about wicket-keeping. I caught him round his legs when he had made about 20, but the thrill of delight which went through me was abruptly checked by the umpire’s decision of ' not out.’ Studd made 252 not out in that match, and I had to keep wicket all through the innings. Once at “ Together joined in Cricket’s manly toil.”— Byron. wo. 664. vol.. xxiii. THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 1904. pnicE;! 2 a.