Cricket 1904

CRICKET, JAN. 28, 1904 “ Together joined in Cricket’s manly toil.” — Byron. w o. 6 5 0 . v o l . x x m . THURSDAY, JAN. 28, 1904. p r i c e 2 a. CHATS ON THE CRICKET FIELD. WALTER MEAD . It is almost a curiosity of cricket that Mead, who for years has bsen recognised as one of the great bowlers of the day, who has moreover often been a thorn in the side of the Australians, has only once had the distinction of repre­ senting England in the series of test matches. In other representative matches he has often played, but although he appeared on the side of the Players against the Gentlemen at the Oval in 1896, it was not unlil 1899 that he first took part in this match at L ord’s. Members of one Australian team after another have ex­ pressed surprise that he has never gone with any of the touring teams to Australia, for they have had a decided opinion that he is a type of bowler who would be almost certain to make his mark there. It is true that Mead has been asked in a tentative way b y organisers of teams whether, if his services were required, he would be willing to go on a tour, but there the matter has ended. It must not be thought from this that selection com ­ mittees have been blind to their own interests, for it has almost invariably happened that some bow ler of Mead’s type has been a better bats­ man, and hence has been given the preference. Before the season ended last year Mead, not being able to find employment during the winter, and hav­ ing three children to provide for, asked the Essex committee to increase the winter pay which they had been pre­ viously giving him. Unfortunately for him accidental circumstances prevented the news from becoming public property until towards the end of the year, just at the time when Essex had to make an appeal for help to pay off a large debt which had been incurred on account of the inclemency of the past season. The committee, with their finances at such a low ebb, felt unable to grant extra pay to Mead, who thereupon sent in his resigna­ tion. But let us hope that some modus vivendi will be arrived at before next season, and that for many years to come Mead will be found in the Essex eleven. W ALTER MEAD. For he is unquestionably a great bowler, and a man who does his level best for his side from the first ball to the last, and without him his team would be but a shadow of its former self. Am ong the many fine performances that Mead has accomplished, his seven­ teen wickets for 205 runs in the match between Essex and Australia in 1893, per­ haps stands out first, although he can point to many others nearly as good. The steadiness and accuracy of his bow l­ ing had not a little to do with the famous success of Essex against the Australians in 1899, when in their second innings the colonials were dismissed for 73. Of this match Mead says “ When we went out to the field I don’t think any of us had an idea o f what was going to happen, although we felt pretty confident that we should win the match. But the wicket was hard and fast, and beginning to crumble a little, and Y oung, who got most of the wickets, was just at that time in such form that he would have bowled any team out.” “ A.Sa man who has played a great deal against schools, what advice would you give to schoolboy bowlers ? ” “ Id o n ’t think they ought to try to bow l too fast or even their fastest. Pace will come as they grow older and when their bones get more set. In mv opinion they should chit-fly aim at getting a good length, leav­ ing pace and also break for a later period. Boys nowa­ days often sacrifice every­ thing to break, which is, I am sure, a very great mistake. I remember playing for the M.C.C. at Westward H o and one of Mr. C. L . Townsend’s boys was bow ling against us. He was very small, and like his brother, Mr. Townsend, he had a considerable com ­ mand over the ball, al­ though he broke from the leg. But I found that he complained about apain in his arm, no doubt caused by the exercise of muscles in the wrong way. I don’t know whether he continued to bow l or whether, like others who begin too early with leg breaks, he developed a lump in his arm and had to give it up. Even if a boy has a natural break from the off he should not trouble about it too much.” “ What do you think of modern school­ boy batting ? ”