Cricket 1904

66 CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME A pril 21, 1904. if, as is hoped, his eyesight is as good as ever this year, there is no reason whv he should not once more be in the firstflight of players. It is much to his advan­ tage that he has always taken the greatest care of himself, so that he is always in splendid condition. Unlike moat cricketers who, when they have said, “ Well, I’mblest if I know how it was I let that ball beat me,” think no more about it, Abel is not content to rest until he has satisfied himself what to do the next time that he encounters asimilar ball. It has been his habit tothinkcare­ fully over the reason why such and such a ball was fatal to him, and although theoretically it is not good to worry too much over anything, he has without doubt saved his wicket over and over againbylearning toavoidmistakes which he had made in previous matches. He takes the game very seriously, and works at it just as he would work at any other profession, although this is not to say that he does not get a vast amount of enjoyment out of it. He is such a fine little player, and such a good sportsman, that it will be very sad if he has to retire permanentlyfromthegame owing simply to failing eyesight. Let us hope that it may be the good fortune of Surrey men to see him representing the county for years to come. I have often wondered why Abel has not beenmore successful as a bowler, for he used to be very awkward to deal with when he first went on, more especially to a newman. But, to quote the words of men who have a reprehensible habit of calling a spade a spade, he looks “ so damned simple ” that captains may per­ haps have been afraid to put him on. Nevertheless, on several occasions, even of late years, his seemingly easy bowling has broken up a long partnership. He used to have a big break, and although he was uncommonly slow, the ball came so quickly off the pitch that many abats­ manwasdeceivedby it; of course, as with all other bowlers, this quickness off the pitch gradually became less noticeable. But even now, at his advanced age (for a cricketer), Abel would possibly puzzle many a good batsman just sufficiently long enough for himto get a wicket; he was never a man to keep on for any length of time, except on the rarest occasions, when batsmen seemed afflicted by a wild yearning to go home to the pavilion. Of late years Abel’s fielding has not been as good as it was in the past, and it is no secret that this falling off has kept him out of England elevens ia the test matches. Not that he is an absolutely bad field, for if he has not much running about he can make himself very useful, and can still freezeon to a catch. Butin anEngland eleveneveryman ought to be a brilliant field, and it is impossible that a man of Abel’s age can come up to this standard. It must also be remembered that the hands of a very small man are not generally as large as those of a big man, and that as the years roll on they are bound to become more or less tender in places. In the old days Abel was as quick as a cat in the field, so that he could reach balls whichmany a tall man would have allowed to pass by. It is almost a wonder that hewas not killedin those days, for he was often placed very closeinat mid-on. Sometimes when Mr. W. E. Boilerwastriedasachange,theball wouldbehit to Abel at apacewhichmade one’s hair stand on end, for it seemed that a catastrophe must happen. Before a batsman had got usedto it Mr. Roller’s bowling was most deceptive; the ball seemed further up the wicket than it was, and the result was generally a tre­ mendous slog which was often badly timed, with fatal results. But if the batsmen got hold of the bill well it generally went to Abel, who very seldom seemed in the least degree impressed by the force with which it cime to him. Even now at point, he often quite easily takes a ball which would frightenmany a younger man out of bis wits. Perhaps a rest for nearly a year from first-class cricket will have put fresh life into him, so that his fielding may once more be like it was twenty years ago. W. A. B e t t e s w o r t h . CRICKET CURIOSITIES. S C E N E : The interior of the New Central Booms, Upper Eastgrove, Ploughshire. Obviously a baziar is in progress for the benefit of the local cricket club. Tne room is spacious and thronged with townsfolk. Various stalls are picturesquely arranged and tastefully decorated. In some cases the stall­ holders are doing business, in other cases they are flirting, for the stalls are mostly managed by young ladies. Allsecfijns and classes of society crowd into the apartment, for it is rarely that Upper Eastgrove can boast an entertainment. The squire, the parson, the doctor, with their wives and families, areparading the establishment with lofty mien. Away to the left those of a lesser social standing are chatting together, casting envious or admiring glances at the rulers of the district. On theright is a raiseddais, on which a damsel is warbling blithely to the accompaniment of apianoforte. The hubbub of voices bargaining at the stalls tones down to a great extent the rasping of the singer’s voice and the tinkering of a faulty instrument, and although every­ body is trying hard to be heard abovehis or her neighbour, nobody succeeds. Sound is balanced to a nicety until BANG! BANG! BA.NG! The furious beating of a drum at the fjr end of the roomproduces instantaneous silence. “ Walk up, wa'k up ! ” cries the indi­ vidual standing beside the concussion instrument. “ This way for the event of the day. The most marvellous collection of cricket curiosities extant. Walk up, walk up ! ” BANG ! BANG! The showman, having concluded his impromptu speech, vanishes behind a curtain, and the hubbub re-commences. Numerous persons wend their way in his footsteps, for the baztar is in ai 1 of the funds of the Upper Eastgrove Cricket Club, and patrons consider it their duty to support the side-show. Behind the curtaiu is a curious collection of mysterious articles, which those respon­ sible for their arrangement have tried to display to the best advantage, but have failed miserably in the attempt. The showman, a tall, lean individual attired in an evening dress suit that was obviously never made for him, is slowly walking round the room, followed by the amazed throng, In his hand he holds a stick which he flourishes dangerously as he expounds the merits of the article* exhibited. “ And this, ladies and gentlemen, is another historic relic. At first tight it remindsoneveryforciblyof anovergrown cabbage stump, but it is in reality the first cricket bat ever u-ed. I became possessed of it in a really remarkable manner. A masked figure accosted me in the streets at midnight some fourteen years ago, and thrust the implement upon me with a written notice of its history. The letter, you will observe, is beneath this glass case, and it is not necessary for me to peruse it, as you can all read its contents from where you stand.” “ Here we have the gem of the collection (and I flatter myself on possessing unique trophies) ; they are commonly called ‘ unmentionables ’ by courtesy, and are part of a wearing apparel which some of you here possess. They were worn, ladies and gentlemen, by TomWalker, a famous exponent of a hundred years ago, when he made his debut in first-class oricket. I have been offered one thousand guineas for this curio, but needless to say, the offer did not tempt me.” “ The article suspended above (don’t touch, please) is supposed to be one of the first cricket balls ever made. You will observe it is composed of stone, from which we assume it was propelled by ancient Britons, and when cricket was iu a very crude form. “ Close to it we have a modern ball. This ball, ladies and gentlemen, was hit from Dover on to a passing liner bound for NewZealand, andtouched the ground at a distance of some twelve thousand miles, the greatest authenticated hit recorded.” “ In the centre, there, wi’.l be per­ ceived the first wicket everused. I made a special journey to the East in order to procure this gem. It is said to be a portion of the Tree of Knowledge, and may possibly, for all I know, have been used by Adam and Eve when amusing themselves by playing cricket in the Garden of Eden.” “ Time presses; so I shall not weary you with details of other curios in this room. A book, giving particulars of the history of each item, can be purchased for one penny; while those desirous of procuring my ‘ Life and Adventures ’ can do so on payment of twopence. The pamphlet is on sale at the entrance.” The audiencemarvel—and disperse. A. D. T.