Cricket 1905

C R IC K E T J A W E E KLY REOORD OP TH E QAM E. JU N E 8, 1905. . . . " _ )fl © 5 P || iW ill 'z&y)'/pscoxzteJ^ 1 \ “ Together joined in Cricket’s manly toil.”— Byron. TSTo. 691. v o l . x x iv . THURSDAY , JUNE 8, 1905. p r i c e »a. CHATS ON THE CRICKET FIELD. GEORGE BURTON. Although it is nearly twenty-five years since Burton began to play for Middle­ sex, and more than ten years since he last appeared in the county team, his name has not been forgotten by crick­ eters, who one and all welcomed the announcement that the proceeds of the Whitsuntide match at Lord’s would be set apart for his benefit — a well - deserved tribute to his popularity and usefulness as a cricketer. It was his fortune to play for his county at a time when it could boast of few bowlers, and far more than a fair share of the work fell on his shoulders. Yet despite this handicap he always had an excellent bowling average, and there were few men of his day—the day of Alfred Shaw, Peate, Jim Lilly- white and other famous men —who were more successful in keeping down the runs when wickets were good. Burton had not a great break—just enough to beat the bat—but he could make the ball turn a little even on the truest wicket, while he had the gift, common to all really great bowlers, of making the ball go away occasionally without chang­ ing his action to a percep­ tible degree. If he had bowled in first-class cricket in recent years his swerve would have been the subject of comment, but in his time batsmen were contented with sayiDg that “ there was something funny about the ball,” when a swerve was the cause of disaster to them. In later years Burton met with a great deal of success with leg-breaks. It was due to somewhat peculiar cir­ cumstances that Burton began to bowl leg-breaks in first-class matches. In club cricket he had for some time bowled them with success, but he did not sufficiently trust his skill to venture to try them in county oricket until he was almost driven to do so. Middlesex were playing the Australians at Lord’s in 1886. “ We had made about 260, and at lunch time on the second day the Austra­ lian total was nearly 270 for one wicket, so that we seemed hopelessly out of it. It seemed to me that the time had about come when I might as well try my leg- breaks, and so I went on with them when the total was about 250. To my astonishment they met with such success that the remaining men were out for a hundred runs, and I had eight wickets for 136. In the second innings we scored over two hundred, and the Australians had to make 123 to win. The hundred went up with only three wickets down, and then my leg-breaks began to work. West also met with success, and wicket after wicket fell—the next six men only made 15 between them—until, when Blackham joined Pope for the last wicket, eight runs were still required. Blackham made six of them, and because I had to run after the ball I well remem­ ber that a leg-bye for two won the match. I don’t think any of us felt very unhappy at not winning, for we were all jo delighted at having made such a good Sght of it, after being in such a hopeless position. I had fourteen wickets in the match.” “ What was your first match for Middlesex ? ” “ It was against Surrey, at Lord’s, in 1881. It was arranged that a colt should make his first appearance in the Middlesex team—I think his name was Tootell—but he was unable to play, and I was sent for. I believe that Bob Thoms recom­ mended me. I don’t think he had ever seen me bowl, but he knew several members of the club for which I was then playing— the Junior Middlesex—and so he had heard about me. I remem­ ber how surprised I was when I found myself in the field for the first time in a county match. I had only been a change bowler in my club, and very seldom indeed started the bowling, but directly Middlesex took the field the ball was given to me at the bottom end, and off my second ball Harry Jupp was caught in the slips. In the second innings I began the bowling again, and I remember that I got rid of a colt with my first ball. In the first innings I took two wickets for 37, and in the second five for 20, so that you may guess I was pleased with my success in my first match.” y “ You once took all ten wickets against Surrey ? ” “ That was in 1888 at the Oval. There had been a great deal of rain, and on the first day, a Thursday, there was only time for Middlesex to make 161 and to get Bobby Abel out. Therejwas no play on the Friday, and the wicket was very