Cricket 1905

48 CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. M ar . 30, 1905 SOME REM IN ISCENCE S OF TOM EMMETT . B y “ F e l i x ” in the Australasian. As for Tom Emmett, he was absolutely the most popular player in England in his time, and it is safe to say that he was equally popular in Australia. He came here three times, and I had the pleasure of playing against him on each tour. The first time he came was in 1876-7, and I was then in the Yarra Bend—I mean the cricket club, of course. Tom and others of the Englishmen were invited out to play, some with us, some with the opposing team. Tom bowled against me for a good bit, and I had the good fortune to get set and make a sound score—80 odd not out. “ Are there any players better than this cove going to play against us for Victoria ? ” said Tom. “ Oh, yes,” was the reply, “ B. B. Cooper and one or two more.” “ Well,” answered Tom, “ they may be better for what I know, but I ’ll back this cove against any one of them for half a sovereign.” The bet was made and Tom won, for I got top score and a gold watch and chain for making it. That gold watch and several others were robbed from us in a pavilion at Detroit, in America. Needless to say, Tom shouted for me at the Old White Hart, which was then kept by that fine old, ruddy-faced Englishman, Harry Edwards. Many a time I strolled down to the Melbourne ground with Tom, and took him through that beautiful walk leading from the Treasury Gardens across Lansdowne Street. “ I always like to coom this way,” said T om ; “ it poots me in mind of’ ’oam, laad.” I shall never forget how keenly Tom appreciated Vernon Boyle’s fielding. Brisk and eager as he was for stealing runs, he wouldn’t dream of starting when a b ill went in the direc­ tion of Vernon Eoyle. “ Noa! I tell thee I woan’t go ! it’s gone t’plaace.” “ T’plaace ” always meant the spot where Vernon Royle stood. Tom was a really strong player on the off side, Once, when a fieldsman at point was stand­ ing rather close, Tom said, “ If I were thee, mister, I ’d stand a little further back, because when I hits there I hits terrible hard.” The fields­ man without delay acted on Tom’s advice. I fancy it was W. H. Cooper who had a narrow shave once at point from a flashlight stroke of Tom’s. The ball tipped Cooper's ear and was at the boundary like a shot. Two years later, when Tom came out with another team, the first words he uttered on seeing W. H. were, “ That was a narrow shave you had that time, Mr. Cooper.” Some­ thing like the foregoing happened at Harrowgate. Tom was in and Alick Bannerman, as the wicket was sticky, came up to silly point. Tom said, “ Alick, you are rather close in. Are you mar­ ried p ” “ No,” said Alick. “ Oh, that’s all right,” replied Tom. “ It doesn’t matter if I kill you; but if you were married I would have advised you to get back a bit.” As a fact, Alick did have a narrow shave and afterwards stood back. It always makes me sad to think that such grand old warriors and humorists of the cricket field as good old Tom should have to pass hence with the rest to the great undiscovered country. Lightly lie the green turf over him. P R E P A R E D W ICKETS , On the third day of the Darlington Cricket Club bazaar the Hon. F. S. Jackson made a speech, and referred to the preparation of wickets in first-class matches. He said that one met with a wicket which had been treated with peculiar preparation, so that it was almost impossible for any bowler, how­ ever good, to get the slightest work on the ball, and he consequently almost broke his heart in attempting to get even second-class batsmen out. In the North they knew nothing about those extra­ ordinarily good wickets. They had never gone in for them. The invention was the invention of the Southern counties, and very often when he had bowled on those wickets he thought they were the invention of “ somebody else.” In York­ shire they always tried to play the game as they believed it was meant to be played—on an absolutely natural lurf wicket. It was difficult to legislate on the subject of doctoring wickets, but he thought it might be laid down most emphatically that a wicket should be only perfectly natural turf. He hoped the M.C.C. would take the matter up, instead of bringing forward all sorts of ideas of tinkering with implements of the game and that kind of thing. A few days later Lord Harris wrote as follows to a correspondent who called his attention to Mr. Jackson’s remarks : 8, Old Jewry, E.O., March 16, 1905. Dear Sir,—In reply to your questions —(1) whether “ special preparation” of pitches prevents bowlers from getting work on the ball. I cannot speak from personal experience, not having played in a first-class match since 1897, but judging from what I have seen from the benches, and from what I have heard from those who do play, there is no possible doubt that special preparation does handicap the bowler; (2) whether I think that the practice should be dis­ continued, I am under the impression that what may have been the practice a few years ago is so no longer. I do not think it would be possible to lay down a law on the subject, because there are some grounds naturally fiery, and actu­ ally dangerous in some seasons, where more preparation is necessary than on other grounds; and I doubt it being possible to define what is meant by “ special preparation.” 1 think there is at present a pretty general condemnation of such a prepara­ tion as Mr. Jackson was complaining of, and I think that experience will show that what was really becoming a blot on the game will be satisfactorily minimised without any resort to legislation.—Yours faithfully, H a r r is . NATIVE GUANO. REST and CHEAPEST MANURE for LAWNS, n CRICKET and TENNI8 GROUNDS and all Vegetables, Fruits and Flowers. Price, £ 3 1 0 s . per ton in bags; 2 ton lots carriage paid. Lots under 10 cwt., 4 /- per cwt. at works. A 1 cwt. bag sent carriage paid to any station in England on receipt of P.O. for 6/-. Extracts from recent reports : W. A. WOOF, Member M.C.C. 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