Cricket 1909

CRICKET: a w e e k ly r e c o r d o f t h e game . AUGUST 2 6 , 1 9 0 9 . “ Together joined in Cricket’s manly toil.”— Byron. No. 822. v o l . xxvm. THURSDAY, AUGUST 26, 1909. o n e p e n n y . A CHAT ABOUT FRED BOWLEY. It w ill probably come as a surprise to those who are aware that P. L . Bowley is only thirty-three (he was born at Brecon on November 9th, 1875) to learn that he is now in his sixteenth season for Worcester­ shire, and that prior to joining the ranks of the West Midlandshire’s team he had played for the Derby, shire Colts and was looked upon as a likely candidate for a place in the Derbyshire side. Cricket claimed him early. As a boy at Heanor he had the benefit of coaching by W illiam Bigley, the old Derbyshire player. At the age of twelve he made 60 not out in a match between two teams of promising youngsters, got together by Mr. Coleman of Heanor Hall, and he still rememberB with pleasure the presentation of a bat made to him in acknowledgment of this score. After that he was promoted to the second eleven of the Heanor Town Club, and next season was playing in the first eleven. At the mature age of fourteen he figured among the Derbyshire Colts, and made a score of over twenty against the bowling of George Porter and others. In the same season he played for Mr. W . B. Delaeombe’s XI. v. Belper Meadows, a match specially arranged to give some promising colts a trial, and scored 60. He had not at that time any idea of earning his living as a professional cricketer; but the death of his father and the consequent straitened means which such a loss often entails caused him to consider the matter, and a sugges­ tion made by S. Baynor, a Heanor man then engaged by Worcester­ shire, led to his going to the Faith ­ ful City in 1893 for a trial. To quote his own words to me : “ I gave satisfaction, so was engaged from 1894 for five years, and have been here ever since.” It is safe to say that Fred Bowley has always “ given satisfaction.” No more modest, unassuming, thoroughly worthy pro­ fessional cricketer has ever played for any county. There has never been the suspicion of “ swelled head ” about him ; he has taken failure with fortitude and success with equanimity. A dashing batsman, with a Photo by FREDERICK LLOYD BOWLEY. [Hawkins &Co., Brighton. beautiful style and at least one stroke quite his own, yet possessed of a good defence, and a capital hard-working field at point, third man, cover, or in the country, he has been one of the mainstays of Worcestershire for a decade past, and there seems no particular reason why he should not continue to be so for a decade to come. When he joined the Worcester team, Messrs. H. K. and W . L. Foster and the burly Burrows— slimmer in those days— were already members of it. Mr. Arthur Isaac had played once in 1893. Mr. G. H. Simpson-Hayward— then G. H. Simpson—played his first match in Bowley’s first year. That was 1894. Arnold came along in 1895. The other members of this year’s team are all very much Bowley’s juniors in a cricket sense. Worcestershire cricket in 1894 did not rank high ; but during the next three or four years great strides were made. Bowley’s perform­ ances for the county in second- class days, however, were marked by promise rather than by any great measure of achievement. As far as I can gather, taking my figures from “ Lillyw hite,” not always too accurate, he played during the five seasons 1894-1898 inclusive, in all matches for the county, 61 innings, one not out, for a total of 886 runs. In 1899, when Worcestershire figured first among the leading counties, Bowley had few chances, and did little. In matches ranked as first-class, indeed, he scored only 67 runs in 9 innings. But he also made 3 and 52 v. London County (whose matches were first given premier rank a year later) and 14 v. Notts, so that his figures should have been 12-0-136. (Arnold, by the way, made 102 and 37 not out v. London County, and 142 v. Notts, but, owing to the non-inclusion of these matches in the first-class averages, was not credited with a four-figure total, as one thinks he should have been.) In 1900, however, Bowley came definitely to the front, and has scarcely looked back since. After failing v. Yorkshire and the L.C.C.C., he accomplished a per­ formance far ahead of anything previously credited to him in scoring 95 and 25 v. Sussex at Hove. Small scores against Surrey and Lancashire