Cricket 1910

CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. AUGUST 1 8. 1910 . “ T o g e t h e r j o i n e d in C r i c K e t ’s m a n l y t o i l .” — B y r o n . No 851 . v o l . xxix. THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 1910. o n e p e n n y . CHATS ON THE CRICKET FIELD. SMITH OF SURREY. To Smith, of Surrey, more than to any other cricketer, has the year of 1910 brought an increase of reputation. Playing regularly through the season for the first time, he has bc^vled with brilliant and well- deserved success, and is now regarded by the Surrey men as an asset as great as Tom Hayward himself. At times —as in the recent matches with Northamptonshire and Middlesex—he is almost irre­ sistible, and when the condi­ tion of the wicket is to his liking even the strongest of sides is likely to be dismissed by him for quite a small score. During the last winter he was employed by Messrs. Stunrt Surridge. chiefly to assist in bat-making. His duties, how­ ever, included a fortnight of tree-felling, and to this fact he attributes the excellent condition he has keen in this season. When a representa­ tive of Cricket met Surrey’s crack bowler at the Oval last week, he expressed the opinion tbat the match with Yorkshire was likely to be played on one of the bpst wickets provide 1 during the season. Smith assented, and added that he must not complain if at times the conditions favoured the batsmen — a remark which naturally prompted one to inquire which kind of wicket he preferred to all others. “ A drying wicket, decided­ ly, as it suits my spin best. Many people regard me simply as a slow off-break bowler, but I get a lot of wickets with a slightly faster ball that swiDgs away. It is from this ball that the majority of my leg- before wickets are obtained. The three I got in four balls at Northampton the other day were obtained in this manner.” “ Were you always able ti get much spin on the ball ? ” “ In my early days I bowled faster than now, and it was not until I happened to be playing in a match at Lord Jersey’s and saw Geeson performing that I got any idea of spin. I persevered, and naturally my bowling became slower in order that the full effect of the spin might be obtained. Huggins, of Gloucestershire, was playing in that match : in fact be and I and Bowell, of Hampshire, were frequently in a side together as boys. We played for an Oxford club known as Photo by] [Hawking, Brighton. WILLIAM CHARLES SMITH. Bolter Street Institute. The majority of our matches took place on some of the College grounds during the Long Vacation, so we were generally sure of having a good wicket to play on. Over twenty grounds belonging to the colleges were utilised in this manner, and that may account largely for the fact that the local season seldom began until the holidays had commenced. Both Hugging and Bowell were very good players even then, and it did not surprise me when they came to the front in county cricket.” “ Did you receive any coaching as a boy?” “ I was never taught much —for the imst part we picked up wrinkles as best W3 could. Whether I was fonder of the game than other boys or not I can’t say, but I do know that when I played an innings of 115 at Oxford I received from Tit-Bits a bat for making the largest recorded score during the week by a boy under fifteen years of age. And very proud I was of it, you may be sure. In those days I was considered an all-round player, and when nineteen was asked to play for Oxfordshire. In my only two matches for the county I had a batting average of ten and failed to take a wicket.” “ Did you accept many en­ gagements before coming to London ?” “ For some time I was professional at Christ Church and afterwards was with the Oxford City Club for a couple of seasons. It was whilst with the latter that I answered an advertisement I chanced to see one day in the Sports­ man for a professional to, the Crystal Palace C.C. I answered it, and as my test­ imonials from Oxford were very satisfactory I was en­ gaged. After being there one season the ground was taken over by Dr. Grace and the London County Club formed. I was included among the paraphernalia which changed hands, and I have never regretted it, for the Doctor was a cricket father to me and but for him I might never have had the chance of playing in first-class cricket. London County undertook the matches which had been made for the Crys­ tal Palace C.C., and in these Dr. Grace would frequently give me some useful advice.” “ When was your first appearance in first- class cricket ? ’’