Cricket 1910

C R IC K E T : a weekly record o f th e game. NOVEMBER 24 . 1910 . “ T o g e t h e r j o i n e d i n C r i c K e t ’s m a n l y t o i l . ” — Byron. No 85 8. v o l . xxix. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1910. o n e p e n n y . CHATS ON THE CRICKET FIELD. D b . H. V. HORDERN. B y “ N ot O ut ” of the S ydney Referee. “ Cricket in Philadelphia is ideal. There can be nothing more delightful. It is played very keenly, with a good healthy rivalry between the clubs, and the best of good fellowship between the players. This good fellowship of the cricket field is a grand thing. Yes, in Philadelphia, as in country house cricket in England, the game is ideal.” Thus spoke Dr. H. V. Hordern, as we chatted of cricket and other things arising in his four years absence from Sydney. As you know, Dr. Hordern, who has returned to practice his profession in Sydney, had represented New South Wales once before leaving for the University of Pennysi- vania. And in America he became one of the most noted cricketers of the period, his “ googlie” bowling achieving marked, and, at times, sensational success against not only Philadelphian and West Indian batsmen, but against Englishmen in England as well as in America. As we talked of the peculiar type of bowling, of which he is so able an exponent, Dr. Hordern termed it the “ googlie” and I termed it the “ Bosie.” “ Why ‘ Bosie ’ ? ” said h e; “ it is ‘ goaglie ’ everywhere else.” He had turned inter­ viewer. I explained that we in Australia, as he knew, had seen the only and original B. J. T. Bosanquet in his strongest act. And, for many years before that, we had seen what we had termed “ googlies ” bowled from boyhood. The “ googlie” in Australian cricket was the slow leg-break, pure and simple. And when England’s exponent of the leg-break that turned the other way came along, and on his coiiquering day showed us something new, something differing so thoroughly from our googlie, what more natural than to call it “ the Bosie ? ” And iu Sydney, at all events, it is as “ the Bosie ” this peculiar, perplexing, villainous ball is known. Dr. Hordern will soon get used to the term, for in the four years since he went forth we have discovered many imitators of the original. And “ Bosie ” bowling has become, perhaps, the most general topic among cricketers themselves. I read somewhere the other day that the South African “ googlie” bowlers are going to show Australians something they have never seen before, save from the originator. But “ Bosie” bowlers have come up like mushrooms in Sydney. It is our fond desire that some of them will not wither away as quickly. We hope one or two will remain to show quality as Southern Cross disciples of Bosanquet. The South Africans are sure to show us quality, but, apart from that, their “ googlies” may not surprise us. Asked if the cricket clubs and grounds of Philadelphia are really as fine as they have been pictured, Dr. Hordern replied “ Quite ; Germantown, Merion, Philadelphia, and Belmont have most beautiful grounds. Frankfort have lost their ground, but are getting another. These cricket clubs are quite different from anything I have seen anywhere else. They have not only their own cricket grounds, but they have golf links, tennis courts, bowling alleys, squash courts, etc. And there are just as many ladies as there are men among the members. There are club houses, and, of course, the ladies have their own club houses. So you see they have developed the cricket clubs on lines different from ours.” Cricket must be an expensive game over there, I thought, and, as though he were a mental telegraphist, Dr. Hordern smiled, but said neither yes nor no. But he added: “ Cricket in Philadelphia is purely a recrea­ tion for gentlemen. Though there are a few professionals connected with the grounds, the clubs will not include a professional in any of their teams.” That recalls Sydney junior cricket of some years ago. The old New South Wales Junior Cricket Association debarred professionals from its competition matches, but they are no longer barred. “ I fouod the cricket trips,” Dr. Hordern continued, “ to Bermuda and Jamaica thoroughly delightful. You get a strong contrast in weather during February and March with that of Philadelphia. You leave town in the middle of an icy winter, and in 48 hours after setting out from New York, you reach the islands, where the temperature is about 70. It is a thorough change and a most charming way to escape from the winter. I had three tours in Bermuda.” “ Oh, no. There the black people are not allowed to play. J. R. Conyers, who was born in Bermuda of English parents and educated in England, is a very fine batsman, and would do well anywhere. The whole island is composed of coral limestone, and the matting over this did not provide very good cricket on my first visit. But the last time I was there the wickets had been im­ proved a lot and tbe cricket was corres­ pondingly better. We played three “ Tests ” with All Jamaica. You see the “ Test ” has traversed the globe.” “ There are three very fine grounds with turf wickets in Kingston. The coloured people, descendants of the African negroes, play there. They are cricket mad. It is the only term I can use to describe the strange fascination the game has for them. To illus­ trate this I can tell you a peculiar experience which befell myself. In one of the matches the “ googlies ” astonished them, for they had never before seen any of that kind of bowliog. I was awakened very early next morning by someone taking hold of my hand and feeling it as I lay in bed. Opening my eyes, to my astonishment five bedroom boys of the hotel were there, feeling my fingers and hand, and examining them all over. They had been so mystified by the “ googlie ” that in their keenness they desired to find out the secret (?) in my fingers.” “ You have had some happy cricket tours in England ? ” “ Yes ; one way and another, I hive seen a good deal of English cricket. I had three different experiences, each most interesting in itself, and all equally pleasant. It the first, I went with the University of Pennsyl­ vania team which played against the Schools. It showed us one phase of life and one phase of cricket in old England. And very interesting it was. Then I went over with the Philadelphia team which played the counties. It showed me quite a different phase of life and of cricket. J. B. King bowled mag­ nificently on that tour. I was in good form, too, but, unfortunately, I strained myself bowling late one day, aud it put me off somewhat for the rest of the tour. More recently I spent six weeks playing cricket in Scotland, and about five weeks in Eng’ and, principally at Eastbourne. The country house cricket was quite delightful, the matches being played on private grounds. In English club cricket I met many fine bats— men good enough for any team—but the club bowling was weak. Keen? I should just think they are. In my experience club cricket in England is quite keen. They are not at all slack at Eastbourne or in the Sutton cricket week, and it was a great pleasure to participate in their matches. Eastbourne has a beautiful ground, with a perfect wicket.” “ And in Scotland you had some fresh experiences ? ”