Cricket 1911

CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF TH E GAME. AUGUST 19, 1 9 1 1 . "Together joined in CricKet’s manly toil.”— Byron. n o . 881 . v o l . x x x . SA TU RD A Y , A U G U S T 19, 1 9 1 1 . p r i c e 2 d A Chat with Strudwicl^. trtrs T seldom happens that a wicket-keeper finds him self one of the most popular members of his side. B ut Strudwick is an exception, and deservedly so, for a harder worker or a keener player never stepped on the field. Whether he is keeping wicket or batting he always gives one the impression that he is heart and soul in the game, and the crowd ask for nothing better than to see him, attired in pads and gaunt­ lets, and with arm s and legs working vigorously, chasing the ball to the square-leg boundary or, with a partner, who, like him self, is a good judge of a run, stealing a single: and especially keen is the delight of the Oval fre­ quenters when, as not in ­ frequently happens, the stolen run results in an additional four for a wild overthrow. On Strudwick’s skill behind the wicket there is no need to dwell, for his methods are well-known to all who have any acquaintance with the game. Suffice it to say that he is, and not without reason, considered by m any good judges to be the finest wicket­ keeper in England. As a bats­ man, too, he is often decidedly useful, and the good form he occasionally shows tempts one to believe that, if he had wished, he m ight have earned fame as a run-getter. Those who saw him make 67 not out against Notts, in the August Bank-holiday match at the Oval witnessed a thoroughly sound display of batting marked by some fine cutting. Other innings m ight be cited to prove that he is a better batsman than is generally supposed, but we will coutent ourselves by referring to the display which w ill be best remembered by those who attend the Oval. Asked whether it was not at M itcham that he learned the game, Strudwick replied :— “ A ll my life—except when I have been away playing cricket — has been spent at M itcham, and it was there that I made m y first acquaintance with the game. In my very early days bowling Photo fji/] H. STRUDWICK. appealed to me more than any other branch of cricket. It was quite ordinary stuff—now and again scarcely that, perhaps—that I used to send down, but sometimes it got wickets, and that, a fter'a ll, is the chief thing. Occasionally a bad ball w ill dism iss a good bats­ man, so I was never without hope.” “ How was it you came to keep wicket ? ” “ One day, when I was about twelve years old. I was playing for a choir—a boys’— eleven, and, for no special reason, went behind the wicket and stopped there. I enjoyed the experience, and generally occu­ pied the position whenever I played afterwards. Bale, of Worcestershire, was also born at M itcham, and we both played for the M itcham W an­ derers. He was a year or two m y senior and kept wicket until I appeared for the club, when he gave up the gloves and went in for batting and bowling.” “ Did you ever receive any coaching? ” “ Well, Mr. W. W . Thom p­ son, whose interest in Surrey cricket in well known, used to look after the youngsters a lot, and encourage u s ; but there was no recognised coaeh. Like m any another cricketer, I feel I owe a great deal to Mr. Thompson for the kind interest he always took in me.” “ How was it you came to the notice of the County authorities ? ” “ I was recommended by Mr. Frith , a member of the club, and received a post-card asking me to attend at the Oval and ‘ bring everything ’ with me. Ju st what was meant by ‘ everything' I was in some doubt about, but, in order to be on the safe side, took a bat, wicket-keeping gloves, a selection of stumps and bails and perhaps a few other things in m y bag. B u t the rumour which has credited me with arriving with a tent is libellous. I must have been about sixteen at the time. I was taken to the nets, and duly told to go behind the stumps— they were not those I had so carefully brought with me. For a short time things went fairly well, until, in fact, I was hit rather severely [Hawkins & Co., Brighton.