Cricket 1911

70 CEICKET : A W EEK LY EECOED OF THE GAME. A pril 22, 1911. minutes before time I held Stoddart from a mis-liit. He intended a leg-stroke, but I caught him at point. We were all sorry he did’nt get five hundred. He scored his 485 in six hours ten minutes, and gave no other chance. Sure ? Yes, I am. I ought to know, too. The ‘ other chance ’ spoken of was’nt a chance at all.” In “ C ricket ” of August 12th, 1886, one finds this note on the game : “ Kelly, a fast left-handed bowler, in particular was not only very straight, but kept a good length. ” It is added that Mr. Stoddart’s hits included one 8 (4 for an overthrow), three 5’s, and sixty-four 4’ s. “ Did you make many runs in those days ? ” “ Well, I was always more of a bowler than a batsman, but I came off with the bat now and then. In 1887, for instance, I made 76 for Stoics v. Highgate School, 60 for Hampstead Nondescripts v. Clapton, and 61 for Emeriti v. Law Club.” “ Tell me something about your more sensational bowling feats in England. We will leave your American career for a little later.” “ On figures, I suppose, my seven wickets for no runs against my old school—a Past v. Present match—must be put first. This was in 1886. By the way, I played in the Middlesex Colt’s match that year, but only bowled a few overs. Dunkley did most execution; you may remember him, as he figured in several matches for the County in the late eighties. Against Beddington in the same season I had 5 for 17, including Henderson, and against Brentwood 7 for 30.” “ You played with or against a good many well-known players, of course?” “ Yes, I remember B. Slade Lucas as a boy in the Merchant Taylors School team in 1885, when we— the Stoics—played a tie game with them. Then there was 0 . B. Borradaile, now Secretary to the Essex County Club; he was one of the first men in for the Stoics, and always a very hard wicket to get. A man I have always thought had less than justice done him was J. S. Haycraft. They tried him once for Middlesex. It was on a baddish wicket, and against George Lohmann. He did’nt do much, of course, but what was the use of that as a trial ? ” •*When did you come to America ? ” “ In 1888. I have had twenty-three seasons of American cricket — one in Denver, five in Chicago, and seventeen in New York, and have taken 1,697 wickets over here at an average of under 8 runs each. My biggest total was 113, at Chicago in 1890 ; I also took over a hundred in 1891 (at Chicago), 1897 and 1903 (New York). In 1898 I had 99, and my smallest bag in any season was 44.” “ Ever done the hat trick ? ” “ A dozen times or more. Fourteen, I believe, if you want me to be exact. Twice— in 1899, for the Knickerbocker Athletic Club v. Haverford College, and in 1902, for the same club v. Nelson Lodge— I took foar wickets in four balls. My last hat trick was for New York Veterans v. Belmont (Philadelphia) Veterans in 1910. My last up-to-date, that is. I hope to add more to the list yet.” It may be mentioned here that Mr. Kelly is one of the foremost of cricket statisticians. The game in America owes him a great deal in that way. It is but natural that he should have kept a pretty complete record of his own doings, for he has also kept records of those of many other men. “ You had wonderful bowling figures in your first season over here, I see.” “ Forty-six wickets at under 3J runs each. Yes, it looks wonder­ ful. But Denver, though it had some good players—among them G. M. King, a Cliftonian, and C. E., now Sir Cecil, Moon, of Uppingham—did not encounter such strong opposition as I met with later on. I took 13 wickets for 20 v. Central City, and 14 for 10 v. Colorado Springs. In my first season in Chicago I came nearer than I have ever done before or since to taking all ten w ickets; I had nine against the Wanderers, and the other man was ran out. For Knickerbocker A.C. v. Parkdale (Toronto), in 1899, I had all the eight wickets that fell before lunch, but did not get a chance at the other two, Cobb bagging them directly we resumed play. By the way, the Pullman Club of Chicago had in its team one year two famous Yorkshiremen, Tom Armitage, who is still living, and George Pinder.” “ Do the crack Philadelphia clubs ever visit Chicago? ” “ Oh, yes. Both Belmont and Germantown came along in 1892, my fourth year there, and in one match against the latter and two against the former I had altogether 30 wickets for 177 runs. In the same season Chicago beat Minnesota at St. Paul by one run.” ‘ ‘ What was your share in that close finish ? ” “ Eight wickets for 29. In 1893 I had eight for 5 runs, playing for Wanderers v. St. George.” “ Your first season in New York ? ” “ That was 1894. I joined the NewT Jersey Athletic Club, after­ wards known as the Knickerbocker A.C. In match after match M. B. Cobb and I bowled unchanged together, as we have done many a time in the years that have passed since then.” “ Had you met any visiting teams from the Old Country before that ? ” “ I played for Chicago against Lord Hawke’s Team in 1891. Three years later, in my first season here, I represented All New York against another side of his, and took five wickets for 84— his lordship’s own, and those of G. J. Mordaunt, B. S. Lucas, G, W . Hillyard and W . F. Whitwell. We had no innings owing to rain. In 1895 I played against Mr. Frank Mitchell’s Team, had seven wickets for 96 in the match, and scored 24 in our second innings, when we made the pretty useful total of 268, Cobb running up 73 and B . T. Bokeby 66.” “ You had more international cricket after th at?” “ Oh, yes. I may say that I have been chosen for practically every New York Team since, Against the Australians in 1896 I made 27, second highest score, C. P. Hurditch heading me with 28, in the second innings, bowled Clem Hill and Frank Iredale, and had Harry Trott caught off me. In the next year I had six for 120 v. Mr. P. F. Warner’s Team. Cobb took 12 for 208 in that match. In 1898 Warner’s Second Team ran up 419 against us, and hit me pretty freely, though I came off better than Spencer Lohmann and Howell Clarke, off whom they averaged more than a run per ball. I missed the match v. Banjitsinhji’s Team in 1899, when New York played fourteen men, and Cobb and J. F. Curran put up 109 for the first wicket, Cobb making 77 in excellent style. Against Mr. B. J. T. Bosanquet’s Team in 1901 I scored 29 and 13 and took 10 wickets for 84.” “ After that ? ” “ I captained the New York Team v. Kent in 1903, and had five wickets for 65, clean bowling Burnup and H. C. Stewart. In 1905 I played against the first M.C.C. Team to visit America. That visit was a notable event for us. The team came earlier in the season, and made a longer tour than any previous side had done. But personally I had a bit of hard luck. F. A. H. Henley drove a ball straight back to me, and broke one of my fingers.” “ You think the M.C.C. Team’s visit did the game in America good ? ” “ I have no doubt whatever about it. I know that it marked an epoch in New York cricket. Next year, 1906, we had a team from Bermuda over. Kortlang, who has done so well lately in Australia, was a member of it. New York made its best score against a visiting team from overseas—352 for four wickets, declared. J. F. Curran scored 115, and A. G. Laurie 108 not out. And the Bermudians were a good side, too, though of course not up to the level of the English teams we have met. In 1907 another M.C.C. team came along. Captain Wynyard and Mr. L. P. Collins made centuries against us, and for the first time in these matches I failed to take a wicket. I didn’t have an innings either. Kortlang played for us, and was six not out when rain closured the play. My last game of this sort was against the Gentlemen of Ireland, in 1909, when we collapsed for 29 in our first innings. I sent down 90 balls for 29 runs and three wickets in this match.” “ Not bad for a veteran, either. By the way, who was it gave you your sobriquet of ‘ The Boy Wonder ’ ? ” “ That was Hurditch, whom you know, by reputation, at least. He is a nephew of the Bev. B. S. Holmes, and an excellent cricketer, who has played the game in England, the West Indies, California, and elsewhere, as well as in New York. I suppose the allusion was to my activity at an age when most men have given up cricket.”