Cricket 1913

C R IC K E T : A Weekly Record of the Game. — SEPTEM BER 6th , “ Together joined in Cricket’ s manly toil.” — Byron. n o . b 4 , w o l . j i , , , w s e „ [ s . S A T U R D A Y , S E P T E M B E R 6, 1 9 1 3 . PRICE 2D- N o. 943, Old Series. A Chat with Mr. T. Smith, of Winnipeg. “ T om Sm ith ” — h e is n ot th e o n ly m an o f his n am e in th e w o rld or in C a n a d a . B u t m o st p eop le in W in n ip e g w h o k n o w a n y th in g a b o u t c ric k e t w ould sp o t th e m an y o u m ean in tw o g u e sse s , if n ot first g o . T h e re is a n o th er l'om Sm ith , w h o p la y s fo r the C .P .R . te a m ; bu t th e W a n d e r e r s ’ m an is th e T om Sm ith w h om W in n ip e g c ric k e te rs k n ow best. “ A re y o u C a n a d ia n b o rn , M r. S m ith ? ” I a sk e d fo r a sta rt. “ O h , n o. B y th e w a y , it ’s a m ista k e to su p p ose th a t a ll th e p la y e rs in C a n a d a are B rito n s, W e s t In d ian s, o r A u s tr a lia n s ; bu t i t ’s a fa c t th a t a v e ry la rg e p ro p o rtio n o f th em can n o t la y claim to b e in g n a tiv e s. I w a s bo rn in G lo u c e ste rsh ire .” “ W h ic h p ro d u ced J e s s o p ,” I m u rm ured. “ Y e s . A n d h a s c a u se to be p ro u d— o f J e s s o p ,” M r. Sm ith a n sw e re d . H e is a m o d est m an , and holds h is ow n c ric k e t d eed s o f sm all a cco u n t. B u t an in te rv iew er w h o ca n n o t u se the c o rk s c rew — m eta p h o ri­ c a lly , I m ean— is o f sm a ll a c c o u n t; and I m a n a g e d to m a k e m y v ictim tell m e som e th in g a b o u t h im self, fe n c in g him off p o lite ly w h en he tried to tu rn the c o n v e rsa tio n upon g e n e r a l su b je cts, w h ich is a w a y y o u r m o d est m an h a s o f e v a d in g h is bounden d u ty as an in terv iew ee. “ W h e n did yo u com e to C a n a d a ? ” “ In 1903. I w a s su p p osed to be a b a tsm a n in th ose d a y s. B u t th e m a ttin g b o th ered m e a b it, and the lig h t w a s difficu lt to g e t used to , and a lto g e th e r I a lm o st fo r g o t w h a t m a k in g ru n s m eant. T h a t p h ase la sted s e v e ra l y e a rs . B u t I fou n d th a t I cou ld g e t w ic k e ts on th e m a ttin g , and I en jo yed qu ite a re p u ta ­ tio n a s a b o w le r. S cra p -b o o k s and the lik e h a v e been th ro w n o v e rb o a rd in m y freq u en t c h a n g e s o f lo ca tio n ; b u t I still p re serv e a n ew sp a p er c u ttin g w h ich tells h o w I a ch iev ed th e se n sa tio n a l a n a ly sis o f 2.4 o v e rs, 2 m a id en s, o ru n s, 8 w ic k e ts ! T h is included a double h a t trick . ” “ T h a t ’ s g o o d e n o u g h , I sh ou ld s a y .” “ Y e s , b u t it w a s n ’t an e v e ry d a y o ccu rre n ce. A n d m y b o w lin g did n ot la st. Q u e e rly e n o u g h— or p e r­ h ap s yo u w ill be ab le to e x p la in it? — a s it le ft m e m y b a ttin g cam e b a c k . T h e sea so n o f 1907 w a s the MR. T . S M I T H . la st in w h ich I b ow led m u c h ; I to o k 41 w ic k e ts at a trifle o v e r 7 each in le a g u e c ric k e t th a t y e a r. W ith th e b a t I o n ly a v e ra g e d 13 in th e le a g u e , bu t m ade m y first ce n tu ry— 105 n ot o u t in a to ta l o f 181 fo r 3 — in an o u tsid e m atch . I m ad e a n o th er— v . S t. J u d e ’s — an even c e n tu ry , in 1 9 1 0 ; th is, to o , w a s a frie n d ly g a m e . M y b a ttin g a v e r a g e s in le a g u e c ric k e t w ere 25 in 1908, 21 in 1909, and 31 in 1 9 1 0 .”