Cricket 1913

694 CR I CKET : A WE E K L Y RECORD OF THE GAME November 15, 1913. “ N o , m y fath er never p la y ed , and m y tw o b ro th ers o n ly o c c a s io n a lly .” “ F o r w h a t team s did y o u p la y in y o u r b o y ­ hood ? ’ ’ “ I can rem ember v e ry little o f m y cricket at E arlsh ea ton , b u t when m y fath er m o ved to G o o le in 1901 I becam e a m em ber o f the A le x a n d e r S treet S c h o o l’s team , and for them I w as fa irly su ccessfu l. In 1902 I w a s a sked to p la y for the 2nd X I . o f the tow n clu b , and g o t six w ick e ts for 25 run s in m y first m atch . I w a s o n ly .14 at the tim e. W h e n the next season cam e round I had left school, and imm ed iately g o t a place in the G o o le first e le v e n .” “ W h a t w a s y o u r b est perfo rm an ce w ith the G o o le C lu b ? ” " It is so lo n g a g o I h a rd ly rem ember, bu t I b elieve m y b est score w a s 63 a g a in st Sw an lan d M a n o r .” “ Y o u were more of a b at than a b ow ler in those d a y s, t h e n ? ” “ O h , y e s. T h o u g h I b ow led a go o d deal I w as certa in ly a better bat than a b ow ler at th at tim e .” “ IIow did it happen that you took to cricket as a p rofession ? ” “ I w a s v e ry keen on the gam e, and w as a lw a y s lo n g in g to p la y , so when m y em p lo ye r at G o o le told me I w as g e ttin g too old for the w o rk he cou ld find me to do, I th o u gh t I w ou ld try to earn m v liv in g at c ric k e t.” “ W h a t w as y o u r first en g a g em en t ? ” “ It w a s in 1909. I an sw ered an advertisem ent in the A th le tic N ew s fo r a p ro fession al at H aw es, w h ich is d istan t o n ly a few m iles from the scene of the recent terrib le ra ilw a y catastrop h e. T o m y g re a t su rp rise I g o t the j o b .” “ A n d at H aw e s you b eg an to m ake y o u r repu ta­ tion , I suppose ? ” “ W e ll, I w a s p retty su cce ssfu l, and headed the b o w lin g a v e ra g e s w ith 65 w ickets at 7J runs e a c h .” “ D id you m ake a n y b ig scores fo r H a w e s ? ” " N o, m y h ig h e st w as 77 a g a in s t L e y b u rn ; bu t I often p la y ed fo r oth er clu b s, and in one o f these m atch es scored 102 for B ed a le a g a in st T h ir s k .” " I b elieve y o u received a trial from the Y o rk s h ir e C o u n ty C lu b ? ” “ Q u ite rig h t. T h a t w a s in 1910. M r. H . A rd en C ra lla n , the cap ta in o f the H aw e s C lu b , w h o w as a fine fast bow ler in h is d a y , recomm ended me. H e a lso w en t w ith me to H a rro g a te when I w as tried . M r. G . J. V . W e ig a ll, the K e n t am ateur, I re­ m em ber w as in c h a r g e ; b u t I w as ev id en tly not th o u g h t much o f, as I heard n o th in g fu r th e r .” “ I b elieve I am rig h t in s a y in g that M r. C ra llan h a s been a v e ry go o d friend to you ? ” " H e has, indeed, and he still takes a great in ­ terest in m y d o in g s . H e is a fine sportsm an and p a ssion a tely fon d o f cricket. H e also go es in for ra c in g . P e rh ap s you rem em ber h is horse, T h e G u lle r, w in n in g the C h ester C u p last sum m er.” “ O v e r w h ich doub tless y o u w on a p ile ? ” “ S o r r y to sa y I d id n ’t ! I know n o th in g about ra cin g , and w as not even aw are till a fterw ard s that the horse w as in the r a c e .” “ H ow cam e you to q u a lify for W a rw ic k s h ir e ? ” “ It w as in rather a cu riou s w a y . M r. R y d e r , the secretary to the W a rw ic k s h ire C lu b , w a s sp en d in g his h o lid a y s in W e n s le y d a le d u rin g the au tum n of 1910, and w h ile p la y in g a round at g o lf w a s intro­ duced to M r. C ra lla n . N a tu ra lly the conversation soon tu rned upon cricket, and m y cap tain s tro n g ly recomm ended me as a lik e ly man fo r W a rw ic k s h ire . T h e resu lt w as that I w as offered an en g a g em en t on the g rou n d staff at E d g b a sto n fo r the season of 19 11, and g la d ly accepted i t .” “ F o r whom did you p la y d u rin g y o u r q u a lify in g sta g e ? ’ ’ “ T h e first year I did not get much m atch cricket, and a ccom p lish ed n o th in g ou t o f the o rd in a ry , but in 1912 I w as lent to the M o seley C lu b fo r B irm in g ­ ham L e a g u e gam es. I w as p retty su ccessfu l for them , and scored 106 not ou t, and took six w ickets for 38 runs in m y first m atch , w h ich w a s a g a in st D u d le y ; bu t I th in k m y b est perfo rm ance th at year w as 74 not out, and 7 w icke ts for 19 run s for the R e st o f the L e a g u e a g a in st W a ls a ll, the ch am p ion s o f the y e a r .” “ Y o u p la yed on ce or tw ice in first-class cricket before you becam e p rop erly qu alified , I k n o w .” “ Y e s . M y first m atch w as a g a in st th e A u stra ­ lians, and th o u gh I failed w ith the bat, I cap tu red the w ickets o f K e llew a y and Em e ry w h ich h ig h ly d eligh ted me, the more so sin ce M r. C ra lla n had jou rn ey ed from Y o rk s h ir e to w itn ess the gam e. M y first coun ty m atch p rop er w a s a g a in st W o r c e s ­ tershire at D u d le y last W h it-M o n d a y .” “ W h ic h do you y o u rse lf con sider y o u r best perfo rm an ces last sea so n ? ” ‘ “ M y best in n in g s w as un do u b ted ly m y 86 not out a g a in st the c ou n ty o f m y b irth at B irm in g h am . I d o n ’t th ink I accom p lished a n y th in g better w ith the b all than the 7 w ickets fo r 34 runs I took a g a in st W o rceste rsh ire on the same g r o u n d .” “ I h a ve had eviden ce that y o u are a b ig h itter. C an y o u tell me o f a n y th in g excep tion al that you have done ? ” “ I d o n ’t know abou t ‘ e x c e p tio n a l.’ W h e n p la y ­ in g a g a in st N orth an ts I I ., how ever, I h it F reem an clean over the p a vilion at E d g b a sto n , the b all p itch in g in the road . I understand the feat has o n ly been accom p lished tw ice b efo re : b y P . S . M cD o n n e ll, the A u s tra lian , in 1888, and b y J. H . S in cla ir, th e S ou th A frica n , in 190 1.” “ D o e s slip field in g su it y o u ? ” " Y e s , on the w hole, bu t I like the lo n g field quite as w e ll.” “ N o doub t you were qu ite satisfied w ith y o u r first sea so n ’s w ork ? ” “ M o re than s a tis fie d ! I sim p ly never dream t