Cricket 1914

12 THE WORLD OF CRICKET. J a n u a r y , 1914. and a t Manchester, and a t Sheffield. I think Leeds was my favourite ground for bowling. Perhaps it’s because my best performances were accomplished there." (At Leeds, it may be remarked parenthetically, Haigh obtained such analyses as 9 for 25 v. Gloucestershire in 1912, 7 for 17 v. Surrey in 1897, 7 for 20 v. Sussex in 1911, 7 for 32 v. Essex in 1909, 7 for 33 v. Middlesex in 1900, and 6 for 13 v. Surrey in 1908.)’ “ Isn’t the light at Sheffield rather bad at times ? " “ I really don’t think so. Speaking for myself, I’ve never seen the light too bad for cric k et; and I think it’s far more difficult batting in a strong, glaring light than when it’s dull. I don’t think I ever appealed against the light all through my career when batting/ “ Do you like batting or bowling the best ? " “ Bowling, by far. I am always happy when bowling. I would rather get five wickets in an innings than make a hundred runs any time. I never took (batting very seriously. I was too fond of having a go, unless, of course, runs were badly needed. Once at Worcester half the side were out for 68 runs, and we looked to be in for a beating when I joined John Tunnicliffe. As I walked to the wicket, Mr. H. K. Foster, who was strolling about, said to me : 4Well, Haigh, you seem quite cheerful and sm iling.’ ‘ Y es,’ I answered, * I ’ve brought the key with m e.’ K ey— what key ? ’ ‘ W hy, the key to the rabbit-hutch ! ’ I replied. You see, there were only Hunter and two left-hand bowlers to follow. John and I stayed in the rest of the day and put on 122 runs. I was out the very first ball next day, but then Hunter made a stand with Tunnicliffe and we saved the match. T hat was in 1900. Against Somerset in 1901 I had got to 96 when Cranfield was kind enough to send me up a slow full pitch so th at I could get m y first hundred. I hit it to cover point, and was caught right enough. However, I hadn’t long to wait for m y century. I made three good scores running.* It was perhaps my most successful spell of batting. I suppose my best stroke was through the ..overs. I shouldn't have made many runs without this. B u t they got to know it was my favourite, and generally blocked it. In 1901, when we only lost one match in the championship, Lord Hawke and I managed to save the Surrey game at Bradford by staying in the la^t half-hour of the match. There were only Rhodes and Hunter to follow, and Richardson and Lockwood were bowling their fastest. That half-hour seemed.like a week to me ! " “ That was a fine innings you played against Lancashire a t Leeds last season," remarked the interviewer. Haigh then made 67 in 70 minutes, towards Yorkshire’s total of 220 for 7, and he may be fairly said to have won the game for his side. The match was won six minutes from time, and the thrilling excitement in the final stage will long live in the memories of the spectators. “ It was a good finish to a Lancashire and Yorkshire match ! The strange thing about it was that there were no orders given to go for runs, and a t first no one thought of obtaining them. If you remember, I hit three fours in an over off Dean, and that seemed to rouse the crowd and brought the possibility of winning the match home to us. We kept looking at the clock, and gradually Benny Wilson and I got well ahead of it. We put on 108 runs in 50 minutes. Fo*m is a funny thing, isn’t it ? " “ I suppose some days the ball will look like a football and at others like a marble ? " “ It never did look like a football to me. There’s a lot of luck— both sorts— in cricket. I ’ve sojnetimes said to George," remarked Haigh, laughing, “ th at I ’ve gone through a whole season without being missed. B ut you'd better not put that down, or else people will think I ’m making excuses for not having done better, and I was never one for making excuses.” “ They are not likely to think that about you," he was assured. " Who are the best batsmen you have played against ? " “ It's largely a matter of opinion. But personally I ’ve al­ ways admired Mr. Lionel Palairet. He batted so beautifully and had such fine off-strokes. Once down at Taunton he hit me for five fours in an o v e r; all fine strokes through the covers. I expected to be taken off at the end of the over, but his lordship kept me on. The first ball of my following over Mr. Palairet drove hard and low into the outfield. Denton came darting along from somewhere like an arrow, and with his left arm out­ stretched caught the ball an inch from the ground while running at full speed. It was the finest catch I ever saw in first-class cricket. He’s a splendid out-field, is Denton. He covers so * The three scores made in successive matches were, 96'v. Somerset at Leeds, 60 v. Worcestershire at Bradford, and 159 v. Notts at Sheffield, in July, 1901, much ground, and his throw-in is perfect. The ball is returned straight over the top of the wicket every time. You haven’t to go galloping half-way up the pitch after it. “ Trumper was a very fine batsman, too. He never let the grass grow under his feet. In the Test Match at Lord’s in 1905 he hit two fine fours to leg-off the first over of the match, which I sent down. The balls were not bad ones, and only a batsman of his quality could have scored off them in the w ay he did. T h at’s the way to throw a first wicket off his length. He and Duff were a splendid pair. They nearly always gave their side a good start." “ Do you think Trumper had fallen off much when he last visited England ? " “ No, I don’t think so. B ut in his great season (1902) he couldn’t do anything wrong ; everything came off for him. The next tour things went more against him, and he often got out unluckily." “ Did you find playing in Test Matches a strain ? Were you ever nervous at all ? " “ No. I didn’t find it specially trying, and I never felt ner­ vous. I was naturally anxious to do well, but th at’s a different thing from being nervous. I always did my best, and I didn’t worry about things afterwards." “ How did you enjoy your South African tours ? " “ I liked them very well. My first visit with Lord Hawke's team was especially enjoyable ; they gave us such a good time socially. The heat didn't trouble me at all, though once, when we played at Kimberley, it was 112 in the shade. There was a vast difference in the strength of the South Africans when I paid my second visit with Mr. Warner's team. I think the South African Eleven of that year would have beaten any team we could have sent out from England. The googly was then quite new to us, and we had to learn afresh— it was like starting again at the beginning. The googly would break five or six times as much as our bowling. There is no doubt that gc^Dglies pay best on matting wickets. No ; I never tried to bowl them myself. I was too old to learn. Besides it throws a great strain on the muscles of the elbow. A googly bowler as a rule doesn't last very long." “ How did you like the matting wickets ?.” “ They suited me all right, once I had got used to their pace I could always make the ball turn on them. But directly the the ball touches the matting it seems to lose it's ‘ devil ' ; and it always comes along at the same level, seldom more than a stump high. I never found the glare trying— in fact, as a rule there's a beautiful light for cricket. I didn't enjoy my second tour so much, for I was troubled with dysentery nearly all the time. I brought home from the first trip a lot of spears, asse­ gais, and other curiosities. The children have had some fine times with them, playing at Red Indians in the back garden.” “ You have been rather unfortunate with regard to accidents, haven’t you ?” “ Not particularly so. Apart from a strained leg in my first season, I have only been laid aside three times. Towards the end of 1901 I developed water on the knee, through its being badly bruised ; and last season the ligaments at the back of my right foot were badly strained through my being run into by a motor car, as I was on my way to the match at Fartown. The worst accident I had was when Mr. Brearley’s bowling broke my finger. That was in 1908, and I had taken 70 wickets for about 7 runs each when it happened. It was the top joint of my right-hand first finger ; and I couldn’t spin the ball properly when I played again that season, and got few wickets after­ wards.” “ When do you take up your appointment at Winchester ? ” “ In May. Of course, this will not be by any means my first experience at coaching. Of late years George and I have coached the sons of county members at the nets at Leeds each April before the season commenced. Then, too, I coached at a Roman Catholic School for a short time. I was engaged simply to coach the eleven. The boys who weren't in the eleven would crowd round the nets to look on, and it seemed such a shame not to let them have a turn when they were so plainly longing for it that I said to one of the masters : *Can't those little fellows have their innings ? It seems a pity not to let them, as they are so keen.’ So he spoke to the other masters about it, and the result was an arrangement that I should take the eleven for two hours one day, and the rest for two hours the next day, and so on, turn about. The little fellows were delighted. They showed more keenness, and were more anxious to learn than some of the eleven. I like to see the little chaps have their innings as well as the big ones. How can they learn properly if they don’t.'*