Cricket Witness No 5 - Whites on Green

21 The creation of St. Helen’s bat and beard, and popped up a ball straight into JTD’s hands at short leg, but the two Toms – Horan and Garrett – threatened to cut loose and it was only the smart fielding of Cardiff’s Cuthbert Riches in the covers which prevented a series of boundaries. But just as it seemed Horan might cut loose during the afternoon, he departed in the over before lunch as a ricochet off his thigh saw the ball cannon into the stumps. The runs continued to flow during the afternoon as Billy Murdoch, George Bailey and Jack Conway all unleashed some furious blows, but Cobden and Lewis stuck to their task, with the latter running through the lower order, though not before Harry Boyle had a further chance to expose the sloppiness of the Welsh fielding by running five for a stroke to fine-leg. With the Australians having made 219, Riches and Bertie Young, an engineer with the Vale of Neath Railway, began the Welsh side’s reply with Spofforth and Boyle commencing the bowling. Riches blocked all four balls of Spofforth’s first over, but in the Australian’s next over he spliced a rising ball from the paceman into the hands of point. Young then edged Boyle to slip before Gerry Elkington, a stylish off-side player from Carmarthenshire became Spofforth’s second victim as he was caught behind. Next ball, the fast bowler sent Cobden’s middle stump flying out of the ground before Edward Curteis, an Army captain from Brecon, drew on all of his military resolve as he blocked the hat trick ball. It wasn’t long though before Spofforth made further inroads into the valiant Welsh batting before Lewis came in and used the long handle with some effect for three quarters of hour. The Oxford Blue struck a brace of aerial blows, each just out of the grasping hands of the fielders and after one near catch, Spofforth gave him one of the Mephistophelian looks which provoked his nickname. Shortly afterwards, the enraged bowler delivered a ball which sent two of Lewis’ stumps cartwheeling out of the ground with one nearly hitting wicketkeeper Jack Blackham in the face. A few overs later he showed little respect as JTD walked out to bat. The squire of Penllergaer was greeted by a fast short ball that arrived chest high. JTD pushed a tentative bat at it and Charles Bannerman took another Frank Cobden. TB Jones.