James Lillywhiite's Cricketers' Annual 1874

2 4 bowling of the Amaphrodites Captain fast at one end, and underhand slows at the other . The only thing I particularly noticed was that the captain very nearly always spit before he delivered the ball , whilst the slow bowler delivered theball with his tongue out of his mouth. W e attributed this to the heat of the day. As usual , the brewer's defence was obstinate : not an inch would he movehis bat to the fast , whilst the slow bowling was poked away in the most approved manner. Caution was the order of the day, until the gentleman who bowledthe slows , having put his tongue out a more than usual length, induced our Parson to walk out to it . Fatal error , the ball shot and broke back, the wicket -keeper was equal to the emergency, and we lost our first wicket . 0 - 1 - 0did not look well on the telegraph , and still worse did it look an hour after , whenthe score stood 2 0 - 5 - 0. There was a disagreeable sort of murmurwent round the Green as the last manwalked away from his wicket , which was changed to a mighty cheer as Billy the Slogger stepped out from the dressing -tent and took his waytowards the wicket. Still as a mouse had Billy been sitting . Noamount of persuasion could induce himto " take a pint ; " the short black pipe , even, was discarded , and all Billy was heard to remark w a s - " I don't like the fast stuff ; but the slows-m y hi ! I'll make he put his tonguehout." And now every mouth was shut ; Billy bared his brawny arms , took his guard, glanced carefully round, and stood up to receive his first ball . D o w nit came, like lightning , on the leg side , with a thud against the pad you could have heard a quarter of a mile off . Billy remained immovable-" How's that ? " shrieks the bowler-a moment, a horrid momentof suspense for Gumbleton-- "Notout ! " cries the umpire confidently and then such a tremendous roar burst round the Green as must have madethe very gravestones in the church- yard rock . This was the last ball of the over , and Billy looked anything but happy. Oh ! those next six overs , shall we ever forget them in Gumbleton . TheAmaphrodites were heard to whisper that the match would not last for one day, much less two. There was a self -satisfied smirk , too , on the face of the " Pro .," and altogether things looked ugly for Gumbleton . But all of a sudden there came a change over the face of affairs . Billy , who had been playing in the most cautious manner , suddenly opened his shoulders and , to the astonishment of the bowler, pulled a ball fromthe middle stump awayto square leg for six ; the next one was driven to on for four, and the next snicked past the longstop for a like amount-ten off one over. Suchshouting and cheering was never heard ; and the hubbubwas increased when Billy continued to pull off balls to the on, drive balls on the leg stump to the off, and send bail balls to square leg. The captain took himself off, the gentleman on the other end put his tongue in and stood at short leg-very deep , I may remark -and the Pro ., all confident , took one end, whilst the well -known " expresses " of a county crack drove the wicket -keeper to short slip from the other . Gumbletonfelt better , and so a mug of ale was sent out to Billy ; those who were standing long field and nearest the booths refreshed themselves , and the game continued . The Pro. was still less fortunate than his predecessor ; he was hit all over the field , whilst " byes " came readily from the other end until , when lunch time was called , the telegraph shewed 100 runs for the loss of seven wickets . B y this time, too, the gaudy coats were heaped up under the umpires' arms, and the Amaphrodites had had plenty of leather hunting. All things , however, must have an end, and Gumbleton were all out for 130--- Billy , not out, 65.