Lives in Cricket No 24 - Edgar Willsher

80 memoirs of Alfred Shaw. In them he refers to a bet made on board the City of Baltimore between Lillywhite and Freeman as to which would be the highest scorer in the New York match. As with all good semi-apocryphal stories, Shaw claims that they both obtained a ‘pair of spectacles’, whereas in reality, in their only innings, Lillywhite scored 13 and Freeman 10. He then conflates the Montreal and Boston matches, again asserting that neither had yet got off the mark on the tour. So to Philadelphia and the final attempt to settle the bet. This is where we have to assume some factual basis to Shaw’s account, provided we change some of the names. Both Freeman and Lillywhite had failed to score in the first innings, and Freeman, batting above Lillywhite for a change, successfully completed a ‘pair’ in the second. Shaw continues: It was my turn to follow him in the batting order. When he reached the dressing-room I was in the act of stooping to adjust my leg-guards. Freeman did not see me, and in his vexation at failing to score for the third time he threw his bat violently against the wall of the dressing-room. The bat, fortunately, passed over my head. George was terribly frightened on seeing me, and said his first thought was that he had killed me. In fact, Lillywhite himself was the man in next, and he joined Griffith with only six to win. Shaw has a much less prosaic version of events: When I joined him he hit out and scored a run. On reaching the wicket he threw the bat in the air, delighted at having scored at last, as he thought. But he reckoned without the umpire. That official was so astonished at Lillywhite throwing up his bat that, on being appealed to, he gave him ‘run out’. This ruling in turn amazed Lillywhite, who asked the umpire what he meant. The umpire’s reply was an outburst of indignation at having his ruling questioned, and he stalked off the field in high dudgeon, vowing that he would act as umpire for these impudent Englishmen no more. The facts, such as they are, can only be fitted into the dramatic conclusion of the first Philadelphian match. Naturally enough, in the twilight world of Shaw’s imagination, Freeman and Lillywhite decided to call the bet off in favour of a friendly drink. Several professionals from Boston and New York were drafted in for the second match, including Pearson, the umpiring saviour of the first match. The Philadelphia Club, however, was not as Cricket on the Brain