Lives in Cricket No 26 - HV Hesketh-Prichard

55 connections with another national newspaper coloured judgments. Worcestershire at Worcester starting 18 June, was a disaster. Hampshire’s first innings reached just 30: Hex took four wickets for 56 as Worcester replied with 271, and Hampshire’s second innings was 164. The game was – almost as a matter of course – all over in two days. You might have thought they had seen enough of Worcestershire, but everyone headed off to Southampton to play again, though not until 29 June. Hex toiled, picking up four for 127, tail-end wickets, as Worcester made 547. Hampshire made 419, and Worcestershire in their second innings reached 93 for none. Hex then ran through them as they were all out for 161, his final figures being six for 74 for his second ten-wicket match haul of the season. This time The Times said ‘Worcestershire fared badly against the bowling of Mr Hesketh-Prichard.’ But it was all for nought – Hampshire’s second innings was 198, though they nearly saw out time. The Manchester Guardian opined that ‘Hesketh-Prichard’s failure two minutes from time no doubt changed the satisfaction he had derived from his fine bowling into a gloomier feeling.’ His hand-eye co-ordination was better with gun than bat. But Hex had got himself noticed, and was off to Lord’s to play for the Gentlemen. In 1903 there was no Test-level tour, so Gentleman v Players was the high spot of the summer. It seems to have been a last-minute invitation as, on 1 July, The Times reported ten names as certain or likely to play and Hex was not mentioned. But Jackson and Jessop dropped out and on 3 July it was reported that he had accepted the invitation, though The Times commented sniffily that he was ‘virtually unknown to the London public’. The Daily Mail noticed his selection and commented that ‘both H.Hesketh-Prichard and W.Brearley have done well for their respective counties, and on the fiery wickets which obtain at Lord’s this season their great pace should prove very serviceable.’ The game began on 6 July. It was a strange match – and the wicket seems not to have been all that fiery. The Players made 478: Hex bowled 34 overs, none for 91, but The Times did say that ‘it was by no means an easy task to manage the bowling with such a strong wind blowing, but it was hardly fair for Mr Hesketh-Prichard not to have one chance given to him of bowling from the Pavilion end with the wind behind him.’ The Gentlemen’s captain was Archie MacLaren and he had his county colleague, Walter Brearley, to consider. Then the Gentlemen made 185. They followed on and made 500 for two declared (Fry 232*, MacLaren 168*) and the game was drawn. Then it was down to Hove to play Sussex. Oddly enough, Hampshire were without Robson, who went off to play for the Gentlemen at The Oval, amateur wicketkeepers being hard to find. C.B.Fry had not had enough at Lord’s and made 160 as Sussex totalled 492 – Hex’s 35 overs brought him one for 78. Llewellyn was the one who really had to work – 62 overs and four for 192. Hampshire’s 325 was not enough to avoid following on, and a second innings 203, Hex making 15, left Sussex with only 36 to win. That was no problem, and a ten-wicket defeat for Hampshire. One of the Gentlemen