Lives in Cricket No 26 - HV Hesketh-Prichard

63 One of the Gentlemen ensuing over Smith snicked a lovely four (71-8-0), but the sixth gave the trundler his saccharine revenge. Hex wrote several short pieces of fiction about cricket over the years, but they were never issued as a collection. The last game of the season was against Somerset at Dean Park, starting 29 August. Somerset made 280, with Hex, none for 76 off 22 overs, leaving the wicket-taking to Baldwin and Johnston. The second day was interrupted by rain and ended with Hampshire 241 for four, but the third day was rained off completely. Hampshire had finished their season but Hex was still going strong, despite all the work he had done this year, turning out again at Bournemouth for the Gentlemen of England against the Players of the South. The Gentlemen made 171 and the Players 179, with Hex and Walter Brearley sharing most of the wickets (Hex three for 79). The Gentlemen made 195, then Hex took the first three wickets to leave the Players at 19 for three. He took no more, but they subsided to 93 all out. Then, finally, he was off to Hastings to play for the South against the South Africans. The South’s first innings was all Jessop – 159* in a total of 237. The Times reported that ‘when the seventh batsman was out with 80 scored, [Jessop] had made 36 in three-quarters of an hour. In the next three-quarters of an hour he added 91 while Cox made 11.’ In all he made his 159* in two hours, batting with a runner. Hex unfortunately offered him no support, being lbw to Schwarz for none. The South Africans made 255, but Hex bowled only seven overs, taking one for 19. The second day was badly cut short, and the game petered out with the South declaring at 125 for six and the South Africans making 38 for one. Hex didn’t bowl at all in this innings. Incidentally, in this game Llewellyn played for the South Africans. This was, on figures, Hex’s best season. In all first-class matches he took 106 wickets at 21.92, taking five wickets in an innings nine times in the twenty games he played. He also scored 160 runs at an average of 6.95. It was also the only time he carried on until the end of the season rather than being tempted away by an expedition or for the shooting season. Cricket ’s end-of-season review commented that ‘Hesketh-Prichard has done most of the work with the ball, and if it had been his fortune to play for a county which had plenty of change bowlers he would have had a fine record.’ Wisden in similar vein said ‘Hesketh Prichard’ [alone of the Hampshire bowlers] proved really effective, and considering the poor support he received, enjoyed a very good year.’ Pelham Warner reviewed the season for the Westminster Budget and said ‘the bowling of the amateurs seemed stronger than usual, Mr Hesketh-Prichard particularly distinguished himself.’ Cricket over for the season, on October 1 Hex was off to Newfoundland again, this time with Teddy Wynyard and also with Kate. Kate stayed in St John’s while on 14 October Hex and Wynyard set off to shoot a few more caribou.