Lives in Cricket No 26 - HV Hesketh-Prichard

73 One of the Gentlemen only five overs for 27. Warner and Spooner took the Gentlemen to 202 for one, but then they faded and were all out for 315. There is perhaps a problem of perspective here. Any fast bowler today who could be close to Test selection would be putting all their efforts into winning that place: but perhaps it was not quite so important in 1905, and especially not for someone for whom cricket remained a recreation. Ted Arnold, who had bowled well for the Players, took the Test place. This is illustrated by the fact that immediately after this Hex was off to Worplesdon, where he took a team down to play the village at Frederick Selous’ invitation. This was to be a regular event. Hesketh-Prichard’s XI scored 149 and 83 for seven declared, Worplesdon 75 and 84 for three. Hex himself made 23* and 17* and took three wickets in the first innings, not, one suspects, at full pace. The local newspaper remarked that Hex had been hoping to bring C.P.Foley, who had toured with him with Lord Brackley’s XI, and Conan Doyle, but they could not come. Among those who did were Philip Trevor, cricket correspondent of the Daily Telegraph ; Frederick Meyrick-Jones, who had abandoned a promising cricket career for missionary work, but who was a good enough player to be the Allahakbarries’ star batsman; and Bertram Fletcher Robinson, who had moved from the Daily Express to Vanity Fair. Robinson had told Conan Doyle a ghost story about a spectral hound on Dartmoor The Gentlemen’s side which lost to the Players by 149 runs at Lord’s in July 1905. Standing ( l to r): W.Brearley, H.V.Hesketh-Prichard, H.Martyn (wk), R.H.Spooner. Seated: B.J.T.Bosanquet, G.L.Jessop, Hon F.S.Jackson (capt), P.F.Warner, C.B.Fry. On the ground: G.W.Beldam, W.H.B.Evans. Hex played in three of these high-level representative matches.