Lives in Cricket No 29 - AN Hornby

40 The Hornby-Barlow partnership begins In fact, Barlow was at his most unyielding and carried his bat for 34 in Lancashire’s all out total of 187. It was the third such instance in Lancashire’s then 12-year history. Barlow was also the second Lancashire player to bat through an entire innings – against Kent at Maidstone two years earlier – and was to repeat the feat a further nine times. Typically, he never managed to reach three figures on any of these occasions and, remarkably, against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge in 1882, admittedly, ‘on an extremely bad wicket’, he was just five not out when the tenth and final wicket went down at 69 after 87 four-ball overs. At one point he didn’t score for 80 minutes. His remarkable feat of endurance earned him a place in the Guinness Book of Records . So one can see why he and Hornby made such a perfect pairing. Carrying his bat wasn’t Hornby’s style, but he did do so twice. He scored 23 not out in all out total of 56 in the first innings against Yorkshire at Old Trafford in June 1876. Despite Hornby’s sterling effort, Lancashire lost by nine wickets. And he made 121 not out in a total of 194 all out in MCC’s second innings against Cambridge University at Lord’s in June 1882. He also passed 8,500 first-class runs in this match. An extremely fit man, Hornby would frequently steal short singles and there are many tales of his running out his partner, or nearly so. Barlow said of him: ‘He runs you out, then he gives you a sovereign.’ W.E.Howard, the Lancashire pavilion attendant, in his entertaining book entitled Fifty Years’ Cricket Reminiscences of a Non-Player , published in 1928, tells the story of George Yates, the Old Trafford professional. Seeking to please his captain, he ran down the wicket as the bowler delivered, only to arrive at the other end to find Hornby still in his crease and asking him: ‘What the hell are you doing here, Yates?’ In 1881 Hornby was one of seven Dick Barlow victims in the Gentleman versus Players match at Lord’s. Lancashire’s regular opening partnership was, of course, on different sides in this fixture. Barlow’s match figures were 72.2-44-55-7. Others dismissed by Barlow were W.G.Grace, Alfred Lyttelton, Bunny Lucas, Allan Steel, Arthur Trevor and Alfred Evans – ‘a very tough lot, it must be admitted’, said Barlow. Hornby is commemorated by a stained-glass window which now takes pride of place in the Old Trafford Long Room. Also featured