Lives in Cricket No 29 - AN Hornby

86 The Crossland and Mold throwing controversies minutes and 42 seconds with a commentary by the TV personality Adrian Chiles, and Hornby’s appearance is crucial to the storyline. Hornby is seen in the nets facing Mold’s bowling. He cuts a rather portly figure – as does Mold – a far cry from the super-fit athletes of today. Mold’s action is very much round-arm – in the style of Sri Lanka’s Lasith Malinga, often referred to as ‘Malinga the Slinger’ but who has never been called for throwing. The choice of Hornby to face Mold’s bowling was a deliberate ploy by Lancashire. It was thought that Hornby’s impeccable reputation at both county and international level would help to ensure that the good name of Lancashire cricket would remain untainted. Archie MacLaren, who was captaining Lancashire in the match in question, said later that he kept Mold on – even though he had been no-balled – at the insistence of Hornby, who was presumably English umpires were ex-professional cricketers and even the best of them tended to be subservient to the amateurs. James Phillips, an Australian, had no such qualms, and as early as 1898 was not afraid to no ball that ultimate Corinthian, C.B.Fry.