Lives in Cricket No 3 - George Duckworth

of the elder Duckworth’s local renown, that the son should keep wicket for the school second eleven, although he had never hitherto been tried at that onerous post. It was also at the age of twelve that, having assiduously saved the twopences and threepences earned from his bootleg homework scam, he bought his first pair of cricket boots for half a crown (12.5p to the duodecimally illiterate) plainly the choice of a boy who had made some decision about his keenness and ability for cricket. The young Duckworth also added to his pocket money with a paper round, based on the W.H.Smith and Son kiosk on Warrington Central Station He took the train to Glazebrook with his bag of newspapers so to do, and, whenever he missed the train, he had to walk down the track to complete his mission. Matches were played on Saturday mornings, after which young George had to do the shopping for his mother, which entailed taking a laundry basket, intended to convey the family bread, to the games, not the least embarrassing aspect, one might imagine, of his school life. It was on such an occasion, when he asked to be put up the order so that he could leave early for his shopping expedition, that he scored his first secondary school century. He was next promoted to the first eleven. Belts in special colours were awarded to the swells and bloods of the first eleven; George was plunged into hot water when his brother, James, was observed by baleful authority, with his trousers upkept by that privileged girdle. The headmaster of Warrington Grammar School at this time was Horace Gray, himself a blue, and also captain of the Warrington club, where the schoolboys practised, although they had their own field for matches. From these Olympian heights, Horace Gray deigned to acknowledge him, in these august words: ‘I believe you’re Duckworth’s son. He keeps wicket for my team.’ Such is often the case with a heritage. Like Malvolio’s letter and Greatness, George Duckworth was not born a wicket-keeper, he had wicket-keeping thrust upon him. He then achieved wicket-keeping at a high standard, so much so that, having quickly been also included in that position, aged fifteen in 1916, in the Warrington CC second eleven, he first replaced his father, when that stalwart’s finger was damaged, in the club first eleven. By 1921, and aged twenty, he was the definite first choice in the senior side. Having cited Twelfth Night in testimony, one is tempted to turn for further evidence to the Shakespearean history The Background 13