Lives in Cricket No 36 - WE Astill

25 The Prodigy players of promise were forthcoming’. 47 But he whimsically adds that it is improbable that young Astill read those mournful words; he was, more likely, still busy in those periodicals in which the hero conquers crocodiles in mysterious creeks and catches the captain of M.C.C. on the boundary and the stroke of time. 48 The official team photograph for 1907 shows ten stern veterans and one fresh-faced young lad, but if there had been any doubt over Astill’s inclusion in the team he quickly scattered them. He may, in the ‘time- honoured’ opening match against Lancashire at Aylestone Road have taken only two rather costly wickets (for 87 runs), but they were of Makepeace and J.T.Tyldesley both well-set and beyond 50, the former bowled, the latter ‘tempted … to overreach forward’ and be stumped. It is noteworthy, then, that of his first five wickets in first-class cricket three were of opening batsmen, one of a No.3 and one of a No.4. He could not keep this up, for in the next match, after having taken none for 29 overnight, on a pitch now ‘soft and easy’ after rain, he shared the attack with Odell and dismissed five Nottinghamshire men for 33 in the home team’s only innings at Trent Bridge. Although ‘Astill bowled extremely cleverly’, the Leicester Daily Mercury had to admit that he was ‘helped by the forcing methods of the opposition’ who wished to catch Leicestershire on a drying pitch. Nevertheless, the Lacemen were no poor team, becoming indeed County champions that year, and those who fell to the young bowler included the future ‘cracks’ Joe Hardstaff sen. and W.R.D.Payton as well as the redoubtable hitter Alletson. 47 These words occur without quotation marks in the 1907 Wisden , p 244. ‘Crusoe’ is hardly likely to have seen the County Committee’s report. 48 More Cricket Prints , p 53. It must be remembered that ‘Crusoe’ believed Astill was 16 rather than 18 at the time of his début. The Leicestershire team of 1907 – Ewart’s first full season. Standing (l to r): J.Shields, J.H.King, H.Whitehead, A.E.Knight, W.E.Astill. Seated: T.Jayes, W.W.Odell, C.J.B.Wood, Sir A.G.Hazlerigg (capt), V.F.S.Crawford, S.Coe.