Lives in Cricket No 8 - Ernest Hayes

Teaching the Moderns His style was the forcing style that flourished more in pre-war days than it does today. All the strokes were there. Most admirable of all were the cutting and off-driving that recalled the dashing Hayes of 20 years ago while his vigorous onslaught against the slow bowling of Richmond was an object lesson for the moderns. Taking the Blame . . . run out 99 is always a tragedy. I am glad to have it in the full authority of Hayes that he blames no one but himself. Astill, just in and perfectly fresh, went for a single for a short one to cover, and if Hayes had been quickly off the mark he would have got in all right. When the damage was done, Astill would no doubt have kicked himself very severely for contributing to such an unhappy incident. A number of congratulatory telegrams were received and pasted in the scrapbook. Injuries meant that he played another four matches and 70 against Sussex and 45 against Yorkshire contributed to his topping the county batting averages with 254 runs at 36.28; he Leicestershire 104 Leicestershire players on the balcony at Aylestone Road in 1926, waiting for the rain to stop. Left to right: G.L.Berry, A.W.Shipman, C.A.R.Coleman, E.G.Hayes, A.Brown, A.T.Sharp, A.C.Lord, G.Geary.