Lives in Cricket No 8 - Ernest Hayes

and fair change bowler, there is every promise of a good future for him. The South London Mail was similarly complimentary, though concentrated more on his technical attributes: As a batsman Hayes combines steadiness with plenty of hitting power. One special hit is to leg, a really clever, and to many batsmen, an impossible stroke. His two favourite strokes are an off drive and the above-mentioned leg speciality. . . . Bowling fairly fast, he varies his pace with capital judgment, has a slow ball with an off or leg break. . . . In the field he shines best in the slips or the ‘country’. This short sketch of Hayes’ brief but brilliant career, will speedily give my readers an estimate of his superb cricket qualities. Apparently there is only one road which he is destined for and that is the Surrey county eleven and fame and distinction. For so young a player, his powers have been rapidly developed, and mark my words if South London will not shortly be congratulating itself on the entry of one of their players into first class cricket. Hayes himself saw the 1895 season as being the foundation of his first-class cricket career and was delighted with the welcome he received from the county club: This being the season of my engagement with Surrey County Cricket Club of course I naturally look upon it as the start of my cricket career. Having once fully emerged as you might say I was soon successful and made several good scores for both Colts and Club and Ground so much so that a trial match was given me for the Surrey 2nd XI against Northamptonshire and I managed to signalize my appearance by scoring 134 when everything was going against us. The 2nd XI were good enough to present me with a silver pencil case on this occasion as a memento, Bob Henderson making a very kind speech when it was given me at dinner the next evening. I shall not forget this kindly welcome into the ranks as it were. Playing in the remaining fixtures I was again successful in most of them . . . so had every reason to be satisfied with my first season with Surrey County. In all cricket that summer, Hayes scored 2,035 runs at an average of 48.45. As well as his century at Northampton, he had 125 for the Childhood and Early Cricket 15