Lives in Cricket No 8 - Ernest Hayes

opportunity is given to the colts of the county to show their form and, if there is any good promise therein, to improve it. The result is that the Surrey authorities can always fill up vacancies in their First Eleven and know exactly where to look for what they require. Among the young professionals who have come to the front under the judicious system there has been no more conspicuous success than Hayes. He played some time in the Second Eleven. When he got his trial for the county it was evident that his prolific scoring in minor cricket was the result of good form. He has played some fine innings and is likely to prove a very valuable member of The Oval side. He is a free enterprising bat, hitting hard on the off side. He has a tendency to slash rather more than is consistent with safe cricket, but his natural eye saves him from disaster. He hits hard from the bowler round to cover-point and can cut well. There is little doubt that he will improve into a leading batsman. He is a useful bowler of slow stuff on the leg-stump with plenty of men in the country. He is a fine slip. The Oval has great hopes of him. As in the previous season, failure to be selected regularly for Surrey meant more opportunities to dominate in club cricket. Hayes proceeded to demonstrate that his abilities had progressed way beyond that level with innings of 202, including 13 sixes and 21 fours, against West Kent Wanderers at Blackheath; 129 not out against the London Rifle Brigade and also a ‘seven for’ in the same match; and 131 not out against Clapton. For Honor Oak that season he had 531 runs at an average of 75.85 and 38 wickets at 5.05. It is a useful rule-of-thumb in measuring the contribution of an all-rounder to look at the ratio of batting average to the bowling average. A ratio of one is a useful benchmark; two is very good; anything better than that outstanding, but 15, like the likelihood of Macbeth’s being king ‘stands not within the prospect of belief’. Then, in October, he accepted an invitation to spend the winter in South Africa, coaching and playing for the Standard Cricket Club at Cradock, a small town in the Eastern Cape, about 120 miles north of Port Elizabeth. It was to prove an enjoyable and invaluable experience. Surrey Pro 25