Lives in Cricket No 8 - Ernest Hayes

as much as he can in all departments of the game. His batting has two methods though he does not love purely defensive tactics; he can bowl in two styles; he can field, catch, run and throw in as well as, if not better than, any other player now before the public. And he is a trier of triers. There are younger men in the Surrey XI, as well as a contemporary or two who can afford to take a lesson from him in this respect. Hayes is, it seems, likely to be at his best this season and more extraordinary things might happen than his inclusion in an All England XI. Earlier in his innings at the end of the first day’s play, he had been similarly praised: ‘Hayes was to the fore both with the bat and the ball. He is the Surrey all round man at the moment. Four wickets for 46 and 43 not out is not a bad day’s work.’ All was going swimmingly and furthermore, some strengthening of the county’s batting line-up was on the horizon in the form of ‘the promising young Cambridgeshire professional who has qualified for Surrey and may revive her past glories.’ Although Jack Hobbs was never quite able to do that – it is bowlers who win matches and, consequently, Championships – he was, with the other two Hs, Hayward and Hayes, to form a batting trio that was to dominate many a county fixture and, off the field, be translated into a lifelong friendship. Hayes had a distinguished performance against Worcestershire: The dashing Surrey batsman has rarely been seen to better advantage than at Worcester on Saturday. He came in at a most critical period when Surrey, with nine wickets to fall, required 189 to save the innings defeat on a pitch that had been ruined by rain, and on which the Worcester bowlers were carrying all before them. By free and fearless hitting, Hayes speedily demoralised the bowlers, and in the course of an hour all fear of a Surrey defeat had practically been dispelled. Hayes made his first 50 in fifty minutes, and though he did not maintain this rate, it is beyond dispute that he knocked the bowlers off their length and saved the game for his side. All the circumstances being considered, his 152, not out, was perhaps the best innings he has ever played. It was quite free from fault and was characterised by daring driving. His timing was a marvel of accuracy . . . 50 Under New Management, Test Cricket, and a Purple Passage