Lives in Cricket No 9 - JH King

lightning, but the little man seized the chance with the avidity and alacrity of a smart boy playing snap’, as ‘J.C.’ reported in the Sporting Chronicle . King could reasonably have expected four runs from that final ball in an innings which had been hitherto chanceless. Wisden asserts that ‘The highest and best innings was played by King, who not only showed the value of left-handed batting, but did much to justify his selection. He played a good strong game, hitting cleanly on the off-side and placing the ball well to leg’, strokes which elsewhere are described as ‘delightful’. ‘J.C.’ more colourfully declared that ‘there was English beef behind his bat – and English beef was showing its superiority to Australian mutton’. England was all out by six o’clock for 269, and Hirst and King could make no inroads against McAlister and Laver that evening; but the day’s play later enabled the Leicester Daily Mercury to delight in reprinting other newspapers’ contumelious comments on King’s selection together with their contrite eulogies of his performance. Although the wicket had rolled out very well the next day, Australia struggled at first, losing three wickets for 90. One was that of McAlister who was lbw to King. The game was then transformed by a splendid 143 not out by Victor Ransford to give the Australians a first-innings advantage of 81 runs. But what The Test-Match Player 73 Telegram sent by a Lutterworth supporter congratulating King on his Test innings of 60.