HARRY BILLIARD.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2109, 28 March 1914, Page 12

HARRY BILLIARD.

CRICKET IN THE DIM BYGONE, The late Harry Hitlkrd, the vete.rau Australian cricketer, whose death Was amwmiHied recently, was born in Sydney on November 7, 1826, thus being in his 88th year when he died. He Was \vcli known to habitues, of the Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide pavilions, as for over 50 years he made tho annual trip first Melbourne, and subsxsqticntly to bath .Molbwrriio and Adelaide. In iliis- day M.r. llilliard waa a tirst-class cricketer, and was a- member of the first' Mew South Wales team that . played. against Victoria in Melbourne, iii Marckj IHSG. Mr. Billiard took - part in his first mati-'ii 70 years ago. Shortly afterwards he was apprenticed to a Mr. Sly, a cabinetmaker. Sometimes -he was ficnt out on a message, and did not return tor a 'day W Wo. He spent the ti.mt> watching cricket matches. Mr. Sly brought tivo young truant before tho Court, and he was placed iu tho colls for a few days. In after years, Mr. llilliard, in relating the story, always said that ho thought a game of cric-ket Was worth a day or so in, gaol.

PlayejS in Bare Feat. ; Mr. llilliard 'held the opinion that cricket was flayed more keenly tlia-n at preseut. 'the conditions, too,, were- notso favourable; indeed, in tho first match between New South Wales and Victoria, at Melbourne, in 1856, tho W&Miiiieii played in their bare feet, or in sox, "ill order to obtain A better grip of Wm. ground." In those early days, too, the Welshmen welo known as the teauriokors, preferring that beverage to ale, with which the Victorians- used to quench their thirst. If an}one missed a. catch i« a club match ho would not be allowed to play for several days; in* deed, tho unfortunate player afterwards rec&v-ed a "hiding" for bis faulty play. The matches scarcely extended over one day, and when a second day was broken into, single-wicket matches would ba played to till in the time. Ail Apt Answer. In 1-878, after "Dave 1 ! Gregory's team • bad left Australia for England, Mr. Llilliard suddenly made, up ilia mind to visit England and follow tlio cricketers round, tie did so, and thoroughly ettjoyed himself, tor many years Mr, llilliard was. a cricket' bat-maker and repairer, a calling at which he excelled. a. few seasons ago Mr. Hiil'ard was sitting in tho pavilion tlio Sydney | Criekot Ground watchiiig Trumper play- j iug one of 'his masterful innings, whoii' big Frank Walter, tho ox-international, ■remarked to htm: " Vou never saw anything like that- in your days, Harry." ; Tho veteran took his pipo out of his month., and, looking up very seriously, auswefed: "Perhaps not j. perhaps hot; hut you must remember that, whereas wo played in tho kitchen, as it wore, ysu youngsters aro drawing-room play* ors." Meaning that tho wickets wero as rough and tind-ftpcftdablij in the old days as they avo now porfect-