CRICKET STORIES

Greymouth Evening Star, 27 October 1921, Page 6

CRICKET STORIES

HOBBS AS AUTHOR, Jack Hobbs, the great batsman, has written some stories about English crickc-t tours in Australia, In a country centre a wedding ceremony was being performed. Just as the question “Will you? - ’ etc., was about to be put a telegraph messenger came in and handed a telegram to th© bridegroom. He read it and handed it to the bride, who read it and handed it to the best man, and it went round the immediate group. “Something's happened; the wedding’s off,” whispered one of the onlookers. Nervously' clutching the jiapcr, the officiating minister read “Armstrong 100, Kelleway 80; total three for 300.” Cricket is meat and drink to most Australians, Hobbs says, and he adds that he saw the following notice in a. restaurant : “Latest cricket scores served with all meals between 1 and 6 o’clock.” Hobbs also tells the following story about a test match during the 1911-12 tour : “This game was played at Alelbourne, and Wilfred Rhodes and I ii'einained together until there were 323 on the board. Wilfred played beautifully, and the crowd showed its good humor by' offering gratuitious advice to our opponents. “if was in the midst of some comical remarks that a big balloon, used for advertising purposes, w’ith a dummy figure attached, descended almost on to the field of play. “This certainly made a break in tho monotony of a long innings, and gave the ‘barrackers’ the chance of a lifetime, for when Hie dummy figure was seen a stentorian voice came from the ringside: ‘Hi! Clem! (Clem Hill was the’ Australian captain), here's another bowler for you!”