A FAMOUS CRICKETER.

Northern Advocate, 13 March 1913, Page 6

A FAMOUS CRICKETER.

When talking to a representative of the "Ceylon Sportsman" anent Australian cricket, the Rev. E. F. Waddy declared that Victor Trumper's very best performance was his innings for New South Wales against Victoria in 1906, when he scored a magnificent 101 on a bad wicket, on which Saunders and Layer were especially nasty. Xo one else on the side was able to do much.,"l remember," said the Rev. Mr Waddy, "the first ball Trumper faced with Saunders was a Isreak which just shaved the off stump. That was the last ball of the over. Crossing over to Saunders he said: 'Look here, Jack, T shall go for your bowling, and knock the cover off the ball.' And he kept his word, he hit the left-hander for 21 in the next over, and crossing over he got about 18 in an over off Layer. In that style he got 101 in a manner I have not seen surpassed. Yes, Victor Trumper is a marvel." Speaking to a representative of the '"Sydney Arrow," in connection with the first match in which Victor Trum per took part, Mr Charles Trumper, father of the famous Australian cricketer, said:— "Do I recollect the first match in which. Victor took part? I should rather think I do. He was only a small boy, wearing knickerbockers. It was on a Saturday afternoon, and he was passing through Moore Park, where a match between the second elevens of Carlton and Warwick was about to be commenced. These were the famous old clubs now unknown, which played such big parts in the history of New South Wales Cricket. The Carlton second was short of a man, and as soon as Victor was sighted, he was asked to take the missing man's place. This he readily consented to do, and performed so excellently a; to open the eyes of all present. If memory serves me right, he made 24 runs off his own bat, and took no fewer than eight wickets. A precocious cricketer, eh? Oh, no! We did not think so. In connection with this match I would like to mention a little 1 incident which at the time struck me as being somewhat humorous. Charlie Patrick—you know of him of course—was present, and at the conclusion of the play he mischievously tcok up a bat and dared the youthful players to bowl at him. The latter were not slow to accept the invitation. The first ball served to Patrick was sent soaring away sykwards, but the second, which was bowled by Victor, scattered the stumps in all directions, ti the amusement of all, and the surprise of the batsman. "Just b> way of showing the reputation which Victor, boy that he was, had already gained in those days, I will mention another little incident. He had promised to take part in a match one day—the names of the teams I forget for' the moment—in order to fill the place of an absentee. But when the teams arrived at the ground where the match was to come off, and the opposing side saw that Victor intended taking part, they re fused point blank to play. I looked at this as rather extraordinary, in view of the fact that my son was, at that time, only fourteen years of age, while the two teams under notice were comprised of full-grown men!"