[NOW FIRST PUBLISHED.] KINGS OF CRICKET.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 9565, 22 October 1892, Page 5 (Supplement)

[NOW FIRST PUBLISHED.] KINGS OF CRICKET.

REMINISCENCES AND ANECDOTES, WITH HINTS ON THE GAME. By Kichaud Daft, Member of the All England Eleven, ex-Captain ol Notts County, Captain of the AngloAmerican Team 1879, &c, Sea.

Tub RrcmTs of EErnonuoTiosr are Strictly

Reserved,

ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF CRICKET C4ENERALLY DURING THE LAST I'HTY YEARS.

(Continued.) Many of the very bcsb players I have seen Have been_ clergymen, the Rev. G. G. Lane perhaps being ths most prominent I have met. J-Uo highly respected, and by those who have the honour of knowing him personally, the much beloved Dean of Rochester, the KeY 8 Reynolds Hole, always took an immense interest in cricket, and when he was spectator of auv match in which I was myself a player, he never outfor achat on our uational Tho Daan iv his young days was a very good Player. He has told me a good story of a single wicket match he once played against another gentleman Mr Hole hit one ball to leg which was picked up and carried away by a do* The other player immediately darted after the doto obtain possession of the ball, and the Dean" at once commenced fco run. The dog ran over several lields, while the Dean ran some live and twenty runs, and this incident won him the match easily. N o boundaries had been arranged before the game began ; everything was to be "run out," so that no objection to the dog s performance could be made. The loss of Dean Hole s presence iv Nottinghamshire has been much regretted, but that his heart is still with us those who are acquainted with him are fully aware The presence of such a man on a cricket field confers an honour on the game and on those who take part in it. I often think- it is a pity that cricket in our villages is not better supported than it is Th<> carrying on of a cricket club, however small, is always expensive, as those who have had to do with those things always discover. I have had very httle to do in this line myself, but have always boon willing to assist the oarryin°- on ol my village club at Kadcliffe in any way I can At one time i always took a very aotive part ir tae getting u P of a concert in the national schoolrooms every year for the benefit of cricket 1 have for some years, however, taken no part hi these affairs, owing to the following circumstances, which occurred several years since. We had been lucky enough for this particular concert to obtain the promise of my friend Mr Grower, Mus. Doc, of Trent College, to play a couple of solos on the piano, and we had also some excellent singers on our programme as well. We thought we might this year raise the prices of admission. It was quite the middle ot winter when our concert was to take place, and the weather was very severe. I received a lector from Dr Gower the day before the entertainment, to say that he had a most severe cold and was afraid he might be unable to corns on the iollowmg day, bat would bo present if it were at all possible. These tidings caused great consternation to our secretary and the committee when I communicated them; bub we had to hope for the best. The great day arriving, our secretary proceeded to decorate the schoolroom with rosettes,, flsga, &c. The morning post had unforounately brought me soveral letters from

those wao were to have taken part in the concert saying that the writers would be unable to tuliil their engagements with us, beiujj confined to their rooms with colds, influenza, aud other ailments. These letters I took down to owe secretary at the schoolroom, who, however remarked that the places of these absentees might be (nled by substitutes, and declaring that he d:d not care what happened providing JJr Cower turned up, he proceeded with his decorations.

Several of our committee, including. myself set about getting a few fresh peiformer-i and had just succeeded, when a fe\v hours before the concert was to commence several more telegrams came from others'of our artistes alle»iu» illness as .-in excuse for .their not being able to attend that evening; and, to croWn all, a telegram followed immediately from Dr Grower to say that his medical attendant had psremotorily forbidden him to leave his room for several clays. Ihese evil tidings I took to our secretary still hard at work decorating the schoolroom! The bad news, however, immediately caused him to leave oil. We were, indeed, in a sad way. It was too Into to put the concert off yet here we were with scarcely any performers we could depend on. Ths programmes we had had printed would not be of the slightest use, and altogether we were in a terrible fix. At length a. bright idea seemed to strike one of our committee, who, taking me aside, declared that he knew four first-rate musicians in Nottingham who' glnyed oil various instruments and who would be glad fco come down and oblige us, he fdb sure. I was rejoiced to bear this. We all fell in at once with the suggestion, and hurried our colleague off by the first train to Nottingham to fetch the four minstrels. We now secured several singers in the village, and altogether our prospects appeared a little brighter. 1 went home to change my clothes, and when I again arrived at the schoolroom it was beginning to fill rapidly. lat ence went to our secretary and asked if Mr • — had secured the instrumentalists.

"Oh yes," he replied, bub did not look particularly happy, I thought. " D 6 you know anything of them ? " I asked. "Oh yes, I've heard them lots of times,?' he replied, " and so have you too." "No," I said, '; I seldom go to concerts, so have never heard them." " You've heard 'em scores of time," he persisted. ' ' ■ "V/hcre?" said I. "In Blank street, just outside the " (mentioning a well-known public house in Nottingham),

This was the last straw, but there wa3 nothing for it now but to ieb things take their course and to hope none of the audience would recognise the " wandering minstrels." As the programmes were entirely useless the names of the songs and the singers we had to write on a huge blackboard which we placed in as conspicuous a part of the room as we could. Someone had, of course, to mount the platform and apologise to the audience for the change of programme, and as no one seemed at all anxious to undertake this unthankful piece of work, I had to do it mys&lf. I held up a regular sheaf of telegrams in my hand 'to show that there was no mistake about the genuineness of the excuses we had received ; but I also declared that we had bosn fortunate enough to procure some efficient substitutes, including soino distinguished amateur (I laid great stress on this word) instrumentalists from Nottingham, and having wished them all an enjoyable evening I retired amidst applause.' I hid previously given orders that directly I had linished my speech the four musicians were to be sent on to the platform from ths anteroom, and to make as great a display with their instruments as possible, and this, I am bound to say, they carried out to the letter. The names of their instruments I was ignorant of, but they certainly did not err on the side of diminutivencsi. They led oft' with a fcremandous noise, and I now looked round to see if by good luck they might pass unrecognised by the Kiidieneo.^ This, alas ! was not the case. First 1 saw looses of incredulous surprise, next whispered consultations all over the room, aud finally a bro:ul grin spread over tho countenance at nearly every person present. However, the unlucky concert was got through somehow, Oar musicians favoured us several times during the evening. But when all the rest of the performers a-cended the platform to smg the National Anthem at the conclusion, tho minstrels were conspicuous by their absence. Ifc was afterwards ascertained that they had spent the interval in the anteroom "polishing ott1" all tho refreshments we had provided for the singers, &c, during the entertainment, a good supply of which beia" lolt towards the finish, those gantlomea evidently considered this too good an opportunity to be lost. 'i3at to crown our humiliation they proceeded straight from our concert room to a public housis in the village, and Imvu-jj an hour and a-h:df or co to spare before the last train left ior Nottingham, they entertained the ocoupants of tho tap-room of this establishment with tiie very same pieces which they had jasfc given at the concert, sending the hat round afterwards for donations.

The committed and all of us were mercilessly elialfed about the whole affair, so imwb so indeed, that although this happancd years ago, neither our secretary nor myself has over dared to take part in the gutting-lip of a conserb from that day to this.

It l)c Gower should ever read these linos he will, I am sure, call to mind the many pleaaaufc cricicob matches in which we have played against oaeh othur. fie has taken my wickot on more than one occasion, for ha was a very line fast bowler, and has hit my lobs out of the Held almost every time I have gone on to bowl while he has been batting. 1 have generally secured hi 3 wicket, but never without hi.s scoring heavily off inn first.

This ruminds mo of an anecdote i oncu heard of old Oinrka and Mr Charles Taylor. Taylor w;vß knocking old Clark all over" the field, and

still the old mau would persist in keeping himself on to bowl. After a long- time, however, Mr Taylor was caught oft him in the long

"There ?" shouted on* old Clarice, triumphantly " I knew [ .should get him ; 1 told yon 1 should!" " Well, Clarice," replied the retiring batsman, "I asi quite satislied. I've not ova-SO runs,you know."

_ Ihe coaching of young players is now more in vogue than formerly; I mean more especially in the smaller schools of England. Very excellent coaches were always employed in our large public schools ever since I can remember. 1 have done very little coaching in my time I r£^ VT', h- ad two seasons at Harrow (1860 and lBol), he.ping George Parr to teach the boys there m the early part of the summer, and here I had a most pleasant time. Mauy youo* boys who were there at that time I play 4 against in some of the greatest matches of'the day in after years. Mr Arthur TLiygarth and the Hon. Robert Urtmstone were often at Harrow at the time I was there. Theso gentlemen, as everyone knows, were always great cricket enthusiasts Mr Haygarth has represented the Gentlemen agaiust tho Players on several occasions. He was always noted for his stubborn defence as a batsman. Mr Grimstoue was a well-known figure at Harrow at this time and for many years afterwards. He was always conspicuous Irom Ins quaint manner of dressing; but was one of those men whom it would have been impossible not to have recognised as a gentleman if one had seem him in a smock-f'roek and corduroys. He was years ago a great patron or the prize ring, and few aro the fights recorded of any note from .which the name of the Hon. "Bob" Grimstone is omitted as having witnessed them. •

One of the best friends Harrow School had, as far as cricket is concerned, I used to meet there, at the time of which I write, was the Earl of Bossborough. No man has ever takeu

greater interest in cri.ket than this nobleman and there is no better judge of the game living at the present moment. I first played against nis lordship over 30 years ago, at Irnham lark, near Grauthain. I played for tho All England aud Lord Bessborouch for 2? of the District. The Hon. Chandos Leigh played also in this match, I believe. The Earl of Bessborough generally comes over to Nottingham every season to see the Harrow Wanderers play there, so that I still have the honour and pleasure of a talk over old matches and old players with one who has seen more cricket perhaps than any one now left amongst us. His lordship just has been kind enough to forward me a list of those who composed the Harrow Eleven during the two seasons I was there. They are as follow • I

1860 —Lord Acheson, Alexander, Burton, Daniel Q S}"S eb^at^:S^K aitlftn(i; 1{«l.-Lord Achesqn, Alexander, Stiller, Burnett, Uater GriUespie, JMaitlaud, Meek, Palmer iieid, I. D. Walker.

Most of these players I met in later times but the only one I ever play against now is theworld-famsd I. D. Walker, and that we may both be spared to meet as opponents in the tented field is, I am sure, the wfsh of each of us.

In looking out for suitable men to coach young players, it is most desirable that the man selected should have a thorough knowledge of Datting. Many good bowlers I have known are deficient iv the art of batting themselves, and are not able to impart it to others I would sooner have for a coach a good batter and an indifferent bowler than vice ver*a Diver and H. H. Stephenson were two splendid coaches, the latter possessing the advantage of paing rea u y first rate iv both depart fc f tue gatne.

{To he continued.)