JALES OF COLONIAL SPORT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2690, 4 October 1905, Page 86

JALES OF COLONIAL SPORT.

By F. D"A. C. De L'lsle

Author of "Tales of Sahib Land," "Tale? of the 28th B L.," "Tales of a Turf Detective," "Tales of Sport," etc.

(For the Witness.)

[All Rights Reserved.]

No. VII.— THE DEMON BOWLER OF

LILLIPUT.

They were sitting gloomily thinking in the breakfast room at Ferrars's Comer — the four brothers, th.?ir feister Sybil, and the favourite cousin from town, Edilh Pelly.

The Ferrarses were a generation of ciicketers ; the Ferrar&es before them had been a generation of cricketers ; and so on for generation after generation, bock into th.i illimitable past, the Ferrars family could trace their cricket-playing ancestors right into the Stone Age. Sybil c-ften deckred that Fors, one of their antediluvian ancestors, had been the greatest bowler of his time. The ball he used was a meteorite, and instead of bowling at the stumps of his rivals he bowled for their heads ; and in those days of bumpy convincing grounds his execution was wont to be very deadly. The last generation of Ferrar&es had accomplished wonders in intercolonial cricket ; the present generation — colonial-born, healthy, lusty, beefeating youths — were striving after immortality in the footsteps of their forefathers. For two seasons the team at Ferrars's Corner Station had won the Wahgunyah district championship without ' losing a single match. But the present season had proved disastrous. They had had to fight tooth and nail to even hold tlvdr own against Lilliput, Springhurst, and Rutherglen — three clubs that they could have beaten, playing left-handed, two seasons ago. Their pre-eminence was threatened ;■■ their cricketing sultanate was in the balance ; and gloomily they sat in their breakfast room reviewing the alarming situation.

"Oh, hang the war !" at last cried Fr.-ddy Ferrars, ffitat 18, fresh from the Scotch College. "What on earth did Monkey go and get shot for ! Here he has gone and ruined our batting combination, our bowling is weakened, and thoe,? beasts from Lilliput are bragging about paying two men short and licking us out of" the field. Oh, blow you, Monkey! What on earth did you get shot for?"

Private Gerald Ferrars, 24 , of the Victorian Bushmen, invalided home with a Mauser slug in his right shoulder-blade, sat scowling at his younger brother. Monkey Ferrars had bsen the demon bowler of the Ferrars's Corner Ciicket Club. A really fine bowler, with a "hang" to his delivery that on a dull wicket m-aple it almost impossible to play him. The war fever had clutched him with irresistible attraction, and after going through 'six months of campaigning he had returned home utterly unfit to do any cricket for years to come. "Well, Ered," he answered, "I am desperately sorry that I could not oider the flight, of that bullet. I would have taken it in th& ribs or in the jaw — in fact, anywhere, so as to avoid being crippled for cricket ; but, you see, I had nothing to do with it!"

"Oh, don't rot Monkey, Fred ?" said Jack Ferrars testily ; '"he couldn't help it. We have to thank Jim Bladen and Foxy Martin for our being so weak this year. What ths deuce do fellows want to go and get married for, I would like to know? There's nothing in it !" •%Two pairs of eyes flashed meteoric signals across the sunlit breakfast room, and Edith Pelly flushed scarlet from ear-tip to bosom ; while Monkey Ferrars, with his left hand, stroked his fair moustache, and his tanned face took on a deeper flush as his eyes turned te the window and stared out on to the lawn.

''Yes, it's very silly to get married," said Sybil Ferrars mischievously, glancing at her blushing friend. "I really can't understand what girls can see in great, hulking, ugly men who can da absolutely w nothing but play cricket, talk cricket, and dream cricket ail their days. It passes my j' limited comprehension !"

"Thank you !" from both Fred Ferrars and his twin brother, Reginald.

"You're a sweet sort of sister to have, and no mistake ! You're not mad on cricket, are you? Oh, no! Not at all!" cri,?d brother Jack scoffingly. "Well, when I marry" — and Sybil's beautiful brown eyes twinkled wickedly — "I will marry a man who can ride and shoot; and go to the war to bring back souvenirs of his chivalry to liis ladylove "

"By Jove!" Monkey Ferrars's left hand went up like a shot to his right shoulder. "Oh, that villainous slug ! I say, Jack, you might come and dress it for me, old fellow !"

Jack was up in an instant. The younger brothers secretly thought the world of tltf-ir soldier brother. A flushing face on the otlvr side< of the room softened with sympathy and solicitude. "P-'tliink Edith makes a much better nnr.^s than Jack," said Mi?s Mischief, bent upon having her fill of enjoyment out of the embarrassment of her friend. "Wouldn't you prefer tog-"Tiav6 Edith, Jerry?"

"Well, if you would?" Private Gerald glanc-erl eloauentlv across tli^ room.

Edith Pelly rose immediately, pitifully shy. pitifully embarrassed, blusliing furi-OUiS-lv.

The twins exchana^d a meaning look. '"You've been setting t.°rriblv sun-biirnpcl, Edie !" remarked Master -Fred. "I declare, you are quite parboiled !"

"You've got a comr>lexion like a'-lobs+.T !" added Master Reginald. "Keep out of tlie sim for a few days, and stay indoors with Monkey !" j >

It was a ccood thins for Mastev Res th;,f liis football experiences at tli. a Scotcli College had taught him to duck, and duck

quickly too, for had the heavy lef* hand that came swinging over his head a second later caught him anywhere on the skull h,i would have been oblivious to Edith Pelly's complexion for some time to come. As Gerald Ferrars opened the breakfast room door for Edith, and she passed out, followed by him, Master Fred's loud voice rang in th. ir ears :

"Bow awfully interesting these beastly vounded heroes are, bai Jo^c! don't you know !" ''Ugh !'' exclaimed Reg scornfully, they'll go and sit in a corner for the next hour, and suck the same piece of chocolate like two great big kids ! She'll ruin Monkey with her adoration. I'm blest if .she isn't fairly chucking here.?lf at him. Flinging herseif at his head like a monkey up a eocoanut tree! TJgh !" His imagination in metaphor failed him, and he snorted disgustedly.

"Does that hurt? Oh, did that pain you?.. Oh, please tell me if I'm hurting you !" cried Fred, mimicking Edith Pelly sponging his brother's wound.

Sybil sprang from her seat like a fury and dashed at her brother, whom she banged and thumped" with her little fists till her hands were sore. "I won't have it ! I won't ! I've told you before, and I'll Balf-murder you if you 'rot' Edith. You rude beast, Fi^d ! I hate you! YYoyou — yyoyou — you — you rabbit!"

Now a "rabbit"' in cricket parlance is a dandified and perfumed loafer, who gets him&jlf up to "do a gallery" — a man who is an utterly useless and totally unfit unit in the cosmos of a team ; therefore, for an enthusiast to be called a "rabbit" is for him to be completely covered with obloquy and opprobrium.

"Steady there, Sib !'' cried Master Fred. "You know I'm no loafer ! And as for the gallery, I never flash about like some of those Springhurst chaps do. That bounder who carted you round the ground at Lilliput is a bigger 'rabbit' than any"'?- have ever seen. And you stuck to him like glue !"'

What might have eventuated goodness only knows, for Miss Sibyl's eyes were flashing lightning : but Jack Ferrars lumped up, and, placing himself betw.een liis brother and sister, said authoritatively : "Here, shut lip 'rotting.' I thought we were going to discuss Saturday's team against Lilliput." "So we are. Shut up, Sib — knock it off!" cried Master Fred.

"I'll leave you," answered the indiigniiint young lady. "But next lime you ask me to bowl or e-cout for you, Fred, you'll know all about it!" and, tossing her head. Sybil marchied out of the room, the personification of insulted dignity.

Then he brothers fell to discussing the pros ynd cans of the material at hand for the team they liad to pick again&t- Lilliput. The dliscussion was long and 1 serious, but think and think as they might, they could only find ten men at F^rrai-s's Comer to play on tfco following 'Saturday. The twins were top-notchers ; so was Jack ; t'lie two Pellys (brothiers to Edith), who ijad an adjoining run, were also" very gcod ; two of the Ferr-irs's Corner Station Lands were fair players, and the other tlire a were only moderates ; and this , was all t.lte material available- for the coming struggle with Lilliput. "If we could put Sib into pants and cut her hair, sh* would be invaluable, I'll swear!" groaned Fred despairingly. "She caai^play all round ifoe wickets as well as any of us !"

"I'll back her in the field against t-lio best man they've got in Lilliput ; and she don't field with her skirts eitiher ! She goes down to 'em fair, heels together, aird mops 'em up like a man. And she never drops a skier!" groaned Reg.

<- Sh& held one of the hottest drives I evea* brought off, at practice last night. Ob ' I say, Jack, couldn't we play her somehow?" urged Fred.

Jack (old for 22) shook his head dubiously.

"Tli© pants idea is rot, of course ! Sib would do anything to play for us, I know ; but, hang it all, those Lilliput chaps would go round saying we had to ring hi girls- to play thorn, a>nd all that sort of thing. No-, worse Juck, we must do without our little champ. !"

"By Gad ! I would like to see her standing- up to Dryden. Hc-w he would staiva when she started to paste him all over the shop! Just fancy Sib hooking one OF those leg breaks of his! He would drop dead, I do believe, through, sheer rage !" said 1 Tveg. Their rhapsodies ov<sr their sister's capabiHties wtre broken, by her entrance into the room. She had rl&wn in, a white whirlwind, panting, quivering all over with excitement.

"News, news, glorious news!" she cried, standing with her hands clasped before her, her eyes dancing, a. nervous, palpitating, glowing masa of healthful vitality, the- epitome of divine womanhood. "By gum ! It must be good, Sib' — you're shaking like a blummy !"' (blanc mange), said her prosaic brother Reginald.

"Yes," she panted. "Pater has just engaged a book-keeper ! He. came this morning ! He is out in the store ! He plays cucket ! He has played fo-r Australia ! Against Stoddart's Eleven! His name is &ii,clair; you remember the match thr&9 years ago at Adelaide, when Monkey played for Victoria? Well, this is the Sinclair who made 144 not out for South Australia ! Gerald remembers him ! Now, what do 3-ou say?"

The three brothers rose with a simultaneous howl. Linking t-heir arms through hers the twins dashed c-\i f / of the room with then sister, and, followed by Jack, they made a, bee-line foa the store.

A tall, athletic man, cla£ in a light tweed suit, was talking with Gerald Fc-rrars, in the sunshine, outside the store. The brothers were soon introduced to him.

"By gum ! you'll have to play for us on Saturday," said Reg eagerly. "We aie ono man short ."

The newcomer muttered something about being very much out of form.

"Have some practice this evening ; the pildi is in splendid order/ said Juyk,

' "I cannot neglect my woik, you know !" remarked the new book-keeper. "Oh ! but you knock off at 5 here always," said Fred, "and the light is good up* to half -past 7." Sybil was covertly taking stock of thfl stranger. Ho was most distinctly hp.nd&.&me; she thought she had never seen a handsomer man. And he. was a well-edu-c.vted man — there could be no question about that. But why wn^ he accepting a billet as book -keeper at £100 a year on a sLeep station? That was a puzzle most decidedly. "What the deuce brought him up here, Monkey?" asked Jack, as they filed out fur practice at 5 o'clock. "Something v.rong with his people's i business, I "fancy. He said something I about bankruptcy. Had to chuck up his ! icl-^a, of a profession. Hard lines for a> fellow, isn't it?" And Jack agip-cd with him. "Let him go in first,"' eaid Sybil in a I whisper. "I'm nob going to play tomghl!" "What rot!" answered Fred, scornfully. j "You always go* in first. We're not going ' to make any difference because Sinclair is ' Lc-re." 'Oh ! but I don't want him to see me playing," urged Sybil. "At least not yet'!" "I say. Reg," called out Fred in a loud voice to his brother, ''Sib is funking oe- - ! cause Sinclair is here!" i "Well, I'm blessed!" ejaculated. Reg. '< "I never thought you were a funk, Sib! You'll have to go "in whether you like it or not!" "No, I'll scout," ansr/ered Sybil. "Let Mr- Sinclair have some practice." 1 But the brothers would not be denied, so-, after putting on^a pair of diminutive batting gloves, made expressing for her by Jack, Miss Sybil stood up at the practice net. and took guard (one- leg)' like a practised hand at the game. As she .yas obliged to play, she made up her mind to show the newcomer that she knew something about it. Jack and Reg bowled. Jack, medium-paced, break bawling, tliafe came m a. little from bot'd leg and off; and Reg, fast, )Vell-pitched, straight balls, ! that had' a lot of "devil"' in them. "I say, that's too* hot for a lady to face, isn't it?" said Sinclair to Fred. "No fear," answered Fred. "She will get set in a minute or two, then you'll see her paste Reg!" j Sinclair was fielding point, and the fair i batsman kept him busy with some very I pretty cuts, and every fast leg delivery 1 was glanced away to the boundary. Miss Sybil had effectually mastered tins art of wrist play, and every time her brothers bowled on the leg, her bat came forward, ; straight and true, and the ball was glanced j away m perfect style. Sinclair was admiring the clean,, ncafe batsman's style, when one of Jack's loose off "curls" was cut hard and high right into his hands. He held it smartly. "Well caught!"' yplled Jack. "I thought' I would get you at point, Sib ! I bowled fov the. field !" "Did you?" said Sib, contemptuously, leaving the wickets. "My opinion is tha* it was a beastly fluko! I've only had about half my time, have I not?" Sinclair was timekeeper. Hs looked a' his watcb. "Just eight minutes, Miss Fen'rars," be answered. "Your turn, Sinclair," said Reg. "We never give Sib a second chance. We so seldom get her out in the 10 fiimutes that we make ber go as soon as ever she gets out !" "Truly, brothiers are tyrants !" said Sinclair, as he put on the pads. "You have, a splendid player in. yam* sister!" "Yes," replied Reg. "I wist we could play h'sr in matches, bat it wouldn't do, would it,?" "Hardly !" said Sinclau\ All the brothers tried ttheir bowling against the new maa, but his batting wast perfect, and he went through, liis 10 minutes at the nets without giving the

semblance of a chance. "My word ! Won't we paralyse that Lilliput crowd on Saturday !" said Fred, jubilant over the newcomer's fine batting. The news of the arrival of an intercolonial player and Australian "rep." reached Lilliput, via Rutherglen, two days later through the mailmen, and his prowess was exaggerated to such an extent that it appeared as if a second Trumper or Hill had come upon the scene. Walter Dryden, the Lilliput break bowler, heardand pondered, ft seemed Jiard that the irresponsible advent of a cricketing champion should rob his club of the honour ifc had all but won. He resented this act of fickle fortune ; he looked i*pon it as a flagrant injustice. Bowling leg breaks some few evenings before the match he sent down a fast, loose one, wide to leg. The ball broke in like_ lightning, about Bin or iOin, ana bowled over the middle stump of the best batsman in the Lilliput team. » "Good Lord, Wally, what sort of a ball d'you .call that?" cried! the paralysed player. "One out of the box,"' boastfully answered the bowler. 'He was more astonished than the batsman even, but he dissimulated, and od the other prayers to believe that t.h.9 break had basn intentional. After the practice was over he loafed about until all the players had left the field; then he walked over to the pitch and examined carefully the spot where the ball had pitched when it broke in with, such terrific effect. He soon found what he was looking for— a patch of hard grass, forming quite a small mound, though, owing "to a decided slope towards the wicket, it was haidlv noticeable. He kicked it up with hih hoel, and und.n* the clod of turf that he kicked up lay a flat, white btone. over which the grass had ovown and formed the slope that put such, an effective break on any ball that hanpei io d to pitch upon it. Wnlter Drvden walked home to tea, hands in pocket, whistling umnelodiously. deep in thought. For the remaining four evenings before tlie inatcli he was lo b@

Been practising hard, on the match wicket, at a single stump: "Getting ready for Saturday, Walter?" asked his cricketing friends. "You bet ! I'm, getting a lot of work on the ball just now. I've found a new 'screw' ! Bet I startle that intercolonial bloke at Ferrars's Corner when he takes his strike next Saturday !"' was the answer. When the Saturday arrived there^was a record attendance at the Lilliput Cricket Ground. All the cricketing folk from Springhurst, all the cricketers at Rutherglen and Wahgunyah, turned up to see , Lilliput play Ferrars's Corner. I Gerald Ferrars, Sybil, and Edith Pelly , drove over in the American buggy ; the j Ferrars's Corner team rode over, or drove I in ths buckboard. i

On the field, Sinclair, in his Australian i "rep." blazer, was the observed of all , observers. Taking a few strokes at the practice net he established a panic in the ' hearts of 'Lilliput by His powerful, clean ! strokes all round the wicket. J "We're dished, -Wally !" said the Lilliput ' captain to Dryden, after watching the ' batsman. "Seen that Adelaide bloke at j the net?" j ">Jever you mind him, Bill !" answered ] •Mr Dryden confidently. ' "Let 'em go in first if- you win the 1 toss. This wicket just suits me. K"ow-mind, let 'em go in first !" | Lilliput won the toss, and sent the ! Ferfiars's Court team to the wickets. Jack ' Ferrars and Sinclair Arent in first. Sinclair took the northern wicket, facing the bowling of Mr Dryden. After Dryden had tossed up a simple trial ball the game ! began. Taking a careful look at the- j placing of the. field, Sinclair stood up to I the bowler. The umpire called "Play !" J and Dryden sent down a medium-paced ball wide on the, left — so wide, in fact, that the batsman stood straight up with a smile : on his face, immediately to vanish as he ! made a desperate attempt to stop the ball, ; that broke in like a shot, and knocked his off-stump out of the ground. I "By Georga! what a beastly fluke!'' said 1 Jack,' at the >ther end.

Sinclair walked over to where the ball had pitched, looked at the ground, then returned to the tent with the derisive shouts of the onlookers ringing in his ears. "How unfortunate !" said Gerald to Edith Pelly, sitting contentedly by his side on a bench in front of the tent that did duty for a pavilion. "That ball fluked in ; no man can bowl a break from the off like that."

"■Of -course not," agreed his nurse, sympathetically. "What on earth was it?"- < a6ked the elder Pelly, as he sallied -out to take Sinclair's _place.

"Big lump on the outside of the pitch !" answered Sinclair. "I could have played it had 1 I 'known-what the' pitch was- like ; as it was, it took me completely by-surprise."' "I hope I don't' get one like it," exclaimed the ingoing batsman as he marched out.

"What hard luck!" said Sybil, consolingly. ' "Mind you hit him all over the field next innings !" , 'T will," answered Sinclair. A few oveis afterwards, when Jack Ferrars had scored 7 runs and Pelly 1," a terrific leg-break, that came in quit© 18in, dismissed .Jack Ferrars with a look on his face that it "would be hard to describe. Dryden had been "the destroying agent. _"I swear it broke in 2ft,?' said Jack to his hrother Fred, who was going to the wickets. "Look out for Dryden ; he is getting tremendous work on the ball." In the same over another terrific offbreak saw Fred Ferrars return with a "blob" to his credit. Reginald Ferrars went in. Pelly added 3 runs to his score,' and opened the over N at the opposite end. Dryden's first ball removed his middle stump — a smashing break from the leg. Arch. Pelly took his brother's place, only to Tetire with the last ball of the over, clean bowled by a big leg-break. The rot was simply sickening. Dryden was unplayable, anoV the Ferrars's Corner innings closed for 15 rßhs.

The Lilliput 'ftarrackers" were jubilant. Their team went in, and were all out for 75-^-Sinclair, behind the wickets, accountincf for three caught and two stumped. •He,-provedv a "most brilliant -wicket-keeper, • and<Drvden, goino; out to the first half hereceived—a long 1 diop from Reer Ferraiv^ was maddened to- sec his ;bails removed' fcpfore he -could ; return to his crease. Dur-' ing the Lilliput innings " Sinclair had been carefully examining the pitch, and when 5t came to the Ferrars's Corner second innings he called all that team together, and spoke to them : "This fellow Dryden has got us on toast. There are two artificial lumps on the pitch — one on the leg, the other on the offside ; — he probably made them himself, and he has got the pitch perfectly. Now lam up to his dodge ; I can play him without difficulty. We will go in in the same order this tune, but let me have the end opposite to him as much as possible. If any of you are batting at the opposite fend, and you only see t l run in the last hit, leave it, and let me have Dryden's over. I think we can put up a score that will plill this match out of the fire."

"Good luck to you," whispered Sybil to Sinclair, as he was going out to bat. "If you can put Dryden out of the ground I shall be so pleased." "I will try, if only to give you that pleasure.^ answered Sinclair gallantly. The' iubilant Lilliput men were throwing the ball about the field in ereat glee. Mr Walter Dryden had assured them that he would dismiss the Perrars's Corner^ Eleven for- a jun apiece in the second innings, with .which end in view he- opened opposite Sinclair with one of his marvellous leg-breaks. The ball broke in well, but Sho 'Lilliput players were not prepared to ccc it played hard and high to lee;, clean out" of the ground into the next paddock, for 6. And Sinclair distinctly heard a piping treble voice cry out from the pavilion, "Oh ! well hit indeed."

Mr Dryden was not pleased. He tried Sm off-break nest ball, only to see it Tate. cut, iow and haid, to tiUa boundary, between

the wicket-keeper and slip, for 4. The next ball he sent down amis, a straight, me-dium-paced ''yorker"; but the batsman stepped out, "took it on the full volley, and smashed it over the bowler's head out of the ground. Six more! In desperation the bowler tried another big leg-break. He was flustered, missed the ispot, and a wide resulted. The next ball was hit clean out of the ground again. The over realised three 6's, two 4's, and a wide— 27 runs*! Th.s Lilliput team was demoralised. Jack Ferrars, taking heart from Sinclair's fearless hitting, alfo pasted the bowling all over the field. The agreement as to Sinclair always having Dryden's bowling was religiously carried out, and in 20 minutes the Lilliput scoie was passed, and the batsmen went on piling up runs at every hit. Such batting as Sinclair's had never been seen in bucolic Lilliput. Dryden was taken off in disgrace after Sinclair had scored a century off his bowling ; then seven other bowlers were tried. It was of no avail. Between them the two batsinsn put on 3'oo runs, and then Ferrars' s Corner declared their innings closed. Sinclair was not out 211, and Jack Ferrars not out 71 ; extras. 18.

There was just one hour left to play, /and the Lilliput team, demoralised, leatherluinted to a. standstill, and with no life in, them, were ignominiously dismissed for 10 runs. It was the rottiest rot in the history of Lilliput cricket. Leaving the 'pitch to. return to the pavilion, Sinclair's foot hit against Dryden's leg-side mound. He stooped down, knocked up the turf with his bat, and unearthed a big, flat, triangular piece of slate, which had been stuck into the ground slantwise to prize up the turf into a mound.

"I say, Jack, I've discovered a slate quarry," said Sinclair. "Let us see if there . is one on the off-side of the pitch also."

They "walked over to the off-side, and soon pulled out another piece of slate, corresponding exactly with the piece on the leg-side. "By Jove! A navel discovery in geology!" exclaimed Jack Ferrars humorously. ■Tt "will recommend the Lilliput Club io form a company to exploit their slate quarry !" The Lilliput Club was disgusted with the unfair tactics of its break bowler, and lie was never asked to play again. Miss Pellv- and Miss Sybil Ferrars have long since ■explored the paradisiac realms Of niatrunc<ny. andi both Mrs Oerald Ferrars and Mrs Lionel Sinclair keep, as a redlettei\day. the anniversary of the famous cricket match that resulted in the downfall of the demon bowler of Liliiput.