CRICKET.

Waikato Times, Volume 100, Issue 16818, 9 June 1926, Page 11

CRICKET.

THE DEMON. (By "Cover Point.") "Well done, Cornstalks! Whlpt tis, Pair and square, Was il hick lhat tript ns, Was ii scare? Kniifrarooland's Bemon. or our own Want of devil, coolness, nervo, backbone ?" So said Punch afler the Australians' great victory at the Oval in 1882, when they defeated one of ihe greatest learns lhat has ever represented England by seven runs, dismissing them in the last, innings on a perfect wicket, for 77 runs, when Ihry recpu'rod So to win. Spofl'orlh's figures for the match were: —

Small wonder he was christened "The Demon" ! and George fiiiTcn says of him:—"What, a sight, it was lo see Spofforth howling when a game had to lie pulled live a brand from the burning! He looked the Demon every inch of him. and I verily believe he ha; frightened more batsmen out than many bowlers have, fairly and squarely beaten. When the Demon meant, business (lie batsmen had to look out for squalls. His pitch would be perfect, and it was almost impossible, to get the ball away, save on the truest of wickets."

On one occasion the Australians were playing at Keighley, in Yorkshire, on a bumpy wicket. Spofforth was bowling very fast, and rapping tho batsmen more than a little ("a fast bowler has to frighten a batsman sometimes," ho used to say when telling this story). Suddenly an old Yorkshircman rose up among the. crowd, and amid a dead silence called nut:—"Chain t' long beggar up: he's trying to kill 'cm." On the whole, however, although his bowling was so deadlv, he was quite popular with the crowds. Once at Sheffield the crowd got over the ropes, taking up a lot of space and interfering with the men in the long field. A ball was hit in Spofforth's direction and the peoplfi showed no disposition to let. him get by till a Sheffieldcr yelled out: "Mak* way for 'm, lads; let fold demon have a chance," and they made way at once.

The great bowler was born on September 9, 1853, so lhat he was almost 73 when ho died. As a boy at the Glebe School, Sydney, he used to bowl underhand, very fast, and usually a good length. In 1862 Stephenson's English Team visited Australia and most of their bowlers bowled roundarm. Spofforth watched Ihem carefully and came to the conclusion that the way to bowl like the Englishmen was to throw. lie practised this diligently and met with a good deal of success, the umpires contenting themselves with hinting that his delivery was doubtful. However, two gentlemen took sufficient interest in him, not only to tell him that he was doing wrong,' but to show him the right way. So he set to work to bowl round, either English teams came to Australia wilh bowlers bowling over arm, and the lad, always looking for a good model took as his pattern Tarrant, Ihe fast bowler. Here again he made a mistaiie, for he got the idea into his head that pace was everything, and his bowling suffered accordingly. A year or two later, however, Shaw and Southerton, medium-pace good length bowlers, visited Australia, and Spofforth, after studying their methods, came to the conclusion that he might copy them as well as Tarrant, and tryto combine all three. Finally he found that variation in pace was the thing and he became a medium-pace bowler, with an uncanny knack of bowling an extraordinarily fast one and a veryslow one without the slightest change in delivery or warning of what was coming. He visited England with tho 187 S, 1880, 1882, 188-i, and 1880 Australian Elevens, and returned to England to settle about forty years or so ago.

j He played a season or two -with Dcrby- ! siiire, but finally made his home in I London and confined his energies to club cricket I it was the 187 S Eleven, the first i touring Australian team, that caused ! Kngland lo sit up and take notice by i defeating the M.C.G. team in one day. j The home team, which, comprised I Grace, Hornby, Booth, Ridley, Wcbbe, G. G. Hearne, Wild, Flowers, Shaw, Vernon, and Morlcy, wore dismissed for :',:: in their first innings, Spofforlh talcing six for 11 and Boyle :> for 14. The Demon has accomplished the hat I rick three limes in first-class cricket, and one of them was in this innings. Ms victims being Shaw, llearne, and Morley. After losing 8 for 23 the Australians finished up with 41, Shaw taking 5 for 10 and Morlcy 5 for 31. In their second innings iho M.C.G. made only 19, Spofforlh taking 4 folic, and Udylc G for .1. The Australians made the 12 runs required for the loss of one wicket.

o. n. w. First Tunings Ofi.■'! ■ *<> ~ Second Innings 23 'i-'< 7