GREATEST CRICKETER-WHO?

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1548, 18 September 1912, Page 6

GREATEST CRICKETER-WHO?

, AN, UNSUSPECTED NAME.'"Who is the finest cricketer in the world?" was a question put yesterday by a reporter to Sir. Bert. Kortlang, the crack American and Australian cricketer, now resident in Wellington. "Bart King!" came the answer without any hesitation. "Who's he?" ' "King is a man who plays for the* Columbia Oval Club in Philadelphia, and in my opinion there is no finer all-round cricketer in the world. Ho is the fastest bowler America has got, and can swerve from either side at will. He takes a run of ulxnit fifteen yards, jumps up into the air, and delivers the ball after a double siring, full over-arm. I remember a game we played against Montreal one time. The secretary of the "Canucks," who was a member of the team, had been known to say that King's delivery was not fair, find lie couldn't bowl much anyway. When this man came in.to strike King ordered everyone off the field except myself, and me he placed at fine leg. The umpires made some demur at the action, but agreed that there was no rule to prevent a side fielding short, so they all went off but me. King hurled himself into the air, sent down a beautiful length ball, which swerved in a lot from the off. and knocked the leg shimp clean out of the ground in my direction. King was asked afterwards why he left mo on the field. 'Oh, just to pick up the stump!' he replied. "King is a beautiful but, too, with a fine variety of strokes on lioth sides. I've eeen and played against, or with, most of the best players in the world, and I do uol think Hint there is a better men to-day than J. B. King, of Philadelphia."