THE "WEDNESDAY'S."

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2005, 12 March 1914, Page 3

THE "WEDNESDAY'S."

SOME GLEANINGS.

AND A FEW "BANK" ASIDES;

[By Hsee Meet..] "Give me a day's racin'—that 1 say is tho king of sport," and tho speaker knocked the bowl of his pipe on the fence round the Basiti Reserve playing area, what time a boundary hit thwacked a full-stop to his observation on the board at his feet.

Howbeit the merit of this individual's dictum may be—and there are many, many cricketers who will admit the- attractions of the gallopers—who can. who has ever wielded the willow, deny the lure of the white-marked crease and the trim-set wickets either to watch or to play?

. Consequently bnt few matches progress even on tho remotest fields without their little eata'rio of watchersmen who as a batsman. ■ retreats from tho wicket exclaim': "Why didn't he go forward to it?" "Beat him all the way, In by a m il o ," and other of those ejaculations which, th* man oil tho hank is ever ready with—cither . to cheor or to jeer. ■ No matter what hour a match mav be commenced on the Bask there soon units along a little congregation ' of tho cognoscenti—earliest generally being a lank lad whose gaunt form is familiar to followers of the game. If sawdust is wanted it is he who runs ror it—indeed is he assistant groundsman m doing what our American cousins call, the "chores." By right of "us has he conferred upon himself the freedom of tho Basin, On one day of tho Australian match the gatekeeper knew him not, and denied fum admit* tance. But he got in though, To some habitues who knew him well the Jank Jad in great indignation recited his grievance. "Wud&n't let me in, ! n V-uddon't. Mel" and he pulled "his Rw,, cap tlghter dowM to his ears, Y u °,;v UZ nev6 ' ><3re bote*® an' me ~ • " es," said one of the sympathetic hearers wha wanted to oontinae his,mental summing tip of tlio play uninterrupted, "I don't knew, Charlie, now John V. Saunders would get o.u without you I". ■ Each cricket field of note seems to have its identity—call him mascot, landmark or what you will. But tho Basin has many of them.

The Saturday crowds are more staid and. more numerous than thoss who assemble on the Wednesdays, In contrast, also, there seems a degree or two more of gcntlo casuauiess about tho Wednesday players. In. yesterday's bright sunshine the whole of a fielding team were lying proue on the -ward. Some minutes previously there had been an "outgoing batsman," but there Was no sign of tho "new-comer" as the cricket writers have it. Tiring of their sunbatb there was a general call paviliojiTfards— bond someone in!" There was a raucous unintelligible reply from tho scoring bos—one man had been called awav, another had failed to turn up, and some others were out—walking. _ However, the proao forms were able to nso presently as a neatly attired bats, man, firmly grasping his bat, strode across-field.

"Smito 'em, Tommy!" urged a bystander. "Tommy" took block, gkred round, gave- a hitch to his flannels, then crouched defiantly at the bowler.'''A "googly" came along. Tommy pushed' kisbai, forward and stopped it; Tho fieldsmen moved in closer for tho "smiter." Tile performance was repeated each time "Tommy"-had tho ,bowKiig-»alth.ough Ins partner tried to get' the striko as often as 'possible*-tilltu-o "outs" clustered round nun alio cmturea round a bran tub. Squarc-% was in close converso with the .wicket-keeper, while point and mid-off were snaring the ereaso with "Tommy." The crowd were ironical, asking tho "Macartney" and "Trumpcr" to do things, and at last He did. He politely patted ob«—and tlio chance was taken low down, fully sis inches from tho point of the bat,

"In that team," said fcne man with the racing instincts, "there/are sk doctors"—good for first- aid to the- injured, ho thought. The atmosphere of ■casuahess ivas very pronounced on one occasion. Tho side first to;,bat wero all eut a <jaarter of an hour previously. The two opening opposing batsmen, and an umpire were at the wickots waiting. They gamed a reward for their waiting as g?-iu*ually the scattered units of the other side drifted along and play was recommenced. The enthusiasts who were engaged iii battle oh the northern wicket were nothing if not strenuous, in addition tiiey belied Kipling's denomination to the species as "llannelled fools," as the '.'black trousers" of ,tho Crisket Association's ncted query wero everywhere. in evidence. The ball was bowled, and hit. by "black trousers.". And the hitting was lusty. On one occasion « mighty knosk from under the clock went skimming along till the ball was lost in the rough, grass near tho fountain. Quickly the batsman sped at the beginning; font— five—six—seven— they wero just rolling down the pitch, when tho ball was thrown in. Another pair of blne-shirted smiters in this game were, towards eventide, sorely harrying the fieldsmen —tip and a rm> they were making it, till tho wild returns we.ro prov« ing more profitable than the hitting. Sky-flying hitb wero dropping all round tho wicket: drop, drop, dropping through wide open aims; the captain of tho fielding team, who was bowling—a player of representative i-enown—was. Hearing his wits'-end. Then he laid W a middle stump as tho batsman swathed for another boundary, but,' Unkind .Fflte, a bail on tho wickets at his end fell off just at he delivered tho ball. And tho muchhoped dismissal was disallowed! Although enthusiasm was thus hard tried, they heartened to the contest again. It was all in tho game. And as the lengthening shadows blotted out the sunlight the 'Wednesday's kept merrily on.