LAST MAN IN.

King Country Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 221, 4 January 1909, Page 2

LAST MAN IN.

How he won the Match.

Dear me,' T said,* fatuously, that's another one out. There's no zest for the wicket.

Six for ten, replied Jones in his professional voice. In business bouts he was an undertaker. Out of business hours he becomes one of the brightest ornaments of the Warren, as our ground is called from the prevalence of rabbits on match days. After all, said Ethel, who had already broken three pencils in the effort of keeping a bowling analysis consisting mainly of dots, they only made forty.

We haven't any one left who's likely to make four, Jones went on. How on earth a man contrives to get oat to an ordinary good length ball like that is a puzzle to me. Let me see, I said, yours came in very fast off the pitch, didn't it, or was it one that whips across from the off and bits the very top of the peg?

First swerving from leg, put in Perkins, who had made a blob—except for its blobiness.

Jones explained—quite unnecessarily—that he had been leg-before to a googly wide. % It seems to me, said Smith, as he began to put on his pads, that we are in a hole.

It's their fast bowler, I explained. He's digging it with his- left foot. Perkins says it reminds him of the trenches at Ladynnith.

Was Mr Perkins at Ladysmitb? asked Ethel, sharpening another pencil. I told her no; bat he read all the illustrated war news, while Smith rose to take a tender farewell, as another click announced a further disagreement between stamps and bails. Going away for long? I queried, as be went off, looking like a wrongfully accused hero of popular melodrama; and are you a good sailor?

You'd better get your pads on, Tommy, advised Perkins. Smith is out first ball..

My faith in Jobson forbids it, I protested. I've never seen him play. - When he is out I will think about it, and I turned to Ethel, and continued: It is always well to have a cricketer of my experience to go in last. We are never nervous. You don't happen to have a drop of brandy about you, do you?

That's the first four this innings, she said, as Jobson laid on. He evidently thinks that even the most expensive balls are only matte to bit. Now I—but you'll see in a minute, for Billy has succumbed. I think he fell over the edge of the trench and cocked the ball up. He's actually made six singles while we have been talking.

It put on my pads quite quietly. How long have we got to get the runs? I asked. « Two hours.

You may bring me an ox in a teacupat the end of the first of them.

With a pinch of salt? asked Jones in a nasty way.

And a suspicion of pepper. Exactly. Remember me to. all at home. The batsman crossed at that catch, so. I may be not out. Jobson bad two balls of the over left. The first was a clinker, rising very sharply from the bat and dropping clean into the road with a great deal of spin. The long field won a round of applause by hi* vaulting of the hedge and the rescue of the ball from a decamping small boy. Jobson's attempt to repeat the stroke was a failure —we got only four for it.

The two sides of an isosceles triangle are equal. I took and demonstrated this fact with one bail. Then I planted the bat on the apex of the triangle, and thought of Ajax defying the googlies. My cricketing instinct said: Don't move the bat, so I followed the advice. It hurt, of course; a ball on the fanny bone generally does, but we ran two. The second ball was quite different, but my instinct was conservative. I started to rub the place at once, but on Jobson's recommendation ran two legbyes instead. The third brushed my glove, and the umpire, with conspicuous presence of mind, ruled it not out, and we got quite friendly, and taked about the weather on our way back to the pavilion. But I anticipate.

The fourth ball was just within reach for my crack, past cover. So I stepped across the wicket into the wicket-keeper's light and the umpire signalled two byes. Then I began to hit out. Having re-adjusted two blades of grass, I spooned the next to mid-on. I had missed him twice earlier in the afternoon. He, therefore, owed me two lives, exclusive of interest. However, lie proceeded to pay ten shillings in the pound at once; but before he dropped it I had started to run. Come on, I shouted. No, no, from my partner. This end, from the wicket-keeper, and mid-on responded gamely. I wanted five for the. hit, but, as we were not running, we were only ak lowed the four overthrows. Breathless excitement as the scores . were level. I alone was calm, as I - took guard again and constructed a fresh triangle. The ball was well pitched up in the direction of point and forward I came leg, bat, and elbow. The umpire called wide and the game was won.