"LUCKY" COINS SENT TO CRICKETERS.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 11 September 1914, Page 8

"LUCKY" COINS SENT TO CRICKETERS.

, Fortunate is the captain of a county cricket club, who has never received a " lucky " coin. For he is as "good at tossing" as was the man who owned—and used— a twoheaded halfpenny, or the Hon. F.S. Jackson when he captained many teams against the Australians. On six successive occasions he won the toss against Mr. Darling. On the seventh, at Scarborough, he found the famous Australian in his tent, stripped to the waist, encircled by the Union Jack, and with his arms folded. " Now," said he, "we will have a, proper tossing, and the one who gets on the top wins the toss." " All right," said Mr. Jackson, " Here, Georgie "— hailing a burly member of his team—"you come and toss this time." " Very well, then," returned Mr. Darling, hastily ; "we will toss in the old-fashioned way !" Mr. W. G. Grace has had several spells of " bad luck " m tossing, ancl_^_^. has in y consequence been presented *"' "*""' with "lucky" coins innumerable. Lord Hawke, when he captured Yorkshire, was favoured in the same way, though not to the same degree. After he had had a run of ill-luck at tossmg.that would have ruined a pieman, an enthusiastic Yorkshire lady sent him a, "lucky" sixpence, with a request that he would ever after use it when spinning the coin. In the next toss it gave him the choice of innings, and theuceforwnrd up to the time of his retirement, it rarely failed him. Mr. A. C. McLaren, whose nonsuccess at tossing was as .consistent as his brilliancy at batting, al so re _ ceived more than one " lucky " coin Only about an hour before La nca l shire was to meet Sussex at Old Traffordr the postman delivered to him a new halfpenny, the gift of an admirer. When the time came to toss it he 'used it in accordance with . the sender's wish. On falling it rolled round the room, collided with a boot, and, after a moment's agonizing hesitation, toppled over in favour of Lancashire ! And then Mr VfacLaren went in a n d ma< 3 e a 'duck."—"Tit-Bits."