"THE HAT TRICK."

NZ Truth, Issue 136, 25 January 1908, Page 6

"THE HAT TRICK."

English Cricketers' Performance. All Bowled Out. On the last Sunday of the old year "Joe" Hai-dstafr, Wilfred Rhodes, and Arthur Fielder, three of the English cricketers, put up a performance that will live long m their recollections, even though it may not find its way into the cricketing records of Great Britain. Yet the fact remains that not one of the trio ever did much better than on this particular Sunday. The day was hot, and all three were dry, and so it was that they adjourned to the bar parlor of the Old White Hart Hotel to liquor up a bit. Rhodes had the tip of his nose BURIED IN, A LONG-SLEEVER ; Fielder was m the throes of a deep gurgle, and Hardstaff had his head thrown well back, when who should stalk into the room but Plain-clothes Constables Hallett and Mooney. Alt-hon-arh they were strangers m a strange land, the Englishmen- knew they were doing wrong by drinking on licensed premises within prohibited hours, so Fielder tried to get m "a big leg break," and Rhodes made for "the off," while Hardstaff tried to pull the ball—^r, rather, the glass —clean out of sight. _ In the excitement of the moment, the barman told tho kosherniftn that all three were staying there ; but the koshermen knew they were staying at The Grand, and SO THE SWANK PULLER was "bowled" out as clean as ever a man was. The constables took the names of the offenders for inclusion m the District Court team, billed to perform on Thursday last, ,with Mr Dwyer, P.M., as umpire. It fi'^Ti transpired, however, that all three had put m "a straight fast 'un" to Adelaide, and Mr Dwyer had na option but to give them a "roundarmer of a quid apiece. On their their return to Melbourne. On their return to Melbourne, Rhodes, Hardstaff, and Fielder will have to put up sixty between them (white 'uns), or leave the pavilion. — Melbourne "Truth."