“STRUDDY.”

Shannon News, 29 October 1924, Page 2

“STRUDDY.”

THI. grey-headed keeper.

(By Googly, in the London “Daily Mail.”) , .

From one end Mr Percy Fender is bowling . six different and cunningllyconcealed balls every over; from the other end Mr William Hitch is catapulting them down a s if bis arm were a piston rod under high pressure; but the little man behind the wicket remains quite calm under fire.

He has had more than twenty years of first-class cricket, and lias stood up to most of. the great bov lers of that time; and now, although his hair has become greyed in the game, Ire is almost as l quick, as alert, as agile as ever he was. One of the finest wicketpopular. Herbert Strudwiclc, of Surrey keepers in cricket history, is this very and he is. certainly on e of the most entertaining to watch, tie squats so low. liis legs wide atari, his gauntlcted hands between them, that about all the bowler can see of him is his chocolate-coloured cap showing just above th c hails. Three inches lower and he would be/sitting on the grass. As the ball is bowled he rises and makes cushions of his hands ’‘Swish!’ It flies past ,th a batsm'an. Slrudwick takes it with the neatness of the master he is, and tosses it back to the bowler. No fuss, r.o off, no effect. - / . ■ Down he goes again. For three hours he has crouched six times an over in the scorching sun, waiting for the chance which must civile to him sooner or later. He is as patient and as watchful as a cat after a mouse, and as likely of reward. The wicketkeeper always gets his chance, but he generally , has only a fraction of a second in which to take it when it

does' come. The batsman s Vings round at the ball, but only half gets hold of it/and it dribbles away towards the boundary. There is no fieldsman to stop it, and so Strudwick does not hesitate. Off he dashes in pursuit, pulling off bis big right-hand glove as he runs with his busy, padded short legs. Laughter and cheers from the crowd. Most of them have a big affection for “Struddy.” as most of them call him, and the sight of him chasing away from his post is amusing. The next ball comes wider on leg side. Th e batsman misses it this time, and for a moment his right foot is in th e air. Quicker than your eyes can follow "Struddy” has gathered the ball, swept it sideways, and whipped the bails off. A staccato appeal, and up goes the umpire’s finger. "Well stumped, Struddy!”