PREHISTORIC CRICKET.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 166, 7 August 1909, Page 4

PREHISTORIC CRICKET.

QUAINT OCCURRENCES IN THE EARLIEST GAMES.

The history of cricket is full of extraordinary incidents and quaint occur-' rences even in the present day, but in its earliest years such additions' to the excitement of the afternoon were even more frequent than they are now. Sporting matches were at one time very common. About a hundred years ago Hampshire were backed to play against eleven ladies of Surrey for a thousand guineas, and, strange to say, only won after a very severe tussle; whilst at Walworth some years earlier a match for a similar sum was arranged between two elevens, one of which was composed of playeT6 with only one arm each and both their legs, whilst their opponents had both arms and only one leg. After a two days' struggle the onelegged men won by 103 runs, but there were five wooden legs broken in the [ fray, four iu running and one by a blow of a bat! PLAYED IX BUCKSKIN BOOTS.

Peel, the great bowler, whose average for the ten years from 18S7 to 18U7 was 11i.04, presented a remarkable appearance on the cricket field. He had an ancient pair of buckskin boots, in which he put such confidence that he would never play in any other. In course of years they became a wonderful sight, strapped .and patched till very little of the original material remained at all. One of the most extraordinary catches on record was made by Captain Adams in a match in Phoenix Park, Dublin, in 1751. The ball was hit to him in the long , field, and he not only jumped a fence three feet ten inches in height, but actually caught the ball in the course of his jump! The name of "Lord" is so great a name to cricketers that one does not like to associate it with anything shabby, but it is nevertheless true that though Lord had promised twenty guineas to anyone who could hit "■ of his ground, the original site of i.c set Square, and now absorbed by the 111 cat Central Railway, yet he refused to pay I up to E. H. Budd, who performed the feat.

A similar sum was offered, it is said, by a member of the Melbourne Cricket Club to anyone who succeeded in hitting the clock over the pavilion, and he duly paid over the' money to that colossal hitter, G. F. Bonner, who hit the clock face and broke it.

In more recent years an incident adding insult to injury occurred to E. M. Dowson whilst ;i!aying at the Oval. The bowler scut down a terrific ball which rose and caught Dowson on the mouth. He lay down hurriedly on top of his wicket, and an unsympathetic umpire gave him "Out!" The 0.0.M. of cricket tells a good

story relating to an experience that took place before the M.C.C. made the law that the moment the ball lodges in the clothing it must be considered "dead" and no more runs c_an be scored

from it. The Doctor played a ball hard on the ground. It rebounded and stuck in his shirt-front,' t>>. ■ famous batsman scoring six runs belo.e it could be recovered.

On one occasion Tom Hearne, the great Middlesex cricketer of early .years., was just about to deliver a ball when a pigeon Hew across the wicket. Tom stopped, aimed at the bird instead of the stumps, and brought it down dead. Something somewhat similar occurred once to S. E. Gregory, the Australian cricketer. He was fielding at cover point, but his attention was astray when a sudden shout, "Look out, Sid," recalled his wandering wits. He made a sudden grab—and Melded a swallow. CAUSED THE DEATH OF A PIUXCE OF WALES. Amongst cricket tragedies one of the most historical is that of a former Prince of Wales—the father of King George HI. He was struck by a cricket ball in the chest with such force that it caused a cancerous growth, and he died shortly afterwards as the result of an operation for its removal.