My Unchanged Half-crown ;

Thames Star, Volume XVII, Issue 5256, 21 November 1885, Page 1

My Unchanged Half-crown ;

AN INCIDENT OF AN ALL ENGLAND CRICKET MATCH.

The Bet. Arthur Murael! tells th» following story of an All England cricket match played at Leicester orer 35 years ago:—lt was a brilliant summer's day, and the hot sun pound down on the old cricket ground in Wharf street, Leicester, now, long ago, cut up into a labyrinth of squalid streets; and the white hats of Alfred Mymm, and Fully Filch, and 11 Jemmy " Dean, and old tillywhite, and Mr Felix, with that of the present veteran George Parr as a "colt," shone like illuminated sugar loaves between the green turf and the blue sky. Lord Burleigh (I suppose the present Marquis of Exeter) had mado a brilliant score of 60 runs for the Twenty-two of Lancashire against the "All England Eleven." The twentieth wicket of the province had succumbed, and the twenty-first man was not forthcoming. If no one else went in his lordship would have to leave the wicket, but if a partner could be found for him he might get i ten or a dozen more runs. "Pull off your jacket, boy," cried old Barker, the gouty landlord, " and take a bat and keep your wicket up." It was to me he spoke. I had played truant from school to see the match, I trembled from head to foot, but without any hesitation I pulled off my jacket and took a bat, and strutted to the wicket, amidst" the clapping of 5,000 people. I was eleven years old, and short for my age. The cricketers smiled good naturedly, and < Alfred ' Mynn, who was a gentle giant, looked down at my flushed face with a kindly laugh upon his countenance, and said, "Now for it; stand out wide for the tall hitter!" I had to receive a ball from old William Clarke, the great slow bowler of his day, and, with a nervous flutter, I stepped out of my ground and ♦• let out" at it. By a miracle of good luck I hit it, leaving Wenham, who was waiting to have stumped me, had 1 missed, bending empty-handed over the wicket, while with the long-legged Lord Burleigh, who strode over the ground like a giraffe, and amidst shrieks of cheering from the local yokels, I ran four runs, for the bigjait. How the,players did "chaff" the redoubtable Clarke for letting a child, a small schoolboy, " swipe him for four." The old bowler, albeit never the sweetest of tempers, took it in good part, and prepared to bowl my wicket down with the next ball. His lordship came over to me from the other end, and, patting me on the head, said, " Well done, my little man; but don't try to hit again; take it easy, and stop 'em." I could hardly see in my excitement, but I grounded my bat and watched the white hat, as the old bowler trotted towards the opposite wicket, intent on my destruction. The ball was pitched up enticingly, but I was not to be beguiled; there was also a wily " spin" upon itr which made it'break sharp from the *' off," but my young, quick eye we* ajgfft, and I blocked it with a science wjnebelicited cheers almost as loudashadigceetedthebighit. There was still oufnlere ball for me to take before the umpire cried "over," and the great alow bowler's credit was at stake, so lie''trawled his best. Bat again 1 made- the .ground ring with excited plaudits as t stopped the insidious ball and kept my wickets standing. . "Over{" cried Adstte, who was umpire, and I breathed again, as

he bowling changed ends," and Lord Burleigh faced the. unerring aim of William Lillywliite. His lordship hit two fours, and I was out of breath with running. Had I had longer legs, •we might have run six for one of his big hits; but he was very kind, and humored my short limbs. I had another " over " from old Clarke, and then Lord Burleigh hit a " three," which brought me to the other end, and Lillywhite prepared to bowl at me. Now, in a schoolboy's mind at that day the name of Lillywhite was more terrible than. Napoleon, and I quaked, before the champion. He "bowled much faster than old Clarke, and with a "high delivery." As the ball came shooting down a mist seemed to come before my eyes; and I whirled my bat wildly in the air. I expected to hear the terrible "rattle in the timber yard," so fatal to every batssran's hopes, by which he is dismissed back to the pavilion ; but instead of that the bat seemed to bend in my hand, and the ball went flying to the further corner of the field, and the shouts broke out again. We ran four more, and his lordship came and patted me on the back till I felt as 'though the universal world would have to be enlarged to hold my eleven years, and my two hits for four. I kept my wicket for,nearly half an hour, during which I scored 15 runs, and enabled Lord Burleigh to increase his score from 61 to 87. His lordship had cut a ball cleverly, and called me to rjun.- I san,. as in.duty bound; but it was "sharply returned by the young colt, George Parr, and so smartly handled by Wenman at the wicket that I was out before I could hear Lord Burleigh's shouts ." Groback!" But I had won "my spurs, and as I walked to the pavilion by his lordship's aide, dividing the plaudits he had won by his fine play, he gave me half-a-crown. J kept it through All the perils -of school and college life. I polished it up with whiting with as much assiduity as the "ruler of the Queen's Navee " was in the habit of " polishing up the handle of the big front door." I have that coin still. I was once nearly dropping it into a missionary box; but, had I done so, I should have sent Livingstone in search of it. I shall bequeath it as a legacy to my eldest son to set up in life with. This is the story of my unchanged half-crown.