In one of the keenest matches I ever took part in (it was on the 16th
of August 1902, and we won by four runs), two men of the opposite side
were batting, one a very fair bat, and dangerous when set, the other
a dubious quantity at all times. The bowler sent down a fast one to
leg which the wicket-keeper failed to stop, and both men started for a
bye. Meanwhile, short slip, backing up, had stopped the ball, and threw
the near wicket down, while both men were apparently in the middle of
the pitch. The good batsman refused to go, and the indifferent one
apparently held no views on the subject, but stayed where he was, while
the two umpires (I blush to record it) gave, almost unasked, an opinion
favourable to their respective sides. Party feeling was running high,
but I never allow any discussion in the field, and it was properly left
to the umpire at the end where the wicket had been broken to give a
decision. Unfortunately, it was their umpire, and the weak batsman had
to go! And it was a fair decision. There was obviously a doubt, and he
gave his own side the benefit of it. Who could do more? But we had our
revenge on the gentleman who refused to go. He hit a lovely half-volley
to square leg, which did not quite reach the boundary. My man was
after it like a hare, and while they were trying to get the fourth
run, he threw the wicket down full pitch from where he picked up the
ball, at least 90 yards off, and with only one stump visible. A fluke,
of course, but when I complimented him afterwards on his brilliant
performance, which practically won us the match, he simply said, “Oh!
that’s nothing, sir; I was always a bit of a slinger”!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account