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Was It All Cricket?

Chapter 10 — Lord Hawke's Team

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Chapter 10
Lord Hawke's Team

Lord Hawke's team had already arrived in New Zealand and was sweeping triumphantly through the country in a manner reminiscent of some of the great International sides that had visited the Dominion. Ever since 1878, Australian teams had regularly visited New Zealand every two or three years, but no English side had come to our shores since 1887, consequently there was immense local interest. On account of an injury Lord Hawke, at the last minute, was prevented from captaining his own side. His choice of P. F. Warner, captain of the Middlesex XI, in his stead, provided a leader with a reputation that was already known throughout the cricketing world.

The strength of the side may be judged from the fact that later in their careers six of its members played for England! Just as MacLaren's was the last privately organized cricket team to tour Australia, so Lord Hawke was the last great Englishman to receive an invitation to bring a team out to New Zealand. It was about this time that the Marylebone Club, acting on behalf of all the counties of England, decided to take over the organization and management of all English tours overseas. New Zealand, with its Cricket Council, constituted in 1894, had led the way in setting up an organization based on all provinces and minor counties having representation on a body corporate that governed and controlled the game on behalf of the whole Dominion. Australia, on the other hand, owing to the antagonism that developed between the players and the Board of Control, did not effectively manage its affairs until many years later.

The arrangements for Lord Hawke's team were on a different basis from those of any previous tour. Our Council, feeling the financial responsibility of greater travelling costs than those to which they were accustomed for the much shorter trip for Australian teams, arranged that the members of this English side should be billeted privately with leading citizens in the different towns and cities. These dashing amateurs, some just out of the universities, were made welcome in homes page 137 throughout the country, and New Zealand at this time had more of the old-fashioned big homes than she has to-day. The inclusion of so many well-known players stimulated an interest in the team and the tour greater than had been seen in this country for many a year. This interest had its effect on the gate takings, while private entertainment reduced the expenses of the tour, but this had its drawbacks. The principal manner in which the benefits of such tours have made themselves felt amongst cricketers has come from the players fraternizing with one another, both on and off the field, and getting to know and to like each other. Of all the cricket teams that have toured New Zealand, there has been none that came to know our players less than this one. There were, of course, compensating features, for the members of this side got to know the home life of New Zealand better than they could otherwise have done, but the experiment has never been repeated. The tour was such a success in every way? including the financial side, that there was never again the same fear of financial risk from the tour of an English side in this country.

Although our local cricket authorities knew that I was spending but a short holiday with my family, it was natural perhaps that they should wish to include me in the Canterbury XI, due to play against the Englishmen in a few weeks' time. Coming straight from the higher standard of cricket in Australia, I was naturally in good form, and when, in a club match, I made 134 against Riccarton, a team that included S. T. Callaway, the well-known Australian bowler, there was expression of still keener desire that I should play against Lord Hawke's team.

Warner and his men had by now finished an extensive tour of the North Island where, against the major provinces, they had played eleven-a-side matches, but in the minor association matches were opposed by eighteen players. The system of playing against odds has long since been discarded, but it was the common practice in this and earlier years. One remembers reading of W. G. Grace's making 400 against 22 of Grimsby, and all the very early English teams to Australia played against odds, even in the matches against the States.

After visiting Greymouth, on the West Coast of the South Island, a town that has rarely received visits from touring teams, page 138 the Englishmen came overland to Christchurch. By the time they reached Canterbury, the visitors had built for themselves a reputation that made them, in the estimation of good judges, rank with some of the great sides that over the years had toured New Zealand. Interest in the match was unbounded, and as Canterbury had always held the name of being the side that did best against overseas teams, the tourists had been led to believe that they would meet stiffer opposition than they had experienced in the North Island. In a luncheon speech, in Christchurch, Warner laughingly said he had been told where-ever he went, “Wait till you get to Canterbury!”

The setting for the match was in surroundings that must have pleased the Englishmen. Lancaster Park has remained the best cricket ground in the Dominion, and to-day compares favourably with any county ground in England, excepting Lord's, The Oval and Old Trafford. To add to these impressive features, two of the best umpires in the world were officiating in this match. Charles Bannerman, the famous Australian, who was engaged as coach at Christ's College, Christchurch, was at one end, and at the other was Bob Spencer who had a status in New Zealand equal to that of old Thorns in English cricket in the 'eighties and 'nineties, and Bob Crockett, Australia's greatest umpire.

Fine weather prevailed throughout this match, and when Warner won the toss, he naturally elected to bat. Everyone sat back in a state of expectancy to see these dashing young amateurs exhibit their powers of defence and attack, and demonstrate that the coaching of the boy produces an orthodox style that is pleasing to the onlooker.

Colonial cricketers seem to develop in their own natural style. Their schools and associations are unable to afford the highly developed system of coaching that prevails in England. Even in Australia, most of the champions of the past and present are the products of a natural gift and their own development of a genius for the game. They get little coaching beyond being put on the right track during their primary education. In England, the great schools, the universities and the counties all have an organized system of coaching, usually carried out by retired county professionals who continue to have an influence on succeeding generations of cricketers. It is this, more than anything else, that enables England to square, and keep page 139 squared, her account with Australia in the great Test Matches that thrill the peoples of the Empire. It needs something to make up for the handicap of enjoying the short season of four and a half months, often in uncertain weather, as against Australia's seven to eight months' season, in weather that is a delight to the cricketer and contributes to the development of a high standard of play.

It is doubtful if a better side for demonstrating the style of English batting ever left England than this team of Lord Hawke's. We did not have long to wait to have the above impression made upon our minds. Warner opened the innings with Burnup, the dashing Kent amateur. They both played exceptionally well, the score reaching 50, then 70, and on to 100, for the first wicket. Warner's graceful style was typical of the well-coached English schoolboy, with forward off-play predominating, but Burnup was strong on the on side, and playing back more than his captain, looked a safer player for slow and bad wickets.

After these two had been dismissed for more than half a century apiece, the Englishmen began to struggle for runs. Fane, Dowson, Johnson and Bosanquet did not make many, but T. L. Taylor, who in the previous season in England had impressed the Australians, was a hard nut to crack. When Thompson joined the Yorkshire amateur, our success came to an end for a while, and the day's play ended with them both undefeated.

The batsmen were never, at any time, really on top of the bowling, and were sometimes in difficulties when facing it. It was not until lunch-time on the second day that they reached their total of 352. This was not fast scoring, but in Callaway and Prankish we had a redoubtable pair of bowlers, worthy of the best class of cricket, who made our attack stronger than anything the Englishmen had so far met in New Zealand. They were backed by a first-class fielding side with one of the world's greatest wicket-keepers in Boxshall. His stumping of Burnup in this match was the finest I have ever seen. Burnup played very soundly on the on side, and scored frequently from a shot off his pads that sent the ball between square-leg and mid-on. He always moved forward as he made this stroke. Frankish was a left-hand off-swinger, and as Burnup moved to play a ball that swerved quickly outside his legs page 140 Boxshall had the bails off in a flash. It was a brilliant piece of work. I remember how impressed Warner was and, needless to say, Burnup will remember it! The second day was a Saturday, and will be remembered for the enormous crowd that found its way to Lancaster Park. The good score on Friday had left the game in an interesting state and special arrangements made by the Railway Department for all outgoing afternoon trains to be held back till 6.30 p.m., so that country people could see the full day's play, resulted in many people coming in from the outlying districts and places as far as Ashburton and Culverden, fifty and seventy miles away. The result was an attendance of 9,000—a record that was not beaten until 1932, when Jardine's team played New Zealand, but the population of Christchurch was then 50,000 more than it was in 1903. The total gate and stand takings for our match were £800, so the enormous interest created by these English tourists may be gauged.

The Englishmen took the field at two o'clock, with Sims and Reese opening for Canterbury. Thompson and Hargreaves, who did all the spade-work on this tour, took up the bowling. It was at once a keen contest. Sims and I were rated the best batsmen on our side, so it was a fair test of strength. To everyone's delight we handled the bowling comfortably and moved on from 10 to 20, then 30, then 40. At this stage Bosanquet came on. It was the first time “Bosie,” or as it is now commonly called googly, bowling had been seen in New Zealand. Naturally, great interest was taken in the tall, handsome Middlesex man's appearance at the bowling crease. To the batsman, there was, of course, not only interest, but also curiosity and, perhaps, anxiety. We did not know then of Jim Kelly's remark at Lord's, during the Middlesex match. Sent in to play out time, he was soon back in the dressing-room and disgustedly said to his team-mates: “There's a bloke out there bowling leg-breaks that come back from the off!” There was a shout of laughter at Kelly's remark, but next day the others were to learn for themselves.

Bosanquet bowled to Sims. The first two were leg-breaks which Sims patted to third man. The third ball, pitched about the same spot and played at in the same way, hit his leg stump. This was surely a good start for the “Bosie.” But that was the end of Bosanquet's success. We struggled along, keeping out page 141 his “wrong 'un.” I was soon able to detect its coming, and began hitting it either on the full or on the half volley. It was Thompson who kept hitting the stumps, for he clean bowled five of his six victims. His bowling made a great impression. Hargreaves had a beautiful easy delivery of a medium-slow pace, but for a left-hander he was not subtle enough, and did not possess that deceptive slower ball without which no left-hander of his pace can become great.

Our wickets kept falling regularly, but I was managing to take some toll of the bowling. I remember what a contest it was with Thompson and how hard he appeared to be trying to get my wicket. He had a beautiful delivery, was medium-fast in pace, with a good off-break that made pace off the pitch, but he also bowled a good ball that came with his arm. I was always taught to watch the bowler's fingers, and saw him keep putting his thumb well under the ball for this delivery, and was therefore not caught napping by it. I was able to drive even fast bowling, and when he overpitched a ball I cracked him hard once or twice, straight through to the fence. This seemed to make him bowl faster and shorter, which meant he was not as effective against me as he would otherwise have been. When I had reached 60 I had a bit of luck for, hitting Hargreaves hard and high to long-on, the ball went straight to Fane who was standing near the fence. To the amazement of the Englishmen—for Fane was a very good outfield—he dropped the ball. Needless to say, the Canterbury crowd was pleased. Our total moved on to 150, but seven wickets had fallen. I had previously experienced the batsman's usual struggle to get the remaining few runs to complete a hundred, but this time the three figures appeared in a flash. When I was 88, Burnup came on again and in one over I hit him to the fence with an off drive, a cut behind point and a swinging hit to long-leg. Naturally, there was some excitement and those country people must have been glad of the delayed departure of their trains. Thompson finally clean bowled me at 111, and our total reached 226. It was remarkable that there were only three other double-figure scores, with the next highest score, 29. Our side had scored at a faster rate than the Englishmen, and the total was considered a satisfactory one, despite the fact that we fell 100 short of our opponents' score.

page 142

The crowd had enjoyed the cricket and was in a happy mood when the visitors, with about an hour to bat, began their second innings. Warner and his men now forged ahead, showing the same batting skill they had displayed in their first innings, but still having to fight for runs. Warner again passed the half-century, and Dowson played dashingly. After forcing the pace, Warner declared, with the score at 159 for seven wickets. It was a remarkable performance of Callaway's and Frankish's to have taken all the wickets; five each in the first innings, and Frankish five and Callaway two in the second. They bowled unchanged in the latter innings.

Canterbury was left 288 runs to get and the whole afternoon to bat, for it was a three days' match. Sims and I again opened, but soon I was badly hurt by a rising ball from Thompson. Warner insisted that I should retire for a while. Bosanquet repeated his first inning's performance of bowling Sims with a googly, so we did not get as good a start as in the first innings, and never looked like getting the runs. On returning to the wickets I reached 21 before again being bowled by Thompson. At the finish, we were all out for 154, and lost by 133 runs. It was not a good batting performance, but Thompson was again in great form and bowled like a champion. He clean bowled all his five victims and thus hit the stumps ten times in taking eleven wickets in this match.

Up until the final innings it was a really keen contest and closer than the figures might show, for the only time the Englishmen looked masters of the situation was in the opening partnership of Warner and Burnup, and again when Taylor and Thompson collared our bowling at the end of the first day's play. From the point of view of public interest, one had to go back twenty-five years, to the visit of the first Australian XI, or better still, forty years, to the match against Parr's English XI, to find cricket matches in New Zealand that attracted so many people. It is stated that in 1864 the total attendance was 10,000 for three days, a number equal to the then population of Christchurch. In those days there were few competitive sports in the summer months, so one could say that the people were “cricket mad.” An illustration of this is to be found in a happening at the time of the visit of Lilly-white's team; when the workmen of Andersons' were gathered together prior to starting the day's work, someone said, “What page 143 about going to cricket to-day?” and by common consent they all jumped up and made off for Hagley Park.

It is Rugby football that attracts enormous crowds in New Zealand to-day, but for many years cricket took more money at the gate than the winter game. It was surprising to learn from the old records of the Lancaster Park ground that cricket led all through the years in this respect, until 1912, when the present oval and stand accommodation converted the ground to a more suitable area for football and its supporters.

In Canterbury's second innings against Warner's team an incident occurred that momentarily held up the game in the manner of the Eady incident in Hobart, in 1899. Pearce was batting to Bosanquet and, bending his knees as he was wont to do when hitting to leg, was bowled round his legs. The batsman hesitated to leave his crease, and then, as he started to walk away, Sims called to him to go back and await the umpire's decision. Bannerman was at the bowler's end and, like Sims, could not see the stumps when the stroke was made, so would not give a decision. An appeal was then made to Spencer, but he, too, was unable to give a ruling, for he had momentarily ducked, expecting the ball to be hit his way. This meant that Pearce went on batting. The Englishmen, hurrying to force home their victory, did not take kindly to this decision. A barracker on the bank did not help matters when he called out to the wicket-keeper to keep his hands off the stumps. This caused a ruffled young English stumper to say things he ought not to have said. There is no doubt Pearce was clean bowled, but the fact that Sims was standing alongside Bannerman at the time is proof that his doubt as to what happened was a genuine one. Actually, I do not think Bosanquet could have seen his leg-break hit the stumps, for the batsman's legs covered the wickets. It was just as well that it was two such famous umpires who got into this tangle of indecision!

On the last day of the match I was to get a surprise when, just before play began, someone came into the dressing-room and said I was wanted outside. Going out, I found a large crowd gathered in front of the pavilion where Mr. A. E. G. Rhodes, the President of the Canterbury Cricket Association, with a few congratulatory and kindly words, made a presentation to me. It appears that after my making a century on the Saturday afternoon, the ever enthusiastic Johnnie Fowke and page 144 others, in their excitement, decided to go round the ground with the hat, a custom that was a relic of the good old days. The present made to me was a purse of sovereigns!

My success in this match, followed by a keenly expressed desire by the authorities that I should stay and play for New Zealand in the two Test Matches to be played at the end of February and early March, created a problem for me. I had already been engaged to join the S.S. Maori which was due to sail for London in a fortnight. At this time there was a very laudable practice by the Shipping Companies of allowing young engineers to work their passages Home. To put the arrangement into legal form they were signed on as assistant engineers at the princely salary of one shilling a month! Cricket enthusiasts wanted to subscribe to my fare Home as a passenger, but I preferred to be independent and carry out my original intention. Mr. Isaac Gibbs, the General Manager of the New Zealand Shipping Company, then gave me a position on the S.S. Rimutaka, the Company's most modern passenger liner. This allowed me another six weeks in New Zealand, which was a great joy to me as well as to my family.

Before the first Test there was a match at Dunedin, between a South Island team and the Englishmen. Our team was not well chosen, for it included six bowlers, and this left us with a batting strength no better than that of a provincial eleven. With Fisher and Downes, as well as Callaway, in the side, we felt we could at any rate hold the English batsmen down to a fight for runs, as had been the case in Christchurch.

Warner won the toss, and he and Burnup again put on 50 for the first wicket, but after that they were in real trouble, for Callaway and the great Otago pair bowled grandly, and the score was only 80 with four wickets down. Again the Englishmen were to be saved by a fine partnership. After the opening, Taylor was the only batsman to show any mastery over the bowling, and he was batting very well when joined by Bosanquet. I had no idea the latter was such a dashing batsman until he began to lay on the wood, and score at a very fast rate, with strokes in every direction. It was not slogging, but first-class, forceful batting. Our fielding let us down, for he was twice missed off Downes, but in the end Bosanquet was dismissed by a brilliant left-handed catch by Orchard, our captain, for a score of 82. Taylor's 105 was a beautiful innings page 145 and he always looked like a Test Match player. The others did little and the side was all out for 314.

The pace of Bosanquet's scoring had enabled this total to be reached soon after five o'clock. No side likes starting an innings at the end of the day when the light is beginning to fail, as it does in late summer, but no one expected that we would have lost seven wickets by the drawing of stumps. The batting was not good, and certainly not true to form, but the chief contributing factor was the bowling of Thompson and Hargreaves. Next day, Boxshall, our wicket-keeper, played his well-known “cow shot” with some success, and in getting 15 was the only double-figure scorer in a total of 51. This was a bad performance and indeed spoilt the match. Thompson and Hargreaves bowled unchanged, the former taking four wickets, again all clean bowled, and Hargreaves six wickets for 12 runs—a splendid performance.

We did a little better in the second innings, but still very badly for such a side.N Again Boxshall, a left-hander, hitting everything to the on side, and caring not who was the bowler, ran to 40 before skying one that fell into safe hands. But for his innings we would have blushed at making two totals of under a hundred. This time it was Burnup, with his swervers, who did the damage, and he finished with six for 36. Our failure with the bat completely ruined the Saturday gate and damaged our reputation. While cricketers know how these things can and do happen, the public is not always so understanding.

It was Burnup who first showed New Zealanders how to swerve the ball at will. Frankish had been, and remains to this day, the greatest swerver ever seen in New Zealand cricket, but to him it was natural. Fisher was the first one to use Burnup's advice, but the knowledge came to him a little too late in his career.

The rout of the South Island team did little to destroy the faith of the people in the ability of New Zealand's chosen XI. It certainly did not affect public interest, for in the first Test Match, played at Christchurch, large crowds again came from the country districts, and the attendances were much the same as for the Canterbury match three weeks earlier.

C. A. Richardson, the erstwhile Australian, was our captain, and no more likeable man has led New Zealand sides; he was page 146 also an able leader. Although Fisher and Upham were not available, it would not have been possible to play them both, as well as Callaway, Prankish and Downes. The reciting of these names will make clear the bowling strength of New Zealand at this time. McCarthy of Taranaki, a good off-spinner, was the fourth bowler selected, for in view of my batting I was not being bowled much at this time. With Douglas Hay of Auckland, K. Tucker, Hickson and Mahoney of Wellington, and the South Island players, the side looked a good one. Richardson won the toss and elected to bat, but as rain had fallen the wicket proved difficult and took some time to recover. I opened with Hickson, but two wickets had fallen before the score was 10, when Tucker came in and immediately began to show splendid form. As can be imagined, Thompson and Hargreaves were a troublesome pair of bowlers under such conditions and we had to fight hard for runs. However, we survived the ordeal, and as the wicket began to improve, seemed set for a score when I was out to a very good catch by Dowson off Thompson. We had added over 60 for the third wicket, so had somewhat retrieved the position. Tucker went on to make an excellent 50. Mahoney and Richardson each batted steadily, but old “Boxie,” as we used to call Boxshall, again came to light in characteristic fashion. We used to laugh when he hit a few 4's at the end of an innings, but in these matches against the Englishmen he got many a genuine cheer when some of his 4's raced to the square-leg boundary, and they nearly all went in that direction! A total of 164 was a disappointing effort, even allowing for the fact that we were hampered by the conditions at the start.

When the Englishmen began their innings, everything was in their favour, for the wicket had rolled out well. Warner and Burnup opened as usual and were moving along steadily when we had the joy of seeing Downes clean bowl the English captain with a ball that nipped off the pitch quickly and turned sufficiently to beat the bat. It was the first time on the tour that double figures were not reached by Warner, whose sequence of scores in the South Island matches had been remarkable. We were certainly glad to see his back, but Fane, who came next, played finely, and was helped by Burnup to add 50. Then followed one of those partnerships that always seemed to come at the right moment for this side. It was Taylor page 147 again who helped to hold the fort, and the pair added 100 to the score. Fane was out first for 124—his best score and his finest innings of the tour. We were a bit unlucky for, when he had made about half that number, there was one of those unanimous appeals for a catch behind the wicket that follows a loud snick. Imagine our dismay when the best umpire in New Zealand gave him not out! Taylor was next out, having made 54 in his usual sound and business-like manner. Then the Englishmen were at once in trouble, for Callaway, Prankish and Downes were no mean trio. Three more wickets fell for less than 10 runs, and it was only stubborn batting by the tailenders that enabled the score to be taken from seven for 240 to a total of 304. The wickets were divided between Downes, Frankish and Callaway, and they all bowled splendidly.

New Zealand's second innings was little better than the first, although we made a few more runs. Tucker and I, getting together again, repeated the first-innings partnership. This was the only time the googly bowler secured my wicket in the whole series. Tucker went on to play another fine innings for 67. Four of our remaining batsmen reached double figures, and all looked like producing the form we knew they were capable of, but did not survive the sustained attack. Our total of 214 was enough to leave the Englishmen only 75 runs to win. Thompson, on this occasion, got most support from Bosanquet, and they finished with four wickets each; both bowled very well.

Warner and Burnup soon disposed of any chance of quick success by our bowlers, for they took the score to 60, before being separated. Their wickets fell in successive overs, but by this time there were only a few runs to get. Callaway then clean bowled Taylor, but the game was soon over.

We were still not satisfied that this represented our true batting form, and went North for the next Test, at Wellington—the final match of the tour—believing our side was capable of holding the Englishmen to a more even contest. Fisher and Upham came into the team in place of Frankish and Downes who were unable to play, but this still left us with a strong attack, for Callaway, at this time, was in great form. It will be seen that the selectors were again spared the difficulty experienced on the Australian tour of making a final choice from such a group of fine bowlers. It was unfortunate that on page 148 a ground where the winds often favour the swerver, we should have to take the field without Frankish.

Public interest was as great at the end of this tour as at the start, and large attendances marked the final match. Richardson won the toss and took me in with him to open the innings. A hard wicket and a calm day for Wellington made conditions ideal. Thompson—it was always Thompson—started trouble for us when he clean bowled our captain with only 10 on the board. Tucker followed and we moved along to 30, then 40, then 50, when Thompson again hit the stumps in dismissing Tucker. Two more wickets fell quickly and Mahoney, an ex-Australian, came in. He was a stubborn batsman and held the fort for some time. He was a little deaf and took a lot of watching in running singles, or the last run from a hit to the outfield. The contest between Thompson and me, which had been evident in other matches, was renewed, but I kept taking a steady toll. I hit him so hard through the covers and past mid-off and mid-on that at times he seemed disconcerted. This, however, did not stop him from keeping the batsman at the other end on the defensive. When Mahoney was caught and bowled by Hargreaves I had already passed the century. Warner walked across to make a kindly and complimentary remark. Cricketers will know that after one passes the century, there comes a feeling that one can take some risks, and in the next half-hour I really paid back Thompson for hitting my stumps in the previous matches. I certainly hit him harder and more often, and raced to 148 when I was l.b.w. to him. Wisden's of this year, when referring to Thompson's performance in this match, said: “… but he was severely punished by Reese,” so I suppose it could be said we finished all square. Our total reached 274.

After a long day at the bowling crease Thompson's persistency was rewarded, and, taking the last four wickets, he finished with eight for 124. It was an outstanding performance and the culmination of a series of successes that has rarely been equalled in New Zealand cricket. His sequence of wicket-taking feats in the Canterbury, Otago, South Island and the two Test Matches was as remarkable as Warner's batting performances had been. No wonder some of our batsmen were awe-stricken and did not produce their true form!

Warner changed his order of batting this time, for Burnup's page 149 day in the field had included his share of the bowling and, in any case, there was less than half an hour to bat. P. R. Johnson and Stanning came in to play out time, and this they not only succeeded in doing, but, on the following morning, took the score to 50 for the first wicket. This was an unexpected success for the Englishmen, but it did not end there, for Johnson reached 88. He was a stylish and finished batsman, but had little success during the tour, until this innings. Going Home as a lad, he went to Eton and Cambridge, subsequently settled in England and was a regular member of the Somerset XI: Johnson was probably the first New Zealander to play first-class cricket in England. Burnup followed, then Fane, but it was Warner who proved a thorn in our flesh. He played a beautiful innings to reach 125. At one time it looked as though they would make a very large score, but our bowling remained good, as it was throughout the innings. Callaway and Upham, coming strongly at the finish, slowed down the rate of scoring and nipped in the bud several dangerous-looking partnerships. Eventually the Englishmen's total reached 380, this being their highest in the Tests, and giving them a comfortable lead of just over a hundred runs. Callaway bowled finely and finished with four for 80. Upham was persistence personified and bowling his usual perfect length was hard to score off. Fisher and McCarthy also bowled well, but the straight bats of these Englishmen kept them down to one wicket apiece.

Just as our opponents were left to play out time in the late afternoon of the previous day, so we were left with only a quarter of an hour to bat, but were not as successful as they were. I again accompanied Richardson to the wickets, but we had not been going long when I attempted to force a ball on the on side and was caught at deep mid-on. As Tucker, who followed, failed to score, it will be realized what a dent this made in our armour. This was bad enough, but on recommencing on Monday morning we were so overwhelmed as to make us feel chagrined. The wicket, now slightly worn, had dried hard over the week-end, and was much faster. A strong wind made conditions difficult for batsmen facing bowlers who could swing the ball. Difficult as Thompson, Hargreaves and Bosanquet had been, it was when Burnup took the ball, with the shine still on it, that we saw another whirlwind performance, similar to this bowler's routing of the page 150 South Island batsmen at Dunedin. He swerved the ball all over the place, and our fellows could not touch him. He finished with the amazing figures of five for 8. Burnup was a most energetic bowler, and although not uniformly successful on this tour, these two performances show how dangerous he could be under certain conditions. If the Englishmen had been batting that day, they would have known something about swerving had Frankish been on our side. On this same ground, in 1896, Frankish, on his first appearance for New Zealand, and under similar conditions, had rattled out a strong Queensland side for 121 runs in their final innings, and won a handsome victory for New Zealand.

Thus ended a cricket tour that had been a brilliant success. No other touring team has ever reached the cricketing centres of all our minor associations as well as the main cities. It was certainly a strenuous tour, for in less than three months they played seventeen matches, and except for the last two weeks of the Test Matches, had played a three-day and a two-day match each week. The team comprised only twelve men—an arrangement to save the New Zealand Cricket Council expense —but in one or two of the minor matches, Warner took the opportunity of playing an Englishman resident in the district.

The strength of this team could not be compared with the great English and Australian Test sides that had visited New Zealand, but on our wickets would be equal to the full strength of New South Wales, Victoria or South Australia. Warner enhanced his reputation as a fine batsman and an able leader. He certainly paved the way for his future selection as captain of the All England XI in the contests against Australia. Fane, after starting brilliantly, slumped a little, but returned to his best form at the end of the tour—his century in the first Test, like Warner's in the second, being the foundation on which the Englishmen's victory was built. These two were always attractive. Their styles were very similar; strong on the off and in front of the wicket, and sound on the on side; this gave them a range of strokes that was to stand them in good stead when they reached the higher plane of Test Matches against Australia.

It was, however, Taylor who impressed me most. He held us up so often when our bowlers looked like prevailing, that before the tour was over we all had the greatest respect for page 151 his batting ability. Callaway, who could at times use profane language, put it very aptly when he said in an aside to me, “If we could only get this b— — Taylor out, we'd go through them!” It was a great loss to cricket when, shortly after his return to England, Taylor retired from the game to enter his father's business in Yorkshire.

Burnup ranked close up to Warner, Fane and Taylor and was most consistent throughout the tour. His style was similar to Taylor's, with the same soundness as the Yorkshireman's in his on side play. Dowson and Bosanquet both batted with a certain amount of abandon, and seemed to relish hitting fours. Once or twice they had a demoralizing effect on our bowling and, fortunately for their side, at a time when runs were needed. In bowling, too, they were strong, with a varied attack. The tour was a personal triumph for Thompson, whose performances I have already recorded. With his beautiful, swinging, windmill-like action and a medium-fast pace that at times, on a hard wicket, appeared almost to equal a fast bowler's, he was too good for most of our batsmen. Hargreaves, a left-hander, had a lovely, easy action and kept a perfect length. Bosanquet was at times exceedingly difficult, but his length was not always good, though the knowledge that a googly might come down at any minute seemed to make most of our basmen stay at home. This meant playing into his hands, for his “Bosie” had a lot of spin on it and made pace off the pitch. Burnup put plenty of pep into his bowling, as was evidenced in those two performances in Dunedin and Wellington. Dowson, while a right-hand batsman, bowled left-handed, and might have proved useful, but was rarely needed.

The above picture of Lord Hawke's team will enable readers to judge that they were a very good side, and representative of the best county cricket of England. The surprise and disappointment from New Zealand's performances against them was the failure of so many of our batsmen whom we knew could make runs in company as good as this. Actually, our bowling, we considered, was as good as theirs, and Warner said at the end of the tour that this had impressed him most. Callaway, Frankish, Downes, Fisher and Upham were the greatest quintette of bowlers we have ever had in New Zealand cricket at one time, and as many of our batsmen could make runs against them, why not against the Englishmen? page 152 Without Thompson I think they would have, but the Englishmen had Thompson, so we must put most of the blame on to him.

This was Frankish's last season in first-class cricket, for after a long, lingering illness, he was to die at the early age of thirty-five. One speaks of a brilliant batsman, but seldom is this term applicable to a bowler, yet I think it could be used for Frankish. With a new ball he could at times, in a few sensational overs, break the back of a batting side. It is for these flashes of brilliance that he is best remembered. In one match, at Wellington, when the last wicket fell just before a quarter to six, a lenient Canterbury captain thought it hardly worth while taking the field for the few remaining minutes. Induced to go on, he opened with Frankish who, bowling into the wind, took three wickets in his one over before stumps! When two wickets had fallen, the next batsman drove a ball past mid-off and called for a run, but his partner, Billy Quee, yelled, “No, no! I'm not going down to that end!” Frankish bowled for Canterbury and for New Zealand as Hirst bowled for Yorkshire and for England.

As the Englishmen were returning via Australia and playing matches in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, Warner invited Albert Trott, then under engagement to the Hawkes Bay Cricket Association, to join the team and play in the Australian portion of the tour. Trott's acceptance at once lifted this already good side into an eleven that inspired confidence in their ability to hold their own with the best teams in Australia.

In the early stages of each of the matches played against New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia these young Englishmen showed form that impressed the critics and looked like bringing them victory. Second innings collapses at Melbourne and Adelaide—typical of the way New Zealand wickets had fallen at Wellington—robbed them of what looked certain wins.

Some reference should be made to the match against New South Wales. The great Trumper-Duff opening partnerships were at this time the bane of Australian bowlers. On this occasion, Albert Trott broke through the defence of both these batsmen before they got going, and New South Wales was all out for 144. In their second innings, Trumper and Duff raced away at a terrific pace and the score was about 70 when Warner threw the ball to Bosanquet, who was now page 153 pitted against two redoubtable young batsmen, noted for the way they chased slow bowling. Trumper took the first ball, but the brilliant Victor must have forgotten what Jim Kelly had said at Lord's the previous season, for down went his stumps, hit by a “leg-break that came back from the off.” The spectators were dumbfounded at such a simple-looking ball disposing of their champion. The next few batsmen defended as though they were determined not to become victims of another “sleight of hand” trick, and it was not until Hopkins joined Duff in a prolific partnership that the batting was again on top. But Bosanquet had already demonstrated that googly bowling, even on the hard wickets of Australia, could puzzle the best batsmen, thus paving the way for the introduction of this type of bowling into Test Match cricket.

Later googly bowlers, like Vogler, Hordern, Mailey, Grimmett and Freeman developed a perfect length, but Bosanquet, the originator of this freakish ball, remained the type of bowler who had his day. On the occasions when he did strike form, his height of delivery, deceptive flight and quick break-back made him dangerous on any type of wicket. This was Bosanquet's day, and he finished with six wickets for 153. Dowson, who had batted in happy-go-lucky style in New Zealand, played splendidly in these Australian matches, and the best judges predicted that he would return with the next All England XI.

In the match against South Australia Thompson, in the first innings, took nine wickets for 85; seven of the batsmen being clean bowled—a remarkable performance on a hard Adelaide wicket. One of the stories handed down about the great Spofforth was that if he beat a batsman he bowled him. During all my cricketing experience, I did not see a bowler hit the stumps as often as Thompson.

This cricket tour was in every way an outstanding success. The matches in Australia proved invaluable experience for those members of this team who were to return with England's next Test Match side. The tour just described was, of course, in the main a New Zealand venture, and the way this team stalked through the Dominion, demonstrating the correctness and efficiency of the Englishmen's style of play, is still talked of to-day. Excepting the great International sides of representative strength, Lord Hawke's team, led by P. F. Warner, was probably the strongest that has visited New Zealand.