hey! boy! what is this? do you call that play?' But he soon became sensible of the safety and excellence of the practice; which saves alike the fingers and the wickets from a first-rate top-bailer. Sueter was the first wicket-keeper; that part of the game having not been attended to before; and we believe that Boxall was the first who by a turn of the wrist gave his balls a twist to the wicket. Freemantle brought the province of long-stop at once to perfection, never suffering a ball to pass, and covering a great deal of ground. There were some good men besides these. Boorman, and Booker, and Ring, and Purchase, and Clifford (the last excellent as a bowler), and Crosoer, cum multis aliis. The match is even now remembered when the predecessors of these men, the old players (including the elder Small), were brought against the improved Hambledon school, and beaten in a masterly and decisive manner.
Some of Tom Walker's scores about 1786, were superb. In a match played against Kent and White Conduit Club (which was the father of the Mary-la-bonne), Tom scored the amazing number of 95 runs in his first innings, and brought his bat out with him; in the second he gained 102. Beldham's name first appears on the 20th June 1787, on the side of England, against the White Conduit Club, with six picked men. In his second innings he obtained 63 runs. Beldham never could keep his bat, his eyes, or his legs still, and he was generally run out, as in this instance. He would get 20 runs, while Tom Walker got 2, though they scored pretty even at the end. Harry Walker[1] was also very quick in getting up his score; but not so safe
- ↑ Harry Walker was a left-handed player; so was Harris, Freemantle, Aylward, Brazier, and Clifford; so that they had some fine bowlers among them. At this day, our left-handed batters are superb; but they have no bowlers of eminence. It is however proposed to make a match of the left-handed against All England, next July. There is a glory accompanying the names of all. Mills of Kent, Hayward of Cambridge, Marsden, Searle, lead the van.
