as a fair rival of Lord Frederick. I saw him once at Lord's when he was a very old man and came to see a Gentlemen and Players match. I felt very much complimented when I was told after my innings by Walter Mynn that he heard Beldham say that was "something like hitting".'
How should you describe Felix as a bat?—Felix became a first-rate batsman and a well-known cricketer when he was old for the game, but young in intellect, health, strength, and spirits. When I first saw him play in 1834, he was a beautiful and a splendid hitter. His positions and action were magnificent, but he was then very unsafe. He played with his bat held over his shoulder, and a quick shooter was most likely to be fatal to him. He played principally in suburban matches. But when he began to appear at Lord's he put the bat beside him in the usual way and studied defence. He became certainly one of the best batsmen that ever played, by means of practice to the best bowlers, and more constantly to the "catapulta", which he invented in order to get good practice at Blackheath, where he had a school. His disposition inclined him to be rather unsteady, as he was always longing for a sensational hit. But he was an enthusiastic lover of cricket without any jealousy of the play of others, though burning to distinguish himself; and he was one of the cleverest, most accomplished, kind-hearted, and truest friends I ever had. He sent me a little likeness of himself, done with his left hand when his right was paralysed, shortly before his death.'[1]
Do you remember anything of Martingell and Day, the Surrey bowlers?—'I brought out Martingell in a match, Surrey v. Gentlemen of M.C.C., at Lord's, July 15th,
- ↑ Felix, whose real name was Nicholas Wanostrocht, was an excellent artist. In the Pavilion at Lord's are water-colour portraits from his hand of Alfred and Walter Mynn, Fuller Pilch and others. E.V.L.
