Page:Cricket, by WG Grace.djvu/362

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354
CRICKET.

lish slow bowlers for years, as his splendid results will show:

Overs. Maidens. Runs. Wickets. Average.
1880 1312 580 1168 138 12.12
1881 1638 731 2088 162 12.144
1882 1853 868 2466 2144 11.112
1883 1376 665 1753 120 14.73
1884 1575 777 1868 137 13.87
1885 1699 903 1945 115 16.105
1886 980 542 1027 70 14.47

He was not a good field, and he did not trouble himself much about his batting average; but he made rather an amusing remark in the memorable and sensational match England v. Australia, at the Oval, in 1882, when Spofforth and Boyle bowled with such extraordinary results in the second innings of England. Mr. C. T. Studd, rather strangely, was down on the list as tenth man, and Peate was eleventh. Ten runs were wanted to win, and it was not considered an impossible task if Peate could only keep up his wicket or allow Mr. Studd to have the bowling. However, Peate hit out at the first or second ball and made two runs off it; then tried it again off the next ball, and was clean bowled. On being remonstrated with for his rashness and want of judgment, he said: "Very sorry, gentlemen, but I could not trust Mr. Studd." Not a bad remark, considering that Mr. Studd had made a hundred runs against the same bowling a month or so before!

Robert Peel was born at Charwell, Yorkshire, on the 12th February, 1857. His height is 5 ft. 6 ins.; weight, 11 st. He first played for his county in 1882, when he was in his 25th year. Peate and Bates were at their best then, and Emmett was still a power in the eleven, or Peel would have represented Yorkshire even before that date, for it was well known that his bowling abilities only required development to become first-class. The year