Page:Cricket, by WG Grace.djvu/415

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CRICKETERS I HAVE MET.
407

pitch. For Gloucestershire he has been invaluable for years, and, with myself, has had to bear the brunt of the bowling. He has also played for the South v. North. He is a very good field close in, and makes runs occasionally.

Mr. William Yardley was born at Bombay, 10th June, 1849. His height was 5 ft. 11½, ins.; weight, 12, st. He was, without doubt, one of the most brilliant amateurs of his or any time, batting in excellent style, and scoring freely and quickly against all kinds of bowling. For his University, Cambridge, he was very successful, scoring 100 in the second innings against Oxford, at Lord's, in 1870, and 130 in 1872. He was the first to score 100 runs in University contests, and he is the only player who has done it twice in these matches. Altogether, in the three years he played for Cambridge v. Oxford, he scored 259 runs for 5 innings, average 51.4; and for the Gentlemen v. Players, considering the quality of the bowling against him, he was quite as successful, scoring 435 runs for 12 innings, average 36. He played for Kent in 1868, and occasionally for some years afterwards. He was not a good bowler; but he could bowl fast round-arm with his right and lobs with his left; and fielded with great dash and certainty at cover-point. He won the Racquet Championship for Cambridge v. Oxford in 1871.