ARE CRICKETERS SHORT-LIVED? 299 



end of August. Budd's average over twenty years was 28, 

 and, considering what the wickets were Hke in his days, 

 that must be regarded as a very fine performance. Even 

 now, it would place a man in the front rank of batsman 

 over a similar number of years. 



I remember the sensation created when E. M. Grace 

 appeared in first-class cricket. His average was 30 odd in 

 his first season. But old cricketers said that his play, 

 though dashing, was not cricket. I heard two old members 

 of the M.C.C. make that remark during a match at Lord's, 

 when E. M. ran out and drove a ball clean over the bowler's 

 head into the pavilion. 



W, G. has so completely overshadowed the feats of his 

 elder brother that people forget that E. M. was regarded 

 as a prodigy. He had a wonderful eye, and it was a treat 

 to see him knock the bowling all over the shop, though his 

 style may not have been scientific. His fielding was 

 superb ; I have never seen a finer point. And there was a 

 time when, with his slow bowling, he could stick up the 

 best batsman in England. He took all ten wickets in the 

 first innings of Kent against M.C.C. and Ground, to say 

 nothing of scoring 196 not out. And the best of the joke 

 was that he had not been actually elected a member of the 

 M.C.C, and it was by the courtesy of the Chairman of 

 the Kent County Club that he was permitted to play as a 

 substitute, I don't know whether it was on this occa- 

 sion or another that a confident appeal for l.b.w. was 

 made by the bowler ; but old Fuller Pilch, who was 

 umpiring, to the amazement of all, gave him " not out." 

 When remonstrated with afterwards, Fuller scratched his 

 head and said, " Well, you see, I had never seen the 

 young gentleman play, and I'd heard such a lot about 

 his batting." 



Dr. W. G. Grace says that there is no truth in the story. 

 But I have heard old Fuller taxed with it in the bar- 

 parlour of his own house, the Saracen's Head, at Canterbury, 

 and he certainly did not deny the soft impeachment, but 

 shook his head with a cunning smile, which, of course, 

 everyone present considered to be " confirmation strong as 

 proof of Holy Writ." 



