Page:Cricket, by WG Grace.djvu/301

 victory slipping out of their grasp owing to his patience and coolness. He was not of the stone wall type of batsman. Often he carried out his bat, but rarely without a good score to his credit. He could hit to every part of the field, but excelled in leg-hitting; he was also a first-rate fieldsman at point, but no bowler.

I remember an amusing remark of Carpenter's in 1872, when I was scoring heavily. It was made at the end of the Gentlemen v. Players match at the Oval on the 5th of July. The Gentlemen had won the first match two days before at Lord's by seven wickets, and my share of the runs was 77 first innings, 112 second. On this occasion the Gentlemen won by nine wickets, and my score was 117.

"I have had about enough of fielding out to Mr. Grace this week; but thank goodness I shall be on his side the next match," said Carpenter.

My next match was at Lord's on the 8th, when Carpenter and I played for England v. Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire. I batted first, and two wickets were down for 77 when Carpenter joined me. I was scoring as rapidly then as I ever scored in my life, and there were no boundary hits. Nearly every ball was hit away, and at the end of an hour, when Carpenter was caught at the wicket, we had put on exactly a hundred runs, of which he had made 36. He was over forty years of age at the time, had played splendidly, and was warmly cheered when he walked from the wicket.

"Well, Carpenter," said one of the players, "you ought to feel happy to-day!"

"Feel happy! If I had been in much longer I should have died. It is a deal harder work to be in with him than fielding against him. When you are fielding you do get a rest now and again, but when batting you never do!"