Page:Cricket, by WG Grace.djvu/332

 then being in his 4oth year. He scored 16 first innings, 122 not out second, and he never batted better in his life, playing his pet stroke the draw repeatedly and well.

As a bowler he was above medium-pace, but not fast; but he bowled very straight and kept a fair length. Like Grundy and one or two others belonging to the ground bowlers at Lord's, he was more inclined to bowl too short than too far up, a habit they had got into owing to the nature of the ground. The pitch was very lively and short balls bounded rather high, which made them difficult to hit with safety a point which Hearne and Grundy made use of. I know when they tried a similar length ball on a slower wicket elsewhere they got punished rather severely. Hearne was a very good fieldsman close in, and could keep wicket. He succeeded Grundy as head bowler at Lord's in 1872, which position he still holds.

Allen Hill was born at Kirkheaton, near Huddersfield, Yorkshire, 14th November, 1845. His height was 5 ft. 11 ins.; weight, 12½ st. He was one of our very best fast round-arm bowlers, particularly between 1870 and 1875. For Yorkshire he did good work in conjunction with Emmett, after Freeman gave up playing. In pace he was not quite so fast as Freeman or Tarrant; but he had a very easy delivery and beautiful style. He did not put much work on the ball, although now and then he would break from the off; but he bowled very straight and kept a good length, and I have had occasional balls from him that required all my skill to get my bat in front of, and one or two that completely beat me. I forget the exact distance he took before delivering the ball; but I know it was much shorter than the average run of fast bowlers. For his county he was very successful during the years I have mentioned, and in 1874 his form with the ball enabled the Players