Page:Cricket, by WG Grace.djvu/75

 Mr. Marcon came with a rush, and our enterprising member hit. The ball hit the bat high up about the shoulder, and bat and ball went right through the wicket.

My brother Henry was fifteen years of age when he played his first match for the club in 1848. He did not make much of a show that year; but two or three years later he could show an average of 17 for seven innings, and was very successful with the ball also. My cousins were at their best then, and the West Gloucestershire had now become a very strong club.

The year 1852 saw the departure of my cousins. They had begun the work of life, and holidays of two months' duration had become a thing of the past. The brunt of the fight had again to be undertaken by my father and uncle; but they faced it pluckily, for the sake of the boys who were springing up. Henry was still improving in his play, and my uncle and he were considered the two best all-round players in the district. They could both bowl very straight: my uncle was the steadier, with plenty of patience, but my brother was the faster, and on a rough kicking wicket met with great success. They would go any distance to play, whether the match were good, bad, or indifferent, and some oi their experiences of country cricket were rather amusing.

Mr. Williams, a player of University reputation, who was living at Thornbury, got together an eleven; but he could not lick them into match form, and almost gave up in despair. He did not like to cry "Beaten," and thought he might as well have a try against some of the clubs, about the end of the season, when one or two of their best men were away holidaykeeping. Bristol was the club chosen; but, unfortunately for Mr. Williams, Henry and my uncle had been asked to play, and they were on the ground waiting when the Thornbury team appeared. The chances were