Page:A "Bawl" for American Cricket.djvu/14

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8
INTRODUCTORY.

number could be mustered, were matched against eleven Englishmen. Records of many such matches may be found during the Forties and Fifties. The last we believe was played when George Parrs eleven played a twenty-two, composed of the best English and American cricketers from New York, Newark, and Philadelphia, in the Fall of 1859. Lockyer the great wicket keeper, Jackson, the fast bowler, Hayward and Carpenter the magnificent batsmen, with Julius Ceasar, Lillywhite Caffyn, and the rest won a well fought victory. Before Carpenter had made half a dozen runs, he elevated a mis-called "wide" into the hands of "mid off" who caught it, the umpire declined to rectify his palpable error, so the batter was "not out" on a "catch". Hayward was in with Carpenter when this culpable descision was made, and before a separation occurred, more than one hundred runs had been scored. Many who saw this match declared that but for the error, the Professionals might have not won the game.

All England elevens composed entirely of professionals, still play twenty-twos in the country districts of England, and often win, even against such enormous odds. American patriotism no longer permits such differences in opposing teams, but prefers to equalize the merits of players, in order to secure well contested matches.