o. Meredith was captain of
the House and of L-Z, while FitzMorris captained A-K. For the first half
of the term there were Junior House Single-Innings matches played in the
American method, and afterwards came the Two-Innings Senior matches on
the knock-out system. A-K Junior this year had quite a decent side.
Foster was not at all a bad slow bowler, and was known to have made
runs. Collins had a useful but unorthodox shot which he applied to every
ball, no matter where it pitched, and which landed the ball either over
shortslip's head or over the long-on boundary. In the nets it was a
hideous performance, but in Junior House matches, where runs are the one
consideration it was extremely useful. A certain Betteridge captained
the side, not because of any personal attainments, but because he was on
the V. A table, and had played in Junior House matches with consistent
results for three years. He went in tenth and sometimes bowled.

These matches began at once, as Stewart, the captain of the Eleven, was
anxious to spot useful men for the Colts, the under sixteen side, who
wore white caps with a blue dragon worked on them. And so on the second
Saturday of the term A-K drew Buller's in the first round. Before the
game FitzMorris had the whole side in his study to fix the positions in
the field. Some of the side had played little serious cricket before.
Brown, in fact, asked if he might field middle and leg. But at last they
were placed more or less to their own satisfaction, and FitzMorris gave
them a short "jaw" on keenness. Cricket was about the one thing he
really cared for; as a chemistry specialist he spent most of his day
adoze in the laboratory. It was only in the cricket field that he really
woke up.

With great solemnity Betteridge walked forward to toss with Felsted, the
Buller's captain. A few seconds later he returned to announce that
Buller's had won the toss and put them in. The captain of a Junior House
side is always very fond of putting the other side in first. P.F. Warner
would demand rain overnight, a drying ground, a fast wind and a baking
sun before he would dare do such a thing. But Felsted was made of
sterner stuff.

Gordon was sent in first with Collins. The idea was to try and knock the
bowlers off their length early. Gordon was very nervous. "The Bull" was
umpire at one end and FitzMorris at the other. Meredith had strolled
over to watch, as L-Z had drawn a bye. Mansell was in the Pavilion
eatin