alen, who was secretary to the 'Varsity XI. and captained
our side, knew my name. Foster and Henderson began the batting, and my
first ball which was supposed to be directed at Foster's wicket was a
most abominable wide, the second and third he hit to the boundary, the
fourth was a no-ball, and I really forget what happened after that, but
I know that it was the sort of over which seemed as if it would never
end. I had not been no-balled before, and this unexpected misfortune
made my bowling quite comically bad. Cross kept me on for seven overs,
because as I heard him say afterwards he thought the beginning was too
bad to be true. Foster made 128 and Henderson 93, I got one wicket for
78 runs, but the man I got out was not supposed to be a batsman, and he
confided to me as we went back to the pavilion that his highest score
for his school during the last season had been 5. This information on
the top of my inglorious performance was really rather trying; he
might, I thought, have kept it to himself, but he had made 11 and was
unduly elated. Their side made 358, and our two innings only totalled
301; I went in last, with the exception of Cross, and made such
furiously ineffective efforts to hit some leg-breaks, that Rushden of
New College, who was a most serious cricketer and captain of the
'Varsity XI., was compelled to laugh. But I did land one ball into the
shrubbery, which was the only moment during the match when I felt that
cricket in a cold wind was worth playing. After it was all over,
however, I was delighted that Fred had started so well, and it did not
surprise me at all when I saw that my name was not down to play for the
Sixteen Freshmen against the 'Varsity XI.; in fact I should have been
very surprised if Rushden had not made up his mind about me. Both Fred
and Henderson did well in this second trial match and were chosen to
play for the Varsity against the M.C.C., while I went back to college
cricket and lived upon what reputation I had brought from Cliborough
for quite three weeks. I could not get any wickets however much I
tried until we played Pembroke, who were not exactly a strong batting
side, and to make things easier for me they had their three best men
away. After this match I got my college colours, but I am afraid that
it is doubtful if I deserved them.

Jack Ward played for the College XI., but his best scores were made for
the St. Cuthbert's Busters, who played villages round Oxford