"I mention it, sir, because players have sometimes
said to me, 'Jenkinson, I wonder you always seem to enjoy yourself at
the Oval.' 'Why not?' says I; 'the crowd's friendly and the pitch
perfect.' 'That's just it,' they say; 'perfect to break a bowler's
heart.' 'Never you mind.' I answers: 'Tom Jenkinson, when he gets
into Surrey, isn't out for averages.'" (Can't you hear the cheers at
that?) "'He's out for fine art and a long day at it in pleasant
surroundings: and,' I winds up, 'if you reckon I sometimes take a
while, down there, to bowl a man _out_, just you wait till I come
down and help to bowl a man _in_!' Your servant, Mr. Farrell!"
Neat, eh? Well, we made our entrance right on top of it: and though
the great Bath was no more than three-parts full, you couldn't see a
vacant seat, the audience rocked so.
Now I must tell you a queer thing. . . . You know what it feels like
when you're talking away easily, maybe laughing, and all of a sudden
the Bosch puts in one that you feel means business? Something in the
sound of the devil makes you scatter.
Pages:
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59