George Hirst's Last Hat-Trick
George Hirst had an extraordinary sweetness of character, and at Eton, a place not much given to idolatry, he was dearly loved and deeply respected. Not many cricket-coaches would have made—and fewer still could have made without causing any pain—his reply to the Captain of the XI (it was Willie Hill-Wood) who asked him why Eton had lost the match against Winchester. " I'll tell you the reason, sir," said George Hirst. " You bowled too long—" he paused, " and you bowie too bad." He and Eton took leave of each other in a manne which was typical of both. It was a hot July afternoon, tw days before Lord's; the XI were batting abstractedly in a final practice game, with George Hirst bowling for the opposi- tion. The boys knew it was his last season, and suddenly the Captain Of the XI was seized with a sense of occasion. It was for practical purposes George's last game of cricket, cer- tainly his last at Eton. " George," he declared, " is going to d the hat-trick." The first wicket presented no difficulty, an the next ball was fortunately a good one. The third batsma was taut with anxiety as he advanced to the wicket. The boy were taking the whole thing seriously; George Hirst never boasted, but they desperately wanted him to be able to recall, if he so chose, this final hat-trick; it was absolutely essenti not only that No. 3 should get out first ball, but that he shoul lose his wicket without allowing the shrewdest living judge of cricket to see that he had lost it on purpose. He got out forget how) with immense plausibility. Without a spectator sight, and in a cause of no real importance, George Hirst brought his glorious career as a professional cricketer to characteristic end by pretending to have been deceived.
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