A Benefit Match

A short story

Jervis is the political agent for Mr Morley-Davenport in a forthcoming election and asks fellow Weary Willies cricket team member Innes to arrange that M-D scores a few runs in the village match where he is standing, to boost his reputation. The game isn't an important one so Innes agrees to speak to the bowlers. But two of them are new to Innes and the match doesn't go the way he expects ...

Characters

James Innes	a 'Weary Willie' cricketer
Jervis	another WW cricketer
Gregory	another WW cricketer
John Edward Barlow	a Stapleton cricketer

Publishing Information

Probably published in June or August 1906 in the Windsor magazine.

Notes and Quotes

Weary Willies
- Weary Willie was a cartoon character in the US magazine Sunday Call, 1903. PG uses the name as a fictional 'wandering club' of amateur cricketers.

Alfred Mynn
- born 1807, the first great cricketer.

Rhodes
- Wilfred Rhodes (1877-1973), Yorkshire and England cricketer.

'The new batsman took guard.'
- a process by which the batsman establishes his position in front of the wicket (he stands further in front than is obvious from a distance).

Point, mid-off etc
- positions on the cricket field, in relation to the batsman, and the fielders standing at them.

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This story may be available on the Internet - free - subject to copyright laws in your country. (I cannot reproduce it here.)

The Weary Willies appear in other PGW stories.