The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-08-17

the 1.-the, quick girl cricketers delivered
their balls, caught them and 6elded.
Why. but I'd, don't you know, tn this 81, .,s
panion in comic amazement. Miss Ella
| Heather, a sister of Miss Ada. who ia,
perhaps, the best girl bowler, was deliver
| ing the balls with an over-arm motion at q
moderate pace and variable pitch, some of
nounced in slow wonder, very nasty to
negotiate, really now" Another of his en-
comiums was to the effect that Miss Heather
''got a lot of break on her balls" ] hadn't
much notion what he meant by it. cricket
being about as blind to an outsider as base
| and, in spite of her small size-she is q
glowing brunette and about the lightest and
slightest of the cricketers-proved herself
no mean antagonist. All the Reds played
| steadily and we'll, contributing to the run
getting until Miss Stanley began to bowl.
over-arm bowler and an extremely bright,
pretty looking girl, whose clever work SO
wrought upon the sympathies of my neigh
Dor that he fairly went into ecstasies of
sympathetic excitement when she bowled
three batsmen in three successive balls.
man even when excited is slow-''if she
hasn't brought off the hat trick. Most won
derful, most wonderfully
He repeated his 'tmost wonderful until
his calm, even excitement became almost
more interesting than the game. Subse-
quent inquiry has taught mo that the hat
trick has been brought off BY one woman
only before Miss Stanley. Miss Major &C.
complishing the feat in 1856, SO that the
pretty captains performance was coming
up to the record. and as such worthy of ap-
plause. There were cheers from the crowd,
which up to this time had divided its APP
probation pretty evenly between the Reds
and the R1uaQ In tho fret innin0 tho Ro1s
made ia, Miss Westbrooke herself getting
49, The Blues then went to the abat, the
Reds taking the field.
Miss Stanley and Miss Moss started the
batting, and SO stanchly did they keep their
s wicke It; up that the score ran up to 4s be-
was bowled. Miss Moss still held her
securing two threes, one two and
a long score of singles, to the
admiration of my neiRhboring cricket
barometer, who rose to flair weather"
little newspaper reporter to bask in sun
shine and approval. Miss Moss he pro-
nounced "deuced plucky," and as to the
fielding he allowed that it showed "cool-
ness and nerve There began to be
wagers on the issue, and I judged that
old England was rapidly becoming Ameri-
canized when heard talk of ices and bon
bons in room of gloves from the forest Of
parasols. There wanted twelve runs to tie
and thirteen to win and there were but two
wickets to fill. Miss Moss was batting and
longest string of the day. "Will she get
50?" asked the wilderness of girls in sailor
hats and natty shirts who had suddenly ex-
allied her to the pedestal of an idol.
Miss Moss, as she faced the bowling, was
fine example of a wholesome English
girl, with heavy yellow hair, rather long
face, rounded cheeks flushed with pink,
excitement in them. She looked as if she
had staying power. It was Miss Westbrooke
who began to bowl. Her first ball was a
''right-hand over-arm, with break-to-leg,"
quoting the broad shouldered oracle's' de-
scription, and it looked as if it might be, as
hit it to the boundary and her 46 was made
48 amid thrills of excitement that the para
soils seemed to find at once tense and de-
lightful. Miss Westbrooke's second ball
was a slow one; think the oracle called it
a "lob," but Miss Moss seemed to discern
some latent viciousness in it, for she
blocked" it without attempting a run.
The third ball she stepped out to boldly,
and the parasol fringes ceased to futter in
their anxiety, but here the fortune of wal
deserted the fair contestant, the glorious
uncertainty of cricket manifested itself and
she skyed the ball ''slap into midwicket's
hands," closing the match with little
anti-climax, which spoils my story for dra-
matte effect. and which SO disguised the or.
acle that he rallied again at girls cricket
, soon recovering himself sufficiently, how.
! ever, to acknowledge that in the main the
game had been played with intelligent regard
to its technique and with uncommon grace
and no little strength and skill. Warming
with the recollection of 4 brilliant passage
n he went SO far as to aver that even as to tn,
4 tiasco he had "seen plenty of fellows Ordi
o narily good for two figures make mess O
7 it, in precisely the same way.
e The oracle having gone off for luncheon
Il l looked up the two captains. Miss Stan
Il ley, though somewhat downcast by defeat
n assured me that the exercise, though I'M
o doubtedly somewhat severe, had thu
y far proved decidedly beneficial to bot
If teams. They were all in good health an
d enjoying their play. The design of til
q, picturesque costumes was, she said, the gil
re of an artist to the teams. There were ligt
id skeleton pads for protecting the legs, and
ID special make of wicket gloves which the
Sc liked better than the patterns offered
ts men. 1t is early in the day to venture
VS. prediction, but it looks as if cricket +.
sh paper published in it's interest, giving re
ht ords. etc., of the matches. Miss Stanley
al the editor. 1t is not likely that there wi
adj be many more mixed matches, for gir
pe cannot play seriously against men, but tn
" are learning something better than Il
''little cricket" of the burlesque matche
an in play against their own sex, and amate
- elevens are sprinRing up OH every side.
rs have heard of the organization of 70
"a within a fortnight. Whether this new 81
al ment added to the athletic life of wom
as is likely to prove good thing or not t
extreme optimists and pessimists will.
?" doubt, spend much time in discussing.
al ELIZA PUTNAM HEAToN
Copyright.
e'- JOTTINGS AROUT TOWN.