Sec.3

By ten o’clock on the Great Day a huge crowd had assembled, including visitors, parents, old boys, and quite a number of Pressmen.  Pennybet arrived, invested with all the sleek majesty that Sandhurst could give him:  and, seeking out Doe and myself, he lent us the dignity of his presence.

At about half-past-ten Radley came to the nets for a little practice, and most of us walked up to see what sort of form he was showing.  I was feeling a little shy in my Second Eleven colours and convinced that all the ladies were asking why my blazer was different from the others.  Pennybet quickly saw that I was sensitive on this point, and, with his cruel humour, began emphasising the little difficulty:  “Ray, how comes it that your blazer’s unlike the others?  It’s very noticeable, isn’t it?”

“Oh, shut up,” urged I, blushing over face and neck and throat.

“All the ladies,” continued my torturer, “will notice it and pity you, saying ‘Isn’t he lovely?’”

I ignored him and devoted my attention to watching Radley, as he took his place at the net, where Honion was bowling.  It was clear that he did not underestimate Honion’s express deliveries, for he rolled up his sleeve, displaying a massive forearm that alarmed us seriously; re-arranged his rubber bat-handle; placed his bat firmly in the block; and faced Honion.

The silence spoke of the importance of the moment; Lancaster, our captain, was measuring himself with Radley.  He took his long run and bowled.  Radley, with little apparent effort, drove the ball out of the net-mouth to the far end of the field, and re-commenced attending to his bat-handle.

“Oh, the full-blooded villain!” exclaimed Penny.

Someone handed Honion another ball, and he bowled.  Radley hit it with great force into the net on the off side.  Our spirits sank.  Honion was good; he was great; but he was not great enough for Radley.

The third ball Radley tapped straight to where I was standing, and I fielded it.

“Bowl,” said he.

I did not wish to do so, but it was impossible to disobey.  And, as I prepared to bowl, the silence became eloquent again.  The new man, the eleventh-hour bowler, was measuring himself with Radley.  I realised that my first ball teased him.  My second laid his leg-stump on the ground.  A yell of joy showed to what a height the spirits of the crowd had risen.  But mine sank in proportion:  I should never bowl him out twice in one day....

The bell rang, and the field was cleared.

All over the ground there was an anticipatory silence, which made the striking of the school-clock sound wonderfully loud.  Then an ovation greeted Lancaster, as he led his classic team on to the ground.

The Masters had won the toss, and the two, who were to open the batting, left the pavilion amid applause, and assumed their places at the wicket.  Lancaster placed his field, bowled a lightning ball, and splintered an old Oxonian’s middle stump.