91热爆

This story was submitted to the People's War Site by Louise Adamou, 91热爆 Guide at the 91热爆 Open Centre Hull on behalf of Brain Hodgins and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the sites terms and conditions.

CRICKET VERSUS LUCKY STRIKES

Corporation Field, Hull, 1943.

The captain set out his team in their fielding positions before the start of the game of cricket. Batsman at the wicket, bowler tossing the ball from hand to hand, waiting for the umpire鈥檚 order to play. All eyes on the entrance to corporation field of 鈥渃orpo鈥� to the lads.

鈥淥kay, here they come鈥� 鈥淧lay鈥� roared the umpire, the bowler began his run up delivering the ball to the waiting batsman, the game began. 鈥淭hey were the Yankee soldiers from Londesbourough Street Barracks, who, every Sunday at about two o clock, came to 鈥淐orpo鈥� to play baseball, if and when, the lads let them that is. To the lads this was their territory, they were the soul masters and no one played on 鈥淐orpo鈥� without their permission.

The Yanks sauntered around the perimeter of the field carrying their baseball bats, catchers gloves, padded body protectors and a wire mesh head protectors which the boys thought dead comical, they halted under the big tin roof at the southern end of 鈥淐orpo鈥� and began putting on their kit. The lads were concentrating on their game of cricket. Suddenly came a big shout from the fielders, 鈥淗owzatt?鈥� All the yanks stared at the umpires raised finger, the batsman began his walk back to his team mates under the big roof,
鈥淲hat鈥檚 with that guy鈥� said a yank to one of the boys fielding on the boundary.
鈥淗e鈥檚 out鈥� replied the boy.
鈥淲hat, no three strikes?鈥� said the Yank.
鈥淣ot in Cricket mate鈥� said the boy 鈥淚f your ball hits the wicket, or you鈥檙e caught, you鈥檙e out鈥�. 鈥淐razy Limeys鈥� muttered the Yank.

鈥淲hy don鈥檛 you guys play baseball?鈥�
鈥淵ou what?鈥� said the boy. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a lasses game鈥�.
鈥淎 girl鈥檚 game? Said the yank with a puzzled look on his face
鈥淵eah a girls game鈥� said the boy. 鈥淚n England we call it rounders and only girls play that game鈥�
鈥淣ow I know you Limeys are crazy鈥� said the Yank catching a ball in the big glove he had on his hand.
鈥淒id you hear that Zeke, only girls play baseball in England鈥�
鈥淚s that so鈥� said Zeke 鈥淪ure is a funny country Joe.鈥�
The boys concentrated on their game of cricket, the Yanks getting more impatient at not getting to play baseball.
鈥淗ow long is this game of cricket going to last鈥� said the Yankee sergeant to the boy.
鈥淥h it could be four or five o clock tonight鈥� said the boy.
鈥淔our or five o clock tonight!鈥� said the sergeant. 鈥淗oly Mackerel, we鈥檙e not going to get a game at all at this rate!鈥� He said
鈥淲ell鈥� said the boy 鈥渙ur game doesn鈥檛 finish till the last man鈥檚 out and then the other team鈥檚 got to bat鈥�
鈥淗oly Moses鈥� said the sergeant shaking his head.
The boy concentrated on his fielding watching for any balls that came his way.
鈥淗ey kid鈥� said the sergeant, 鈥淚s there no way you guys could surrender that pitch so that we can have a game of baseball.鈥�
鈥淥h well I don鈥檛 know about that鈥� said the boy 鈥渋ts up to the captains鈥�.
All the boys looked up to the captains who鈥檇 both been fourteen years old, had left school and were now working for a living.
鈥淗ey kid鈥� said the sergeant, 鈥渃an you tell the captains I鈥檇 like to have a word with them, maybe we can come to some arrangement鈥�
The boy told the two captains what the Yank had said, they both came over and went into a huddle with the sergeant. A little later the captain walked back onto the pitch and called both teams around them.
鈥淚t鈥檚 like this鈥� said the other captain 鈥淭he Yanks want to trade the pitch for some cigarettes. As I鈥檝e got no smokers for work tomorrow and no chance of gerrin any, I vote we let the Yanks play鈥� he said starring around the group daring anyone to disagree with him.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 smoke鈥� a voice piped up.
鈥淪hut up you, you鈥檙e out voted, look at it this way lads, I鈥檒l have some smokes for work and you鈥檒l have some smokes for school, you who don鈥檛 smoke, give em to your dad, agreed?鈥�
With some muttering and a nodding of heads the majority vote took the day.
鈥淥kay Yank you can have the pitch, the boys have voted to let you play baseball.鈥�
And so the pattern was set for the following Sundays.
鈥淥kay you guys, come on, get your cigarettes鈥�
And so the great game of English cricket bowed its knee to the likes of Lucky Strikes, Chesterfields and Camels. The boys were happy, the yanks were happy but oh, that was so very long ago. I haven鈥檛 smoked a cigarette for years now, and come to think of it, I haven鈥檛 had a game of cricket either.

Brian鈥檚 recollections are wholly based on real events. Brian has written them as an outsider looking in to make his memories more accessible to the reader, but he was indeed the little boy in the stories and is now an old man (as he puts it) looking back.

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