CRICKET VERSUS LUCKY STRIKES

This story was submitted to the People's War Site by Louise Adamou, BBC Guide at the BBC 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’s order to play. All eyes on the entrance to corporation field of “corpo” to the lads.

“Okay, here they come” “Play” roared the umpire, the bowler began his run up delivering the ball to the waiting batsman, the game began. “They were the Yankee soldiers from Londesbourough Street Barracks, who, every Sunday at about two o clock, came to “Corpo” 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 “Corpo” 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 “Corpo” and began putting on their kit. The lads were concentrating on their game of cricket. Suddenly came a big shout from the fielders, “Howzatt?” All the yanks stared at the umpires raised finger, the batsman began his walk back to his team mates under the big roof,
“What’s with that guy” said a yank to one of the boys fielding on the boundary.
“He’s out” replied the boy.
“What, no three strikes?” said the Yank.
“Not in Cricket mate” said the boy “If your ball hits the wicket, or you’re caught, you’re out”. “Crazy Limeys” muttered the Yank.

“Why don’t you guys play baseball?”
“You what?” said the boy. “That’s a lasses game”.
“A girl’s game? Said the yank with a puzzled look on his face
“Yeah a girls game” said the boy. “In England we call it rounders and only girls play that game”
“Now I know you Limeys are crazy” said the Yank catching a ball in the big glove he had on his hand.
“Did you hear that Zeke, only girls play baseball in England”
“Is that so” said Zeke “Sure is a funny country Joe.”
The boys concentrated on their game of cricket, the Yanks getting more impatient at not getting to play baseball.
“How long is this game of cricket going to last” said the Yankee sergeant to the boy.
“Oh it could be four or five o clock tonight” said the boy.
“Four or five o clock tonight!” said the sergeant. “Holy Mackerel, we’re not going to get a game at all at this rate!” He said
“Well” said the boy “our game doesn’t finish till the last man’s out and then the other team’s got to bat’
“Holy Moses” said the sergeant shaking his head.
The boy concentrated on his fielding watching for any balls that came his way.
“Hey kid” said the sergeant, “Is there no way you guys could surrender that pitch so that we can have a game of baseball.”
“Oh well I don’t know about that” said the boy “its up to the captains”.
All the boys looked up to the captains who’d both been fourteen years old, had left school and were now working for a living.
“Hey kid” said the sergeant, “can you tell the captains I’d like to have a word with them, maybe we can come to some arrangement”
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.
“It’s like this” said the other captain “The Yanks want to trade the pitch for some cigarettes. As I’ve got no smokers for work tomorrow and no chance of gerrin any, I vote we let the Yanks play” he said starring around the group daring anyone to disagree with him.
“I don’t smoke” a voice piped up.
“Shut up you, you’re out voted, look at it this way lads, I’ll have some smokes for work and you’ll have some smokes for school, you who don’t smoke, give em to your dad, agreed?”
With some muttering and a nodding of heads the majority vote took the day.
“Okay Yank you can have the pitch, the boys have voted to let you play baseball.”
And so the pattern was set for the following Sundays.
“Okay you guys, come on, get your cigarettes”
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’t smoked a cigarette for years now, and come to think of it, I haven’t had a game of cricket either.

Brian’s 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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