Thomas Hayward

THOMAS HAYWARD was born at Cambridge on the 19th of March, 1871. He is a striking instance of hereditary talent for the game, being a son of Daniel Hayward and a nephew of the famous Thomas Hayward who, thirty odd years ago, was by common consent the first professional batsman in England. Inasmuch as he was only five years old at the time of Hayward's death, the subject of our sketch could scarcely have seen his uncle play, but curiously enough he shares with him the distinction of having a beautiful style of batting. Getting his early cricket in connection with the Young Men's Christian Association Club at Cambridge, young Hayward in due course found his way to the Oval, and qualified for Surrey by the necessary period of residence. During the season of 1892 he played with brilliant success for the Surrey Club and Ground, and when in the next year he was ready for a trial in the county eleven great hopes were entertained of him. He soon made it clear that he was a batsman of no ordinary class, playing an innings of 100 against Leicestershire in his second county match. After this, however, he fell off to some extent, and before the end of June he had, for the time being, lost his place in the Surrey team. However, as several members of the eleven stood out of the return match with the Australians, he was tried again, and with scores of 53 and 20 made his position secure for the rest of the season. Surrey won the match after a desperately close fight by two wickets, Hayward's splendid defence against Turner on a very difficult pitch having a good deal to do with the result. After that the young batsman scored 112 against Kent, and altogether his work for Surrey in all matches during the season showed an aggregate of 637 runs with an average of 19.10. This was not, in a run-getting year like that of 1893, an exceptional record, but it was very good for a beginner, and everybody felt that barring illness or accident he was pretty sure to develop into a first-class batsman. No one praised him more warmly or formed a higher opinion of his ability than Mr. John Shuter. Early last summer Hayward did not quite come up to expectation, but the ground he lost was more than recovered before the season came to an end. For Surrey against Somerset towards the close of July he scored 113 and not out 36, and on the 20th August against Kent he made 142-so far his highest score in a match of importance. In the Surrey averages in the county championship he scored 618 runs with an average of just over 28, while in all matches for the county he stood third on the list with an aggregate of 873 runs and an average of 27.9. Well as he has done during his two seasons for Surrey, we look forward with confidence to his taking a far higher position than he has yet attained. Indeed, his method of play is so admirable that no distinction of the cricket field should be beyond his reach.