Hallows be Thy Name

posted by John Winn

Turn to page 1229 in this year's Wisden and under the heading 1,000 RUNS IN MAY you will see just three names listed. Two, WG Grace and Wally Hammond are amongst the most famous cricketers of all time, the third, Charlie Hallows, other than in Lancashire, is  less well known. Yet on the 31st of May 1928 Hallows added his name to those of Grace and Hammond and in the 92 years and 1 day that have passed nobody has joined them.

Beginning on May 5th with exactly 100 against Northants at Old Trafford followed by another century against Glamorgan in the same week and at the same venue, the left-handed Hallows proceeded to score consistently including two hundreds at Edgbaston the following week (four centuries in ten days). His form barely faltered so that by the penultimate day of the month and the start of Lancashire's home match with Sussex, Charlie needed 232 runs to join the illustrious company. Fortunately Lancs won the toss and chose to bat and at stumps on that Wednesday they were 376 for 3 with our hero on 190 not out.

Next morning Hallows proceed to score the remaining 42 and having done so was out next ball, ct J Parks b Gilligan 232. Job done. Further investigation however shows that Sussex used ten bowlers and in his book 'Red Roses Crest Their Caps' Eric Midwinter describes the Sussex bowling as 'sympathetic'. One member of the attack. Arthur Watson, had the analysis of one over nought for one, respectable enough but it was the only over he bowled that season.

It does seem therefore that Hallows feat on those last two days and particularly the morning of the 31st was made easier by the opposition but in his defence he was dismissed by Gilligan who was definitely not an occasional bowler. A wise man Hallows had chosen the match against Surrey beginning on June 2nd for his benefit. Somewhat anti-climatically he scored only 34 and then watched as F Watson and E Tyldesley add 371 which remains the highest second wicket partnership for Lancashire. Sadly Wisden does not tell us the size of the crowd or how much the benefit yielded but let's hope it was more than the £111 a collection had raised for him on reaching his 1000 runs in May.

If we bring April into the mix then we need to add five more names to the list: Tom Hayward, Don Bradman (twice). Bill Edrich, Glen Turner and Graham Hick. On both occasions Bradman began his season on April 30th as did Edrich.

Charles Hallows 1895 to 1972