Cricket Match

The cricket match and the concert afterwards are two highly significant incidents in L.P. Hartley's novel, The Go-Between. These events mark the passage of Leo's growth into manhood. At the cricket match Leo changes from being a spectator sitting on the sidelines to taking an active role. He has to deal with the responsibility of making the great catch. While doing so he learns of various underlying factors in the behaviour of the adults. The experience is in some ways repeated in the concert where he is again faced with what seems to be a daunting task which he handles successfully. The great class division is evident throughout the cricket match. It can be seen even from the beginning, with the teams being divided between the villagers and those from Brandham Hall, "as if a battle were in progress'. We can see the affect the match has had on Leo even before we read of it ourselves when the older Leo says of how he has "never voluntarily watched a cricket match since'. The villagers were wearing a variety of clothes for the match, many of which were working clothes, and many were wearing braces. They could have been compared to the natives in the Boer War. The players from Brandham Hall however looked professional wearing white flannels and caps. They had more of a similarity to the trained soldiers in the Boer War. The fact that Trimingham was in fact trained is symbolic to the game. Leo is convinced at this point that the immaculately dressed team from the Hall must win. At the beginning of the match he certainly wants them to, despite the fact that Ted is playing for the village. However when Ted goes out to bat, Leo finds that his loyalties are divided. On the one hand Ted is doing well and Leo hopes that he makes a high score, but on the other hand, the notion of the villagers winning upsets his rigid ideas of social class. Marian also appears to be rather excited by the prospect of Ted's success and Leo realises that the contest on the cricket field is