Henry Larkwell “Harry Lark” versus Norman Hatherley “Norm”
Larkwell and Hatherley completed eight closely worked rounds. Their careful counter-punching produced alternating passages of useful work, and the ledger records a draw.
An upstairs room with a square floor and a narrow approach to the dressing area.
Contest date: Undated. Entry numbers identify records rather than dates.
Round by round.
Round 1
Larkwell kept his weight ready to leave the line of Hatherley’s first lead. Hatherley, with the lower lead hand, invited an answer without offering a settled target. The opening was cautious in an attentive way, each boxer interested in the recovery that followed the other’s first commitment.
Round 2
Hatherley began answering as Larkwell’s lead came back, finding a useful interval before the guard was fully restored. Larkwell adjusted his feet and made the next attempt less rewarding. The round offered little sustained pressure, but the clean replies gave both men reason to avoid a careless opening.
Round 3
Larkwell changed his angle sooner and found room to answer before Hatherley could complete the turn. His work was brief and more definite than in the opening rounds. Hatherley remained patient, resisting the temptation to follow immediately into an exchange whose line had already shifted.
Round 4
Hatherley’s low lead drew a longer answer, which he met with a small withdrawal and a return of his own. Larkwell recovered promptly but had to reconsider the invitation. The contest was becoming an argument over which first movement was genuine, rather than a contest of uninterrupted activity.
Round 5
Larkwell made fewer invitations of his own and concentrated on leaving his feet in a better position after each reply. The change gave his next movement greater purpose. Hatherley still found answers when the lead returned, keeping the round too closely contested for either corner to assume control.
Round 6
Hatherley stepped away from the expected line and made Larkwell begin again before he could extend a useful exchange. The better passages came from that small disruption. Larkwell answered later in the round, using his own changes of angle to prevent the distance from becoming entirely Hatherley’s choice.
Round 7
The two became more willing to complete an exchange, with Larkwell finding the first clear answer and Hatherley returning before the space had fully opened. Neither stayed in front for long. The sharper work alternated, leaving an exact contest whose result could not be inferred from a single passage.
Round 8
Larkwell and Hatherley retained their careful shapes through the final round, each finding a useful reply when the other seemed ready to settle. Neither established a lasting command over the closing exchanges. The scheduled eight rounds were completed, and the ledger records the contest as a draw.