A Game Sustained

19 Keeping going: 1914-1915 men and women in their leisure and in their gaiety were conscious of the shadow. The talk in train, and tram, and carriage was not of holiday-making; and when people bought the papers it was not the cricket scores to which they turned. 21 The period up to the outbreak of any war is often a time of false stories. It was, therefore, no surprise that just before war was declared on Germany on 4 August, rumours of a naval engagement in the North Sea reached York. Concerned that conflict was imminent and close by, the participants in a two-day match between the Yorkshire Gentlemen and the Eton Ramblers abandoned the fixture so the players could return home. On the 5August, Yorkshire duly beat Lancashire by 10wickets just after mid-day, but by this time White had already left Manchester to join his regiment and Rockley Wilson (who played just 66 matches for the county between 1899 and 1923 due to teaching responsibilities at Winchester College) took over the captaincy. There were also rumours that the Surrey-Yorkshire match would be moved to Lord’s because The Oval was to be used by reserve forces. Nevertheless, the MCC issued a statement to say that cancelling fixtures could serve no purpose, ‘unless the services of those engaged in cricket who have no military training can in any way be utilised in their country’s service.’ Notwithstanding the nervous excitement generated by the declaration of war, there was still a fair attendance at Edgbaston for Yorkshire’s next match. On the ground, the Warwickshire committee met to discuss how they would respond, while a surprisingly large crowdwatched a powerful display of batting by Major Booth, the county’s impressive all-rounder, and saw Wilfred Rhodes pass 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in a season for the ninth time. The Warwickshire committee also concluded that ‘no good purpose’ would be served by curtailing its programme of matches. Others agreed, one journalist on the Huddersfield Daily Examiner commenting that: