All Ten: The Ultimate Bowling Feat

9 Edmund Hinkly Hinkly’s first-class career began in 1846 with three matches for the great Kent side which included Alfred Mynn, Fuller Pilch, William Hillyer and Nicholas Felix. He had relatively little success, bowling in only two innings and taking just three wickets. As allrounder Mynn, arguably the first great cricket personality, and medium pacer Hillyer, one of the best bowlers of his day, bowled unchanged in two innings and took most of the wickets, Hinkly’s initial lack of opportunity is not surprising. His all-ten came in his fourth first-class match and his first at Lord’s. England fielded a strong side that included, among many of the best cricketers of the day, John Wisden, who would himself take a famous all- ten two years later, and George Parr of Nottinghamshire (‘The Lion of the North’) who was to become England’s leading batsman. Hinkly himself often played for the All-England Eleven during the late 1840s. Lord’s was not the impressive arena it would later become. Leading cricket writer and reporter Frederick Gale described it as ‘practically a country ground, as it was almost open country northwards and westwards’. Apart from the small one-roomed pavilion which could hold about 40 or 50 members, the only seating for spectators was provided by low backless benches circling the ground. Gentlemen could of course watch the Eton v Harrow match from their carriages, or until it was banned in 1869, from horseback. Improvements were slow. A rudimentary telegraph board had been introduced in 1846, and scorecards were first issued in 1848. The grass was cropped by sheep held in special pens situated at the ground. The ground boys had the pleasure of clearing up after them. The pitch itself was rolled constantly but the use of a scythe was not permitted and mowers weren’t used until 1868. The pitch was rough and dangerous. Batsmen had to contend with frequent shooters, alternating with what W.G. Grace called ‘bumping balls’. Which delivery you received sometimes depended on which side of the small pieces of gravel dotting the wicket the ball pitched. Lord’s was not alone among major grounds in providing dangerous playing conditions, but it was certainly one of the worst offenders. It is not therefore surprising that Hinkly’s match, like many of the period, was low scoring and although scheduled for three days was over in two. The Kent v England match was then one of the most attractive of the season. At least 5,000 attended on each day. The Times report for the first day says little about the cricket but does more importantly list the male members of the aristocracy who were there. England’s first innings 120 was the highest total in a match in which scores got progressively lower. Hinkly took six wickets including that of 49-year-old William Clarke (founder of the All-England Eleven, the most famous of a number of mid-Victorian touring teams), who opened and made just three, and Sussex wicketkeeper Tom Box who made 36, the highest individual score in the match. Hinkly wasn’t much of a batsman but when Kent went in he at least helped William Dorrinton put on 21 for the last wicket and, with an undefeated seven, was the only batsman who was not bowled. He then quickly got to work in England’s second innings, bowling MCC Secretary Roger Kynaston without scoring and James Dean of Sussex soon afterwards. After that the