All Ten: The Ultimate Bowling Feat

26 Samuel Butler Oxford University v Cambridge University, 1871 Lord’s Cricket Ground, St John’s Wood on 26, 27 June 1871 (3-day match) Toss won by Oxford University Oxford University won by eight wickets Umpires: T Hearne, G Wootton Oxford University 170 (E Bray 5-38) and 25-2; Cambridge University 65 (SE Butler 10-38) and 129 (SE Butler 5-57) Cambridge University first innings WB Money b Butler 23 F Tobin c Hadow b Butler 5 FER Fryer b Butler 1 AT Scott b Butler 1 *+W Yardley c Pelham b Butler 25 CI Thornton b Butler 4 HCP Stedman not out 1 FC Cobden b Butler 0 E Bray b Butler 0 WN Powys b Butler 0 EE Ward b Butler 0 Extras (lb 5) 5 Total (all out, 48.1 overs) 65 Fall of wickets 1-22, 2-24, 3-28, 4-35, 5-62, 6-64, 7-64, 8-64, 9-65, 10-65 Oxford University bowling : SE Butler 24.1-11-38-10, S Pelham 14-10-5-0, CK Francis 10-5-17-0 Oxford University: W Townshend, W Law, CJ Ottaway, WH Hadow, EFS Tylecote (capt, wk), B Pauncefote, GRC Harris, C Marriott, CK Francis, SE Butler, S Pelham Samuel Butler played in four University matches at a time when this was one of the major matches of the season. His first was the famous ‘Cobden’s match’ in 1870, in which he played a key, if unwanted, part. Converting from a slow to fast round-arm bowler at Eton, he made an immediate impression at Oxford and his place in the team to play Cambridge University at Lord’s on 27 June 1870 was assured. The drama came in the final hour. Chasing 179 to win in a little under three hours Oxford had reached 153 with three wickets down and the second day crowd of 10,000 must have thought that they were certain to win. However, wickets began to fall and when Butler went in the score was 175 for seven. He had had a quiet match so far, bowling only a few overs, but now had a chance to make his mark. Squeezing out four more runs should have been easy. However, Oxford had made it harder for themselves by agreeing to play until 7.30 if necessary in order to finish the match that day and when Butler went in it was past seven o’clock and the light poor. His partner Frederick Hill was well set but took a single off the first ball of what proved to be the last over of the match bowled by fast bowler Frank Cobden. Hill apparently regretted this decision for the rest of his life. The next ball was a half-