Dimming of the Day

89 August 1914 was in a way advanced by the War. By the start of 1914 he had been on the Middlesex staff since 1906 and had played a few times for the county, but his highest score at this point was 35 not out. As he tells it 35 he had played at the end of July for MCC against the Gentlemen of Worcestershire and made a hundred. Word got back to Middlesex about this. The county was about to leave for its ‘northern tour’ to play Yorkshire and Lancashire and was, as has been mentioned earlier, struggling to find a side, so Lee was asked to open the batting and did well enough to play in the Nottinghamshire game. Lee also talks about having played earlier in the summer for MCC against an army team at Tidworth and ‘noticed that several of the army men had books of German grammar with them’ and asking why, got a vague answer. The he goes on to remember a conversation with Joe Murrell and J.T.Hearne saying (at some point on the northern tour) that they were pleased that the season had not been cancelled, and that cricket should go on to the end. ‘That’s all right – if they don’t get over here first,’ said Joe. Harry got back to Lord’s and P.F.Warner was pushing him to join up, ‘Well, young Lee,’ he said, ‘you look as if you’d make a fine soldier.’ ‘I don’t think so, sir,’ I said. ‘Aren’t you going to join up?’ he asked. ‘I wasn’t thinking of it, sir,’ I answered. He said, ‘Hmmm’ and walked away. Joe Murrell said to him, ‘you know, everyone’ll be joining up, and you won’t get much of a show round Lord’s if you don’t.’ Shortly afterwards Harry did enlist. He was shot in the leg in 1915, reported killed, captured, repatriated by the Germans and was told that he would not play cricket again. But he did and played for Middlesex until 1934. Lancashire went on to 528 against Kent with J.T.Tyldesley making 253. Surrey meanwhile demolished Gloucestershire by an innings and 25, ensuring that they stayed at the top. Hampshire were dominating their game against Somerset, Mead making 158 and reaching 2000 runs for the season. On 20 August the Germans were reported as advancing towards the Meuse. A report from our boys in France tells of them heading towards battle in a stream of commercial vans requisitioned by the War Office and still bearing their commercial markings. The Daily Express quoted a ‘high French military authority’ who said the war would be over by October. Racing was to be resumed by the end of the month. Middlesex beat Nottinghamshire by 239 runs to stay in touch with Surrey. Kent, with a second innings of 422, drew with Lancashire. E.Humphreys made 143 and Frank Woolley 101. Edward Humphreys had been playing for Kent since 1899 and played on for a couple of seasons after the War. Other matches only got summarised scores: Yorkshire beat Sussex by an 35 H.W.Lee, Forty Years of English Cricket , Clerke & Cockeran, 1948.