Dimming of the Day

In the late news in the Birmingham Sports Argus on 22 August there was a release from the wartime Press Bureau: In view of the persistent rumours that the notification of casualties have been sent to relatives of men alleged to have been killed, it is officially announced that no such notifications have been dispatched except in the case of those whose names have already been reported in the Press, and that nothing further of any casualties is known at the War Office up to 3.30 pm today. The Express included lengthy previews of the football season, mostly London clubs (including Southern League clubs) and commenting that most had lost players to the war. A lot more space was given to this than the cricket scores. At Eastbourne Sussex reached 399-9 to take a first-innings lead, A.E.Relf 160 not out. Albert Relf played thirteen Test matches for England and carried on for Sussex until 1921. Hampshire took a first-innings lead of 75 against Warwickshire, reaching 363. They were unlucky at Canterbury, managing only a couple of hours’ play (though at Eastbourne and Southampton they played all day) in which Worcestershire moved to 164-5. County attendances were falling in Kent, and on 22 August the Kentish Express said, It will be a relief to everyone when this farce called county cricket comes to an end. The people don’t want cricket; won’t have cricket. Yet it is difficult to decide whether it would be sound policy to stop the games. If all the amusements cease, the country will be more depressed than ever. Yet at present the matches are being played at a great financial loss and the public generally don’t want cricket. One reason for playing matches is that their cessation would take away the living of cricket professionals, of a handful of gate officials and prevent the amateurs having a good time at the county club’s expense. On 23 August The Times ran a four-page Sunday edition with news on the front page. On 22 August the first serious encounter of the war was beginning as the Germans advanced through Belgium into France. But The Times did not see it that way – there were odd indications of German advance but little more. The Daily Telegraph said that the wisdom of going on with county cricket was clearly shown at Lord’s on Saturday, the match between Middlesex and Surrey proving a big attraction to the public. Over 7,000 people were present, 6,125 paying for admission. Middlesex scored 381 with 124 from Patsy Hendren. ‘The great battle, said The Times on 24 August, ‘is beginning at last’ in Belgium. What was to become known as the Battle of the Frontiers was to see the first mass slaughter of the war. It also reported that the steady advance of the Russians across East Prussia. It remarks, curiously, that ‘our mobilization was unduly delayed’ so the BEF had not yet played a part. In fact the battle of Mons had begun on 23 August. August 1914 91