Dimming of the Day

53 Chapter Six July 1914 On 1 July Mr N.E.Brookes defeated Herr Froitzheim in the final round of the gentlemen’s singles at Wimbledon; however the contest was still played on a challenge basis, so Norman Brookes of Australia had to challenge Anthony Wilding of New Zealand, who had held the title for the previous four years. Wilding (who had played first-class cricket for Canterbury) was to be another casualty of the war, dying at Neuve Chapelle in May 1915. The Archbishop of Sarajevo, Dr Stadler, was reported to have said that ‘the crime was a consequence of historical development, and that it must have taken place sooner or later’, a somewhat gnomic utterance, as it seems unlikely that the Archbishop of Sarajevo was a Marxist. All manner of conspiracy theories were emerging, although Princip himself claimed at this point to have been acting alone. Ireland remained the chief political problem. The House of Lords was still debating the amending bill which was intended to go some way to allay the suspicions of Ulster by temporarily excluding the six counties of Ulster (something of a forlorn hope). In the County Championship, Surrey went to Northampton and were bowled out for 177, though Northants were 8 for 2 at the close. Frank Tarrant, somewhat surprisingly, turned out for MCC and Ground against Eton in a one-day game, taking four wickets and making 36 not out (Middlesex had no game that day), though the main contributor was William Tod, a former Eton captain, who made an unbeaten 94. There was huge scoring at Brighton where the game ended with Notts 501-3 declared and 198-3 (George Gunn 104*) and Sussex 499. H.P.Chaplin scored 213* for Sussex. Chaplin was the Sussex captain and this was his highest first-class score. He was an Old Harrovian, but his early first-class cricket had been in India. This kind of scoring rather made the case for amending the LBW law and there was a letter in The Times from Mr Robert Lyttleton urging such a change. For Kent against Gloucestershire Frank Woolley scored 77 and 111 not out as well as taking twelve for 122. In this match he outbowled Blythe who bowled 32 overs without taking a wicket. Lancashire, on the very brink of defeat against Warwickshire, were saved by the rain – they were 100-9 having been set 295. As Lancashire had led on first innings, they took three points from the game to Warwickshire’s one.