Dimming of the Day

81 August 1914 Yard. There were complaints from East Anglia – raised in the House of Commons – that horses needed for the harvest were being requisitioned, though they were supposed to be exempt until the harvest was over. It was admitted that two of the forts defending Liege had fallen and that the Belgians were preparing to defend the town by street fighting. Race meetings at Folkestone, Lewes and Redcar had been cancelled because of the demand made on the railways – which had immediately been brought under state control – for national purposes. Mr F.E.Lacey, Secretary of MCC, said, The secretary of MCC feels that no good purpose can be served at the present moment by cancelling matches unless the services of those engaged in cricket who have no military training can in any way be utilized in their country’s service. If it can be shown in what way their services can be used the MCC would close their ground. Many out matches have already been abandoned. Cricketers of England would be sure to respond to any definite call, The abandonment of MCC’s out matches was probably for logistical reasons. Picking up scratch teams of gentlemen would have been impossibly difficult as they returned to the colours. MCC played no games after 20 August and 22 were cancelled. A further indication was the cancellation of I Zingari’s seven remaining fixtures of which three were against military sides. Once again The Times gave summarised scores and sometimes a very brief account of highlights on a day when most matches were spoiled by rain. There was not time for much but W.Brown took seven for 51 for Leicestershire against Derbyshire at Leicester. William Brown was a left- arm slow medium bowler who played 46 games for Leicestershire between 1910 and 1919, and this was his best match. B.G.von B. Melle had taken the field for Hampshire against Nottinghamshire, but received orders to return to his regiment and was replaced. The Prince of Wales, it was reported, would be given a commission in the Grenadier Guards, join them forthwith, and go on active service. On 8 August, Liege was reported to be holding on. It was also said that the Germans had lost 25,000 men in the assault. As The Times said, the estimate of the German losses is greatly exaggerated, or it gives the measure of wholesale slaughter to be expected in this war. We greatly prefer the former explanation. In fact both legs of the statement were correct. The Daily Express was in no doubt,’ ‘The Mad Dog held up at Liege’, it claimed. MCC were playing London Clubs at Lord’s – MCC were whipped out the next day for 62 by Richard Bell who hadn’t played a first-class match for six years and then only a handful, and W.Ransom, otherwise unknown. Banks were reopening today and the new £1 note appeared for the first