Double Headers

16 Surrey in 1909 its AGM on 28 April 1909 the Club President reported that “An attractive list of club fixtures has been arranged for the coming Season, and the Committee have pleasure in stating that the Surrey County Club has arranged for the First Class County Match, Surrey v Oxford University, to take place on the ground on June 21st, 22nd and 23rd”. No mention here of the simultaneous Lancashire match, for that might have dampened the enthusiasm somewhat! The President’s written report was, of course, just the bare bones. The Surrey Mirror reported in more detail the remarks that the President made when speaking to his report, and the comments made upon it by others: “[The President, Mr J.Walters JP, remarked that] there were some very good fixtures for the coming season, and he believed the match with Oxford University was the first first-class county match to take place on the ground, and it was certainly a very great honour and should be of great advantage to them (hear hear). It was another proof of the great kindness of their friend, Mr H.D.G.Leveson Gower, and he hoped the match would be largely patronised. With regard to their expenditure, they had to spend the sum of £30 at least in repairing the pavilion, £10 of which would be kindly paid by the Surrey County Club, on condition that they spent £10 in addition. There were some other necessary repairs to be done, and he hoped when the public appreciated the advantages the Club was to the neighbourhood, they would come forward and subscribe more liberally to the funds. With the special attractions they had this year they sought to have a very successful season indeed (applause). “Mr J.Nightingale seconded the motion, and remarked that although this would be the first time a first-class county match would be played at Reigate, it would not be the first time first-class cricket would have taken place there. 14 He hoped that the match, being a county fixture, would be well patronised by the town and district (hear hear).” Surrey Mirror, 30 April 1909 The welcome given by the club to the fixture was to be expected, but evidently their facilities, though adequate for Second Eleven cricket for the previous four seasons, were not felt to be up to the standard appropriate to a first-class match. With this in mind, early in 1909 the Priory club approached Surrey CCC for a grant towards the improvement of their pavilion, and - not without some hesitation - a grant of £10 was duly made. 15 As the total cost of the improvements was close to £40, this could be seen as a pretty token effort on the county club’s part; but perhaps it is unfair to seek to pass judgement on this today. By mid-June 1909, all seemed to be ready for Reigate’s first true first-class match. It was previewed in the Surrey Mirror on Friday 18 June. The paper was principally concerned with singing the praises of the expected Surrey XI, and having done so, its report concluded 14 This may have been true if the term “first class” is understood simply to mean “high quality”, but it was not true in the strict cricketing use of the term. 15 Minutes of the Surrey CCC Match Committee 14 January 1909, and the full Committee on 18 February and 18 March 1909.