Cricket 1882

“ Toge ther joined in cricket’s m an ly toil.”— Byron. No. 8. VOL. I. Registered for Transmission Abroad. TH E C R IC K E T E R S OF MY T IM E . (By J ohn N yren of the Hambledon Club.) (Concluded.) THURSDAY. JUNE 29, 1882. PRICE 2d The Freemantles.—There were two of them, and I believe, brothers. John and Andrew were their names. One was an acknowledged player lonj, before the other began. I am now, however, speak­ ing of Freemantle the bowler. He, with Andrew, came from some town betweenWinchester and AUs- ford. John was a stoutly-made man ; his standard about five feet ten inches. He delivered his ball high and well, and tolerably fast, yet he could not be ranked amongst the fast bowlers. The best compli­ ment I can pay him is, that he was reckoned very successful, and moreover, that his being a member of the Hambledon Club was sufficient guarantee for bis general ability, as those sound and experienced judges would never admit as a member any man who did not possess some qualifications above the common level. As a batter, John Freemantle would hove been reckoned a good hand in any club. He would now and then get many runs ; yet, withal, he could by no means be pronounced a fine batter. As a man, he bore a high character for straightforward manly integrity; in short, he was a hearty John Bull, and flinched no more from doing his duty than he did from a ball in the field, and this he never did, how­ ever hard it might hit him. Andrew was a shortish, well-set man, and a left- banded player. He was an uncommonly safe, as well as good hitter ; and few wickets that I could name were more secure than Andrew’s. He would often get long hands, and against the best bowling too ; and when he had once warmed into his hit- ting, it was a deuced hard matter to get him out— an accident would frequently do the business. In his general style of batting he very much reminded me of Aylward, who has been spoken of some Pages back. He usually played the long field, and Was remarkably steady and safe in this depart­ ment. But Andrew Freemantle could be depended upon, whatever he might undertake, whether in cricket or in his worldly dealings. Upon one occasion when I had come up to London, I heard of a match being played in Lord’s Wound, and of course made one of the spectators of my beloved amusement. Andrew Freemantle was in, and one of the new-fashioned bowlers commonly called throwers, was bowling to him’ tus n&me was Wells, and I believe he came out of Sussex. He was the first I had seen of the new school, after the Walkers had attempted to introduce the system in the Hambledon Club. Wells frequently pitched his balls to the off-side of the wicket to Freemantle’s left-handed hitting, who got in before the wicket, and hit the thrower’s bowling behind him. Now, had he missed the ball, and it had hit his leg, although before the wicket, he would not have been out, because it had been pitched at the outside of the off - stump. I mention this trifling circumstance to show the knowledge the latter had of the game. Andrew Freemantle’s fielding was very fair ; his post was generally the long-field. He, however, must be so well known to many of the Marylebone men now living, that I need enumerate no more of the peculiar characteristics of his playing. Next comes that deservedly esteemed character, John Small, son, and worthy successor to the celebrated batter of the same name. He, as well as his father, was a native of Petersfield. Young Small was a very handsomely made man. For perfect symmetry of form, and well-knit, compact limbs and frame, his father was one of the finest models of a man I ever beheld, and the son was little inferior to him in any respect. Jack Small! my old club-fellow! when the fresh and lusty May-tide of life sent the blood gamboling through our veins like a Spring runlet, we have had many a good bout together : “ But now my head is bald, John, And locks as white as snow,’’ and yours have, doubtless, bleached under the cold hand of mayhap three score winters and more ; but the churl has not .yet touched the citadel. My heart is as sound as ever, and beats regular and true time to the tune of old and grateful thoughts for long friendships. You, I am sure, can echo this sentiment. You are a musician as well as a friend, and know the value of steadi­ ness in both characters. I think we could give some of the young whipsters a little trouble even now. Like the old Knights of the Boar’s Head, we might need the legs of these Harry Monmouths ; but it is my opinion we could both bother them yet at a good stand to our post. They would find some trouble to bowl down our stumps. They say, Jack, you were born with a bat in your hand. I can believe the tale, foi I am sure you inherited the craft from both father and mother. She, I think, took as much delight and interest in the game as he. Many’s the time I have seen that worthy woman (every way deserving of so kind and excel­ lent a husband) come galloping up the ground at a grand match, where he was to play (for, you know, she always accompanied him to those high solem­ nities), and no player even could show more interest in the progress of the game than she ; and certainly no one. as was natural, felt so much pride in her husband’s fine playing. I do not remember, John, that you were much of a bowler, but I remember that you were every­ thing else, and that your judgment of the game was equal to that of any man. Your style of hit­ ting, to my mind, was of the very first quality ; and I can name no one who possessed a more accurate judgment of a short run. By the bye— i! that account true which I have heard, that upon one occasion, at Marylebone, you and Hammond went in first, when there were only forty runs to get to win the match; aud that you made an agreement together to run whenever the ball passed the wicket-keeper ; that you did this, and between you got the whole forty runs before you were out ? I have been told this anecdote of you b:>th, and, if true, it clearly shows, according to my opinion, that the judgment of the people who played against you must have been strangely at fault, or they might have prevented it ; for had but the long-stop been well acquainted with the game, he would have put you out. I always admired your fielding, Jack; lam not sure that your middle wicket (the post that your father occupied) was not as good as his—though, I dare say, you would not allow this. Certain am I that a better never was put at that post. And now, farewell, my old club-fellow. Reader ! in a few words (now he has left the room) I assure you that in every way he was as complete a chap as I ever knew—a genuine chip of the old block—an admirable player, and a highly honourable man. The legs at Marylebone never f produced the least change in h im ; but, on the contrary, he was thoroughly disgusted at some of the manoeuvres that took place there from time to time. About the time that John Small had risen into the celebrity I have just been describing, his father and Nyren retired from the field. I cannot do better, in concluding these brief recollections, than enumerate the most eminent players in the Ham- J bledon Club when it was in its glory. David Harris, Tom Walker, John Wells, — Robinsou, — Purchase, Noah Mann, William Beldham, — Scott, John Small, jun., — Taylor. Harry Walker, No eleven in England could have had any chance J with these man ; and I thiuk they miglit have i] beaten any two-and-twenty.