Cricket 1882

206 CEICKET; A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. a u g u s t 10, m2. SU S S E X C R IC K E T—P A S T AND P R E S E N T . B y an O ld S ussex C k ick etek . Published by perm ission o f the Author. John Hyde (1852) was, I believe, chiefly re­ markable as being one of the smallest men who ever played in a match of note, though his bowling was good fast round. He was but 5ft. 4in. high, and weighed 9st. 111b. He was born at Pulboro’, and became a miller at Duncton. Mr. Henry Tredcroft (1852) was born at Warn- ham Court, Horsham, in 1828, educated at Eton, and went into the army. He was afterwards Master of the Hampshire Hunt Hounds for five seasons, till 1862. His characteristics were those of a slashing hitter, with steady play, fast under­ hand bowling and “ lobs,” and great activity at long-leg. 1854 opens with two great additions to Sussex cricket, Mr. John Hinde Hale and George Wells. The “ late” Mr. Hale, as we have now, alas! to call him, was born at East Grinstead, in 1830, and resided at Brighton. There cannot be a better description of a good cricketer than his—1 ‘ Strong built and quick, lively and resolute hitter—forward and to leg—a very rapid run-getter—has made gome wonderful scores—generally stood at long- leg or at the wicket, where he was most energetic.” “ T in y” G. Wells—as he was truly called, measuring only 5ft. 2£in. in height, and weighing only 9 stone—was born in Whitechapel, but bap­ tised at Wisborough Green, where he was taken immediately after his birth. Since 1852 he lived at Brighton, with the exception of his trip with the eleven of 1861 to Australia, from which he returned the next year. He was originally a carpenter. He copied his style in cricket from Chas. Hawkins, having the same peculiarity of taking his guard and coming forward. His place in the field wai “ point. ” He hit hard, and was a medium round­ armed bowler. He conld also bowl “ lobs.” His name appears most regularly and frequently among the county professionals after 1854. James Challen’s feat in 1855 should be here mentioned, who, on August 15th in that year, got all the Surrey Militia out for no runs in their first innings ! He was a right-hand, fast, round, “ sling­ ing ” bowler, as it is called, and a hard left-hand hitter. He was born at Kirdford, in 1825, and was cousin to James Challen, sen., who played some­ times for the county. Viscount Tumour, now Earl of Winterton, played his first match at Lord’s in this same year (1855). He was born at Shillinglee Park, 1837, and must be named as one of our county cricketers. No one has contributed more to it by the personal interest he has shown, and the part he has taken, in local and county matches. We often find his name in important contests. In his first and only innings of the match (Liphook v. Shillinglee) in July, 1865, he scored 141. The play of his father, the late Earl, long known to the cricketing world, dates back to 1834. Charles Howard Ellis and Henry Stubberfield come next—the former succeeding Box as the Sussex wicket-keeper, and bowling slow, sometimes efficacious, “ lobs.” He was born at Ditchling in 1830, was cricketing “ coach ” at Brighton College and St. John’s, Hurstpierpoint; and “ mine host ” of the “ Royal Oak,” Lewes, and Secretary to the Priory Club there. Previously he had been a wood engraver, miller, and carpenter, and lived at Hurst. Stubberfield, born at Brighton in 1835, was also originally a carpenter and joiner, then a tobacconist at Brighton, dealing also with cricketing articles. He is a useful, fast round-hand bowler, and has seconded James Lillywhite to the best of his power. He is also a good slip. Captain Henry RobertBrand, Mr. Francis Raven- hill, and James Southerton, belong to the year 1858. Captain Brand, M.P, for Herts, and the eldest son of the Speaker, was born at Devonport, and resided at Glynde. Mr. Ravenhill—-an excel­ lent batsman—was born at Littlehampton, about 1837, and resided at Beddiugham. Southeiton was a native of Petworth, and though he was removed to Mitcham at three months old, was for many years a firm friend of Sussex in her contests, doing great things for her, till 1873, when he chose to adopt (according to the new rule allowed) the county of his residence, where, after following the trade of hair-dressing, he kept “ The Cricketers ” at Mitcham. The extraordinary straightness of his pitch may be judged of by his bowling in the Surrey matches, in 1875, 3.699 balls without a “ wide” ; while, as a bat, he was by no means contemptible (though he generally went in last), often lengthening the game by a most unex­ pected stand, proving himself a troublesome customer, and materially altering the whole aspect of the game at the last. In 1873 his average was 22 runs, and he had taken 147 wickets. In 1875 he bowled 6,089 balls. For a time in his early career he withdrew from cricket from over-exertion, but, presently returning to it, was engaged by the S. Hants Club at Southampton from 1861-67. The “ great bats ” came, however, to be getting accus­ tomed to him, and he was muchoftener “ taken off” of late years. The natural, as well as the professional, life of many an able cricketer is a short one, and the late Mr. F. F. Thomas adds another to the list of those, who, showing great signs of promise, have been taken, prematurely from us. Having taken part in only one Lord’s match (Sussex v. M.C.C. in 1860), he died at San Remo, of consumption, in 1868, at the early age of 30, having been for a time admitted to be the best amateur field in Sussex, at cover- point or long-leg. James Lillywhite and R. Fillery, two of the most stubborn defenders of the honour of our county, came out together in 1862. Cricket runs in families (the repeated names of Winterton, the Curteises, Deans, Hammonds,|and Browns are proof of this), and in no family more than that of Lilly- white. Indeed, it is not too much to say that for the last 16 years James Lillywhite has borne the “ burden and heat of the day ” as a Sussex bowler. Without him the county would have “ been no­ where,” even worse than it is at present. A nephew of the great man, and the son of John Lillywhite, sen. (see pedigree, No. 12 of C r i c k e t ) , he was born at West Hampnett, in 1842, where he resides. The young “ Nonpareil,” as he is termed—who has worked off a good deal of the slouching and clod- hopping peculiarities of many of our Sussex profes­ sionals when they first come up to Lord’s—“ never tires ” ; an admirable trait, as may be imagined, in bowlers, and especially where a county has not many of them ! In the North v. South, at Canter­ bury, in 1872, he took all 10 wickets in the first innings—a feat of which he may well be proud, and which may be added to the ‘ ‘ curiosities ” of cricket. He is also a severe punisher with the bat, in which, as with his bowling, he is left-handed. In 1872 he was Secretary to the United South of Eng­ land, and in 1876 “ captained” an eleven to Aus­ tralia. Richard Fillery, born at Henfield, in 1842, is a useful, medium-paced, round-hand bowler, and stands “ point.” In the absence of much first-rate county talent in that department, he must' be accepted, I think, as its second Dest professional bowler. The aristocracy of Sussex has done its part from the earliest times, in not only patronising cricket, but, better still, in themselves taking part in it. The names of Lennox, Tufton, Turnour, Holroyd, and Brand show how the families of Richmond, Thanet, Winterton, Sheffield, and Dacre have been represented in it. To these we must add the names of the Honourable F. G. Pelham, and his brother, A. L. Pelham; the former, having previously greatly distinguished himself as a Cambridge athlete, has since taken Holy Orders, and been successively Rector of Upton-Pyne, Devonshire, and Vicar of S. Mary, Beverley. They were born at Stanmer respectively, in 1844 and 1847. Both have been good batsmen and slow round bowlers, their watches being generally short-slip and mid-wicket-off, or 3d. man. Contemporary with the two Pelhams is Charles Paine, born at E. Grinstead, in 1832, who is still before the public. He came regularly into the Sussex eleven in 1864, playing for it thenceforth as his county of birth, having previously done so for Kent, as that of his residence (Tunbridge.) With great reach and a steady forward play, he combines much free and hard-hitting, and was the best “ ont ” at short-leg. The following feats will show him to be no ordinary acquisition to a side. In September, 1863, he hit a ball for 13 runs. In Sussex v. Veterans and Colts of Sussex, in Sep­ tember, 1865, he made 139 in one innings, and was the first in England in the batting averages for that year. In Kent v. Surrey, July, 1866, he went in first, and carried out his bat for 139. Inhis next match, Sussex v. Surrey, he made 95, not out. In M.C.O. v. Sussex, in August, 1867, he made 3 and 127 against Grundy, Wootton, and A. Shaw. In the United v. 22 of Richmond, in Septem­ ber, 1867, he began an innings of 122 with 26 singles. To which maybe added that, in September, 1862, eleven Paines, all sons of two brothers, beat, at East Grinstead, an eleven of that village. Mr. Charles H. Smith, Henry Killick, and Henry R. J. Charlwood must close our individual biographical notices. Mr. Smith’s first match at Lord’s was in 1865, as Killick’s and Charlwood’s were in 1866. Few matches of late years have been complete without his successful batting and his fielding at mid-wicket-off. He was born in 1838 at the little village of Albourne, near Hurst, where he long resided, removing afterwards to Brighton, and was joint secretary with Mr. Bridger Stent, of the S.C.C. Club, and afterwards with Mr. G. W. King. He was brought up to the medical profession, but relinquished it, from illness, for the wine trade. Mr. Arthur Smith, who first played for Sussex in 1874, is his brother. Killick was a fine free-handed bat, and a medium round-hand bowler. In Sep- "tember, 1865, he electrified Sussex by 182 “ not eut.” He was born at Crab Tree, near Horsham, and was a carpenter at Brighton. Charlwood, “ the hope of Sussex,” is a native of Horsham, where he was born in 1847, and was chosen into the eleven of the county at the early age of 17, and into that of the United South of England at 18. He covers a groat deal of ground in the field, but is best known for his batting, which is singularly free, dashing, and run-producing, with an easy confident manner about it, though it lacks defence. He has made large scores, and may be always looked on for high averages, but owing to the fault we have noticed, can never be counted on with certainty for them against first-class bowling. To the above somewhat long line of Sussex notabiles, succeeds a crowd of names, both amateur and professional, which we must group together. Ofthegentlemen, wenoticethe two brothers Cotterill and Curteis, the twoWinslows, Mr. Greenfield, Mr. J. M. Mare, Mr. W. Weighell, Mr. F. C. Harvey, Mr. Wyatt Gibbs, Mr. S. Austen Leigh, Mr. C. C. Ewbank, Mr. Hyndham, the late Mr. Horwood, Mr. G. E. Jeffrey, Mr. Bettesworth, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Anstruther, Mr. Soames, Mr. Hodson, Mr. Raynes, and Mr. Herbert Whitfeld. While among the less numerous body of professionals we must name Henry and James Phillips, the late George Shoesmith, a cricketer of promise, to be also reckoned among those who have died early, the two Deans (James and David), the two Browns, Jesse Hide for his bowling, and Tester for his batting, J. Skinner, and the two Humphreyses. Out of this long list, it will, I am sure, be no disparagement to the rest to single out the names oi Mr. J. M. Cotterill, Mr. Mare, Mr. Greenfield, Mr. Weighell, and though last, not least, Mr. VVhitfeld (whose good commencement in the Eton and Cambridge elevens gives fair augury of his distinction in the county), as those to whom we