Cricket 1882

78 CRICKET A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. J u n e is, ibm. tionately strong, active and laborious. As a bowler he had a very good delivery ; he was also a good general field, and a steady batter—in short an excellent “ servant of all w ork ;” and, like those misused Gibeonites (“ hewers of wood and drawers of water,” ) he was never spared when a wear-and-tear post was to be occupied. In Cricket as in the graver pursuits in life, the willing work­ man is ever spurred; he may perform labours of supererogation, and his assiduity meets at best with “ mouth honour : ” let him, however, but re­ lax his muscles—let him shorten his career to the speed of his fellows, and he instantly sinks below them in the estimation of his employers. Whether in this case the feeling arise from envy or not, it is hard to decide; assuredly, however in very many instances, the mill-horse-grinder in the track of duty is acknowledged with greetina, while extra merit “ goesout sighing.” John Wells possessed all the requisites for making a thoroughly useful cricketer; and in his general deportment he was endowed with those qualities which render man useful to society, as well as happy in himself. He was a creature of a transparent and unflawed integrity—plain, simple, and candid ; uncompro­ mising, yet courteous ; civil and deferential, yet no cringer. He always went by the title of “ Honest John Wells,” and as long as I knew him he never forfeited the character he had gained. Little more need be added respecting his merits as a player, for he must be fresh in the memory of all who have been accustomed to see the best playing ; suffice to say, that in addition to his level merits as a general cricketer, he was esteemed to possess an excellent judgment of the game, and in questions that were frequently mooted, his opinion would be appealed to. The Beldhams, George and William, come next in succession, brothers, and both farmers. They also, with Wells, came from Farnham. George was what would be called a fine player; a good batter, and generally competent to fill the different posts in the game; but as he attended the club a few times only during my stay in it, I am unable to dis­ criminate or speak pointedly to his merits. Upon turning, however, to his brother William, we come to the finest batter of his own, or perhaps of any age. William Beldham was a close-set, active man, standing about five feet eight inches and a-half. He had light-coloured hair, a fair complexion, and handsome as well as intelligent featuies. We used to call him “ Silver Billy.” No one within my recollection could stop a ball better, or make more brilliant hits all over the ground. Wherever the ball was bowled, there she was hit away, and in the most severe, venomous style. Besides this, he was so remarkably safe a player ; he was safer than the Bank, for no mortal ever thought of doubting Beld- ham’s stability. He received his instructions from a ginger-bread baker at Farnham, of the name of Harry Hall. I once played against Hall, and found him a very fair hand, yet nothing remarkable ; he knew the principles of the game, yet, like many of inferior merit in performance, he made, neverthe­ less, an excellent tutor. He was a slow bowler, and a pretty good one. He had a peculiar habit of bring­ ing his hand from behind his back immediately previous to his delivering the ball, a trick no doubt perplexing enough to an inexperienced batter. In his peripatetic lectures to the young students, Hall perpetually enforced the principle of keeping the left elbow well up (this charge was of course de­ livered to the right-handed hitters), and excellent instruction it was ; for if you do keep that elbow well up, and your bat also upright (in stopping a length ball) you will not fail to keep the balls down ; and, vice vend, lower your elbow, and your balls will infallibly mount when you strike them. Beldham was quite a young man when he joined the Hambledon Club; and even in that stage of his playing, I hardly ever saw a man with a liner com­ mand of his b a t; but, with the instruction and advice of the old heads superadded, he rapidly at­ tained to the extraordinary accomplishment of being the finest player that has appeared within the latitude of more than half a century. There can be no exception against his batting, or the severity of his hitting. He would get in a* balls, and hit them away in a gallant style; yet in this single feat I think I have known him excelled; but when he could cut them at the point of the bat, he was in his glory ; and upon my life, their speed was as the speed of thought. One of the most beautiful sights that can be imagined, and which would have delighted an artist, was to see him make himself up to hit a ball. It was the beau idial of grace, animation, and concentrated energy. In this peculiar exhibition of elegance with vigour, the nearest approach to him I think was Lord Frederick Beauclerc. Upon one occasion at Marjlebone, I remember these two admirable batters being in to­ gether, and though Beldham was then verging to­ wards his climacteric, yet both were excited to a competition, and the display of talent that was exhibited between them that day was the most in­ teresting sight of its kind I ever witnessed. I should not forget, among his other excellencies, to mention that Beldham was one of the best judges of a short run I ever knew; add to which, that he possessed a generally good knowledge of the game. (T o be continued.) T p : £ C 0 I ^ E > B 0 0 K . TO CORRESPONDENTS. Scores o f Matches must be sent in to reach us by First Delivery on Tuesday morning at the latest , or they will have to wait until the issue offollowing week. Every effort will be made to insert them in the following number, but the pressure already on our space is so heavy, that we cannot guarantee their appearance unless sent early. I f payment has not been made for the season's scores in advance, each score, to ensure insertion, must be accom - panied with a Postal Orderfor One Shilling. The Matches o f the following Clubs will appear in “ C ricket ” every week :— C lare C ollege , C am bridge . S t . J ohn ’ s C ollege , C am ­ bridge . G ryphons B ickley P ark H ampstead ♦P allingswick P utney E aling C ity R amblers U pper T ooting B roxbourne O akfield P reston H all B. B. E ltham A ddiscombe N e ’ er - do -W eels B roadwater . H ighbury C lub . C harlton P ark . G reville . JE olian . Ross. B eddington . M arylebone C lub . S urrey C ounty . H arrow S chool . I ncogniti ♦N ondescripts R ichmond B lackheath M orden R evellers ♦E sher C ivil S ervice S toics ♦L aw C lub K ensington P ark ♦C lapton C heltenham C ollege A ssyrians S urbiton R eigate H ill R eigate P riory B exley S hornclipfe C&MP R oyal N aval S chool U ppingham R overs . U pton P ark . R oyal M ilitary A cademy . R oyal M ilitary C ollege ,C lapham . S andhurst S pencer . ♦C rystal P alace M arlborough C ollege . G ranville . W est K ent . P enge . H ornsey . ♦ Scores o f these Clubs will appear only in “ C ricket .” STOICS v. CHELMSFORD. Played at Chelmsford on May 29, and resulted in an easy win for Stoics. R. Langton played a grand innings of 58, and Messrs. Relton and Hill bowled in first-rate style. J. Ballard and Wilcock were the most successful batsmen for Chelmsford in their first innings, as were Hart and J. Handley in their second. S toics . O. R. Borradaile, b Will- c o c k ..................................7 R. Langton, b Willcock .. 58 G. W. Henderson, run out 0 F. Sothern, b Willcock .. 13 W. Earle, c Handley, b W illcock..........................8 C. H. A. Reece, b Joyce .. 5 B. Relton, run out .. .. 9 F. Foord Caiger, b Joyce.. 0 T. G. Hill, c T. J. Sraee, b W illcock..........................10 R. Creasy, c T. J. Smee, b W illcock..........................24 C. Geary, c sub, b Will­ cock ................................. 4 F. E. Smee, not out.. .. 0 Extras......................... 5 Total .143 C helmsford . First Inning?. J. Handley, b R e lto n .................. 1 J. Ballard, b R e lto n ..................17 R. J. Willcock, b Relton .. .. 7 T. Joyce, c and b Langton.. .. 0 Willcock, b Relton .................1 2 W. F. Smee, b R elton.................. ^ J. H. Waller, c Langton, b R elton......................................... 6 A. Barnard, c Earle, b Langton 3 T. J. Smee, b R e lto n ..................1 J. Crick, run o u t ..........................3 W. Haylock, run o u t ..................7 T. J. Hunt, not out ..................0 Extra ..................................1 Total..................................65 Second Innings. b S o th e m ..................l6 c Smee, b Sothern .. 2 st Borradaile, b H ill.. 19 c Geary, b Hill .. .. 0 b H i l l ..........................19 b H i l l ..........................11 c Henderson, b Hill .. 8 b H i l l ..........................l st Borradaile, b Hill.. 8 not out..........................18 st Borradaile, b Hill.. 3 b H i l l ..........................0 E xtras..................4 Total ..109 SURBITON v. OLD CARTHUSIANS. Played at Surbiton on Saturday, June 3. S urbiton . R. Howell, 1b w, b Last .. 11 B. Howell, c Escombe, b Jeaffreson ..................91 Pink, c Jeafferson, b Last 41 C. E. Nesham, b Jeafferson 6 H. W. Jellicoe, c Ellis, b Jeaffreson ..................8 J. S. Challis, c Last, b Jeaffreson ..................5 R. R. Palmer, b Last.. .. 6 E. W.Williamson, bJeaffre­ son ..................................26 S. Castle, jun., not out .. 80 G. Pinkerton, b Jeafferson 3 E. Pinkerton, run out .. 0 B 3 ,1-b 4, w 11 .. .. 18 T o t a l ..................217 O ld C arthusians . First Innings. Second Innings. A. Bachelor, st Pink, b G. Pinkerton................................0 b G. Pinkerton .. .. 4 B. Ellis, c Nesham, b J. S. Challis.......................................9 b P in k ..........................o H. G. Jeaffreson, run out .. .. 18 b G. Pinkerton .. .. 13 H. R. C. Connell, b R. Howell .. 0 n otou t...................... .1 5 R. L. Escombe, c and b G. Pinker­ ton. . ......................................11 b P in k ..........................2 C. A. Hewitt (sub.), c Nesham, b G. Pinkerton ...................... 14 not out.......................... 5 A. J. Last, b P ink ...................... 20 G. E. Smythe, b G. Pinkerton .. 22 C. T. Perkin, c Jellicoe, b G. P inkerton............................... 0 A.Robinson, b Pink ............... 0 F. H. Jenoure, not out............... 0 B 2, 1-b 3 ...............................5 Total. B 1 ,1-b 3, w 1 Total .. 44 ONE AND ALL v. MALDEN VICTORIA. Played at Kennington Oval on Saturday, May 6, and terminated in favour of the One and All by two wickets and 24 runs. Score :— O ne and A ll . C. H. Plunkett, c Robert­ son, b Rough.................9 T. T. Bradbury, run ou t.. 3 W. Spelman,notout.. .. 36 W. Brown, c F. Attfield, b B a tt...............................13 J. Cutler, run out .. .. 5 J. Quennell, run ou t.. .. 0 T. Gray, c Rough, b Hem­ ming ................................ 6 C. Carpenter, b Hemming. 0 A. Russell, c Walker, b Hemming ................9 G. Gray, not out .. .. 1 T. Winterflood did not bat. E xtras.......................4 T o t a l ..............83 M alden V ictoria . A. G. Rough, b Bradbury.. 0 H. J. Vickery, b Bradbury. 4 F. Attfield, b Cutler .. .. 7 J. B. Cowdy, c Bradbury, b Brown .......................13 H. Batt, b Bradbury.. .. 1 C. E. Hemming, c and b Bradbury.........................1 F. Smith, st Spelman, b Bradbury ................. 4 A. Attfield, b Bradbury .. 4 G. Robertson, st Spelman, b Plunkett ..................8 F. Bryant, b Cutler.. .. 7 F. Walker, not out.. .. 10 Extras .............3 T o ta l..................62 j EOLIAN v. HEATHFIELD. Played at Dulwich on Saturday last, resulting in a win for the Heathfield. Score :— •S olian . F. G. Allen, b Mason .. 8 C. II. Carter, c Mason, b Faulkner....................... 14 E. J. Heasman, c Larkins, b Faulkner .................0 W. Morris, b Mason.. .. 5 T. H. Pilleau, b Faulkner . 5 R. Headland, c Faulkner, b M ason.........................5 F. G. Hazell, c Mason, b Faulkner.........................0 E. Smith, c Roberts, b Mason ......................... 1 W. Buxton, b Mason .. 1 H. J. Henley, c Hicks, b Faulkner.........................3 R. Acres, not out .. .. 0 Total 42