Cricket 1885

“ Together joined in cricket’s man ly toil.”— Byron. Registered (or^'ransmisa'ion Itoftd* THURSDAY, JULY 23, 1885. P R IO E 2 M R . G E O R G E N E V I L E W Y A T T . I t has fallen to the lot of very few cricketers, to only one, as far as we can remember quite of late years, to play for three different, and all of them what are termed first-class Counties, during the'ir career. Yet this distinc­ tion, for it is an unmistakeable dis-r tinction, can be claimed for the popula amateur, who is now acting as Captain of the Sussex County Eleven. It has been his good fortune in turn to repre­ sent, and with credit, three shires which have played conspicuous parts in the history of our national game. Glouces- shire, Surrey and Sussex have each been able to utilise his services. Though born in India—he first saw the light in the province of Chumparun, August 25, 1850—the seeds of his early cricket, at least, were sown on English soil. In­ deed, considering that he learned the rudiments of batting under the late James Lillywhite, at Cheltenham Col­ lege, Gloucestershire can claim to have formed his education. It was not until 1869 that he appears as one of the Cheltenham Eleven, in which, by-the- way, was Mr. George Strachan, who very singularly, in his time, also played for three Counties, Gloucestershire, Middlesex and Surrey to wit. Though the College team that year was only a weak one Mr. Wyatt was one of its most useful all-round members, and his batting in particular deserves notiee, giving as it did an average of over twenty-two runs for seventeen com­ pleted innings. The following summ> r found him one of the Cadets at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, where his all-round cricket showed a marked development. His year of office in the Captaincy there was indeed most successful. In batting, bowling an! fielding he did good service, and it must have been eminently gratifying to him that he should have shown to such advantage m the best match of the season against Wool­ wich, at Lord’s, where his fine innings of 62, did much to secure the first victory that had ever fallen to Sandhurst. The formation of a County showed with increased, rather than diminished, zest for the game. Just about this time he was, indeed, in excellent form, and the summer of 1875 was indeed a busy one for him. For the Marylebone Club, in particular, he was very successful, and in one week alone, at Lord’s, against the Universities, he was credited with three fine scores of 74, 52 and 30. Though he represented the Gentlemen of the South against the Players of the North, as well as the Gentlemen against the Players, at Prince’s, the Amateur team it is only fair to say was not repre­ sentative in either match. On neither of these occasions, nor for Kent and Gloucestershire against England, in the Canterbury week, was he very fortunate, and his best score in thirteen completed innings for the County was one of thirty-seven against Surrey at the Oval. Mr. Wyatt’s participation in Glouces­ tershire cricket in 1876 was confined to one innings, and, indeed, just then he had been living for some little time in Surrey. Being properly qualified by residence he made his appearance in the Surrey eleven in the following sum­ mer, and, singularly enough, his opin­ ing match was against his old shire of Gloucester at the Oval, on June 7. Though he failed to score in the first innings, his batting was of great service to Surrey on more than one important occasion, notably against Cambridge at the Oval, and against Middlesex at Lord’s, where his well-hit 58 was tho highest score of the match. An injury to his knee prevented Mr. Wyatt’s par­ ticipation in cricket in 1878, and in 1lio following season, his last for Surrey, he did little, only realising 65 runs in eight completed innings. Again changing his residence, this time into Sussex, another break occurred in his connection with County cricket. It was not until 188:1, though, that his third residential quali­ fication was established. His introduction to the Sussex eleven took place at Lord’s on May 7, 1883, in the match against M.C.C. and G. The wickets, owing to rain, were all against the batsmen, but he showed to at least more advat.- tage than the majority of the Sussex players, Club for Gloucestershire, in 1871, gave Mr. Wyatt his first opportunity in first-class cricket. His opening score was one of fifteen not out, against Notts, at Clilton, on August 3, 1871, aud this he followed up with one of 23 against Surrey a fortnight later, on the same ground. These were his oaly two big matches for some time, ai a summons to join his regiment, which was stationed at Nowshera, in the Punjaub, separated him from English cricket for three ytars. Having retired from the army, though, he returned to England in 1875, and as he soon