Cricket 1885

"T o g e th e r joined in cricket’s man ly toil.”— Byron. Registered for Transmission Abroad. THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 1885. PRICE 2d MR. W IL L IAM HARRY PATTERSON . T hough his school career was neither so lengthy nor so brilliant a one as that of Mr. A. J. Webbe, Harrow has no less reason to proud of the excellent cricketer whose portrait we give this week. Though Mr. Patter­ son first came into public notice by reason of his connection with Harrow he had previously been well grounded in the rudiments of the game. Chat­ ham House, Ramsgate, which has been the nursery of s.veral prominent amateurs, among them Messrs R. S. Jones and W. Foord-Kelcey, in fact laid the foundation of Mr. Patterson's fame as a batsman. There, indeed, he really received the elementary lessons of his education as a cricketer, and we believe we are correct in stating that he readily owns the deep obligations he owes to Chatham House for the early practice he had there. Mr. Patterson only had one year in the Harrow Eleven, in 1877, and then unfortunately owing to an injured hand was not seen to advantage in the best match of the season. Though he had scored well previously, and was regarded as the safest player in the eleven, for the reason above named he did not figure so conspicuously against Eton at Lord’s as might have been expected. Indeed be was only able to claim a total of seven runs in his two innings, though be was of some slight use with the ball, taking two wickets of a strongish Eton side in the first innings. The com­ mencement of the following season saw Mr. Patterson at Oxford, and on his school form his trial in the Freshmen's Watch was awaited with no small interest. Though not successful with either bat or ball, he was tried as a bowler for the University in the first fixture of the year, against the Gentlemen of England at Oxford. Going in last he failed to score either time, and, indeed, “ is success was as a bowler, securing four of the eleven wickets in the one innings of the Gentlemen. He did not figure at all in first- class cricket in 1879, and it was not until the and 37 against Yorkshire at Maidstone, were his chief contributions, but altogether his form for a first season was decidedly promising, and iu addition to keeping wicket very creditably, he had an average of fifteen and-a-half for seventeen completed innings. His last year at Oxford (1881) was marked by great success and in particular his brilliant per­ formance against Cambridge at Lord’s, will still be well remembered. The Light Blues that summer had seven old choioes and the Inter-TJniversity match was regarded as a certainty for them. It was mainly, however, the exceptional defence of Mr. Patterson in the second inninga of Oxford, which gave Oxford an unexpected victory. He went in first and carried out his bat, an achievement unique in Inter- University matches. He was alto­ gether five hours and a quarter at the wickets for his 107 not out, and the merit of the performance was enhanced by the fact that for the greater part cf the innings he suffered greatly from a damaged hand, which prevented his participation in the matches between Gentlemen and Players just afterwards. Later in the year, however, he was able to help Kent with considerable success, and though his best innings was his 78 against Sussex at Brighton, he showed such consistent run-getting as only to miss double figures in three out of eighteen innings. Leaving Oxford he turned his attention to the law, and during the last four years Kent has only been able to clai'n his services towards the end of the season. There was, though, no falling off in his play in 1882. On the contrary he had an excellent average of nearly 23 runs, and his aggregate of 275 included two scores of particular merit, 82 against Surrey at the Oval, and 59 against the Australians at Canterbury. Hardly so successful in 1883 with the hat, Mr. Patterson’s best score was again made against Surrey bowl­ ing, and on the Oval. His excellent defence was indeed of the greatest use to Kent towards the finish, when the result was looking very doubt­ ful for his side, and his unwearied patienoe—he following year that he succeeded in obtaining his blue, Though he showed fairly good oricket on more than one occasion—notably against the Gentlemen at Oxford, his second appear­ ance at Lord’s, at least in an important fixture, was even less successful than his first, and the Inter-University match of 1880 only accredited him with a couple of runs as the result of two innings. His ilebut for Kjnt the same season, though, was more fortunate, and he took part in ten of the fifteen matches played by the county that year. Two capital scores of 31