Cricket 1885

“ Together joined in cricket’s manly toil.”— Byron. B - A t S i S ; , THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 1885. MR. GEORGE FR E D E R IC K VERN ON . In his unceasing efforts to promote the ad­ vancement of Middlesex cricket, Mr. I. D Walker has, of late years, had no more zealous supporter than the Old Bug, Mr. George F. Vernon, long identified with the game at Lord’s. Among the Biany trusty lieutenants whose services Mr. Walker was able to claim during his Cap­ taincy of the County Eleven, none rendered him more loyal aid on the cricket field. Mr. Vernon’s credentials to do duty for Middlesex, are, too, of the strongest. Born in London, on June 20 , 1856, his connection with the little village has been uninterrupted for a period of now just on twenty-nine years. Educated at Bugby School, he secured a place in the eleven there in 1874, having just completed his eighteenth year when he made his first appearance at Lord’s in the annual match between Bugby and Marl­ borough. In the following year Mr. Vernon was captain of a strong Bugby eleven, which included two other amateurs subsequently well known in county cricket. The late Mr. C. M. Cunliffe, who did such good service for Kent a few years ago, and Mr. E. T. Hirst, one of the best amateur cricketers in Yorkshire at the present time, were both under Mr. Vernon’s command that year, as was also Mr. Alexander Pearson, who a few seasons later succeeded in obtaining a place in the Oxford University team. Bugby School in 1874 had a very Btrong hitting side, and in the match against Marlborough—in which, by the way, Mr. A. G. Steel made his first appear­ ance for the latter—in their second innings they fully proved their abilities m this direction. Foremost among those who showed the possession of exceptional powers of hitting in this contest was the Bugby captain. He was the highest scorer on his side in the match, and in *a-m- °f his two innings, as is recorded in ‘‘ Wisden’s Almanack,” he made two fine drives for five and four. On leaving Bugby cost of a hundred and seventy-two luns. He commenced the season of 1876 auspiciously for M.C.C. with a score of 52 against Fifteen of the Metropolitan Clubs. He does not appear, though, to have playtd much during this summer, and he only helped Marylebone in three matches, in one of which, against the Royal Artillery at Lord’s, he carried out his bat for 71. In 1877 his best performance was his 42 and 104 for M.C.C. and Ground against Rugby School, though he was fairly successful in some of the more important matches arranged by the executive at Lord’s. The following season of 1878 witnessed his first appearance in the Middlesex eleven, with which he has since been closely associated. The Surrey match at Lord’s was the occa­ sion of his introduction to count}' cricket, and during the short time he was in he scored freely oft' the then weak bowling of Surrey, contribut­ ing twenty-eight in the first and thirteen in the second innings. Mid­ dlesex cricket has since that time found in him a keen supporter. An aggregate of 171 runs for nine com' pleted innings was his summary for theCountyin 1879. This he faroutdid 1y his performancesin the following season. The summer of 1880, indeed, found him very successful with the bat, and among many noteworthy achievements were his 106 against Surrey at the Oval, 45 against Oxford University, and two scores of forty against Yorkshire and Gloucestershire respectively. His inn­ ings of 106 against Surrey was a re­ markable display of hitting on a wicket sariously affected by the rain. A lthough no one else could score off the Surrey bowling he hit with great vigour, and his contribution showed 106 out of a total of 137. In the previous season he had been selected to represent the Gentlemen against the Players both at Lord’s and the Oval, and his omission from the fixture at the former ground in 1880, when he - was in run-getting form, is not easy of explanation. He took part . in all the ten matches played by Middlesex in 1881, aud he identified himself chiefly with the Maryle­ bone Club, of which for the last ten years he has been an aotive member. His firBt score of any account for the M.C.C. was in 1875, in a match against a twelve formed of old Oxonians and old Cantabs, and on that occasion his well-hit 74 not out saved M.C.C. from a defeat in an innings. At school and during the early part of his Marylebone career he used to bowl “ lobs ” with some success, and in 1875 the records show that he took eleven wickets for the Marylebons Club at a