Cricket 1886

92 CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD 01? THE GAME. APRIL 29,1886 ‘ And yet on our praises he’s many more claims; ‘ No pride, although rich, condescending and free, ‘ And a well-informed man, and a city M.P.’ 1 “ Mr. Ward’s name is always found in the Hampshire Eleven, having at one time (it is believed) some land in the Isle of Wight. Once he had a beautiful marble statue of a ‘ Cricketer in play,’ made by the sculptor Eossi. Two of Mr. Ward’s sons played in the Winchester Eleven, one in 1830, and another in 1834. A third also formed one of the Cambridge Eleven in 1&53. Latterly Mr. Ward resided at 14, Windham Place, Bryan* ston Square, where he died at the age of 61. (Anotheraccount stated he died at 76, Con­ naught Terrace.) He is buried in Hammer­ smith churchyard, where a raised slab stone marks the spot where this great cricket­ er lies, being interred in the same grave with his wife and daughter. The inscription is as follows: ‘ ALSO THE ABOVE, ‘ WILLIAM WARD, ‘ For some years M.P ‘ for the City of London, ‘ Born July 24, 1787, ‘ D ied J une 30,1849.’ ” The Rev. James Py- croft, the author of the “ Cricket Field,” in another of his numer­ ous works on the sum­ mer game, “ Cricket- ana,” introduces Mr Ward in his chapter on “ Marylebone Cele­ brities who have lately passed away.” “ There is a gentle­ man,” he says, “ whose name deserves to be re­ membered in connec­ tion with Lord’s even longer still (i.e. than its founder, Thomas Lord)—the name of Mr. William Ward, once Bank Director, and Member of Parliament. Mr. Ward’s name is chiefly known to the rising generation as having made the longest score on record —278; but it was only against Norfolk, an in­ ferior eleven, though Mr. Budd, a man given, bowled on their side. About 1825, as Thomas Lord wished to retire, and there was great danger of so valuable a piece of building ground being soon turned like the old ground into another , Dorset - square, or covered with St. John’sWood villas, Mr. Ward very patfiotically purchased the lease, though only to be obtained at a very high price. In the year 1836, Mr. Ward had from altered circumstances retired from his mansion in Bloomsbury-square, fashionable enough in these days, a nouse remembered by many a Wykehamist, for Mr. Ward, bred at Win­ chester, had regularly a Wykehamist supper on the occasion of the School Matches. Mr. F. Gale, himself an old Wykehamist, describes M». Ward as a “ tremendous hitter,” and tells how, with Mr. Budd, he used to knock Lord Frederick Beauclerk’s slows to pieces. As a judge of the game, and indeed of all matters connected with the history of cricket, as well as with the form of players, he was universally regarded as one of tb© having never, it is supposed, obtained two noughts or a “ pairof spectacles ” in any match of note. He played with bats which generally weighed as much as 41bs., but much heavier ones were in use at the time of the underhand bowling. He also got many wickets with his slow underhand, but was not famous as a bowler or as a field, where he generally stood point. He was a great supporter of the game, and used to frequent Lord’s regularly up to the time of his death. About 1825, he purchased from Thomas Lord (who was then just retiring) the lease of “ Lord’s ” cricket ground, and is thus entitled to great praise from all cricketers in preventing the •*favoured spot,” where so many great contests have taken place, from beiiig built upon. He could only obtain the lease at a most exorbitant rate, and thus deserves more credit than had it been other­ wise. In 1830, J. H. Dark purchased the remainder of the lease from him. * * * * * * * ‘ And of all who frequent the ground named after Lord, ‘ On the list first and foremost should stand Mr. Ward. ‘ No man will deny, I am sure, when I say ‘ That lie’s without rival first bat of the day, ‘ And although he has grown a little too stout, ‘ Even Mathews is bothered at bowling him out. ‘ He’s our life-blood and §oul in this noblest of games, M R . W IL L IA M WARD. In C ricket of last Thursday week we gave the portrait of a fine old English player—one of the olden time. We have pleasure in add­ ing this week another to the gallery of celebri­ ties of a bygone age. Mr. William Ward was not only a prominent figure on the cricket- field at the commencement of the present century, but one of the most liberal supporters of the game at that period. Though younger by twenty-one years than “ Silver Billy,” as William Beldham was familiarly termed by his fellow cricketers, he was still a contemporary of the Surrey player on the cricket-field. In his firstrecorded match, indeed, he was in oppo­ sition to Beldham, play­ ingfor England against Surrey, at Lord’s, in 1810, the same occasion on] which old John Bowyer (the cheery veteran who died a few years ago at a hale old age in his native village of Mitcham) also made his debut on the ground of theMarylebone Club. Mr. Ward was born at Islington on July 24, 1787. He was educated at Winchester College, but the biography given in “ Scores and Biogra­ phies,” to which we are indebted for the parti­ culars of this notice, states that it is not known whether he ever played in the eleven. The first mention that we have of his name in an important fixture is in the match before- mentiond on July 16, 1810, and two following days. Lord Frederick Beauclerk was a mate of his on the England side on this occasion, andwas chief run-getter against the bowling of Surrey, who were able to claim the victory with eight wickets to spare. Mr. Ward’s share of the work for the England side was not a heavy one, and though he was absent in-the second hands he did not get a notch in the match, and as far as can be judged from the records extant did not figure in the score otherwise than as a batsman. The com­ piler of “ Scores and Biographies ” gives the following interesting particulars of his career as a cricketer: — “ His average is one of the largest ever obtained by any cricketer, and had he not continued the game too long, it would perhaps have been ex­ ceeded by none. From the years 1816 to about 1828, his scores will be found enormous, but as he continued to participate in the game up till 1847 (in minor matches) so his average gradu­ ally decreased. He made the second highest innings on record, namely 278, in the year 1820, and on four other occasions he scored (it is believed) 200 runs in «, match with both his innings combined. Some (indeed many) of his greatest feats with the bat were (it must be remarked) made against very inferior bowling and fielding. He was a hard forward hitter, and is one of the few there are who scored largely against round arm, having begun his ^ ireer against the underhand delivery, and