Cricket 1886

“ Together joined in cricket’s manly toil.”— Byron. B«gistered°fo/Transmission Abroad. THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 1886. P R IC E 2d . MR. W IL L IA M JU S T IC E FORD . W e feel sure that the Australian Colonists would be the finst to admit that the remark­ able progress which cricket has made among them during the last few years is due in no small degree to the example and instructions of cricketers who have gone out to the colonies from the mother country, trained in the best principles and practice of the game. The names of B. B. Cooper, Caffyn, C. Lawrence and others are familiar illustrations of this view. Their lessons have borne ood fruit, and we may say the pupils ave now surpassed the |masters in the science of which they were such admirable exponents. But to them the credit for the result is no less due. We have no doubt that cricket in New Zealand will equally benefit by the presence of the subject of our memoir, who is now on his way to take up the appointment of Principal of Nelson College, in that Colony. We may regret his loss to the game in England, but if the New Zealander who is some day to sketch the ruins of St. Paul’s from the broken arches of London Bridge is able to appre­ ciate the virtue of a “ straight bat,” and knows how to “ open his shoulders,” we may feel sure that Mr. Ford’s teaching will have had some­ thing to do with it. Vixerunt fortes ante Agamemnona. We read in the rccords of the past of powerful hitters like Mr. E. H. Budd, Mr. W. Ward, Mr. Alfred Mynn, and many others, and we have seen in later day& the prowess of C. I. Thornton and the Australian giant, Bonnor. But we doubt whether among them all there has ever been a cleaner and harder hitter than Mr. W. J. Ford. Coming of a cricketing stock—his father was a good all-round player— Mr. Ford was born in London on Nov. 7, 1853, and from an early age re­ ceived parental instruction in the game. His school education com­ menced at Eagle House, Wimbledon, where another well-known cricketer, Mr. W. Yardley, also learned the rudiments of cricket. In 1807 Mr. Ford was removed to Repton School, where he was in the eleven in 1870, 1871, and 1872, being captain the last year. In the match against Uppingham School in 1870 he was unsuccessful, scoring only 1 and 0. The contest was memorable for a rare performance the Eleven, at the commencement of the following season, and with good resuits, scoring 55 in the second innings in good form. Though not tried for the Eleven, he played against them with success in some of the subsequen matches, and was chosen, almost at the las moment, to assist his University against Oxford at Lord’s, on June 23rd and 24th, 1873. This selection he fully justified by two credit­ able scores, 61 not out, and 11, the first a remarkably well played and freely hit innings. In the following year Mr. Ford was, for some reason or other, as often happens to the best cricketers, completely out of form, and did not therefore play again for Cam­ bridge. Soon after leaving the Uni­ versity, he obtained a Mastership at Marlborough College, where he re­ mained until his recent acceptance of the post in New Zealand. Unfor­ tunately,his scholastic dutiesabsorbed so much of his time during the greater part of the summer, that he was only able to appear rarely in important matches. His inability to take part in first class cricket was a distinct loss to the game, for as a rule, he was in brilliant form, and generally scored heavily in the matches in which he did engage. In August, 1878, he made in one week 120 for M.C.C. and G. v. Southdown Club, and 174 for M.C.C. and G. v. Eastbourne, this last innings comprising no less than 27 “ fourers.” The present writer, who took part in the latter fixture, well remembers the consternation caused among the ladies on the Skating Rink at Devonshire Park, by the frequency with which the ball kept dropping amongst them from Mr. Ford’s tremendous hits. In 1879 Mr. Ford first appeared for Middlesex at Clifton against Gloucestershire, and his hitting (he scored 74) was described as being of a most terrific character, the fieldsmen being almost unwilling to attempt to stop many of his “ smites.” In 1881, for M.C.C. and G. v. Uxbridge, he put together 250, we believe the largest score he ever made. Readers of C r ic k e t will well remember his sensational appearance for Middlesex v. Kent last season at Mote Park. His performance on this occasion, we fancy, may be regarded as a “ record.” His hitting was really extraordinary, for in the first innings he scored 44 in seventeen minutes, and in the second 75 in forty-five minutes! Mr, Ford formerly played a good deal with of the Repton captain, C. Tillard, who after­ wards figured in the Cambridge eleven. He distinguished himself in a remarkable wav with the ball, taking seventeen wickets, all ten in the second innings, of which fifteen were clean bowled. Though he failed against Malvern College, in 1871 Mr. Ford did better against Uppingham, scoring 58 out of 121 in the first innings. In 1872 he was unable through illness to play against Uppingham, and against Malvern he again failed to come off in batting, though he took four wickets for 10 runs in the second innings. Going up to Cambridge at the end of 1872, an early opportunity was given him of showing his capabilities as a cricketer. He made his first appearance, for the Next Sixteen against