Cricket 1887

“ Toge ther joined in cricket’s m an ly toil.”— Byron. THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 1887. N o 142. VOL. VI. Registered for Transmission Abroad. LORD LYTTELTON . T he present Lord Lyttelton, President during the past season of the Marylebone Cricket Club, was born on the 27th of October, 1842. He may be said to have begun his cricket career in the year 1857, when as C. G. Lyttelton, and in his fifteenth year, he was numbered among the Eton Eleven. As more than 20 years have elapsed since he left off active play, it would only weary the reader to have a full description of his numerous feats both with bat and ball. To cricketers of this day he will be remembered mainly as a batsman, yet up to the end of the year 1862 his bowling was on a par with his batting, and he bowled with considerable success against Harrow, Oxford, and for the Gentlemen against the Players. In the three Eton and Harrow matches in which he took part his scores will not be found large, but in his two first years he was unlucky enough to meet four renowned boy bowlers, sel­ dom if ever surpassed, in Plowden, Hodgson, Lang, and R. D. Walker. In fact in the Harrow matches he was more successful as a bowler, taking fourteen wickets in four in­ nings. He was captain of the Eleven in 1859 and 1860, and his last Harrow match was that memorable encounter when Eton, wanting more than 200 runs to win, made a most honourable draw, losing eight wickets when about forty runs short of the game. It may be doubted if any boy eleven has ever surpassed this performance when the state of Lord’s Ground in those days is considered. In the year 1861 he went up to Cambridge, and obtained his University blue, and represented the Gentlemen against the Players in both matches when but 18 years of age. At the Oval he scored 41 in his first innings and bowled three wickets in the Players’ sole innings. He bowled largely for Cambridge that year, and in 1862, and scored enormously at Cambridge during the latter year, for we find either for or against the University scores of 66, 62, 79, 49 and 36 attached to his name, and in those days that scoring may be called enormous. He also scored 57 in the second innings against the Players at the Oval. In both 1861 and 1862 he bowled with great success against Oxford, but 1862 was the last year of his prowess in the latter capacity, for, strangely enough, all spin and precision appears to have left him in 1863, which was perhaps the reason why he occasionally appeared afterwards as a lob bowler, with some success in minor matches. His best score in 1863was 101againstthe famous Surrey Eleven. In 1864 his chief scores were 128 for Cambridge against M.C.C., 65 for Free Foresters against the University, 92 against Norfolk, and 81 for Gentlemen v. Players at the Oval. His scores in 1865,1866 and 1867 were large, including 129 for M.C.C. against Cambridge University, 67 for M.C.C. against Surrey Club, 64 for M.C.C. against Oxford University, and his last important score against first-class bowling was a famous^in­ nings of 90 for 18 of Trinity College against PRICE 2d. an England Eleven, including among other great bowlers the famous George Freeman. He was a wicket-keeper of great skill to slow bowling, and was greatly distinguished as a field at point. In discussing cricketers of that age and standing, the present generation must try and realise an altogether different state of things to what they see now. Then, as now, Lord’s was the principal ground, but very few individual innings of over a hundred were played between the ? ears 1857 and 1867 on that ground, 'he great feats of Daniel in scoring a century against Eton, and of Hayward in doing the same against the Gentle­ men in 1863, dwell long in the memory of those who saw them, because they took place on a ground where one dead shooter came in every eight balls, and bumping balls whizzed round the batsman’s head. No wonder that fast bowlers were the rule and slow bowlers the exception under these circumstances. The Hon. C. G. Lyttelton was not a great scorer on rough grounds, his greatest feats were on Fenners and the Oval, and not on Lord’s. His wickets, in fact, were those on which matches are habitually played now, after the in­ vention of the mowing machine and heavy roller. It may possibly be as­ sumed then that if Lord Lyttelton had played cricket in these days he might have been surpassed by fewer than he was then. His batting will always be remembered for its inimit­ able grace and the severity of his all­ round hitting, especially’the cut. He used to stand very upright, and never even to slow bowling would he move his right foot. His bat used to be held high, but his hands were lowered when he prepared for the cut. The severity of this has probably never been sur­ passed. Dr. W. G. Grace once told the writer that he never saw anybody cut so hard. His right foot used to go across and his wrist stroke sent the ball with a hum and a whizz that the points and third men of that day never forgot. _ “ That cut ought to be preserved in a glass case,” said Julius Csesar, standing at point, when the ball flew to the ropes, grazing the fieldsman’s left hip. His weak point in batting was a slight weakness in defence, and in this he was sur­ passed by his great friend and rival,Mr. R. A. H. Mitchell, though the latter had notsuchagrace­ ful method. Eton men of that day may wel remember with pride their three great Next Issue April 14