Cricket 1889

“ Together joined in cricket’s manly toil.”— Byron. ^ , _ ------------------ -------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ------- J — .— i (-§■ -------- “ a W*. THURSDAY, JUNE 6, 1889. price 2d MR . FR AN C IS H E N R Y GRESSON . T h o u g h the number of Wykehamists at the present time participating in important matches is not large, Winchester College has none the less played a very important part as a training ground for amateur cricketers. Mr. John Shuter, the Captain of the Surrey Eleven, has turned to good ac­ count in County cricket the lessons he learned in his Winchester days. And of the generations who have brought fame to the old school since he was captain of the Eleven, few have been more conspicuous of latter days, at least, than the use­ ful all-round cricketer who has done suoh good service for Oxford University during the last three summers. Born at Worthing, on Feb. 18, 1868, it is only a few months Bince Mr. Gresson completed his twenty-first year. As it was not until the season of 1885 that he was able to secure & place in the W in­ chester College Eleven, it will be seen that the probationary period required to establish his position in the front rank of amateur cricketers has been more than usually short. The instances, in­ deed; of a reputation made after so brief an apprenticeship are not many in number. His first year in the Winchester Eleven was one of exceptional success, and, in fact, he was installed at the head of the School averages at the end of the season. The Eton Eleven of 1885 was unusually strong, and no less than six of the team—to wit, Messrs. Philipson, F. Thomas, H. W . Forster, R. C. Gosling and H. J. Mordaunt, not to mention . Lord ~ George Scott, are prominently identified with one or other of the University elevens of 1889. It was a run-getting match, too, the annual meeting between Eton and W in­ chester played at Eton that summer, and two members of the present Oxford team were the highest scorers for their respective sides, Mr. H. Philipson (141) for Eton, and Mr. Gresson (85) for Winchester. Though not so fortunate in the chief match of the season in the following year (1886), Mr. Gresson not only .was of use with the bat but also with the ball against Eton. In run-getting generally, too, he showed no falling off, as his average was twenty-one, just the same figure, in fact, as was cre­ dited to him in the Winchester records of the preceding year. The October Term of 1886 found Mr. Gresson in residence College, Oxford, and those best acquainted with his capabilities were confident in the belief that he would prove himself to be one. of the very best Freshmen of 1887. How fully these expectations were lealised will be well remembered by those interested in Oxford cricket. His first appearance was sufficient to invest his future with exceptional interest. A more sensational, to use a word beloved of cricket writers, debut has, indeed, hardly ever been recorded in Oxford cricket. A brilliant score of 91 in the first innings was followed by one equally good of 95 in the second, and tnis| double performance he supplemented with a fine piece of bowling, taking seven in the first innings of Mr. Key’s side at a cost of 84 runs. For the Eleven against the Next Sixteen, too, a little later he got 53 in excellent style, and at the end of the same week again proved his undoubted capacity as a batsman, in the first match of the Univer­ sity season with two very fine scores of 64 and 61, against Mr. A. J. Webbe’s Eleven. Nor was his success confined only to the trial matches at Oxford, for at Lord’s he was in quite as happy a vein for run-getting. Against Cam­ bridge he got 33 in the first innings, but a much better show still was his of a few days before against M.C.C. & G., and his second score of 70 on that occasion was .not only the highest but, perhaps, the best innings of the match. The close of the Oxford season left Mr. Gresson free to assist Sussex. His first ap­ pearance for his native county was against Kent, at Tonbridge, on July 11,1887, b\it he only made eighteen in the two innings, and his best scores in the later matches were 45 and 37 against Hampshire, and 30 against Surrey. Last summer Mr. Gresson was generally successful with the bat, and on not a few occa­ sions with the ball as well. In the earlier part of the season neither Lord George Scott, the hero of the Inter-University contest of 1887, nor he were in their best form, though Mr. Gresson opened the season well with a score of 53. against Mr. A. J. Webbe’s Eleven In the out matches, though, he was consistently suc­ cessful, and commencing with a most brilliant innings of 114 against Lancashire at Manchester, finished with a very creditable 30 against Cambridge at Lord’s. So far this season Mr. Gresson has proved him­ self to be one of the most consistent and reliable batsmen at Oxford, and his latest performance in making 33 and 69 this week against the Six­ teen leads to the belief that he will be quite in the fore-front of Univer­ sity cricket this summer. Though not robust of build Mr. Gresson, who, by the way, bats and bowls left handed, is not lacking in power. He plays straight as well as hard, and as he showed against Lancashire last year can get runs freely when set. He bowls fastish with a high delivery and is a fair field. Mr. Gresson is also not unknown to fame as an Association footballer, having played full back for Oxford with credit. [Our portrait is from a photograph by Hill and Saunders, of Oxford].