Cricket 1891

“ T o g e th e r jo in ed in cr icke t's m a n ly to il.”-— Byron. stored for Transmission Abroad. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1891. M R L E O N A R D A L I S O N H A L L H A M I L T O N . O f late years Kent has been particularly fortunate in being able to claim the ser­ vices of more than one good player who has found county cricket a pleasant relief from the mechanical routine of a soldier’s life. The names of Benny-Tailyour and Fellowes will readily occur as those of crioketers who did loyal service for Kent, during the time they were able, while in the exercise of their military duties, to 'be in touch with Kentish cricket. Last year, too, the County was lucky in bring­ ing to the front another cricketer who has graduated with equal distinction in a higher sphere in the service of his Queen and Coun­ try. In Mr. L. A. H. Hamilton, whose portrait we have chosen to illustrate the first number of a new volume, the Army has not only a cricketer of unusual skill and pro­ mise, but an athlete of more tnan ordinary versatility. Though by family ties essentially a Man of Kent, still, Mr. Hamilton can not claim it as the county of his birth. He did not in fact see the light first in England,being bornat MountAbu, Rajputana, India, on December 23rd, 1862. It was in Kent, though, that he learned the rudiments of the game. To Tonbridge School, which has turned out several good cricketers in its time, among them the brothers Cecil and Leslie W il­ son, H. A. Richardson, and others, belongs the credit of his early training. The six years (1875 to 1880) he spent there laid, no doubt, the foundation of that aptitude for cricket which, in spite of more than one break, has never left him. The Tonbridge Eleven just about that time bore a deservedly high repu­ tation among school teams, and during the last two summers of his stay there, Mr. Hamilton certainly contributed in his own person to^ improve it, by reason of his promising bat­ ting. On leaving Tonbridge, he passed into the Royal Military College, and in 1882, while doing good service for the Sandhurst Eleven, found time also to maintain his connection with Tonbridge, by playing for the Town Club. Gazetted in the following March to the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (the 51st), he was for a time detached from English cricket. Still, in spite of the k of opportunities for practice offered to him while with his regiment in India, he retained his character of a run-getter to the full. In 1885, in particular, he was in brilliant form, and on two occasions he scored over 200 runs in an innings. The reoords of Indian cricket, indeed, we should fancy will hardly show a bet­ ter performance than that of the young soldier, in 1885, at Dinapore, in his double score—220 not out against the 23rd Royal Welsh Fusiliers, and 209 against the N.C.O.’s and men. Though the Burmese difficulty caused an interruption in his cricket career during the next two years, he was distinguishing himself signally in his own profession. The expedition to Burmah during 1886-7 entailed a succession of anxious and perilous work, although it carried with it certain rewards and distinctions in the shape, in his case, of a medal and two clasps. Still, in spite of the exigencies of the service in Burmah, he found opportunity for two games at cricket in 1887, and with curiously different results. At Bhamo, for his regiment against the World, he knocked up 111, but at Man­ dalay, luck of an opposite kind was in store, as the Garrison had the satis­ faction of dismissing him very un­ expectedly before he had a chance of getting a run. The return of his regiment to England gave him, however, a chance of showing his real capacity. Stationed at Gos­ port, he had the advantage of being within easy reach of a ground which bears a deservedly high reputation as one of the best for high scoring in the country. On the easy wickets provided by the United Service Club at Portsmouth, Mr. Hamilton’s exceptional powers of unishment were brought out in old relief. He was evidently anxious to show that absence in India had not impaired his powers in any degree. There was a sub­ stantial proof to the contrary, at least, for anyone who might have felt inclined to such a view, and indeed, the first season of his return to England found him with two innings of oyer a hundred to his credit for his regiment, and one of 108 for the United Services against the Corinthians. The latter, too, furnished him with an opportu­ nity for one of his highest innings of 1889, a score of 155. His best show, however, that year, and perhaps his very best display in point of real quality, was in the match between the United Services and the Gentlemen of Philadelphia. It was in a very great measure his score of 203 on that occasion which established his reputation as a batsman, capable of playing a prominent part in matches of even greater importance. At least the Committee of the Kent County Club appear to have been so much impressed with his abilities as to invite him to take part in the opening fixture of 1890. How thoroughly too he fulfilled the expectations of those who saw in him a batsman of unusual promise in first-class cricket, no C r ic k e t reader needs to be reminded. Kent was fortunate enough indeed to find in him one of the most danger