Cricket 1891

Si Together joined in cricket’s manly toil. 5 ’— Byron, No. 2 8 7 . VOL. X . Registered for Transmission Abroad. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1891. PRICE 2d. MR . JOHN BON AM Y CH A LL EN . T hough lacking the advantages of her more powerful and favoured neighbour, Gallant Little Wales has none the less been able to claim as her offspring more than one player who has played a prominent part in English cricket. A short time ago it was our privilege to traoe the career of Mr. W . D. Llewelyn, the scion of a good stock which has done much for sport in' South Wales. Now the opportunity has arisen to do honour to the northern portion of the Principality in the person of Mr. J» B. Challen. His father was Master of Buthin Gram­ mar School in Denbighshire in 1863, and there the son first saw the light on March 26, of that year. Wales though had nothing to do with his cricket education. His training, in fact, was entirely acquired on Eng­ lish soil. Honiton Grammar School gave him his first taste of school life, but it had nothing to do with forming his style as a cricketer. It was at the Philberds, Maidenhead, that he really learned the rudiments of the game. “ The Philberds” has had the credit of rearing several athletes who have taken high honours subsequently in various branches of sport. Mr. Challen’s seven years there, too, were by no means wasted. On the contrary, he was in the best of company, serving in the eleven with several cricketers who fully upheld their early promise in after years, Pro­ ficiency in bowling secured him a place in the School team of 1873, which included among others, A .R . ™ Cobb and H. M. Burge, whose names %m will be familiar to C ricket readers generally. Five years in the Phil- berds eleven, the last with a con­ siderable amount of success as a batsman, formed a useful appren­ ticeship when he went to Marl­ borough. His name, however, only figures for one season in the Marl­ borough College eleven, in that of 1879, when E. Peake was captain. It was a very wet summer, too, and though Mr. Challen’ s fifteen at Lord’s was the second highest score in the first innings against Rugby, on the whole he was only moderately successful. On leaving School Somersetshire cricket had the benefit of his services, and in 1880 he assisted the Somerset Club and Ground in most of its matches. His highest innings that year was 118 not out for Great Elm against Frome, but he scored consistently well in most parts of the County, having the top average for both the Frome and Nunney Clubs. It is in­ teresting, too, as showing his long connection with the Somersetshire eleven, to notice that he was playing in it before any of the present team except Mr. W. N. Roe. Etis introduction to County Cricket dates back in fact to 1880. The match was against Hertfordshire, and as all the four totals were between 80 and 90 his contributions of 12 and 4, it will be judged, were by no means the worst on the side. Since that time Somersetshire has had no more loyal or enthusiastic supporter. During the last eight years, too, he has been one of the most reliable batsmen in the team. In 1884 he scored consistently welli Though an innings of 42 was his best performance in point of quality, his highest score was against Hamp­ shire, On that occasion he made runs at a rare pace, and his 93, whioh included nineteen 4’s, were got in an hour and ten minutes. His 29 at the Oval in 1885 was the top score in the first innings against Surrey, in everyway, too, a plucky and creditable display of cricket. The last two seasons have found him in a particularly successful vein for run- getting. In 1890, against Leicester­ shire, at Leicester, with Nichols he put on 136 for the fifth wicket, contributing 67 himself by some of the best batting on the side. His position on this occasion was unique, as he was the only one of the twenty-two players who had participated in the last matoh be­ tween the two Counties ten years before. In the memorable contest against Middlesex, whioh ended in a tie, his 49 was one of the best innings. Last year his batting was one of the most noteworthy fea­ tures in Somersetshire cricket. In all the most important fixtures he scored well. His 89 against Surrey, at Taunton, was one of the chief factors in the brilliant victory which fell to the Somersetshire Eleven. This, though, was only one of many notable performances, among them 79 against Gloucester­ shire at Cheltenham, 41 against Kent at Maidstone, and two excel­ lent scores of 28 and 33 against Lancashire at Manchester. In minor cricket his scoring has been quite out of the common. During his mastership at Thornton Heath, from 1880 to 1882, Mr. Challen made a hundred three times for the School, besides having the top average for the Thornton Heath Club in the last year. His best records, however, have been for the Wellingborough Grammar School, with which he has been associated as a master since 1883. In his nine years there he is able to show an aggregate of 6,088 runs for 150 com­ pleted innings. But here are his chief scores— 1883—102 v. C. Robinson’s Eleven. 1884—205 v. Ii. T. Hughes’ Eleven ; 109 v. Earl’s Barton. , 1885—168 v. Leicester Ivanhoe (Pougher playing); 101 v. Luton; 100, Rushden v. Northamp­ ton ; 100, Longleet v. Batcombe Rectory. 1380 — 124 , Gentlemen of Northants v. Gentlemen of Yorllfl 1887 —108 v. Raunds; 162 v. Bedford; 101» Wei lington v. Tiverton*