Cricket 1891

NOV 26,1891 CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OP THE GAME; 476 He remembered one occasion in which the Government might possibly have been over­ thrown beoanse of the intense interest two members of the Cabinet felt in a game going on at Lord’s some two or three years ago. They took upon themselves the liberty of running up in a hansom to Lord’ s to see a little of the game. They could not rast upon the benoh, and thought they would not bo missed. What happened ? There was sud­ denly a motion for an adjournment moved with regard to a small question which was sprung upon the House without a moment’s warning. It was an exciting question, and eleverly put. The Government were defeated by a majority of two, and when his two col­ leagues came bowling back to town in a hansom they found the doors of the House closed and everybody gone home. I n commenting on this portion of Mr. Ritchie’s speech, the Pall Mall Gazette gives an instance of the troubles whips have at times in keeping their followers to­ gether, in the face of entertainments of a more amusing character. “ It was the visit of the Gaiety company, if we remember right, not of Lord Sheffield with his cricketers,” adds the P.M.G. “ which drew from the Government Whip in one of the Australian colonies the sigh of relief: ‘ Thank goodness! Now I shall know where to find my men when I want them.’ ” In the sam e n u m ber, the Pall Mall Gazette revives a story, som eth in g o f a ch estnut, w h ich w ill be fam iliar to m a n y C r ic k e t readers. It was the son of tbe new Chief Secretary for Ireland, we believe, a gentleman destined for the Cambridge cricket captaincy of the coming season, who made that delightful speech to a lady who congratulated him on a crack score at Lord’s; “ Yes, it is jolly, isn’ t it ?—not so much for one’s self, you know— but it will give the governor such a lift ! ” E v e r y o n e will be glad if Mr. 0. B. Fry should achieve the very rare distinction of a triple blue. There is many a slip, of course, and it is such a big perform­ ance that there will be no discredit in the event of a failure. Still, the young Surrey cricketer, just now at all events, seems to have an outside chance. His excellent show in the Freshmen’s •ports at Oxford, when he won the long jump with 21ft. 5in., should make him secure for his blue from the Athletic Club. He has also done and is doing good work as full back for the University Association team, which should make a double fairly certain. His excellent all­ round cricket at Repton last year, too, entitles him to be considered one of quite the most promising Freshmen for Oxford next summer. I t will interest C r ic k e t readers here as well as in the Colonies to learn that the old Cambridge cricketer, Mr C . W . Rock, has joined the long array of Bene­ dicts. At least the following announce­ ment in the Tasmanian Mail of Oct. 17, of the marriage of “ Mr. C . W. Rock, second son of the late Dr. Rock of Delo- raine, to Frances Mabel, eldest daughte of Mr. R. J. Archer, late of Cressy,” is my authority for the intelligence. Mr. Rock and his wife will have the best Swishes of cricketers in the Old Country. A s t o r y of which the evergreen Tom Emmett was the hero, was told me the other day, and as it was new to me at least it may be so to C r ic k e t readers generally. The occasion was a match between Yorkshire and Cambridge Uni­ versity, on the Cambridge ground. Emmett was bowling and a wicket had just fallen. The new batsman, a very well-known cricketer whose identity, however, I prefer to keep secret, as he came in said in a jocular way as he passed “ I ’ll bet you half-a-crown, Tom, that you do not bowl me first ball.” Never unequal to the occasion, the sturdy Yorkshireman was all alive at once, and the result was a very pronounced shooter, which tha batsman was just quick enough to stop. Brimful of excite­ ment, Emmett had been jumping about while the ball was on its way. His remark was characteristic, too, as he saw it go off the edge of the bat, “ Ah, Mr. Sc------, she wur worth fifteen pence while she wur moving.” Even if it is not true tho story in any case is well found. T h e death of Mr. H. E. Mayo removes another of the players who did good service to Surrey just at a time when the cricket of the county was at very near, if not quite, its lowest ebb. His connec­ tion with Surrey, though, was not of long duration, confined, if I remember rightly, to one or two seasons ?t the end of the sixties. The pity is that he was not able to be of permanent use to the eleven, for he was a dangerous bat, at times a very successful fast bowler, and a good field. He died as he was born and lived—a South Londoner. At the time of his death (October 31) he was just com­ pleting his forty-fourth year. It will be gratifying to those who know him to hear that my good friend and old correspondent F. G. has plenty of time, in his new home in the Far West, to keep up his interest in the grand old game. The last mail brought me another cheery letter from “ The Old Buffer ” under date of October 31. It contains a very interesting communication from Sir Emilius Bayley, whose name will bring up, to many C r i c k e t readers of the very old school, pleasant memories of Kent Cricket in the forties. Sir Emilius Bayley, as he was then, was a magnificent long leg and cover point. He would have gone through with the Kent eleven, but as it was he went to the Bar, and afterwards into the Church. But here is what F. G. says for himself. D ear E ditor , —I received not long since a long letter from the Ilev. Sir Emilius Btuley Laurie, of Maxwelton House, Moricave, Dum­ friesshire, whom I remember as “ Emilius Bayley,” captain of Eton in 1841—fifty years ago ! It was a chatty letter on an article wnich I wrote for the DailyGraphic on “ The First Tear of the Canterbury Week proper, 1842,” about the memorable match (interalia) of Kent v. England at Canterbury, in which match Sir Emilius was captain of Kent. Also about the match in which we both played in 1841, and other matters of no public moment now. It was pleasant to have a long friendly letter from one whom I had not spoken to for half a century; but I was doubly pleased to have a fact, which I have often put in print, and spoken of, and that is the memorable hit of an Eton boy cognomene “ John Sm ith”—no uncommon name—over the Pavilion into the road, in the match with Winchester, in 1889 or ’40, and the ball bounded into the front garden of a house semi-detached, opposite the pay place at Lord’s, then occupied Dy Mr. James Sutton. I had evidence of the fact from Mrs. James Sutton, who told me in 1841, when a lady took me to call there, “ gin W ii Chester and Eton boys behaved better than gin did a year or two since when the ball oame into my front garden.” The boy who hit it was afterwards an officer in the loth Regiment and was quartered at Winchester, and went by his Eton nick­ name “ Lord ” Smith, and I knew him well as he often came down to College, when I was in the eleven, to practise. Now for Emilius Laurie’s information. “ I was in with 1 Lord ’ Smith when he hit a ball over the Tennis Court into the Road— I doubt that being done again.” I have told this story many times at Lord’s* and I fancied that there was a note of interro­ gation ( ? ) in some upturned eyes, and now here is the confirmation. C. D. Crofts, a very good left-hand bowler, bowled the ball. When Tom Adams in Gentlemen v. Players broke a slate on the Tennis Court roof near the top, it was left ««-mended for many years in honour of the hit, bat “ Lord ” Smith out­ did him. I send you the original letter, as I think such a record from one who certainly was one of the finest boy batsmen I ever saw —and I witnessed his enormous score in 1841 against Harrow,—and also a very eminent preacher in the Churcb,—for I heard him at St. Paui's and never even nodded during the sermon—is worthy of being preserved. There are two other passages of public interest marked in the letter, and I leave it to your discretion to append them to this letter. You see if I kept the letter I might get scalped by the Red Indians, who still are about, and it would be lost, and I think it is safer in the Committee room at the Oval. Yours very faithfully, F. G. P.S.—Yesterday I remarked what a day (Oct. 30; for Gentlemen v. Players! as it was semi-tropical: as I am writing this (Oct. 31) there are two feet of snow, and possibly two days hence it may be semi-tropical again. T h e veteran Bayley’s opinion on Pub­ lic School cricket of his time and the present day, will be of particular interest, “ It strikes me,” he says, “ that the Public School Boy’s Cricket has improved in correctness and style, and in playing the game according to rule, uniformity, etc., but it has lost in individuality and dash.” It is pleasant, too, to find that he recals his cricket days with nothing but satisfaction. “ Well,” he writes, “ win­ ning or losing, these days are pleasant to look back upon. I don’t think I learned any harm in the cricket field. I am sure I get much good physical if not otherwise, with far different and I trust NEXT ISSUE DECEMBER 31