Cricket 1893

DEO. 28, 1893 ORICKETs A WEEKLY EECORD OF THE GAME, 471 latter does when facing the weakest in their own class. If Gloucestershire and Sussex deserve to be first-class, then most certainly do the four candidates for similar honors. One regrets that “ that hated word Championship ” should have troubled the righteous soul of anybody. The word matters little; change the word, bat the fact is still there. Surely if there is no such thing as County Championship, there is no meaning in the banquet to be given in January bv the President and Committee to the Yorkshire County Eleven ; and one would respectfully ask why that same President and Committee refused to let off F. S. Jackson and Peel for the third England v. Australia match last summer ? Was it not because they did not want their County to run the smallest risk of losing the Championship ? Three charming originals have just come into my possession, viz., “ The Draw,” “ The Cut,” and “ Forward,” by Felix; “ dedicated with permission ” respectively to Lord Viscount Grimston, William Ward, Esq., and Benjamin Aislabie, Esq. They were doubtless drawn for the book, “ Felix on the Bat,” but they differ from the same pictures in the three editions of this work. They are each framed in old bird’s-eye maple, and are in capital condition. Yet another prize : Cricket articles from the old S portin g Magazine, from 1790 to 1840, many of them of profound interest, all of them capital reading. The compliments of the season to all whom it concerns. TEDDINGTON CLUB. Matches played, 20—won 9, loat 3, drawn 8. BATTING AVERAGES. Times Most in Inns, not oat. Runs. inns. Aver. R. S. Lucas......... 17 ,... 3 . 762 ... 154 ... 5 >.6 8 Q. Wilkinson... 14 ... 6 .... 881 ... 66 ... 47.5 H. Bowden-Smith 7 ... 1 ..., 281 ... 119 .. , 46.5 A. Crowder........... 19 ,... 1 ..., 6-23 ... 135 ... 34.11 a . Dealtry ........... 8 ... 1 ... 177 ... 48 .... 25.2 L. D. Crichton ... 13 .... 1 ... 261 ... 67 ... 22 J. R. Bowden- Sm ith................. 6 .... 1 ... 101 ... 34 ... 20.4 8 . Crowder ........... 7 ... 1 ... 118 ... 32 .... 19.4 B.J. T. Bosanquet 4 . ... 2 ..., 35 ... 21 ... 17.1 J. A. G rove........... 9 .... 2 ..., 119 ... 44 ... 17 G. Marks ........... 4 .... 1 ... 50 ... 31 ... 16.2 F. Gosney ........... E. W. Collinson... 11 .... 3 ... 79 ... 20 ... 9.7 5 ,... 1 ... 37 ... 22 ... 9.1 E. H. Gunnery ... 9 .... 1 ... 63 ... 16 .. . 7.7 R. N. Hincks 4 .... 0 .... 31 ... 14 ... 5.1 The following also played, under four innings H. E. Knight 6 , 51*, 52 *; G. R. Wood 6 15,6; F. W. Barnshaw 39,15,0; A. F. King-Stephens 33, 0, 15; Col. R. W. Bos&nquet 27,0; G.MacGregor 5,23; W. G. Jtffery 34*, 0; M. Seifert 0, 4; H. L. Turner 21, 6 ; E. Chinnery 6 ; F. J. Thompson 10* ; R.P. Sewell 4 ; M. M. barker 10; A. Frampton 0 ; E. F. Btearns 0, 0 0; C. Howard 22*; W. Furze 15; W. Colllnson 33,12; G. Pout 16; V. Coalbank 0, 0; H. Ackary 6 , 4 , 4, f\ 10, 5*; Cain 12,24* ;B. Crowder 1 , 1 ; H. C. King-Stephen 1. BOWLING AVERAGES. Overs. Mdns. Runs. Wkts. Ayer. R. N. Hincks... ... 56 ... 17 ... 156 ... 15 ... 10 6 K. S. Lucas ... .,.. 316 .. . 73 ... 869 ... 60 ... 14.29 A. Crowder ... ... 208 ... 65 .,.. 568 ... 27 .. 21.1 F. Gosney ......... . 133 ... 42 ... 317 ... 14 ... 236 8 . G. Wilkinson ... 98 ..,. 18 .. . 311 ... 11 ... 28.3 The following obtained less than ten wickets W . G. Jeffery, 8 for 97; J. A. Grove, 8 -1 1 3 ; L. D. Crichton, 2—43; B. J. T. Bosanquet, 2—100; Simms, 2—59; H. Bowden-Smith, I —15 ; H. L. Turner, 7—43 ; H. H. Gunnery, 1—29; M. Barker, 4—23. OLD TIME CRICKET. (Continued from C rick et o f October 26th, p. U9). And that each lusty amateur Of bat and ball and wicket May own I like a cricket-chirp, I’ll Btrive to chirp of cricket. —Old Cricketing Song. In continuation of the professional players' table of batting averages, we herewith add those of the amateur cricketers of half a century ago, viz., 1844. The gentlemen of this country have always been great suppor­ ters of the game, and in fact, wherever a dozen Englishmen are collected together wickets are sure to be pitched, and there are few parts of the globe in which •*How's that, Um pire?” ha* not been heard, from the time of Lord John Sackville, Frederick Lewis Prince of Wales, to the days of W . G. Grace. The Marylebone Club, which holds an ana­ logous position to the game of cricket as the Jockey Club does to racing, is composed of members representing most of the best families in the United Kingdom. Amongst the names of gentlemen players which come most readily to mind, who were staunch suppor­ ters of cricket in their day, may be mentioned Lord Tankerville.Sir Horace Mann, the Duke of Dorset, Lord Frederick Beauolerk, the Earls of Winchelsea, Sandwich, Stamford, Winterton, cum multis aliis. Royalty even were lovers of the game, for we find that His Majfsty George IV. not only formed a cricket ground adjoining the Pavilion at Brighton, but was a participator in the play both as a batsman and fieldsman. And the well-known, at one time. Royal Clarence Cricket Club, at Hampton, was instituted by His Majesty William IV . H .B.H . the present Prince of Wales has always been an admirer of the game and is “ Patron of the Marylebone Club,” as well as in his young days taking an active part in tbe game itself, for we find that in the batting averages in first-class matches,for the year 1866, “ H.R.H. the Prince of Wales 2 innings, 2 runs, times not out 0, average per innings 1, over 1.” It is well-known that H .R.H . was not only a player himself, but enoouraged his sons in the manly exercise to tbe utmost of his power. An aooount of how the Marylebone Club played their matches in early days of the formation of the club, is both interesting and instructive. For the following description we are indebted to Mr. Reynolds, one of the members of those days :— “ I remember,” he says, “ soon after my election into the club I attended a great many matches at Moulsey Hurst. Our head-quarters being at Kingston, the Duke of Richmond, who was of our party, asked me, the following morning, whether I would not rather ride to the orioket ground, and offered the loan of one of his horses * * * * Lord Thanet’s brothers, John and Henry Tufton, were to me both my right and left hands, during each crioket campaign, for such it really was— m a rch iD g , from May till September, from place to place— encamping here, bivouacking there, from d a y to day. John Tufton, who under a grave reserved manner oonoealed an unbounded love and fund of humour, was one of the principal convivials in our club. Though not a first-rate cricketer, he was what is called a safe on e; would that I could add he was a safe driver ! He would frequently say to me, ‘ I will give you a cast in my gig,’ and he as regularly kept his word, by constantly upsetting me. Henry Tufton was one of the handsomest young men about town ; both as cricketer and companion, he always proved himself one of the greatest acquisitions in the club. With him, too, I must be vain enough to play a single-wicket match, which terminated very differently and far more unpleasantly than a previous one with Lord Frederick [Beau- clerk] ; for a ball from my bat struck my friend with so much force on the left arm that the bone was broken by it. A surgeon being on the ground immediately set it ; and to show at once the firmness and mildness of Harry Tufton’s disposition, his first wish, after the conclusion of the painful operation, was to see me. I obeyed, when to my infinite re­ lief and gratification, I found him in very good spirits; and he instantly observed with a smile, * Reynolds, Lord Frederick hitherto has never fractured anything but wickets ; so play him again.’ “ Sir Horace Mann, long called the King of cricket (as he was the principal maker of the matches), was, like Lord Winchilsea, one of the good old courtly school, and a personage of equal decorum and punctilio; yet, not­ withstanding his great hospitality, his excell­ ent manners, and his universal popularitv, he was too frequently made the object of the buffooneries of his less decorous associates. Richard Leigh, as a maker of matches, and a general promoter of cricket, as the observer of a hospitality almost feudal, at his seat at Wilmington—as the supporter and superin­ tendent of the private plays at the Royal Kentish Bowmen’s Lodge, where Miss Mellon, afterwards Mrs Coutts, was the favourite actress, and as the donor of the most splendid musical treats, at last induced us of the cricket club to pronounce that though our worthy Baronet, Sir Horace, was justly called the king of the noble game, it must be confessed that our Kentish Squire was the viceroy over him. I could expatiate for ever on my cricket reminiscenci s ; the days they comprehend are among the bappiest of my life. Even now, as formerly (were it permitted me), I could dwell on the particular excel­ lences of Lord Frederick, David Harris, Tom Walker, Beldam, Robinson, Scott, Hammond, Wells, Small, and other first-rate players, with the enthusiasm of a lover’ retrospection. A t a grand match at Stoke- down, near Alresford, elected as a substitute for a very indifferent player suddenly taken ill, I for the first and last time played against the celebrated formidable Harris. In taking my place at the wicket I almost felt as if taking my ground in a duel with an unerr­ ing marksman ; and my terrors were so increased by tbe marked pity and sjmpathy of Hammond, Beldam, and others round the wicket, that when the mighty bowler, this Jupiter Tonane, hurled his bolt at me, I shut my eyes in the intensity of my panic, and mechanically gave a random desperate blow, whioh to my utter astonishment was followed by a loud cry all over the ring of ‘ run, run ’ ! I did run, and with all my force, and getting three notches, the Duke of Richmond, John Tufton, Leigh, Anguish, and other archwags advanoed, and formally presented me twenty-five sixpences in a hat, collected from the by-standers, as the ‘ reward of merit.’ Even Lord W in d ester and Sir Horace Mann contributed to th is; and then all playfully commenced promoting a new subscription, which only stopped because I could not stop the next ball. To my great