Cricket 1894

“ Together 'joined in cricket’s manly toil.”— Byron • . N o. 3 5 3 VOL. X III. T R T T P S i n A V A P R T T 1 9 I f t O l Registered for transmission Abroad 1 I l U l i u D I / n . J } L X lI-Lj 1 4 , ± 0 J ± . P R IC E 2d. THE LONDON CLUBS — THEIR HISTORY. THE KENSINGTON PARK CLUB. The K.P.C.C. commenced its career as far back as 1859, the first meeting having taken place on the 24th March of that year. To Mr. Frederick Mead belongs the credit of taking the initiative in the foundation of the Club, and he can now contemplate with pride the plant, the seed of which he sowed 36 years ago. Alfred Waddilove, D. C. L., who was t' e first President held that posi­ tion until his death in 1890, an event alluded to in these columns in the following words : “ All past and present members of the Kensington .t'ark Club will have learned with regret that their old president—in fact, the only president the club has had — Doctor Alfred Waddilove, D.C.L.,died last week at the ad­ vanced age of 85. For the past 32 years, during which time Dr. Wad- dilove occupied the Presidential Chair, he was, until quite lately, always at the service of the club, and his kindness, his enthusiasm in the good cause of cricket, and his liberality, will ever be remembered by the members with affectionate respect. He was over sixty when he played his last match, and the bat he used on that occasion has been presented to the club by Mrs. Waddilove as a memento of the friend it has lost. The annual dinner at which Dr. Waddilove entertained the committee was one of the red lettered days of his life, and he never failed to sing the well- known cricket song which he had himself composed. The Doctor was a sportsman of the good old English type, and he used to relate with delight how he rode from Oxford to London and back in his undergrad­ uate days to see the Derby. His well-known face and figure will be missed from the Athenasum Club and the Pavilion at Lord’s.” The Club owes its name to the site it first occupied at Kensington Park Gardens, and there the first match was played. It opened, too, aus­ piciously with a victory, defeating Lewis­ ham in a single innings on the 2nd of July, 1859. But its stay there was of brief duration. The Club, indeed, had in a very short time to give way to the builders, and moved to a 8pot close to the Notting Hill station, occupy­ ing a site of about six and a half acres, on which the popular but now departed ground- man, “ Warren,” prepared as fine wickets as were to be obtained in all England. There the K.P.C.C. had its home for eigh­ teen years, till in 1879 notice was given to quit. The demon builder was again on the warpath, and hundreds of chimneys have now taken the place of scoring tent and M r. 0 . D ’O. BROOKS (H on. S e c. K e n s in g to n P a r k C b ic k e t C lu b ). From a photo by Myall & Co., Ltd., 73, I iccadilly W. pavilion. Still the memory of many a pleasant hour remains, and time has not yet effaced the recollections f the delightful Saturday games for which the club was then so famed. The great difficulty in finding a suitable ground in the metropolis almost led to a dissolution of the club. Fortunately there was a keen orioketer equal to the emergency, and by the energy of Mr. Sam Bircham, at that time secretary of the club, the present ground at St. Quintin’s Park, Notting Hill, was secured for twenty-one years from Mr. St. Quintin on terms as liberal and generous as might be expected from a thorough sportsman and a lover of the game. Mr. St. Quintin wished to have what we may term an oasis among the terraces and roads fast appearing on his estate, and it is scarcely probable that at the expiration of the present lease any important change will be made. The Kensington Park ground, which consists of eight acres and is en­ closed by a close oak fence, is well known as a run-getting ground, and always affords an excellent wicket, even in such a dry summer as that of 1893, thanks to the water which is laid on to the centre of the field. Mr. St. Quintin, the owner of the freehold, accepted the pre­ sidency of the club on the death of Dr. Waddilove in 1891, a fact which augurs well for its future. Referring to the list of members and match list for 1866, when that genial enthusiast, A. R. Daly, captained the club, sixteen matches were played, while this year forty- four appear on the card. Several of the founders of the club still take an active interest in its affairs, and the present list of members con­ tains the names of at least six cricketers who were at that period also identified with the club. Of these, Sir Aug. W. L. Hemming, who undertook the office of secre­ tary for two years, claims to be the oldest member, although W. Winter and Montague Barron run him very closely. It is interesting, too, to note among the founders of the Iccogniti in 1861 several members of the Kensington Park Club, and although there is no direct connection be­ tween the two there always been many bonds of friendly unicn between them. The position held by the Kensington Park Club in Metro­ politan cricket for so many years is due to a great extent to the enthusiasts who have from time to time acted as secretaries. The first was R. Deere, who took office in 1859, to be succeeded a few years later by G. A. L lojd. ThtnAugustus Hemming conducted the affairs for two 5 ears, to be followed by Alfred George ifenshaw, who after six years of most useful work resigned owing to pressure of professional duties. His successor was Arthur Clarke, who left for India in 1875, and died there soon afterwards, to the great sorrow of