Cricket 1894

CO CRICKET; A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. APRIL 12, 1894 an England match at their old ground in Monument Lane, Edgbaston in 1847 or ’48, when the losal twenty-two made the usual feeble exh bition, walking in procession to the wicket to be dismissel for a cypher, and the only sensition of the match was a tremendous leg hit of Fuller Pilch’s, whi -li soared away across a road and weat crashing through the glass of an opposite conservatory. I recollect, too, how the late Lord Lyttelton, in that queer pre-occupied way which he had, pulled a book out of his cricke1. jacket pocket in the intervals between the innings or at the fall of a wicket, and be^u’led the tedium of the wait there­ with. I think t#e author he affected was Dickens. I ceitainly heard him say long afterwards that he never let a year pass without reading Pickwick. A few years later t e old ground was aban­ doned, and the survivors of the club migrated to Small Heath, now covered with buildings ; th re was another ground, too, quite surrounded by houses, and very contracted in its dimensions, one end being bounded by the high wa'l of a brewery, where I saw a fine hitter of the old Nottinghamshire school, Frederick de Crespigny, trying over and over again to lift the ball over the brewery wall, and always failing, getting it within a few inches of the top to bring it back as if playing at rackets. This reminds me of an Eton and W in­ chester match plaved at Winchester, some time soon after 1860, which I went over to sea—very close and well con'ested: the fate of the day was d cided by a bail which just pitched on the top of a boundary wall, and after lookiog likely to fall on the ioside dribbled over out of the bounds. It wai said tha*: on this Birmingham ground of which I have been speaking, a ball was hit through a bedroom window in one of the matches! Some of the longest hits I have seen were at Nottingham on the Trent Bridge Ground ; in 1863 in the “ tie ” match, Free Foresters v. Notts, F. W. Wright hit Jackson right out of the ground, and the ball was never recovered ; it was suppose d l>y some to have gone into the water ! certaiuly it went as if it would have soared over St. Paul’s had the dome been in the way. Absolutely the longest hit I ever saw was from the bat of A. G. Lee in a West­ minster and Charterhouse match at Lord’s. It went from the wi- ket furthest from the pavilion over the wall at Dark’s corner, p 1 st where the members’ entrance is now. It was a cleaner hit than Mr Thornton’s famous one about the same time. We had a great hitter in the early days of Free Foresters, named Homfray, who went to live in Wales and became an invalid ear’y in life. He had a good eye and great strength, and would get right in front of his wicket and smash every ball. Herbert Peel, who was a very good judge of the game, on one of his visits to Oxford, came into a friend’s room in amazement at having seen “ a boating man from Wadham, who hit harder than Georg >Parr.” Homfray, I may add in explanation, rowed number seven in a co’lege crew at Henley, which was beaten by Trinity, Cambridge, by half a-length in 7min. 55sec. What Homfray would have done in first-class matches I can hardly venture to say—he made an innings of 83 against C. D. Marsham, A. Payne, and Drake, at Enville, in 1859. There was next to no professional cricket in Birmingham in those days of which I have been speaking. Langley was tha only player I can recollect of local position, and I know that when the club was resuscitated about 1856, they imported a bowler named Wigzell, a Kent man, who was with them for one or two seasons. The whole ensemble of local cricket had an amat* urish character. One of the chief ornaments of my old scrapbook is a correspondence between the Dudley and Walsall clubs, who had been disputing about a decision of an umpire who apparently refused to “ no-ball a bowler.” The closing letter of tha Dudley champion is quite a masterpiece of would bs sarcasm; after pouring out vials of scorn upon what he designates “ the harmless downstrokes of a remonstrating umpire,” and falling foul of another correspondent, who, he says, had “ dipped his pen into the foul brook in which the Walsall people were wont to duck their thieves,” he assumes, metaphorically, the shears of Atropos, and thus concludes, “ We close the correspondence here, and play cricket no more with W alsall! ” This puts me in mind of Ward’s saving about Pugin when the latter had written to denounce an article of Ward’s on Roodscreens as “ idiotic and bla phemoui.” “ I knew,” he said, “ that Pugin was an authority on Roodscreens,but I had no idea that he was such a dab at Rude lettt rs ! ” NORTHBROOK CLUB. April 28—Opening Match May 5—Lee, v. Dulwich May 5—Dulwich, v Dulwich May 12—Lee, v. Croydon May 12—Croydon, v. Croydon May 14—Eltham, v. Eltham May 14—Lee, v. L. N. Newman’s XI. May ;9—Addiscombe, v. Addiscombe May 19—Lee, v. Addiscombe May 22, 28—Lee, v Woifframs May 26—Lee. v. Norwood May 26 -Norwood, v. Norwood May 30—Hampton Wick, v. Hampton Wick June 2—Lee, v. Hornsey June 2—Bexley, v. Bexley June 9—Blackheath, v. Blackheath June 9—Catford, v. Panther June 16—Lee, v. Bromley June 16—Bromley, v. Bromley June 23—Purley, v. Cane Hill Asylum June 23—New Eltham, v. South East. Railway June ‘*7, 68—Lee, v. Pair’s Alliance Bank June 30—Lee, v. Burlington Wanderers June 30—Sidcup, v. Sidcup July 7—Lee. v. Blackheath July 7—New Cross, v. Goldsmiths’ Institute July 14—Brom'ey, v. Bromley July 14—Lee. v. Brouiley July 21—Hornsey, v. Hornsey July 21—Manor Way, v. Blackheath Proprietary School July 25—Lee. v. M.C C. July 28—Lee, v. Bampton Wick Ju'y 28—Bexiey, v. Bexley Aug. 2, 3—Lee, v. Part’d Alliance Bank Aug. 4—Acton, v. Pa’lingswi^k Aug. 4—juee, v. South East. Railway Aug. 6—Lee, v. Eltham Aug. 11—Lee, v. Rochester Aug. 18—Norwood, v. Norwood Aug. 18 -Lee, v. Panther Aug. 25—Dulvich, v. Dulwich Aug. 25—Lee, v. Dulwich Bept. 1—Lee, v. AddiscomVe Sept.l—Addiscombe, v. Addiscombe Sept. 8—Croydon, v. Croydon Sept. 8—Lee, ». Croydon Sept, 15—Lee, 1st XI. v. next XV. Two hundred and ninety-one runs were put up in an hour and a quarter by the Melbourne Club against Fifteen of the Bridge Road Trades, on February 13. A. C o n in g h a m , of the last Australian team, has obtained an engagement with the Graziers Company at Brisbane, and intends to settle permanently in that city. T h e Champion Hill Club (strong) are open to receive challenges from strong London and suburban clubs for day matches, to be played on their private ground at Champion Hill,from July 30th to August 6th inclusive.—H. Newman Godward, hon. sec., St. Margaret’s Mansions, 51, Victoria Street, S.W. Telephone 3063. CROYDON CLUB. Ap il 14—Croydon, Married v. Single April 21—Croydon, Over 80 v. Under 39 April 8—Wandsworth, v. Spencer April v8—Addiscombe, v. Ashburton pril 28—Croydon, v. Spencer May 1—Croydon, v. Erratics May 5—Croydon, v. Mitcham May 5—Mitcham, v. Mitcham May 5—Champion Hill, v. Champion Hill May 9—Croydon, v. Granville (Lee) May 12—Lep, v. Northbrook May 12—N. End, Crovdon, v. Whitgift School May 12—Croydon, v. Northbrook May 14—Addiscombe, v. Addiscombe May 14—Croydon, v. Addisco^nbe May 19—Denmark Hill, v. Brixton Wanderers May 19—Croydon, v. Brixton Wanderers May 19—Bonor Oak, v. Guy’s Hospital May 23—Croydon, v. London Ramblers May 26—Croydon, v. Beddington May 26—Selhurst, v. Selhurst May 26—Beddington, v. Beddington * June 2—Cane Hill, v. London County Asylum June 2 -Croydon, v. Mr. J. C. Lovell’s Xl. June 6—Reigate, v. Reigate Priory June 9—Croydon, v. Whitgift Wanderers JUne 9—Lee. v. Granville (Leei June 9—Addiscombe, v. Ashburton June 12—Epsom, v. Epsom June 16—Croydon, v. Spencer June 16—Tulse Hill, v. Mr. J. C. Lovell’s XI. June 16—Wandsworth, v. Spencer June 20—Tunbridge Wells, v. Tunbridge Wells June 23—Kenley, v. Ken ey June 23—Croydon, v. Norwood June 23—Selhurst, v. Selhurst June 27—Lee, v. Granville (Lee) June 30—Crystal Palace, v. Crystal Palace JuDe 30—Croydon, v. Granville (Lee) June 30—N. End, Croydon, v. Whitgift School July 2—Norwood, v. Norwood July 7—Sutton, v. Sutton July 7—Croydon, v. 8elhurst July 7—Carshalton, v. Carshalton July 11-C roydon, v. Reigate Priory Ju y 14—Croydon, v. Dulwich July 14—Dulwich, v. Dulwich luly 18—Hampton Wick, v. Hampton Wick •T'i y 21—Croydon, v. Sutton July 2 - Norwood, v.Norwood Jul / 28—Beddington, v. Beddington Ju . 28—Croydon, v. Beddington July 28—Carshalton, v. Carshalton July 33—Croydon, v Tunbiidge Wells July 3L—Croydon, v. Burlington Wanderers Aug. 1—Croydon, v. M.C.C. & Ground Aug. 2—Croydon, v. Norwood Aug. 3—Croydon, v. Peripatetics Aug. 4—Croydon, v. Brixton Wanderers Aug. 4—Denmark Hill, v Brixton Wanderers Aug. 6—Croydon, v. Addiscombe Aug. 6—Addiscombe, v. Addiscombe Aug. 7—Croydon, v. Hornsey Rise Aug. 8—Croydon, v. Champion Hi 1 Aug. 9—Croydon, v. Noroury Park Aug. 10—Croydon, v. Bohemians Ang. 11—Mitcham, v. Mitcham Aug. 11—Croydon, v. Mitcham Aug. 18—Croydon, v. Kenley Aug. 25—Croydon, v. Hampton Wick Aug. 25—Norbury, v. Norbury Park Aug. 29—Croydon, v. Epsom Sept. 1—Dulwich, v. Dulwich Sept. 1—Croydon, v. Dulwich Sept. 8 -Croydon, v. Northbrook 8ept. 8—Lee, v. Northbrook Sept. 15—Croydon, Club Match LETHERHEAD CLUB. May 5—Streatham, v. Streatham May 12-Letherhead, v. Preston House May 14—Epsom, v. Epsom May 14—Letherhead, v. Institute May 19—Wimbledon, v. Wimbledon May 26—Letherhead, v. St. John’s School June 6—St. John’s, v St. John’s School June 9—Letherhead, v. Letherhead Recreation June 11—Ockley. v. Ockley June 16—Letherhead, v. Sutton June 2S—Ewell, v. Ewell June 30—Letherhead, v. Ep3om July 4—Dorking, v. Dorking July 7—Letherhead, v Ne’er-do-Weels July 10—Letherhead, v. Epsom July 14—Letherhead, v. Wimbledon July 21—Broadwater, v. Broadwater July 23—Keigate, v. Reigate July 28—Letherhead, v. Institute July 31—Letherhead, v. Surrey Club and Ground August 1—Letherhead v. Reigate Hill August 2—Letherhead, v. Streathair August 3—Letherhead, v. Old Westminsters August 4—Letherhead, v. M.C.C. August 6—Letherhead, v. Wimbledon August 22—Letherhead, v. Ockley August 25—Spsom, v. Epsom August 27—Letherhead, v. Dorking