Cricket 1894

* j l V s & & J I a f t ! c = > - H N p f i l J ' S . J - 8 © I — <r_ _ j 5 © § c . $ © $ — k _ i d ? I*v» H 1 / B . ’^ ,?;•». I j j| j[ l e t i l l L g 5— d D S © i c . - t — 1 ® ! * — t — > ! » ( ! ---------- =*— f “ Together 'joined in cricket’s manly toil.”— Byron . N o. 3 5 4 VOL. X III. Registered for Transmission Abroai THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 1894. P R I C j E 2 i. THE LONDON CLUBS — THEIR HISTORY. THE CLAPTON CLUB. Only second perhaps in point of age to the Islington Albion, the Clapton C.C. ranks as one of the oldest of crioket club3, at least-, in North London. The creation, just forty years ago, of a few keen Middlesex cricketers of a genera­ tion long past, it was a power in the land before the majority of the fore­ most players of to day were born. In its early days the home of the Clapton C.C. was on a ground at that time known as Turner’s Field, but long since gone the way of most eligible building land near London, and at present represented by a well-known thoroughfare known as the Cricket Field Road, Clapton. In its primeval state the wants of the members were neither numerous nor exacting. The ground was only open twice a w’eek, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, for practice. The one match day was Thursday, which was reserved for out as well as home fixtures. The clubs Clapton selected for its first card were the Blackheath P a r a g o n , C lapham, Hatfield, Rickmansworth, Hampstead, and Bishop Stortford, the last two of whom, it is worthy of remark, were among the chosen for the fol­ lowing season. Clapton’s opponents even then numbered not a few cricketers of repute. Among them were W. and H. Fellowes, Shackle, Dawson, and the Heassers for R i c k m a n sworth, the Spencers, Silcock, and Matthew Perkins for Bishop Stortford, W. Andrews, S. Smith, M. Pontifex, and others for Blackheath Paragon. The early fathers of the Clapton Club were Craven,who began rou L d arm bowl­ ing at about the same time as Lillywhite, W. Nicholson, the famous wicket-keeper, one of the trustees of the Marylebone Club. F. Turner, George Lee, and Charles Gordon. A few years later saw ano: her genera­ tion including not a few players well known to fame, among them C. E. Green, a batsman of many parte, A. J. Wilkinson, who played foi Middlesex, and P. Lee, who figured in the Cambridge eleven and subsequently in that of ourrey, in each case with credit. A little later the encroachment of the demon frailJer necessitated new headquarters, which were found close at hand in Pond Lane, where the club has ever since been located. Coming down to more recent times, the records of the Clapton Club still furnish plenty of material for cricketers. One of the most distinguishe I CJaptonians in the eighties was W. Batby. A slow underhand bowler, it may fairly be said that he won more matches for his club than any two other bowlers of his day. On one occasion, against Blackheath Morden, he did a remarkable performance in the shape of the hat trick. But this was not all. He got the whole side out for some fifty runs, and, indeed, the only batsman to make any show was Stan­ ley Christopherson, the fast bowler of Kent. He finished his career, too. in harness, for after pla yiD g a hard match in 1886 he fell down dead. At that time the Clapton team was a very strong one. The principal players were C. M. l’ebbut, Dr. C. T, Aveling, S. W. Gillard, S. A, Asser, J. H. Douglas, A. Springett, and E. Anderton, one of the best amateur wicket- keepers, of the second class, ot liis dt*v. A little later, in 1884, we find G. L, L)on?, E H. Burkett, Shorter, Rev. E. A Puotock, Walter Low, and J. W. McKwenal in evidence for the club. The last named in^ particular did many good perfor­ mances with the bal1, notably the hat trick on several occasions and twi?c against M.C.C. and Ground. In 1885, J. H. Douglas was appointed treasurer, and the secretaryship passed from J. K. City to George Head. In the same year the club received an im­ portant accession in the pei sons of H. Boyton and W. H. Davis, the latter of whom has for some 3 ’ears been a prominent member of the Hornsey C.C. In Boyton Clapton found one of the very best players it has ever had. From 1885 to 1893 inclusive he has been at the top of the averages each season with two exceptions, to wit in 1889 and 1890. His figures for the past four years, too, have been quite out of the commcn, with 57, 58, 56, 57, a stiiking example indeed of con­ sistency. His batting is of the highest order, and to watch his driving is a treat in itself. His defence is strong, and his resell is long, and woe betide the bowler who is in the habit of pitching them up. In 1892 he held the English record for the highest individual score, viz., fc77 t-gdinst Stok*3 Newington, and the second highest fir the world. Previous to this, in 1887, he had scored 210 against Croycoa On several oc­ casions, too, he played for Essex, with the most oreditable results, so much so indeed as to emphasise the regret that he was not able to be more often seen in County cricket. In 1888 Clapton lost one of its oldest and most in­ defatigable officers by death, in Ihe person of George Head, a sportsman and gentleman in every serse of t ’i© wrord. He tad been for years a mem ler of both the M.C.C. and Surrey Clubs, and was much respected by metropoli­ tan cricketers of all classes. In the same year the lease of the fine ground in Pond Lane ran out, and the renewal was quite an open question for the whole season, ih e matches, in fact, were played upou the opponents’ ground, but chiefly through the H, BOY ION.