Cricket 1896

A ug . 20, 1896. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 371 A FEW WORDS ABOUT MR. ABSOLON. For some little time a testimonial fund has been opened on behalf of this famous old player, who is well known to all London club players and most other cricketers iu England as “ Charlin.” It was not understood until recently that the affairs of the old gentleman, of whom it may truly be said that he never made an enemy, were in such a position as to cause anxiety to his many friends; for it was so well kuown that in his younger days he had expended thousands of pounds in forwarding the progress of the game, that it occurred to no one that Mr. Absolon himself might possibly be in need of such assistance as he so readily offered to others when he had the opportunity. The movement to provide funds for the testimonial has spread very rapidly, and as a practical way of shew­ ing i>s sympathy with Mr. Absolon, the Surrey Couuty Club has granted the use of the Oval for a match to be played on his behalf, between Gentlemen and Players. At present it seems likely that good teams will be in the field. This is the first time in the course of his career that “ Charlie” will have received a half­ penny, either by way of expenses or in any other form. In his early days he used to take a strong team on tour through the country at his own expense, and no man could have been more liberal than he to deserving young cricketers, many of whom received their first start through him. In most of the matches in which gate money was taken, the proceeds were handed over to local charities ; never did they go into “ Charlie’s ” own pocket. He is now in his 80th year, and for 66 years he has regularly been playing cricket. Nor has he given up the game yet, for despite his age he can still bowl his famous and deceptive lob3 with great success. The lobs are really, to look at from the pavilion, the simplest things imaginable, but many a batsman who (in the pavilion) has proved conclusively that any fool could make runs off them, has retired after a brief interview with the wily old bowler, wondering’ how on earth he is going to explain to his frien Is the reason why he made a duck’s egg. The tales that are told of “ Charlie ” and the tales that he tells are innumerable. A few of the best of them were related in an interview which appeared in the Cricket Field on September 8th, 1894. One of them is so good that it will bear repeti­ tion. “ Charlie” had been playingin 1875 for a Twenty-two against the United South of England X I., and as the match was over in two days it was arranged that an eleven, of which he was one, should play a single-wicket match on the third day against Dr. W. G. Grace, Charlwood, and W. R. Gilbert. The rest of the tale may be told in the old man’s own words. “ They won the toss,” he said, ‘ ‘ and nearly everybody on the ground was ready to bet that we should not get them out in the day. You could have got a barrowful of money on the match—I wish I had done it. Our cap­ tain gave me the ball, and said to me ‘ Go on, old man; place your field ! ’ I said ‘ What! me ? Well, of course, I’ll have a go if you like ’ ; though I can tell you I was pretty bashful about it. for there were 3,000 people on the ground. However, as it happened, I got all three wickets in nineteen balls for six runs.” Mr. Absolon is still in vigorous health. His record for the season up to Saturday, August 15th, is 81 wickets for less than 7 runs a wicket. In one match, he took 8 wickets for 20, and as late as Thursday, the 13th inst., he took 9 for 31. He fields at slip, and, like Alfred Shaw used to do, takes everything that comes in his way, provided that he is not required to move. When he is batting, a man is always allowed to run for him—-no one would dream of objecting to this arrangement. It may be said that “ Charlie ” has been a teetotaller for the last thirty-nine years, and that he has never been able to smoke. One of his greatest services to the cause of cricket was his success in persuading employers to allow their assistants to play on Saturdaylafternoons. He played regularly at that time for Nicholson’s Distillery C.C., and induced the proprietors to give their assistants a Saturday half-holiday; his next success was with the proprietors of Price’s Candle Manufactory, and very soon afterwards hundreds of other firms were brought round by him to agree to his scheme. It is greatly to be hoped that the time is far distant when the old man will require—as Thoms, the well-known umpire, suggested more than thirty years ago—a peram­ bulator in which he may be taken to see matches. It only remains to be added that cheques and postal orders for the Testimonial Fund should be crossed, London and County Bank, Charles Absolon Fund, and forwarded to the honorary secretary, Mr. A. W. Mynett, 7, Cloudesley Square, London, N. W. A. B e x t e s w o r t h . LEATHERHEAD v. DORKING. — Played at Leatherhead onAugust 4. D orking . W.Dorling b Chinnery 5 1$. Bovill, c and b W. English, b Sturt... 15 S. Poland, b Sturt .. 4 F. Bovill, c Utterton, b Sturt .................22 S. Collins, b Rogers ... 18 L. de Montezuma, c Tritton, b Chinnery 49 E. L. Trower, b Sturt 18 L. Moir, b Sturt......... 0 Siurt........................ 0 A. English, b Rogers 65 F. Barry, c Milne, b Sturt........................32 C. H. Blake, not out... 0 B 7, lb 5 .................12 Total ..230 L e a th eriiead . First innings. H. L. Rogers, b Trower ... A. Rutty, b A. English ... T. H. G. Welch, c and b A. English ........................ R. Langton, cA. English, b Trower............................... Hon. D. Lambton, b A. English ................. 2 H.B.Chinnery, bA. English 15 F. Sturt, cW .,bA . English 19 Rev. E. A. Milne, b Trower 8 A. E. Tritton,ibw,bTrower 10 E. Utterton, not out .......... 5 G. Rutty, c Blake, b Trower 4 A. H. Tritton, b Trower ... 3 B8, lb 1 .......... 9 Second^innings. not out....................27 not out................... 15 8 b W. English 25 16 c Dorling, b W. English ..........13 b W. English . Ibw, b English . b W. English . LEATHERHEAD v. REIGATE HILL.—Played at Leatherhead on August 5. R e ig a te H il l . First innings. Second icnings. T. H. G. Welch, b Chinnery 31 c H ew lins, b Rogers ......... 2 F. C. B. Welch, c Perkins, b Sturt............................... 1cMilne,bHewlins 22 A English, b Sturt .......... 0 A.C.Collier, lbw, bChinnery 4 c Goodwin, b Rogers .......56 A. E. Tritton, c Milne, b Chinnery .............................27 not out.............13 L.P.Collins.cHue-Williams, b Sturt............................... 4 b Rogers ........ 4 L. Moir, c Utterton, b Sturt 4 W. English, run ou t............. 7 c Perkins, b F.D. Pawle, cMilne, b Sturt 0 C. D. Pawle, notou t............25 C. Haywood, b Sturt........... 2 Heriot, b Sturt ................. 4 B 6, lb 6 ..............12 Total ............ 121 , Hewlins ... c Goodwin, Rogers b Hewlins ... Byes Total... b ... 11 ... 27 ... 15 L e a th e r iie a d . H. S. Goodwin, lbw, b Hon. D. Lambton. c English ............... 4 j F. Welch, b Eng- H. L. Rogers, b A. English .................31 C. S. Budd, c VV., bA. English ................. 0 T. N. Perkins, b A. English .................23 H. B. Chinnery, c C. Pawle, b F. Welch... 39 j W. Hewlins, bA.Eng­ lish ........................ 1 Rev. E. A. Milne, c A. Collier, b English ... 44 lish ........................ 9 F. Barry, b W. Eng­ lish ........................ 5 E.Utterton,c C. Pawle, b T Welch ..........20 F. Hue-Williams, cW. b A. English ......... 6 F. E. Sturt, not out ... 0 B 12, lb 3 ..........15 Total ..197 EPSOM v. LEATHERHEAD.—Played at Epsom on August 15. E psom . F. A. Oldaker, b Nel­ son ........................89 T. Lovelock, c and b Nelson .................15 A. Perks, lbw,bNelson 0 H. W. Edwards, c Longman,bLangton 25 A. C. Barton, not out 1 B 4, lb 1, w 1 ... 6 Total ..168 F. W. Ledger, c R. Alcock, b Sturt ... 2 J. E. Perks, cR.Lang­ ton, b Sturt .......... 0 A. J. Boardman, csub, b Sturt ................. 0 J. B. G. Lester, c and b Sturt .................33 G. H. Longman, st Maples, b Langton 39 A. J. Green, c Maples, b Sturt ................. 8 [L eathekhead . First innings. Second innings. F. H. Nelson, notout..........31 retired... ...........30 L. Alco.-k, c Oldaker, b Boardman ....................... 3 notout..................20 B. L. Hue Williams, c A. Perks, b Boardman.......... 0 cLedger, bBoard- m m .................15 H. S. Gladstone, b Edwards 1 H. Longman, b Edwards ... 0 R. Langton, c Edwards, b Boardman........................ 7 F. C. Maples, run out.......... 0 F. E Sturt, b Edwards ... 4 R. Alcock, b Edwards ... 2 c Lester, bBoard- man................. 0 E. G. Langton, c Oldaker, b Edwards ................. 8 b Lester ......... 0 C. Smith, b Edwards........ 0 not out................ 7 Byes ........................ 3 B 8, lb 2 ... 10 Total . 59 Total... , 82 RICHMOND v. ROSSLYN PARK F.C.—Played at Richmond on August 15. R osslyn P a r k . H.Woodall, c Beldam, b Elliot* .................10 E. E. Fygis, b Beldam 30 E.Evershead,bBeldam 37 J. Gibbins, b Denham 17 E.W. Bishop,bDenham 4 S. A. Williams, b Denham ................. 1 F. Kendall, b Denham 1 A. Reed, b Denham... W . Furze, b Beldam L. Lemont, not out ... F. P. Rabbidge, b Beldam ................. C.T. Bazell, bDenham Extras .......... Total R ichmond . Total.. ...137 G.W. Beldam, not out 68 I Extras ..........26 E. A. Bush, notout ...105 — Total (no wkt.) 199 H. B. Denham, E. W. Ball, F. P. Francis, H. S. Greaves, R. N. Hincks, A. Patterson, L. Rutter, D. Elliott, G. Crimp, and A. L. Sloper did not bat.