Cricket 1896

“ Together joined in Cricket’s manly toil.”— Byron. wo. 410 . vol. xv. THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 1896. p r ic e aa. MR . H . D. LEVESON -GOWER . Of all the young amateurs who have been associated of late years with Surrey cricket, there perhaps is hardly one whose appearance for the county has been more cordially greeted than that of Mr. Henry Dudley Gresham Leveson-G >wer. There is a popular superstition which holds that men who are suc­ cesses in University cricket are failures in county cricket. No doubt there are a certain number of cases which may, with more or less grace, be cited, which seem to give colour to this belief. It is manifest, from the hard logic of tables of batting and bowling averages, that it is not given to many to gain the same distinction in the severe stress of a county season in opposition to the best pro­ fessional tilent, as may be gained in the narrower though brilliant circle of University cricket. But, often enough, a suf­ ficiently extended trial shows that experience is the only real want, and that a half­ successful first season may be but the prologue to others of the highest degree of success. The history of Yorkshire, Gloucestershire, Notts, and Surrey cricket affordinstances. The earlier county cricket of Messrs. F. Mitchell, R. W. Rice, A. O. Jones, and C. W. Wells was not of the greatest promise, and in one case at any rate led to the cricketer being omitted from the team. Yet these men in last years’ cricket showed themselves pretty well up to the best standard of amateur exponents of the game. The unfortunate failures in Surrey matches of Mr. Leveson-Gower last season may, it is to be hoped, be equally eclipsed by his subsequent successes. He is a Surrey man born, his birth having taken place at Limpstield, Surrey (where his family home, Titsey Place, is situated), on 8th May, 1873, so that he is now approach­ ing the completion of his 23rd year. I found Mr. Leveson-Gower at his club, the Isthmian, Piccadilly, he having just returned from Biarritz where he had been spending Christmas, and he very kindly expressed his willingness to give any information required as to his cricket From a Photo by Hills <£ Saunders, Oxford . . career, for the benefit of the readers of this journal. “ Was it at Winchester that you first learnt your cricket ? ” “ No ! From my earliest years I played in a lot of small boy matches at my home at Titsey, but it was not until I went to Winchester in 1887 that I got any regular coaching. In 1888, Mr. M. C. Kemp came as a master to Winchester where his experience and advice gave an impetus to Winchester cricket, which has since been so ably maintained by Mr. E. H. Buckland and Mr. J. A. Fort.” “ When did you first play for the eleven ? ” “ On several occasions in 1889, but it was not until the following year that I played against Eton.” ‘ •Which was your best year at Winchester ? ” ‘ ‘ The year that gaveme most satisfaction was in 1892, when I wascaptain, and we managed to defeat Eton for the first time for 10 years on the Winchester ground , chiefly owing to the magnificent all­ round cricket of Mr. J. R. Mason, and the superb wicket- keeping of Mr. R. P. Lewis.” “ Did you get your blue your first year at Oxford ? ” “ Yes ! by good luck I did. My best performance was 59 against the Australians, but I failed to do much in the ’Varsity match that year, in fact, it was not until last year that I succeeded in coming off against Cambridge.” “ Is it true that last season you were put on first to bowl at the Oval for Gentlemen v. Players ? ” “ Yes, I was, and no more convincing argument as to the weakness of the Gentlemen’s attack in that match could be advanced.” “ But I believe you have been successful with the ball on more than one occasion ? ” “ Yes, against Eton in 1892 I got eight wickets for 32 in the match, and at one time had secured five wickets for 5 runs, but I have not had much success in first-class cricket except perhaps at Brighton last year for Oxford v. Sussex, when there were no wickets down for 300, and I was put on as a last chance and managed to get the first four wickets for about 70 runs, NEXT ISSUE, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27th.