Cricket 1898

F e b . 24, 1S98. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 23 TH E FEM A LE CR ICKET PLAY ER S . A curious and interesting print of a ladies’ cricket match appeared in The Lady's and Gentleman’s Magazine for August, 1777. The print was accompanied by a. letter so quaint and amusing that I give it herewith in fu ll:— To the Editor of The Lady's and Gentle­ man's Magazine. Sir,—Though the gentlemen have long assumed to themselvesthesole prerogative of being cricket players, yet the ladies have lately given us a specimen that they know how to handle the ball and the bat with the best of us, and can knock down a wicket, even as well as Lord Tankerville himself. The enclosed drawing, which I herewith send you for the service of your next magazine, is a true representation of a cricket match, played lately in private between the Countess of Derby and some other ladies of quality and fashion, at Seven Oaks, in Kent, the rural and enchanting retreat of her ladyship. I shall not here particularize the dress of tie ladies on this occasion, as the plate fully describes it, nor shall I pass any censures on their usurping a game which custom, that cruel tyrant, has hitherto confined to the opposite sex. What is human life but a game of cricket ? And, if so, why Bhould not the ladies play it as well as we ? Beauty is the bat and men are the balls, which are buffeted about just as the ladies’ skill directs them. An expert female will long hold the ball in play, and carefully keep it from the wicket; for when the wicket is once knocked down the game of matrimony begins, and that of love ends. Methink I hear some little inacarony youth, some trifling apology for the figure of a man, exclaiming with the greatest vehemence, how can the ladies hurt their delicate hands, and even bring on them blisters with holding a nasty, filthy bat ? How can their sweet delicate fingers bear the jarrings attending the catching of a ball ? Are they not afraid, lest the ball should misplace an ivory tooth, or extinguish the fire of an eye, which has long been considered as a blazing meteor in the horizon of beauty, and which has brought many a roving, obdurate, and flinty heart to a true sense of its duty ? Are not the soft charms of music, accompanied with the melody of female voice, and the delight of their conversation, more irresistible than all the masculine sports they can usurp ? And is there not reason to believe, that if cricket should become the favourite game of the ladies, they will next learn fencing, and kill half of us in duels ? Mind not, ladies, these impertinent interrogatories of silly coxcombs; go on and convinceyour neighbours, the French, that you despise their head-dresses, their washes, paints, and pomatums, and that you are now determined to convince all Europe how worthy ydu are of being considered as the wives of plain, generous, and native Englishmen. Believe me, ladies. Your friend and well-wisher, CATO. One hundred and twenty years ago, Sevenoaks (mentioned above) was'famous for its cricket. It was there that Aylward, on June 18th to 20th, 1777. “ fetched the extraordinary number of'.167_rnns from his own bat ” when playing for H imble- don v. England. The Duke of Dorset, one of the best supporters the noble game has ever had, and who, as history relates, “ gave the ground called the Yine, at Sevenoaks, by a deed of trust, for the use of cricketers for ever,” used to reside at Knole Park, Sevenoaks. Kent beat Sussex at Sevenoaks as long ago as August, 1735 ! Pierce Egan tells us that eleven females of Surrey played eleven females of Hamp­ shire at Newington, on October 2nd, 1811, for 500 guineas a side, the backers being two noblemen. The Hampshire ladies proved victorious. This match, of which a print was afterwards published, is the most famous which has ever yet been played between two teams of ladies. Whilst perusing some old sporting magazines a short time ago, I was fortunate enough to oome across accounts of two cricket matches played by women. As I do not remember seeing the accounts of these matches in piint before, and as such games must be regarded as curiosities of cricket, I extract the following from Annals o f Sporting for September, 1822 : PINKS v . BLUES ( H a n t s ) . An extraordinary match, which excited considerable attraction, was played on Wednesday, August 28th, on Ganders- down, near Alresford. Carriages of every description, and even waggons, were put in requisition on the occasion. The players on both sides were twenty-two women —eleven single of Cheriton and Bsauworth, andthe likenumberof married women of Cheriton. The performers in the contest were of all ages and sizes, and were generally distinguished by the names of “ pinks” and “ blues,” the single wearing pink, and the married blue ribbons. Much good j lay was shown on both sides, and particularly by the pinks, who won the match by 118 runs. P inks . ] E lues . 1st innings................ 61 i 1st innings................. 15 2nd innings ... ... 97 j 2nd innings .......... 25 1581 40 The slippery state of the weather, no doubt, prevented many from attending, though it was supposed there were up­ wards of 1,000 spectators at these sports. The following is the account of the return match played on Milberry Down on Monday, September 9th, 1822. This report is also taken from the September number of Annals o f Sporting for 1822. PINKS v. BLUES (Hants). The return match between eleven married women of Beauworth and Kil- meston, and eleven single damsels of Cheriton, for which preparations had been long making on Milberry Down, took place on Monday, September 9. The report of the contest had spread far and wide, and excited such intense interest that the roads were literally crammed and covered with crowds hastening to the expected (cane of enjoyment. At length the contest began, and the matrons of Beauworth exerted themselves to the utmost to regain their lost laurels, but in vain; the agility of the maidens prevailed, and they were again victorious by 28 runs, single innings :— S ingle . M arried . 1st. Innings .................78 1st. Innings ............20 2nd. Innings ..........30 78 50 We shall not enter into a detail of the mirth occasioned among the spectators, nor the delight of the favoured swains, but we cannot refrain from handing down to posterity the'names of Miss Budd and Miss Ruth Storen, whose scientific play and manly exertions, we are assured, have seldom been exceeded by many of the bolder sex. One scored 41 run«, and the other 17, and such bowling was never seen. The victors wore pink. Elate with their success, the damsels of Cheriton have thrown down the gauntlet to anv eleven in all Hampshire. We have received slight intimation that, no further off than Marchwood, in the New Forest, there are females of cricket­ ing celebrity, who, if the festivities of harvest home, and the lateness of the season did not prevent them, would fearlessly take up the challenge. F.S.A.C. C T o r r e S p o n tie n c e . To the Editor of C r ic k e t . Dear Sir,—Tue writer of “ Between the Innings,” in your last issue, gives a list of cricketers playing in both 1877 and 1897. May I venture to add to his list Lord Harris and Alfred Shaw, who each played in one match last year ? I think also H. Baldwin should be mentioned. Although the classification of counties was not in 1877 under the strict regula­ tions of the present day, Hampshire, it •seems to me, had every title to be then reckoned first-class, for it only met first- clasj teams, to wit, Derbyshire, Kent, and the M.C.C. Baldwin played against Derbyshire, but was not given much opportunity to show his skill, for he only bowled five overs. Among the counties met by Cambridge University, should not (I speak without book) Cambridgeshire be inc’uded ? I, of course, refer to the period iu the six­ ties, when Cambridgeshire was in the zenith of its fame, marshalling in its ranks the illustrious forms of Carpenter, Hayward, Tarrant, and John Smith. It is interesting to note that a Hayward plays for Cambridgeshire to-day. All the world knows that another of the clan plays for Surrey. If I remember right, Oxford University a few years ago played Oxfordshire, but the match was, of course, not reckoned first-class. Yours faithfully, A. H. L. HASILING. N E X T ISSUE , T H U R S D A Y , M A R C H 31.