Cricket 1898

“ Together joined in Cricket’s manly toil.” — Byron. wo. 4 73 . v o l . x v i i . THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 1 8 9 8 . p r i c e aa. CHATS ON THE CRICKET FIELD. THE REV . J. 0 . CRAWFORD . Everybody among modern cricketers, who knows anything of London club cricket knows “ Parson ” Crawford, at least b y reputation, and many of an older generation know that he has not always confined his attention to playing for Cane H ill. He is, indeed, a man of many clubs and many counties, for when he was at his best a man could play for a county on the slightest possible grounds for qualification— even slighter than obtains nowadays on occasion, with the difference that he could play for half-a- dozen counties in the same year if he found it convenient to do so. To a visitor from London, the lines of “ the Parson,” who is chaplain of the London County Asylum at Cane H ill, appear to be cast in very pleasant places, for his pretty house, situated in­ side the grounds of the asy­ lum, but outside the asylum buildings, overlooks the most delightful Surrey scenery. The Asylum cricket ground lies just beyond the garden. At the present time the cricket ground, which has been a grass field for hundreds of years, is looking at its best, and is in surprisingly good condition for the time of year, but an afternoon’s practice with the family is sufficient to convince a visitor that plenty of work oan be got on the ball and that the members of the family, down to the youngest, know well enough how to take advantage of this. H ow on earth do a small boy of ten and a girl of thirteen learn to make a ball break quickly and to get up almost as high as themselves ? The Crawfords are a standing illustration of the maxim that cricket runs in families. The grandfather, who is still living, and still takes a very keen interest in the doings of his descendants, played many years ago for the Gentlemen of Sussex, on the old B j Peep ground at St. Leonards. His sons, the Rev. J. C. and Major F. F., both played for Kent in the seventies, and have both kept well to the front ever since. The Major, who, as was announced in a recent issue of Cricket, is about to return to England, is invalided home after a severe attack of THE REV. J. C. CRAWFORD. ( From a Photo by R. W. Thomas , Cheapside, London , E.C.) typhoid fever ; he has done great things in army cricket in India and South Africa. Of the grandsons, V . F. S. is well known as one of the most promising of the rising cricketers of Surrey. B . T. (Reggie) is now reading at home, and bids fair to make a name for himself both as a bat and a bowler—more par­ ticularly as a bow ler; while J. N. (Jack) is certain to develop into a good all­ round player, and already bowls a ball which has a lot of “ d e v il” in it. Ivo, the son of Major Crawford, is in England, and at present at Felsted S ch o o l; he also obviously follows the cricketing bent of the family. As yet not one of the boys shows the slightest sign of con­ ceit—the ruin of so many promising young players. “ So mote it b e ’ ’ for ever. The two grand­ daughters, who are now at home, can, like the daughters of Colonel Pennycuick, play cricket in a way which would put many boys of their age to the blush. There is also a baby girl, who appeared on the scene last year, and, as she does not seem to be in the least afraid of a cricketer when one is introduced to her, it may be assumed that in course of time she will not be afraid of taking part in the game. The first match in which more than or.e of the Craw­ ford family figures was played in 1864, when the two brot hers J. C. and F. F., as well as their father, appeared on the tide of Maidstone Grammar School against Sutton Yah nee Grammar School. F. F. made 27 and J. C. 52. The three generations have never all ap­ peared together in a match, but at practice, a few years ago, it was not uncomn oa to see the father wicket-keeping, the eldest son bowling, and the eldest gratdson battii g at the nets. It may be men­ tioned that th e to 'a l Lumber of runs made by J. C. f>nd V. F. S. since the latter played i his first match five years ago is pe ilously near 15,000, while the two have taken over 1,100 wickets. During that time the highest total in a season made by J. C. was 1,304 ; while the highest made by Y . F . S. was 3,164 during last season. The second son, Reggie, also made about 700 runs last season. It is a little odd that in matches last year against schoolboys, V . F. S. nearly always failed to make runs, with the