Cricket 1902

CRICKET, JUNE 19, 1902 “ Together joined in Cricket’ s m an ly to il.” — Byron. h o . cos. voi. x x i . THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 1902. p r i c e aa. CHATS ON THE CRICKET FIELD. MR. WILDMAN CATTLEY. For the last twenty-two years Mr. Cattley has been annually elected as honorary treasurer of the Surrey County Cricket Club, succeeding his elder brother, Mr. Mark Gittley, who stood for South­ wark with Sir Edward Clarke. As a generous supporter of the game of cricket, he is very well known in Surrey and Sussex, but business always pre­ vented him from taking a very active playing part in it. In days long gone by, he played a good deal of club cricket with his cousin, Mr. Fred Burbidge, Mr. Charles Hoare, and Mr. E. Dowson, three very great friends of his. He has been a member of the Surrey County Cricket Club for forty years, and was one of the first subscribers and supporters to the United All England Eleven. Mr. Cattley was fortu­ nate in possessing a private cricket ground at North­ brook, near Godalming, for twelve years, of more than ordinary excellence. “ We had a lot of good matches here, from 1868 to 1880,” he said, “ and among the clubs which we played there were the Eton Ramblers, Will o’ the Wisps, Harrow Wan­ derers, etc., and among the well-known men who played there were C. J. Ottaway, A. N. Hornby, V. E., R. D. and I. D. Walker, F. E. R. Fryer, Walter Read, W. B. Money, R. A. H. Mitchell, Lord Winterton, the Akroyds, George Law, Jack Dale, E. Dowson, C. E. Cottrell, C. C. Clarke, E. M. Hadow and St. John Brodrick, the present Secretary of State for War. Few things would better show the difference between that time and the present, for it is now almost impossible to get first-class play in country house matches, as men cannot spare the time from first-class three-day matches. In those days, first- -class matches, generally, were over in a couple of days, and a man seldom had to play in more than one match a week. My wife and I always look back upon our Northbrook matches as about the jolliest days of our happy lives.” Did you have a professional bowler for ME. WILDMAN CATTLEY. [From a photo by Hawkins & Co., Brighton,) your Club P “ Jim Street used to come up to bowl to us, and old Julius Csesar acted as umpire. The sons of old Julius used to play in one of our annual matches against the Town of Godalming, which we called Gentlemen v. Players, and other clubs. The Players consisted for the most part of young cricketers who were coming on. We began with them under fourteen, then went up to under eighteen. A few things still stick in my memory with regard to our matches at North­ brook. One of them was a marvellous left-hand catch by C. J. O. Ottaway at square-leg off a tremendous hit. Another was a performance of A. N. Hornby’s. There was a ha-ha on one side of the ground, and one day there was a discussion among the players as to whether it would be possible for a man to jump over it. The general opinion was that it was quite out of the question. Whereupon Hornby took off his boots and cleared it ‘ cornerways ’ as easily as possible, but nobody else offered to follow his ex­ ample.” “ Your two sons were both in the Eton Eleven ? ” “ Yes. And it was the proudest and happiest day of my life when I heard that they had both been chosen to play against Harrow in 1878. In the course of the match Cyril went on to bowl and began with four wides; Stephen was keeping wicket. The fifth ball would also have been a wide, but the bats­ man mowed at it, with the result that he was ciught at long stop. Stephen made the highest score in one innings, and my wife was given some red roses, as was customary, so it was said, if the mother of a boy making the highest score was present. But I never knew whether there was such a custom, or whether the roses were given in sheer good nature. Both boyswere in the Eton X I. in 1878 and 1879. After they left school the two brothers went into business, but they both played for Surrey.” “ Cyril died in 1895,” said Mr. Cattley, “ and only played in one county match, when he made 40 odd against Gloucestershire at Clifton.