Cricket 1903

2 1 0 CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. J une 18, 1903. Don’t let him, do i t ! ” Thoms had friends wherever he went, and I have never heard that he had any enemies, for if he occasionally made caustic remarks, they were made in such a way that nobody was offended. Among his most cherished possessions were valu­ able gifts and letters from numbers of prominent amateurs of the present and the past, ranging from Mr. I. D. Walker to K. 8. K&njitsinhji. Last year, when he retired from umpiring, the Incogniti, at a dinner given in his honour, presented him with a cheque for £100 and a keep­ sake ; twenty years before they gave him a cheque for a similar amount. He cor­ responded with many great cricketers, and in earlier days wrote a great deal for the Press, always having something interesting to say in quaint language, which was charming and entirely his own. It is devoutedly to be hoped that i( anyone edits the notes which he has left, the editing will be confined to arrangement only, for to alter Thoms’ phraseology would decidedly not be to improve it. Many times—more frequently in the old days — Thoms wrote articles for Cricket , and it was but a few months ago that he sent the last of his annual reviews of the Incogniti season. He had been to a good school, and knew a very great deal more Latin and Greek than most people would have supposed, for he never paraded his knowledge. Ia his younger days his father was part proprietor of the old Eton and Middlesex cricket ground, where many actors used to play. This brought Thoms into connec­ tion with the Stage, and induced him to take a great interest in Shakespeare’ s plays, many of which he learned by heart, as a few of his intimate friends can testify. He never had the chance of being a great cricketer, for although he was such a good player that he was en­ gaged for a season by old William Clarke as a member of his All England Eleven, he was induced at the age of twenty-two to take up umpiring. In this he showed such proficiency, and was so evidently born for the work, that he was never allowed to go back to the game itsdf. But those who had the best opportunities of judging, always said that if he had not been a famous umpire he would have become a famous cricketer. He was born at Lisson Grove, Paddington, on May 18th, 1826, and acted as umpire in first-class matches, including England v. Australia, Gentle­ men v. Players, Oxford v. Cambridge, and indeed all the big matches, for fifty years—honoured and respected by every class of cricketer. When the time at last came for him to retire he felt very depressed, for it was hard for him to give up the work which he loved so well. But he rallied, and, although he was Lever quite the same man again, he soon began to take a more cheerful view of tbings, and to think about writing his autobiography. The last time I went to see him he was suffering, but in high spirits, and I little thought that I should never see him again. He was in most comfortable circumstances, for he had saved money, although his purse strings were always open, and many a profes­ sional cricketer who has been in need of money has much for which to thank him. That he was good nature itself I have reason to know, for when I was writing a book about the Walkers of Southgate (I hope I may be forgiven for speaking of myself), I naturally went to him, knowing that all the members of the family regarded him as a great friend. He at onca placed hionself at my disposal, and told me some of the most delightful anecdotes in the world, as readers of the book will well remember. Perhaps I cannot do better in closing these notes than by quoting his remark made on the field at the end of the great match in which Australia beat England by seven runs at the Oval. As he took off the bails he said, in the quaint words of olden time, “ The balls are over, gentle­ men.” And he added, “ The very best cricket I ever saw in my life.” * W. A. B e t t e s w o r t ii . • For some of the anecdotes about Thoms I am greatly indebted to Mr. J. E. Raven, and for some of the facts to Mr. F. G Harding. LONDON JOINT STOCK B INK v. ALBEMARLE. —Flayed at Beckenham on June 6. L. J. S. B ask. C.McMahon,b Gordon 10 C. J. Allen, b Gordon 7 C. Browne, b Buckle 0 G. Lockhart - Eliott, not out A. Morris, b Buckle . Extras ................ Total ......... R. B. Bird, c Tooth, b Buckle ................. 7 P. G. Healing, c Weat- acott, b Buckle ... 4 H. Cntforth, lbw, b Gor Ion ................. 1 F.M. Randall,b Buckle 0 G. W. House, b Buckle 2 A. M. Hughes, run out 6 A lbem arle . J. Moray, b Browne ... 0 H. Yurall, not out J. Wood, c sub, b Browne .................64 J. Nathan, b Browne 1 S. Buckle, c Randall, b A llen........................ 3 V. H. Tooth, run out 21 E. Gordon, b Browne 10 Total 10 H. Westacott.bBrowne 6 F. Browne, b Allen ... 1 H. Lenmey, b Allen .. 0 W. Webb, b Browne 0 Extras.................16 ...131 REI9ATE HILL v. STREATHAM.—Played at Reigate Hill on June 6. R e ig a tb H ill. G. H. Rowe, c Parton, C. Jackson, c Bark- b Field ................61 worth, b Miller ... 14 A. C. Collier, lbw, b Smith, st Kerr, b Miller........................32 Feeny .................. l W . G. Druce, lbw, b S. Langton, c Miller, Feeny.......................67 b Feeny .................. 2 T. H. G. Welch, run A. Millard, c Miller, out ........................ 9 b Feeny .................. 0 H. T. Uaundrell, b L. G. Jackson, not out 0 Feeny......................... 8 B 7, lb 1........... 8 C. L. Crickmay, c — Miller, b Feeny ...1 0 ] Total .........192 B tr k a th a m . H. J. Hoare, c Druce, H. H. Scott, not out 36 b Smith .......... .1 6 B 7, lb 2, wb 1... lo N. Miller,lbw, b Smith 86 — E. Field, not out ..12 i Total (2 wkts) 270 C. J. Parton, H. S. Barkworth, Rev. H. F. 8 Adam*, D. O. Kerr, J. L. Phillips, V. F. Feeny, and E. P. Pulbrook did not bat. HONOR OAK II. v. BATTERSEA IL -P layed at Honor Oak on June 6.h. B a t t e r s * a . H Holland,c Holford, b Adamson ..........21 J. P. Cox&il, c Adam­ son, b Townsend ... 26 L.Hiscock,b Adamson 1 E.Lambert,bAdamson 14 C. Stevens, run out ... 4 A. Johnson, c Crump, b Towaaend ..........13 H. Preslee, not o u t... F. Coxall, b Worth ... C. Hindley, c Crump, b Townsend .......... H . Batten, b Worth .. Prior, run out .......... B 10,lb 2 .......... Total ...109 Second innings.—H. Holland, bFry, 6; L. Hi^eock* not out, 8; E. Lambert, c Holford, b I rump, 27 ; A Johnson, not out, 11; Prior, c and b Gracey, 6: Byes. 2 . Total (3 wkts) 59. E. Holford,b Holland 4 T. J. Gracey. b Batten 44 W. Woodroofe, b Hol­ land ................ . . 4 R. R. Cramp, c His- cock, b Batten ... 3 F. Tobitt, b Coxall ... 1 H. C. Worth, c Pres­ lee, b Johnson ... 46 H onor O ak . F. Wilmot, lbw, b Stevens .................16 C.Townsend,bJohnson 4 H. W. Adamson, st Preslee, b Stevens... 19 W . Fitch, not out ... 6 F. Frv, b Stevens ... 2 B 10, lb 1 ..........11 Total ..........169 LONDON AND WESTMINSTER BANK (3) v. CAPIT\L AND COUNTIES BANK, (2)-Piayed at Dulwich on June 3 and 4. L. & W. B an k . A- W . Maclean, b Hklgett ................22 R.V.L iroche,cWithers b Hysl p ................. 41 H. Hardingham, c Cook, b Hyslop ... 6 A. M. Cockell, lbw, b Hodgett ................. 6 V.U.Thomson, c Bond, b Withers .......... 12 T. C. Sampson, b Total ... H xlgett ................. 2 C a p it a l an d C ounties B ank A. H. Bassindale, c Cook, b Withers ... 6 8. Wojd, b Stenaett 24 W. H. Browne,c Boad b Stennett ..........81 L. C. B. H lckin, c Hodgett, b Stennett 8 A. W. Stanley, not out 0 B 14, lb 2, w 1 ... 17 ...173 J. A.Withers b Wood 6 F. C. Kennish, b Wood 0 W. Mitelie’.I, b Wood 1 W. H Bond, b I.aroche 3 A.Stennett,b H irding- ham ........................10 H. C. Cook,b Harding­ ham ........................29 J. C. Jones,b Harding­ ham ........................ 8 A.B.CampS*»ll,not out A. J. H. Hyslop, b Laroche ................... H W . Whitehouse, c Cockell, b 11trding- h am ........................ E. C. Hodgett, b H irli ogham .......... B 7, I d 2, w 1 ... Total 77 LONDON AND WESTMINSTER BANK (3) v. BRIXTON WANDflRERS (3).-Played at Nor­ bury on June 6. L. & W. B a n k (3). A.W Maclean,b Goo 1 rich ........................18 A. Anson, b Go >drich 46 G. Loiran. run out ...27 H. Hardingham, c Goodrich, b Spragge 9 A.M.Cockell,c-ipragge, b Goodrich ..........41 8. Wo >d, nit out ... 29 G. O. Anson, b Lewis 10 W. H. Brown,notout 4 W. Horn castle, b Goodrich................ 4 B 25, lb 6 ..........3) Total (7 wkts) 214 A. S. Harton, L. C. B. H >ckin anl T. C. Sampjon did not bat. Baixrox W a n d e r e r s ( I). Dr.Gibbons, b H*rd- ingham ................. R. G. Waterhouse, c H >ckin, b H irton .. J. F. Goodrich, b llirdinghara.......... L. L“wis b H irton ... W. H. Spragge, c and b H arton ................ H. C. Edmonds, b H irton ................. E. T. Boad, b Harton E. Preston, b H ird- inirham ................. E. Christie, run out J. Menzies. not out... R. C. Rogers, b Har- toa ........................ B8, lb 1 ................ T o ta l................. LONDON AND WEHTMINSTEft BANK (2) v. THORNTON HE iT H .—Ptayed at Nor jury on June 8. L. & W. Bank (2). W. E. Redington, b Riches .................18 H. D. Dear, b Walker 41 R.8. Hartree, c Riches, b Walker.......... .19 T. H. Brenan, lbw, b Walker ................. 6 W .H nrncistle.bEdgir 2> F. W.Newcomb,notjut 88 A. S. Rowe did not bat. S. Benu-jtt, b Edgar .. 0 H.G. Wellborne, lbw,b Carey....................... 12 H. E. Power, lbw, b E igir ................. 2 T.H.Pritchard.bEdgar 3 117,10 4, w l .. . 12 Total ...176 F. H. Cuey, b Dear H. Edg *r, b Newcom') H. Fa mer, b Power .. C.Riehea, c and b Dear R. Phelps b P^wer ... W. G. Walker, b New­ comb ........................ D. Phillips, b Power .. H. J. Reeder, b Power TiiO R tTO s H e a th . A. G. Jacobs, c Dear, b Har.ree ................ A.R. Willi uns, n>t out G. B -raard, c and b Hartree ................. B 12, lb 6 .......... Total , 68 INCOGNITI June 13. v. ESHER.—Played at Esher on C. H. Troughton, Jessop.......................13 E. C. Smith, b Roberts 12 Capt. Bush, b Carr ... 3 R. B. Brookes, b Roberts ................. 8 H. V. Hawkins, b Roberts ................. 0 I n co qn iti . H. E. F. Sich, not out 10 S. H. Haynes, not out 12 Bye......................... 1 Total (6 wkts) 69 Kain stopped play.