Cricket 1903

S ept . 17, 1903. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 419 A I T H E S IG > OF T H E W IC K E T . P v F. 8. A mhley -C copbr . CRICKET ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO. Fashions alter in cricket as in less impor­ tant matters, and enthusiasts of the noble game would probably rub their eyes in amazement if, on going to Lord’s one of these days to witness a great match in the ordinary way, they saw it played instead in the manner which was customary in 1803. A hundred years ago the dress was far more artistic than it is to-day. The late Lord Charles J. F. Russell could well remem- Lord Frederick Beauclerk in his neat nankeen breeches and white silk stockings, with another pair drawn tight over the instep; a scarlet sash round his waist, and a white beaver hat, which he would dash on the ground if thiDgs did not go to his liking. If Dr. Grace appeared at Lord’s to-day in similar costume, the classic ground would pro­ bably be overrun by carica­ turists, although few will be found to deny that the dress itself would be very picturesque. The last cricketer who wore the old dress was the famous Mr. E. H. Budd, who died at Wroughton, in Wilts, as recently as 1875, at the great age of 90. In 1803 the wicket consisted of three stumps, 24 inches by 7. instead of 27 by 8 as now, the over was of four balls only, there was no limit to the length of the bat, the follow - on was unknown, the popping crease was but three feet ten inches from the wicket, over-arm bowl­ ing was not recognised, and the creases were cut in the turf, not painted as now. Wides and no-balls were not put down as such in the score until 1827 and 1830 respectively, whilst there was no law for lost ball until 1809. Cricket of 1803 probably differed from that of to-day in no more marked instance than con­ cerned the choice of first innings. The old law read : “ The party which goes from home shall have the choice of innings, and the pitching of the wickets, which shall be pitched within thirty yards of a centre fixed by the adversaries. When the parties meet at a third place, the bowlers shall toss up for the pitching of the wickets, and the choice of going in.” With the bowlers so generously considered, one need not be surprised to learn that in those remote days the great matches were not drawn on account of excessive scoring. Bat and ball were on an equality, and individual scores of 100 or more were rare achievements. What halcyon days those must have been! The year of 1803, apart from being note­ worthy on account of the batting successes of Lord Frederick Beauclerck, of whom more anon, is memorablein the annals of cricketing owing to the death of David Harris, the famous Hambledonian bowler, and the birth of the immortal Fuller Pilch, who, by universal consent, was the greatest batsman the world knew prior to the days of the matchlessW.G. Of David Harris Mr. Mitford wrote:—“ A good cricketer, like a good orator, must be an honest man ; but what are orators compared to the men of cricket? There have been a hundred, a thousand orators; there never was but one David Harris. Many men can make good speeches, but few men can deliver a good ball. Many men can throw down a good enemy, but Harris could overthrow the strongest wicket. Cicero once undermined the conspiracy of Catiline ; and Harris once laid prostrate even the stumps of Beldham.” Harris it was who discovered the value of the length ball, and to his fine execution the improvement in batting in his time was attributed. In the winter, and in wet weather, records Mr. Haygarth, he used to practise in a barn'; hence his superiority. Harris was terribly afflicted with the gout. He ften "walked to the ground on crutches to play, and, after deliver­ ing a few balls, and growing warm, would bowl splendidly. At times, however, it was difficult for him to stand; a great armchair was therefore brought into the field, and, after the delivery of the ball, the hero sat down in his own calmandsimple grandeur, andreposed. ‘ ‘A finetribute this,” comments Mr. Mitford,” to his superiority, even amid the tortures of disease.” It would be impossible to com­ pare Harris with the best bowlers of later times, the most that can be said being that he was supremely great in his own generation. It is a remarkable fact that the death of this celebrated man was not recorded at the time in any newspaper ! Fuller Pilch, who was born at Horningtoft, in Norfolk, on March 17th, 1803, is still regarded by those who have not been deceived by the enormous scores made dur­ ing recent years on billiard- table wickets as one of the best half-dozenbatsmen that have ever played. It is a fact not generally known, not being recorded even in Scores and Biographies , that Pilch, when a young lad, was apprenticed in Sheffield, where it was he acquired his skill in the game. That he should have taken to cricket whilst there is net surpris­ ing, for in those times Sheffield possessed many famous players, whose feats with bat and ball will doubtless be recorded in the history of Yorkshire cricket which is to be pub­ lished after the conclusion of the present season. Pilch made his first appearance at Lord’s in July, 1820, when only 17 years of age. The match was the famous one between the M.C.C. and Norfolk (with three given men) in which the ever-to- be-remembered Mr. Wil­ liam Ward stayed at the wickets three days for his score of 278, which still remains the highest ever made at Lord’s. Pilch’s performances in the match were by no means remark­ able, seeing that he bowled down four wickets, made one catch and scored but 0 and 2. It has been stated, with what amount of truth it would be difficult to say, that his style created so favourable an impression thatthe far-seeing Mr.Ward immediately prophesied that “ the boy would one day be the finest batsman in England.” Be that as it may, however, the fact remains that Pilch improved so greatly and so rapidly as a batsman that he soon dis­ tanced all rivals, and that for many years he had the proud distinction of being universally recognised as the Champion. Pilch, as every­ body knows, or should know, emigrated into Kent and was largely responsible for that famous cricketing shire occupying the fore­ most position for so many years among the counties. An old couplet says :— “ For with five such mighty cricketers, ’twaa but natural to win, As Wenman, Felix, Hillyer, Fuller Pilch, and Alfred Mynn.” C R I C KET^ MA TCH . MONDAY and TUESDAY was played, a GRAND MATCH of CRICKET in LORD'S GROUND, MARY-LE-BONE, be­ tween ELEVEN GENTLEMEN oftheMARY-LE-BONECLUB, against ELEVEN GENTLEMEN of the HOM MERTON CLUB; for 500 GUINEAS. MABY-LE-BONE CLUB. 1st Innings. 2d innings. Hon. S. Powys, 19 c. Peppercorn. 0 c. Nepan — Curtis, Esq., 3 b. Warren. 0 c. Holland Ld. F. Beauclerk, 60 stumpt. Yigne. 112 not out G. Leycester, Esq., 11 leg before wicket 16 run out J. Lawrell, Esq., 3 c. Peppercorn. 17 run out Sir H. Marten, Hon. A. Upton, 5 b. Holland. 0 b. Peppercorn. 44 not out. 6 stumpt. Vigne. Capt. Beckett, 37 b. Peppercorn. 4 b. Ladbroke. Capt. Onslow, G. Cooper, Esq., 2 b Ladbroke. 23 b. J. Vaux. 0 b Peppercorn 1 stumpt. Vigne. Colonel Lambert, Byes, 0 5 b. Ditto. Byes, 0 , 3 c. Ladbroke. 189 182 HOMMERTON CLUB. 1st Innings. 2d innings. Peppercorn, 0 b. Lord F. B. 11 not out. Warren, 0 c. Ditto. — Nyren, 28 c. J. Lawrell 17 b. Onslow Vigne, 0 b. Lord F. B. 6 b. Ditto. Ladbroke, 6 b. Ditto. 0. b. Lord F. B. Folljamb, 9 c. G. Leyceater. 7 c. Beckett. Holland, 0 c. J. Lawrell. 11. c. L. Powys, Aislabie, 1 c. A. Upton. 4. e. Leycester. J. Vaux, 1 not out 3. b. Lord F. B. Stone, 0 b. Lord F. B. 1. b. Onslow Shiffner, 4 c. Onslow. — --------- Byes, 1 Byes, 8 50 60 HOMMERTON CLUB had two wickets to go down, and 261 runs to get—6 to 4 on MARY-LE-BONE CLUB at starting.—This MATCH is given up.