Cricket 1905

CR ICKET , A W EEKLY REOORD OP T H E GAM E. APRIL 27, 1905. no. 685. vol. xxiv. THUESDAY, APEIL 27, 1905. fbice 2 a. A G REA T CR ICKETER . M r . R. A. H. MITCHELL. The announcement of the death of Mr. R. A. H . Mitchell, the old Oxonian, at the age of sixty-two, must have come as a vast surprise to all classes of cricketers, for it was not generally known that he was ill. Mr. Mitchell might truly be called a great cricketer, for, with few opportunities of playing in first-class matches after he left the University, he was on a level with the greatest batsmen of his day, always excepting the greatest of them all, W. G. He was justly celebrated for his hit­ ting to leg, which was con­ sidered by the critics of the time to be almost as good as that of George Parr. In later years Mr. Mitchell was known as a most successful coach for Eton boys. Per­ haps his methods would not commend themselves to modem coaches, one of whose chief objects in train­ ing a boy is to let his indi­ viduality show itself. Mr. Mitchell’s coaching was all done on a somewhat hard and fast line, and if a boy could not manage to accom­ modate himself to the style which was then thought at Eton to be the only style possible for an Eton boy, he had few chances of coming to the front. Boys who were considered unorthodox were thought incapable of playing good cricket. But it is undeniable that, work­ ing on these lines, Mr. Mitchell turned out a large number of fine cricketers, in proof of which it is only necessary to refer to men like the Lytteltons, C. I. Thornton, C. J. Ottaway, Lord Harris, G. H. Longman, A. 8. Tabor, A. W. Ridley, the Hon. Ivo Bligh, H. Whitfield, C. T. Studd, P. J. de Paravicini, and Lord Hawke. Mr. Mitchell’s own style was exceedingly graceful, and it was upon this that all Eton boys of twenty years ago were modelled. The Eton style came to be known as characteristic of all Eton boys, and the only objection which was ever made against it was that it produced extreme monotony. One boy after another went in with nearly the same style and the same strokes. Fortunately, it was a good style, and as the strokes could hardly have been improved upon this system of coaching undoubtedly suited the time. An Eton boy himself Mr. Mitchell gained his place in the eleven in 1858 as a leg-break bowler, but it was not long before it was dis­ covered that he was more than worth playing for his batting alone. Owing to the difficulties of travelling, and faulty management, the Eton boys, in the matches of 1858 and 1859 at Lord’s against Harrow, did not arrive on the ground until half-past one, and the bell was rung for the game to begin the moment that their first man appeared on the scene. The result was that they were taken at a great disadvantage, and the Harrovians, who had been practising steadily, won both matches by an innings. In the match of 1860 Mr. Mitchell covered himself with glory by scoring 70 in the first inniDgs out of a total of 98, of which seven were extras. The next score to his was only seven. Against Win­ chester he met with great success, scoring 39 and 0 and taking six wickets for 51, and two for 17 in 1859. In the following year he made 21 and 33 and took five for 44 and six for 39; while in 1861 he scored 60 and took three wickets for 11 runs. After playing four times against Harrow and Win­ chester he went to Oxford, where he had a most dis­ tinguished career; he would certainly have been chosen for England while he was at Oxford if there had been test matches during his days. He played against Cambridge four times, his scores being 37 and 58, 2, 15 and not out 55, and 57 and 35. In his last three years he was captain of the Oxford eleven, and in each year he led his team to victory. He ceased to be a bowler after he left school, and only bowled a few overs in the ’Varsity matches. In his first year at the University he first played for the Gentlemen against the Players at Lord’s, although he was asked to play at the Oval when he was still at school and only nineteen years old. He made 76 in the Oval match in 1863, 53 and 33 at the Oval, and 44 not out at Lord’s, and then came the time when he almost ceased to play in first-class cricket, except during the Canterbury Week,