Cricket 1905

82 CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. A p r il 27, 1905. Bat in John Lillywhite’s famous benefit match at Brighton, in which W. G. made 217 in the second innings, after being bowled neck and crop first ball in the first innings by J. C. Shaw, Mr. Mitchell played two fine innings of 50 and 37 in his last appearance in a match between Gentlemen and Players. He continued to play at intervals up to the beginning of the eighties, always showing the same mastery over the ball, and the same easy and graceful style, and his last large scare was 65 in 1880 for Gentlemen of England against Gentlemen of Kent during the Canterbury Week. It is a pity that at the present time no note is made in any annual of a cricketer’s points, and future generations will be at a loss to know without searching through heaps of books and papers, what a man of 1905 was especially noted for. With regard to old players one has only to turn up the “ green Lillywhite” to find a short and handy description of them. Thus of Mr. Mitchell, Lillywhite of 1664 says: “ Is again captain of Oxford, and a finer specimen of a cricketer never entered a cricket-ground. He is all what Mr. Hankey was as a bat—a magnificent hitter with a fine defence and style.” Again in 1867 the same annual says of him: “ Is a magnificent bat, hitting splendidly all round, and no one can stop a shooter better ; a good wicket-keep and bowler.” Finally he is treated with a gentleness which is almost pathetic. “ Still annually plays in the Canterbury W eek; has been a very fine bat and occasionally shows some of his o il form ; rather stiff now in the field; an ardent supporter .of cricket and a capital judge of the game.” As a master at Eton Mr. Mitchell often used to umpire in the school matches, and it was his custom to direct and advise the members c f the opposing team. In one of these matches S. E. Butler, the fast bowler, who was after­ wards so well known, hit a man on the leg with the last ball of an over, but did Dot appeal, although it was “ a clear case.” When not b o w liD g he was fielding at Equare leg, and after the over he and Mr. Mitchell walked away to­ gether to this position. There was a slight delay for some reason o r other, and Mr. Mitchell, thinking to improve the occasion, told the bowler that 1he batsman ought to have been out, and that it was a mistake for a bowler to be afraid of asking; he advised him not to hesi­ tate again. To his surprise Butler promptly said: “ H o w was that th en ?” But, a lt h o u g h the umpire was sur­ prised and pleased at the boy’s quick­ ness to seize the opportunity, he only sm il'd blandly, and said “ Not out.” For he considered that the exceptional circumstances warranted this decision. He used to tell an amusing tale of his own experiences with an umpire. He was bowling in a match in Devonshire and appealed for a catch at the wicket. The umpire, who, although he repre­ sented the other side, was an honest man, and, not bQing sure in his own m in d as to what had happened, walked up to the batsman and aBked in a tone of anxiety, “ Bill, did you touch that ball ? ” There was a stony silence, for Bill was also an honest man. Wherefore the umpire said to him sadly, “ Well, Bill, as you won’t say nothing about it, I shall appeal to the other umpire.” This official had no hesitation whatever, and eagerly "gave the batsman out. Mr. Mitchell was firmly convinced that modern boys are coached much too early, and that although their idiosyncracies are studied, their natural style becomes cramped. He had no coaching himself until he was 17 years of age and he never troubled himself very much about the smaller boys at Eton. There are many people who still think that this plan was better than the excessive coach­ ing, as they term it, of the present day. W. A. B e tte sw o rth . THE INCOGNTTI. With Sir William Russell, the Treasury, Whitehall, S.W., as honorary secretary, and His Excellency Sir Augustus W. L. Hem­ ming as president, the Incogniti C.C. is as flourishing as it ever was, which is saying much. Since Robert Thoms gave up umpir­ ing for the club, Frederick Freeman has taken his place. As usual, the card of fix­ tures is long and interesting, for, in addition to its ordinary matches, the club has tours at Cambridge, the Midlands, the West and the South, besides a school tour in June. In­ deed, the first half of June is largely devoted to the schools, among which are included Sherborne, Cheltenham, Charterhouse, Rep- ton, and Uppingham. The managers of matches are R. H. Dillon, Major C. E. Greenway, G. E. Winter, A. B. Cipriani, G. R. Joyce, L. H. W. Troughton, D. C. Lee, T. A. Rawlinson, L. E. G. Abney, J. E. Raven, C. M. Tuke, W. E. Martvn, W. G. Heasman, Sir William Russell, W. P. Carp- mael, andE. C. Lee. 1 he longest tour is that in the West; it begins on July 31st and ends on August 19th, each of the nine matches lasting two days. ‘MAY. 1. Bickley, v. Bickley Park 17. Bedford, v. County School 18. Iilackheath, v. Blackheath 20. Chelmsford, v. Chelmsford 24. Finsbury Square, v. Honourable Artillery Co. 27. Henley, v. Henley 29. Cambridge, v. Crusaders \ 31. Cambridge, v. Trinity College |Cambridge JUNE. r Tour* 2. Cambridge, v. Jesus College J 3. Vincent Square, v. Westminster School 5. Sherborne, v. Sherborne School* 7. Cheltenham, v. East Gloucestershire 8. Tewkesbury, v. Tewkesbury 9. Cheltenham, v. Cheltenham College*. 10. Godalming, v. Charterhouse 12. Oxford, v. Keble College* 12. Willingdon, v. Repton School 14. Lichfield, v. Lichfield 16. Uppingham, v. Uppingham School 17. Esher, v. Esher 21. Woolwich, v. Woolwich Academy 21. Harlow, v. Moor Hall 26. Camberley, v. R.M.C., Sandhurst 29. Chiswick House, Married v. Single JULY; 1. Royal Marine Barracks, Chatham, v. Royal Navy and Royal Marine Light Infantry 3. Gatton Park, v. Gatton Park ,8. Wimbledon, v. Wimbledon 10. Aldershot, v. 1st Army Corps 12. Potter’s Bar, v. Northaw Place 13. Haslemere, v. Lythe Hill 14. Streatham, v. Streatham 15. Egham, v. Milton Park 17. Beckenham, v. Beckenham* 19. Wokingham, v. W. II. Palmer’s XI. 21. Chiswick, v. Chiswick Park" 22. Abbey Wood, v. Lessuess.Park School Tour ( Midland I Tour* 25. St. Albans, v. Gentlemen'of Herts* 26. Bordon, Aldershot, v. 5th Brigade 28. Lichfield, v. W. E. Harrison’s XI.* AUGUST. 2. Marlow, v. Marlow. July 31 & Aug. 1. Plymouth, v. United'' Service 2. Newton Abbot, v. Teinbridge 4. Exmouth, v. Exmouth 7. Sidmouth, v. Sidmouth \Western 9. Seaton, v. Seaton / Tour.* 11. Sidmouth, v. Sidmouth 14. Exmouth, v. Exmouth 16. Exeter, v. Devon Dumplings 18. Newton Abbot, v. South Devon 21. Southampton, v. Hampshire Hogs \ 23. Portsmouth, v. United Service |a 25. Stanstead, v. Stanstead Park } Sout hern 28. The Saffrons, v. Eastbourne J ou 30. Bexhill, v. Bexliill * Two-day matches. O B ITU A R Y . T h e E a r l o f C h ich e ste r. Better known to cricketers as the Hon. F. G. Pelham, the Earl of Chichester, who died on Friday last at the age of sixty, was in the Eton eleven of 1863, his last year at the school. He was in the Cambridge eleven in 1864-5-6-7, being captain in the last two years. In his four matches against Oxford he took twenty-six wickets for 292 runs with his slow bowling, a splendid recorl. His best performances were four for 39 in the first innings in 1864, six for 71 in the first innings of 1865, and 7 for 26 in the first innings of 1866. In after years he sometimes played for Sussex with a fair amount of success. Mr. Pelham represented Cambridge in the quarter-mile against Oxford in 1865- 66-67, being victorious in the first two years. In 1865 he ran a dead he tt in the hundred with the Oxford man, H. C. Jollye. At the time of his death he was rector of Great Yarmouth. He is suc- cseded by his eldest son, Lord Pelham. J. Cotjpar. I regret to record the death of J. Coupar. I knew him for many years, and always knew him as a fine fellow, a good cricketer, and a thorough enthu­ siast in following up the game. When first I met him he played with South Melbourne, and had a sound reputation both as a batsman and bowler. In bowling he had the knack of sending down quite a big off-break, and if he managed to get a leDgtb he was espe­ cially effective. He could also break from leg, and there are some old batsmen who say to this day that they could not tell whether Coupar was going to break from off or leg. As a batsman he could hit hard, but, somehow or other, there was always about him a certain sense of nervousness which seemed to me to pre­ vent him from showing in match cricket the fine hiiting power he unmistakibly showed at the nets.— “ F elix” in the Australasian. f ™ ™ R e p , , n Sheets, 10,1. per dozen, post free. V ° ' <lei; ot Going-m Cards, 7d. per dozen nost 6(1. and K eaeh? p o s K i t 'p. beob,illll(‘d at tlie Offices of “ Cricket ” 168, Upper Thames Street, London E.CJ. *