Cricket 1906

THE FINEST BAT THE WORLD PRODUCES , M at ^'IO, 1906. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 115 county matches between 1843 and 1863. During the two decades named, Sir Frederick Bathurst ranked as one of the finest all­ round players in England; he was famous for his bowling, but was also a very useful, hard-hitting batsman. Between 1831 and 1854 he appeared for the Gentlemen against the Players twenty-one times. In Mr. G. B. Townsend, too, the county possessed a capital cricketer, who was first-class in all departments of the game: his great triumph was to score 72 and 130 for the Gentlemen of Hampshire against M.C.C. at Cranbury Park, in August, 1839. It may almost be said that it was due to an accident that the Hampshire County Club was formed in 1863. On June 15th of that year Cam­ bridgeshire were to have played against Surrey at the Oval, but, refusing to appear at the last moment, a match was suddenly arranged between Surrey and Fourteen of Hampshire, this being the first meeting between the two sides since 1793. Mr. Hay- garth, in Scores and Biographies (viii., 67), states that the revival of Hampshire as a cricketing county may be attributed to the above match. The decision to establish a County Club was come to at a meeting held at Southampton on August 12th, 1863, and, on the very next day, XXII. Gentlemen of Hampshire defeated the powerful United All England XI. by seventeen wickets. The county ground was the Antelope, previously mentioned, the size of which was only four acres, and of which the Club were yearly tenants; in 1875 the name was changed to the Southampton Ground. The first honorary secretary was Mr. G. M. Ede, who resigned in 1869, and was succeeded by Capt. Eccles. The county, however, failed to regain its place in the cricketing world, although in Mr. Clement Booth, Colonel Fellowes and Dr. Russell Bencraft it possessed three successive honorary secretaries who were always most indefatigable in their efforts to promote the welfare of the Club. To the last-named the members owe a debt of gratitude which they can never repay. It was, in fact, due to his efforts, both •as honorary secretary and as player, that the promotion of Hampshire to first-class rank in 1895 was primarily due. The county has been severely handicappedin being deprived of the services of Major Poore and Capt. Greig, owing to military duties, and of enjoying tbe assistance of Capt.'Wynyard and Mr. Hesketh Prichard on a few occasions only. Mr. Persse, too, who gave much promise last season of developing into a very useful bowler, has left England, but it is probablethat in the old Etonian, Mr. E. M. C. Ede, the county will find a very capable all­ round player. Several very promising young cricketers are engaged on the ground staff at Southampton, and, as both Major Poore and Capt. Greig will be available again this season, it is probable that Hampshire will occupy a higher position in the cricketing world in 1906than was the case lastyear. For many years the side has struggled bravely, but thas always been a side which fortune has failed to favour to any considerable extent. Leicestershire’s defeat by one run yester­ day will provide reformers of the game with a good argument for altering the method whereby tbe County Championship is decided, for their defeat will affect the side (so far as position in the table is concerned) as much as would a reverse by an innings and 500 or more runs. Leicestershire are to be heartily congratulated upon making so close a fight with such powerful opponents, and, [if one may judge from their display in that match, it is evident that the side will this year meet AT THE SIGN OF THE W ICKET. By F. S. A shlby -C oopeb . The heavy defeat experienced by Hamp­ shire at tbe Oval on Saturday last tends to remind one yet again that very curious changes are effected by tbe whirligig of time. A hundred and thirty years ago Hampshire was in quite the forefront of cricketing counties, the Hambledon Club being then able to contend single-handed, and success­ fully, with England. In those halcyon days John Small, sen., was king of bats and David Harris, of immortal memory, king of bowlers. Each was Hampshire born, and supremely great in bis own generation. The prowess of these doughty champions, coupled with the skill of the leading players of Surrey and Sussex, whose services were generally retained by Hambledon when Surrey or Kent had to be met, caused the county to occupy for many years the chief place in the cricket­ ing world. The laws were revised by tbe Hambledonians, whose chief exponents were responsible for many momentous changes in connection with the game, e.g., the introduc­ tion of the third stump, the alteration in the shape of the bat, and the cult of length bowling. Nyren has recorded that no eleven in England could compare with the Hambledon Club, and that, so renowned a set were they, that the whole country round would flock to see one of their trial matches. This was no idle boast, for in June, 1772, Eleven of Hambledon beat Twenty-two of England with ridiculous ease at Moulsey Hurst— The Hampshire men, notwithstanding the great odds they gave, seemed actually able to double the number of their antagonists.” The glories of Hamble­ don departed in 1791, when the true club was disbanded, but, for a few years after, Hamp­ shire well maintained tbe reputation which the county had gained as a result of the Hambledonian triumphs. Early in the nine­ teenth century, however, Hampshire cricket deteriorated sadly, although between 1805 and 1823 England were met on ten occasions and beaten on four. In some of the games the county received assistance in the form of 1given men ” ; thus, when England were, defeated by one wicket at Lord’s in July, 1805, Lord Frederick Beauclerck and Beld- ham (the two given men to Hampshire) made 237 runs, and the otber nine Hampshire men only 93 between them ! When England were beaten by five wickets at Bramshill Park in 1823, Mr. William Ward made 120 and not out 7, Mr. E. H. Budd 67, and Tom Beagley 18 and 1. Before the match commenced, a gentleman gave a friend sixty guineas on condition that he was to receive in return a guinea for every run got by the three players named in the first innings of the county; consequently he was a winner of 145 guineas. Bramshill Park, where the last-mentioned match was played, was the seat, of Sir John Cope, a great supporter of Hampshire cricket. In Mr. Thomas Cham- berlayne, J.P., of Cranbury Park, near Winchester, the county possessed another enthusiast who did a very great deal for tbe game in the county; he was President of the M.C.C. in 1845. In 1839 the Antelope Ground was opened at Southampton, the first match played there probably being that between North and South Hampshire on August 23rd in the year named. In 1842 Daniel Day, of Surrey, took over the manage­ ment of the ground, but remained there for a short time only, Hampshire playing no inter­ BUSSEY’S BUSSEY’S