Cricket 1906

CR IO K E T : a weekly record of th e game . MAY 31, 1906, “ Together joined in Cricket’ s manly toil.” — Byron. No. 720. v o l . x x v . THURSDAY, MAY 31, 1906. m i c e aa. in Cambridgeshire. When he took up his residence in Hertfordshire matters little. His first appear­ ance at Lord’s was in 1877, against M.C.C. and Ground, and the records show that he got the dreaded “ pair,” being bowled by Flanagan in the first, and by West— the Yorkshire left-hander —in the second innings. A month later, however, he made full compensa­ tion for his early failure by a fine bowling per­ formance. The match was against Essex at Hitchin, and mainly through his effective bowling—he took all ten wickets in the first in­ nings for 33, and five for 44 in the second—Herts gained a decisive victory by aninnings and 64 runs. In his early days he played as an amateur, and, indeed, it was not until 1880 that he joined the professional ranks. Meanwhile, his all-round cricket had been of con­ siderable service;to Herts, more particularly his bowling, which resulted in the capture of ninety- nine wickets for Herts during the seasons of 1878 and 1879. His first year as a professional gave him bold advertisement as an all-round player. So far, as a batsman, he had done comparatively little, and his first conspicuous per­ formance with the bat was in October, 1880, when he scored 137 not out against XVIII. of the Star C.C. for St. Albans, who, thanks to W. T. Westall (119) and T. Pearce (not out 14), knocked up 276 with only one wicket down. In the early eighties he had an engagement at Oxford University,,which he.held A CH A T ABOUT_ T 1 TCHM A R SH . V. A. T., in this case, spells Valentine Adolphus Titchmarsh,whomM.C.C. is honouring w ith a benefit match in the first part of next week. The Whit-Monday match at Lord’s is the most sub­ stantial recognition the premier club can give of loyal service, and the mere fact of its award is the hall-mark which be­ tokens the high approval of the highest cricket authority to a pro­ fessional cricketer. In the present instance it is no exaggeration to say that the favour of M.C.C. has never found a more fitting recipient. Titch- marsh’s claims to the grateful appreciation of the world of active cricket are, it is super­ fluous to add, of a two­ fold character. He is, in fact, as far as the game is concerned, a double first, haviDg graduated with distinction as a cricketer, and subse­ quently as an umpire. As a player it was, in a way, unfortunate that his lines were cast in county cricketof a second­ ary type. Though asso­ ciated exclusively with Hertfordshire during his cricket career, he is a native of Cambridgeshire. Looking at his cheery face and sturdy figure, it is not easy to realise that he is now in his fifty- fourth year. His fore­ name of Valentine was due to the fact that he first saw the light on February 14th, 18S3. He was born—the compiler of Scores and Biographies is my authority—at Bel- videre House, Royston, whichis, asalready stated,