Cricket 1906

CR ICKE T: a w e e k ly n e c o r d o f t h e g am e . APRIL 26, 1906. “ Together joined in Cricket’ s manly toil.”— Byron. N o. 7 1 5 . V O L . X X V . THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 1906. P R IC E 2d. CHATS ON THE CRICKET FIELD . MR. ARTHUR WILSON. During the most troublous times of Derbyshire cricket Mr. Wilson acted as the county hon. secretary, and, thanks very largely to his energy, and, one might almost say devotion, the affairs of the county cricket club were in a promising position when, _ after seven years service, he resigned office. He did not sever his connection with Derbyshire county cricket, and as an active and enthusiastic member of the committee he has always gained the goodwill of cricketers with whom he has come in contact. Although he was not a great player himself, he has had a most interesting career as a cricketer, and his reminiscences cover a very wide field. It was truly said of him a dozen years ago, “ As a cricketer he was always greatly handicapped by very short sight, which is a distinct gain to the world at large, for it is very certain that if he had been a great cricketer he would not have had time to be a great secretary.” By birth Mr. Wilson is a Surrey man. Referring to his birthplace, he said : “ I cannot help thinking that anyone who was born at what used to be the pretty little village of Mitcham must have imbibed a love for cricket lade materno. Read ‘ Our Village,’ by dear old Thomas Hood, a perfect picture of the Surrey cricket nursery of the fifties and sixties, and then, think of the era of mighty Tom Richardson. An ideal natural green, perfect wickets all over—at least in those early days—only one little stone roller, evtn then old-fashioned, and one scythe, for some ten acres, no mowing machines, for they were not yet. The mowing and manuring were accom­ plished, as the poet said: ‘ By nineteen cows, six ponies, three horses, five asses, seven pigs, and a calf,’ though the geese and ducks, who inhabited the pond at the end of the green were of great assistance. This little hamlet used to provide some six or seven of the great Surrey eleven, champion county then as afterwards. Tom Sherman, two Tom Sewells, Jimmy Southerton, Harwood, the three Humphreys (quite young then), were a good nucleus for a village side, and a good, cheery lot they were. A MR. ARTHUR WILSON. Photo by Miss Kate Wilson. long afternoon’s practice with Sherman and Bailey was as good a tuition as one could wish for, but, much as I longed for it, the talent never came to me, only the true love of the game, the keenness, as great now as then; and from which has sprung, perhaps, greater pleasure than if I had ever been a great exponent of the game. Our chief matches were usually with Wimbledon, Clapham, and neighbouring clubs ; but our great pride was to encounter the tUoited South of England X L , and t o ,play against and worship such heroes, mostly of the past, as Tom Lockyer, Ciffyn, Cseiar, Mort- lock, H. H. Stephenson, Wisden, Sewell, Griffith, Jupp, and others whose names escape me, all dear, good, cheery, healthy encouragers of youth and masters of skill.” “ Wnat of your early school­ days ? ” “ I had a varied experience of the game at several small schools where one learned very little, for cricket was not taken seriously as it is at most small schools now. Sports’ masters were unheard o f ; masters were chosen for scholarship, not for proficiency in games, and in those days you never saw an infant Palairet or a baby Shrewsbury, because no time was allowed boys for such de­ velopment, as they had other things to do. A couple of short and pleasant years followed at Newark Grammar School, where we were released from all work for a year because the head-master had the misfortune to break a leg, and where we used to have excellent matches with Nottingham and Lincoln schools.” ‘ ‘ Then you went to Rugby ? ” “ Yes. Inourhouse(Arnold’s) were exactly 44 boys (Arnold was commonly known as ‘ P lu g ’ ). Cricket was, of course, as all games were, com­ pulsory, and equally, of course, we had four House cricket elevens. They made me, 1 know not why, captain of the 4th X L We did rather well in our matches against other similar teams in ‘ the Pontines ’ (such wickets! ), and our 3rd X L were doing badly on a better ground. So, to the great delight of our 1st XL swells, we challenged the 3rd X I., and in the presence of many of the School X I.—awful swells, E. G. Sandford, M .T. Martin, etc.—won hands down in an innings; and our house-captain made us