Cricket 1907

C R IC K E T : a w e ek ly r e c o r d of t h e ga m e . M A Y 1 6 , 1 9 0 7 . “ Together joined in Cricket’s manly to il.” —% ron. N o. 7 4 8 . VO L. X X V I. THUESDAY, MAY 16, 1907. P R IC E 2d M I D D L E S E X CR ICKET . Few counties, if indeed any, can claim to have been more intimately associated with the game than Middlesex. The large open spaces in the North of London have always been used for purposes of recreation, and doubtless cricket was wealthy citizens came on horseback to see these youngsters contending at their sport.” The most famous cricket-grouEd in London prior to the formation of Lord’s was the Artillery-Ground, in Finsbury. It was presented to the Honourable Artillery Compjny in 1638, and two years later an additional portion of ad- that: “ It was a noysome and offensive place, being a general laystall, a rotten, moorish ground . . . This field, and two others adjoining, had been infectious and very grievous to the city and to passengers, who by all means endeavoured to shun those fields as loathsome both to sight and smell.” The fields were greatly improved by Sir Leonard Holliday and THE MIDDLESEX ELEVEN. B. J. T. Bosanquet. P. F. Warner. Tarrant. Trott. Burton (Scorer). G. MacGregor. J. Douglas Heaine (J. T.) Mignon. C. A. Beldam. L. S. Wells. indulged in long before any reference was made to the fact in print. Fitz- Stephen, who flourished as far back as the reign of Henry II., informs us that in the afternoon the youth of the City were acoustomed to go out into the fields with their teachers to play at ball, the scholars of every school having their par­ ticular ball, while “ the antient and joining land was leased to the Company for 139 years at a yearly rental of six shillings and eight-pence: in 1727 the lease was renewed for a further period of 53 years. Stow, in his “ Survey of London,” says that in his time the ground contained about ten acres, en­ closed by a high brick wall, whilst Howe, in his “ Continuation of Stow,” s'ates A. R. Litteljohn. O. M. Wells. [Photo by Foster , Brighton. Mr. Nicholas Leate, especially by the latter, who improved the highways, &c., at his own expense. In October, 1689, games were forbidden to be played there. The Company stated that it “ should not suffer any person to try engines or play at pall-mall, or make any other use of it than what bad been formerly allowed.” It was duiii g the life!iu e of the ill-fated