Cricket 1907

238 CRICKET : A 'WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. J une 27, 1907. “ CR ICK E T a n d CRLCKETERS.”* “ Cricket is a lovely subject,” says Mr. Newhall, the well-known Philadelphia cricketer, in introducing Mr. Ashley-Cooper, C.A. (Cricket Actuary) and Registrar- General of The Game, to the American public. America has not hitherto played a very great part in cricket history, though Mr. Ashley-Cooper records that in 1751 New York played London, “ accordingto the London method,” and won. But it may be induced by “ Cricket and Cricketers” to divert attention from lesser matters and turn to the great game. For, as Mr. Newhall points out, the author of this history of the rise and development of cricket has the right enthusiasm ; he exhibits the delight and zest in his subject which makes Nyren a favourite book even for amateurs of letters who are not devotees of the game. “ It is a pity that such cricketers should ever die,” he says, speaking of bygone heroes, whose names most men never knew; and the Hambledon men are as real and as interesting to him as the English and South African teams of 1907. In “ The Rise of Cricket,” one of the two essays which make up this attractive little book, Mr. Ashley-Cooper has collected all the known early references to his subject. The origin of cricket is constantly receding. Thanks to recent research, the beginnings of the game are now traced further back than even modem writers knew. Pycroft was proud that he had been able to find a reference to cricket in 1685—it was really 1658— twenty-five years earlier than any Strutt recorded. But it is now known that before that date Bishop Ken played as a boy ; the Rev. Thomas Wilson (1601-1653) denounced the profanity of Sunday cricket at Maidstone; Oliver Cromwell, in his youth, “ throwing himself into a dissolute and disorderly cause,” tecame famous for football, cricket and other things; in 1668 the proprietor of the Ram Inn, Smithfield, was rated to Clerkenwell Parish in respect of a cricket field, and St. Alban’s C.O. was founded in 1666. All these matters Mr. Ashley - Cooper records, from the famous, if disputed, evidence of John Derrick, gent., that he played cricket in the time of Queen Elizabeth on a piece of waste ground at Guildford ; when, one would think, the out-fielding, amongst sawn timber and sawpits and timber frames, must have been rough. Through the eighteenth century the story is traced, with the names of famous men as players, the Dukes of Bedford, Cum­ berland and Dorset, Lord Sandwich, who gave to the Admiralty any time he could spare from cricket, and Frederick, Prince of Wales, perhaps the only member of the Royal Family closely associated with the national game, though George II. is said to have shown favour to the players. The Prince’s services to cricket might have earned a more flattering epitaph than the famous :— Since ’tis only Fred, Who was alive and is dead, There’s no more to be said. The law-suit of 1719 is duly mentioned, when the j udge ordered Kent to play out a match against London, which they did and lost, but, at once challenging a return match, played and won; the famous reference by Arbuthnot (ascribed to Swift) to John Bull’s liking for a cricket match is not forgotten, nor the quaint rules of 1744, wherein the ball is already personified and feminine: “ a stroke or nip over or under his bat, or upon his hands, but not arm®, if the ball is held before she touches ground, though she be hugged to the body, it is out.” When the story, passing from the pre-eminence of London, reaches the heroic Hambledon days, Mr. Ashley-Cooper is at his best. He is able even to correct Nyren’s delightful, if fanciful, portrait of the Walkers by the evidence of Beldham. Like Mr. Pycroft he sighs for the score of the match when Small kept up his wicket for three days for Hambledon v. England. Perhaps if we had the score we should find rain prevented much play. He will admit no superior as a bowler to David Harris. “ About 1845 Lord Frederick Beauclerck and Mr. William Ward both declared that Harris was, with­ out exception, the best bowler they had ever seen, and also that he had done more to improve bowling than any other bowler. And when these words were spoken Hillyer, Redgate, Clarke, Lillywhite and Mr. Alfred Mynn were at their best, while Cobbett had been dead only a few years. We must also remember that neither Mr. Ward nor Lord Frederick could ever have seen Harris at his best— he was at his best before their time. Taking it for granted that the bowlers of the forties were as good as those of the present day—they were certainly not inferior—is it not reasonable to suppose that David Harris was one of the very best bowlers that ever lived ? ” America might be grateful for the portrait here given of Mrs. Small. “ The famous batsman was always accompanied to the great matches by his wife who had a belief that if she did not attend, the Hambledonians would suffer defeat. She always made her appearance with a green umbrella of enormous dimensions, which she would flourish excitedly in order to signal her husband’s every hit, shouting the while, ‘ Run, man, run ; you’ll be out! ’ ” The story of Lord's three grounds is briefly told, that of the choleric Squire Osbaldestone, and the saying concerning the Rev. Lord Frederick Beauclerck, D.D., thatD.D. stands for other things than Doctor of Divinity. Nor is Mr. Ashley-Cooper less at home with the other players of the first sixty years .of the last century. They seem already to belong to ancient history. Modern cricket does not begin till the tall hat disappears from the cricket-field. The reposeful figure of William Lillywhite, still at fifty the best bowler of his time, is naturally and fitly crowned by a silk hat. It is impossible to picture Mr. Spofforth bowling thus attired. When modern times are reached Mr. Ashley-Cooper’s brush necessarily takes a wider sweep. He surveys rapidly the coming of the Australians and the performances of recent years. He will not succeed in per­ suading the young cricketer' that there were ever before his day such men as those he sees. But he will make him familiar with names and deeds it is good for him to know. The book has some excellent illustrations, and America is to be congratulated on this charming addition to its cricket literature. E. B. Y. C. " CRICKET" is the only paper in the world solely devoted to the game. Weekly, April to September. Monthly, October to March. T e r m s op S u b s c r ip t io n :— 6/- per annutr. 7/- post free abroad. Payable in advance. * “ Cricket and Cricketers.” By F. S. Ashley- Oooper. Including an Introduction by George M. Newhall, Philadelphia, U.S.A. Published at the Office of the American Cricketer , 1907. London : Cricket Offices, 168, Upper Thames Street, E.O. Post Free, 3s. 8d. Our Readers are particularly re­ quested to CROSS Cheques and Postal Orders “ London and County Bank,” All communications to be sent direct to the Offices of Cricket, 168, Upper Thames Street, London, E.O. GRANVILLE (Lee) v. BLACKHEATH.—Played . June 12. G ranville . F. E. Lunder, b Groves 30 L. Terrey, b Groves ... 3 J. E. Heath, b Auld... 19 J.P.Clarkson,b Groves 13 P. O. Charlton, st Jar- ratt, b Carter .. ... 42 W. Austin, c Carter, b Gill ........................ 3 C. E. C. Kendle, not bat. B lackheath . P. P. Lincoln, not out 21 V. B. Longworth, not out ........................12 Extras................. 1 Total (6 wkts) 144 i. J. Pegler, and R. G. Pegler did J, Shuter, c and b S. J. Pegler .................10 H. Banning,c Lincoln, b S. J. Pegler..........37 G. Gill, b S. J. Pegler 18 W. Moale,b S. J.Pegler 9 S. Knowles, c Kendle, b Charlton ..........11 Capt.Wilson,cLincoln, b A ustin.................13 C. W. Edwards, not out ........................105 W. D. Auld, b Charlton 29 G.L.Jarrett,st Kendle, b Charlton ......... 4 E. Carter, not out ... 2 Extras.................28 Total (8 wkts) 266 — Groves did not bat. GRANVILLE “ A ” (Lee) v. BLACKHEATH f Played on June 15. G r a n v ille “ A.” H. E. Thomson, not out .........................114 F. E. Lander, c Rich­ mond, b Onslow ... 2 R. E. Lincoln, cValen- tine, b Turner........ 5 F. Helder, b Onslow... 25 Roy Johnston, b W. Valentine .......... G. Helder, c Valen­ tine, b Richmond .. Extras .......... Total (5 wkts.)261 A. Helder, S. Burnett, A. Spencer, F. E. Thomson, and J. E. Heath did not bat. B lackheath “ B .” R.W.Foster, c Lincoln, b Burnett................. 5 P. Bland, b Lincoln ... 47 G. Valentine, c Bur­ nett, b Spencer ... 8 A. Clift, b G. Helder.. 0 G. Turner, b G. Helder 42 H. Quartermain, c and b Lincoln.................12 E. Onslow, c and b G. Helder ................. 2 \V. Richmond, not out 37 W.Valentine,c A. Hol­ der, b Roy Johnston 3 R.Skinner,bG. Helder 0 P. Valentine, st A. Helder, b G. Helder 0 Extras ......... 0 Total .. 156 GRANVILLE “ A” (Lee) v. BANK OF AFRICA.- Played on June 22. G ranville . W. Helder, b Buck ... 2 L. Terrey, c Buck, b Smith ................. 8 R. G. Pegler, b Smith 0 H. \V. Gill, b Smith ... 1 S. C. Burnett, b Buck 15 V. E. Thomson, c R. Bacon, b Smith ... 1 P. C. Wood, b Smith... 3 J. Pegler, b Buck ... A. C. Spencer, candb Smith ................. H. Temple, b Smith... A. H. Pease, not out Extras .......... Total B ank of A frica . U. M. Bean, b R. G. Pegler .................10 J. Smith, lbw, b Bur­ nett ........................ 5 F.Buck, b R.G. Pegler 44 P. Dalton, run out ... 3 F. Beacham, lbw, b R. G. Pegler .......... 3 S. Parker, not out ...129 A. Cozens, c and Spencer .............. A. Millard, c Gill, R. G. Pegler ... . R. Bacon, b Terrey . E. Cranch, not out . Extras ... . 2 ■li) 0 11 Total (8 wkts) 259 A. Bacon did not bat. GRANVILLE “ A ” (Lee) v. BARNES 1 on June 22. G ranville . A.”—Played Roy Johnston, e Hus- kisson, b Tolkien ... ' A. Pettman,b Meredith J. A. Johnston, b Tol­ kien ........................ J. Gravett, c Meredith, b Hackman .......... J. R. Hollingsworth, c Huskisson, b Hack­ man ......... C. Helder, c Tolkien, b Hackman ......... 2 A. L. Ryder, b Tolkien 13 A.C.Rodwell,b Forrest 0 C. E. Clift, not out... 4 W.E.Dedrick,bTolkien 0 C. E.Coward,b Tolkien 4 Extras... ... ... 6 B arnes . Total 60 J. Grant, c Clift, b Hollingworth..........17 C. Tolkien, b Dedrick 8 L. Meredith, b Dedrick 16 C. Ratcliffe, b Dedrick 0 G. Hackman, c and b Dedrick ................ 3 W. Hinde, c Clift, b Hollingsworth ... 2 P. Cothell, c and b Dedrick ................. G. Huskisson, not out J. Forrest, b Dedrick C.Hamilton,b Dedrick H.Spencer,b Hollings­ worth ................. Extras... ......... ! Total ... 70