Cricket 1907

254 CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. J uly 4, 1907. TH E M ATCH OF TH E SEASON . Fashions change in cricket as in less important matters, and what was considered appropriate to the early years of the eighteenth century would he regarded, in the majority of cases, as quaintly out-of-date in these enlightened days. As the mighty oak springs from an acorn, so did the great game of cricket, as at present seen in all its glory and perfection at Lord’s, have a humble origin. Two hundred years ago the London Club was the recognised head of the game, as the M.C.C. is now. Their headquarters were the Artillery Ground, Finsbury, and it is inter­ esting to know that matches are still played on the identical spot where, two centuries ago, those nameless pioneers of the game assisted in its development. Perhaps the most important match of those far-distant times was London against Mitcham, or, maybe London against Croydon, for each place was a very early stronghold of cricket, and parti­ culars are still extant of some of their matches played as far back as the reigns of Queen Anne and the first George. A meeting at Finsbury between Mitcham and London would scarcely create excitement to-day, but at the time referred to it served to attract thousands. What curious changes are effected by the whirligig of time ! By the time George II. had become firmly established on the throne an improvement had been effected, for we find, thus early, matches taking place between England on the one hand, and Kent or Surrey on the other. This were surely a step forward. In 1739 we find Kent referred to as “ the unconquerable County,” but, judging by a perusal of the records of that period, the honours were, at least, shared by Surrey. Both counties were very powerful about that period, and, if one muy believe the newspaper reports, their appearance in the Artillery-Ground drew spectators together by the thousand: we often, in fact, read of over ten thousand being present. How pleasant, in these damp un- genial times, to know that over a hundred and fifty years ago there were bright sunny days upon which cricket enthusiasts fore­ gathered and enjoyed the game! The ill- fated Frederick Louis, Prince of Wales, eldest ton of George II., was frequently present: he paid for his devotion to the game with his life, for in 1761 he died as the result of a blow received in the side from a cricket- ball. One hundred and thirty years ago the meet­ ing of Hambledon and England was the event of the season. Oh ! those happy Hambledon days, when John Small and the illustrious Beldham batted, the immortal Harris bowled, and Tom Sueter, of the sweet voice, kept wicket! Those were, indeed, the halcyon days of cricket. The County Championship was utterly unknown, and averages unkept and unthought of. Those great cricketers were good-natured, simple-hearted folk, who played the game for the game’s sake, and esteemed victory more than sufficient reward for their exertions. The subject is a very fascinating one, but the pen must not dwell upon it, or the allotted space would be exceeded. But the writer would like to add that it has always appeared extraordinary to him how anybody could ever have known and con­ versed with Small, Sueter, Beldham, Harris, Lumpy, and others, and afterwards have walked about as ordinary mortals. When the glories of Hambledon faded, Surrey entered upon their brilliant series of matches with England which, from first to last, covered a period of 38 years—from 1793 until 1831. Of the 49 matches played, Surrey won 23 and England 26. In 1800, and again in 1809, Surrey lent England their be-t man, Beldham, and still won ! But the County was very strong from about 1788 until 1810, and in Beldham, Lambert, Robinson, Tom and Harry Walker possessed five such grea.t batsmen as no other county has ever been able to boast contemporaneously. As one recalls those times, many historic figures flit across the mind’s eye. There was, for in­ stance, Lord Frederick Beauclerck, who, although in Holy Orders, possessed a very free vocabulary, and generally reckoned upon making about 600 guineas a year out of the game. Mr. William Ward, to whose credit still stands the highest score ever made at Lord’s, and Mr. Budd and his inseparable but choleric friend, “ Squire” Osbaldeston, were often found playing against the County. The dress then, was, of course, far different from what it is now. Silk stockings and knee breeches were de rigeur, whilst the hat was something between a tall “ post-boy” and a “ bowler.” It must have been amusing to have seen the lanky Tom Walker carefully dropping all Lord Frederick’s best balls down just in front of his bat, until the latter would lose his temper, and, throwing his hat upon the ground, call Tom “ an old beast.” His lordship was always keen upon winning, and, it is to be feared, was not always scrupulous what he did so long as he won. It was of him that the story was first told to the effect that, being asked one day, after he had been bowling unchanged for about three hours and got thoroughly collared, whether he did not think a change desirable, cheerily replied— “ Yf s ! I ’ll go on at the other end ! ” The acquisition by Kent of Fuller Pilch and Mr. Felix enabled that county to meet England with good prospects of success seven decades ago. No other match, not even Gentlemen v. Players, which dates back to 1806, proved so great an attraction, and for many years Kent were able to give their powerful opponents a good game. Gradu­ ally, however, their chief players, in the natural order of things, reached an age when their decreased ability became obvious even to themselves, and one by one they dropped out of the side. For some time the county endeavoured to continue the struggle either by receiving the assistance of “ given ” men or by placing thirteen or more in the field. Even with such odds, however, Kent seldom won, and it was at last recognised that it would be better to discontinue the fixture. When Mynn, Pilch, Wenman, Hillyer, and others were in their prime, victory frequently rested with the county :— “ For with five such mighty cricketers, ’twas but natural to win, As Felix, Wenman, Hillyer, Fuller Pilch and Alfred Mynn.” About the same period matches also took place occasionally between Sussex and Eng­ land, but the latter side was seldom represen­ tative, and the fixture never became so attrac­ tive as the one previously mentioned. Following the time when the powers of Kent declined came the years in which Surrey v. England, Gentlemen v. Players, and the Two Elevens Match were the events of the season. Those players who appeared regu­ larly between 1850 and 1870 passed through a golden age of bowling. Runs almost had to be fought for, and a score of thirty or forty obtained on a rough wicket against professional bowling was about equivalent to a modem hundred. Perhaps no match has ever surpassed that between the United and All England Elevens in interest. No amateur ever appeared in it, and the play was always of the keenest. Carpenter, Daft, Jackson, Freeman, and others have told me that the play was gener­ ally more closely contested than in Gentlemen v. Players matches even, and in those days to be invited to appear for the Gentlemen or the Players was to secure the blue riband of the cricket field. In the seventies the meetings of the Gen- lemen and Players drew enormous crowds. When the two sides played at Lord’s, the Oval, and Prince’s in succession ten days of glorious cricket was provided such as has never been surpassed either before or since. Prince’s has long been built over, but Lord’s remains, as it will ever do, the recognised Mecca of the game. In those days “ W .G .” was in his prime, and was a perfect terror to all bowlers. In consecutive innings, from 1871 to 1873, he scored 217, 77 and 112, 117, 163, 158, and 70 against the Players, although the latter were very strong in bowling during that period. No wonder crowds flocked to see him bat! In 1873 the County Championship Compe­ tition was inaugurated, but it may be doubted whether any inter-county match has proved more attractive than those already mentioned. Lancashire v. Yorkshire and Surrey v. Notts draw thousands together, it is true, but there was an old-time flavour attaching to the Kent v. England, All England v. United, and Gentlemen v. Players’ matches which is miss­ ing from inter-county cricket. The Cham­ pionship matches almost monopolise attention nowadays, but the change, with the gradual development of cricket from a game into a business, was perhaps inevitable. It was in September, 1880, that the first match was played in this country—at the Oval —between England and Australia. On that occasion Australia took the field without their best bowler, Spofforth, but made so good a fight that they went down by five wickets only. Since then some splendid contests have taken place between the two sides, especially at the Oval in 1882 and 1902, and at Man­ chester in the latter year And now, in 1907, a new epoch in the history of the great game has commenced by the inauguration of Test matches between England and South Africa. Our visitors have proved themselves worthy of being pitted against the full strength of this country, and such a fact cannot but make for the good of the game. Two hundred years ago the meeting of London and Mitcham was regarded as a great event; to-day, England v. South Africa is the feature of the season. Times, indeed, have changed. T he G entleman in B lack . WANDERERS v. BICKLEY AND BROMLEY. Played at Bromley on July 1. B ickley and B romley . E. B. Studd, c sub, b H. D. W yatt,.......... A. E. Earnshaw, b C. P. Wyatt .......... P. R. Nelson, b H. D. Wyatt ................. C. L. Gregory, c H. D. Wyatt, b C. P. Wyatt E. Field, c Jephson, b Gillespie .................! A. L. Mark, b C. P. Wyatt ................. R. H. Hayne, c Jeph­ son, b Coleman ... 44 M. Baker, c C. P. Wyatt,bH.D. Wyatt 35 L. A. Tucker, b Cole­ man ........................27 A. C. Freem an, st Behrend,b Coleman 5 L. C. Dolan, not out 1 B 19, nb 1 ..........20 Total ...247 W anderers . S. Colman, b Mark ... 73 D. L. A. Jephson, b M ark........................ 4 ( T. C. Stafford, b Field105 ! R. Renward, c and b F ield........................36 II. D.Wyatt,cGregory, b. Mark ................. P. P. Lincoln, not out 19 E. P. Wyatt, not out 14 B 10, lb 2, w 1, nb 14 Total (5 wkts) 265 E. H. Fischer, J. D. Gillespie, A. L. Sloper, and A. H. Behrend did not bat.