Cricket 1907

M arch 28, 1907. CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 39 T h e R e v . W . G. A r m itst e ad . The Rev. William George Armitstead, who was born at The Hermitage, Holmes Chapel, Cheshire, on March 22nd; 1833, died at the Vicarage, Goostrey, in the same county, on the 13th inst. He was educated at Westminster and Oxford, and played against Cambridge in 1863, 1854, 1856, and 1857, being contemporary with such well-known exponents of the game as Reginald Hankey, E. H. L. Willes, W. Ridding, Walter Fellows, C. D. Marsham, C. G. Lane, and A. P. Law. Although Mr. Armitstead was on the winning side three times, his batting did not contribute much to the successes, for his highest innings were only 26 in 1853, and 14 and 25 in 1857. Scores and Biographies (iv. 344) describes him as “ a fine, free hitter, especially to the off and leg, and an admirable long-stop: ” bis lob-bowling was also occasionally successful. Probably his best year was 1862 when, among many fine scores, he made 177 for Gentlemen of Cheshire v. Ludlow, at Chelford, and 116 for the Free Foresters v. the Surrey Club, at the Oval. He is, perhaps, best remembered owing to his connection with the Free Foresters, which Club he assisted to found on July 20th, 1856. He played fre­ quently with the F.F. for several years, but, when batting against the Gentlemen of Lancashire, at Manchester, in 1872, met with an accident whereby the Ten­ don Achilles was snapped, and which practically closed his cricketing career. When told that he would probably not have the full use of the leg again for a couple of years, he wrote to one of his friends:— ‘ ‘ I remember me of my Horace, and I must hang up my bat and pads on my study wall with the familiar stanza :— ‘ V ixi duellis nuper idoneus Et militavi non sine laudibut ; Nunc arma defunctumque bello M i baeulum hie paries habitat.' I really was Jit enough. Y ou see I have softened the gloria —that is native modesty.” In Annals o f the Free Foresters, 1856- 1894 he gave a most interesting account of the tie-match played between X IV . of the Free Foresters and Nottinghamshire, on the Trent Bridge ground, in 1863. He certainly had good material to work upon, for the finish was full of excite­ ment, the last two batsmen, Biddulph (33) and Wootton (30 not out), coming together when 69 were still required to win, and adding 68: the former was dismissed lbw. by Goodrich whilst running-in to make the winning hit. Mention of Goodrich recalls the fact that the following inscription on his memorial in the church at Stamford was composed by Mr. Armitstead :— lEn "affectionate jtlcmoin of THOMAS COOPER GOODRICH, A RARE CRICKETER AND A GOOD MAN, WHO DIED MARCH 10TH, 1885, AGED 62. THIS TABLET WAS ERECTED BY SOME LOVING FRIENDS. GIVING ALL DILIGENCE HE ADDED TO FAITH, VIRTUE J AND TO VIRTUE, KNOWLEDGE J AND TO KNOWLEDGE, PATIENCE; AND TO PATIENCE, GODLINESS; AND TO GODLINESS BROTHERLY KINDNESS. The Rev. W. G. Armitstead was Vicar of Goostrey from 1862 until his death. M r . E . H odges . Mr. Edward Hodges, with whom an interview appears in this number (p. 33), was born at Bellringbam, SuttonValence, on February 11th, 1819, and died at Southsea on February 20th. He was a very useful batsman, a good medium- paced bowler, and generally fielded at point. His name will be found in the match between the Gentlemen of Kent and I Zingari, at Canterbury, in 1853. It was his mother who gave her brother, Mr. John Willes, the idea of round­ armed bowling by throwing to him in practice. THE LATE MR. C. W . ALGOCK . The following resolution, for which we beg to express our greatest appreciation, reached us by the last mail from America : The Associated Cricket Clubs of Philadel­ phia have heard with the greatest regret and sorrow of the death of Mr. Charles William Alcock at Brighton, England, on February 26th, 1907. Sir. Alcock in 1882 founded Cricket , and had been Editor and Proprietor of that paper from the date of its foundation to the time of his death. In addition to this position, and that of Secretary of the Surrey County Cricket Club, Mr. Alcock had been identified with all that is best in cricket in England, and the Associated Cricket Clubs of Philadelphia desire to take this opportunity of recording their great appreciation of his devoted and unselfish work for the good of the game of cricket in England, in America, and elsewhere, and particularly desire to express their deep appreciation of the great interest Mr. Alcock showed in the cricket of Phila­ delphia on all occasions; he having personally made the arrangements for all of the tours of the Gentlemen of Philadelphia in England and for all of the Haverford College Cricket Tours in England, and having in innumer­ able ways made the stay of all teams in England most happy, both to the teams collectively and to the members individually. Mr. Alcock had this year arranged for the tour of the University of Pennsylvania Cricket Team, and on many other occasions, whenever Philadelphia cricketers have vibited England, he always treated them with the greatest courtesy and hospitality. It is moved, seconded, and unanimously carried that this minute, which inadequately expresses the feeling of the Associated Cricket Clubs of Philadelphia and the cricketers of Philadelphia, be spread upon the minutes of the Associated Cricket Clubs, and a copy be published in Cricket , a copy be sent to the Surrey County Cricket Club, and a copy be published in The American Cricketer. SPALD ING ’S CR ICKET A N N U A L * Of the making of Cricket Annuals there is, apparently, no end. Some of them are use­ less, some indifferent, and the rest—a few— of interest and value. Spalding’s Cricket Annual, the latest new-comer, belongs to the latter category and is a very welcome produc­ tion. It contains 242 pages, the majority of them devoted to last season’s cricket, and is profusely illustrated. The editor and pub­ lishers are to be heartily congratulated upon producing such an interesting and well-printed book at so modest a price. Perhaps in future years it may be found possible to issue an edition bound in boards at a slightly increased cost, as paper covers for a book of the size and weight of Spalding's Annual will not prove very durable. [C R IC K E T IN IND IA . IN D IAN SCHOOLS v. ENGLISH SCHOOLS. J Played at Calcutta in the last week of February. The English Schools won by three wickets. Several familiar names will be found in the England team in this match. The suc­ cessful side were set 329 to win in four hours and a-quarter, and made the runs with an hour to spare. Score : — I n d ia n S ch ools . A. B. Rosser, c Nicholls.b Quin..................112 B. Mookerjee, Ibw, b Guise......................... 5 M. Quiterio, lbw, b Guise ........................... 77 H. R. Mehta, b Quin ...............................29 H. A. Bailey, b Stewart...............................19 G. Hodges, b Ernsthausen....................... 15 A. McOready, b Ernsthausen ................. 9 A. E. CJooper, b Stewart ........................10 F. Knolles, c Ernsthausen, b Stewart ... 18 E. Templeton, b Ernsthausen .................. 4 A. Vaughan, not out ................................ 5 Extras ..........................................25 Total ................. ..328 E n g l ish S ch oo ls . J. I). Guise (Merchiston), c Rosser, b Bailey........................ ....................... 134 B. E. G. Eddis (Charterhouse), c Cooper, b Vaughan............................................. () R. R. Pope (Edgbaston), lbvv, b Vaughan 60 G. Turnbull (Fettes), b Templeton......... 1 R. O. R. Hill (Clifton), b Templeton ... 0 C. B. Nicholls (Chigwell), b Templeton ... 19 A. C. von Ernsthausen (Uppingham). lbw, b McCready ................. ... ... 42 0. P. Bartholomew (St. Edwards), not out 33 Extras.............................................43 Total (7 wickets).., ...332 M. R. Quin (Prior Park), F. H. Stewart (Harrow), anil A. C. Tatam (Bedford) did not bat. BOMBAY GYMKHANA v. RO YAL N AVY . This match, played on the Gymkhana ground, on February 15th, ended in a very pronounced victory for the home side. Capt. Hickley, who has appeared for Somerset, played a very good innings : he went in first and carried out his bat. Score :— B o m b a y G y m k h a n a . F. P. West, c Hick- ley, b Culmorc ... 0 Comdr.Wilson,not out 25 Rhc Phillipe, c Ben 11 , b Smythies .......... 7 G. W. Dawson, not out ........................29 Extras .......... 2 Total(7wkts )*226 J. Monteath, c sub., b Mainpricc ..........22 G. W. Gillett, b Mainprice.................43 Capt. Bradfield, c Ben­ bow, b Smythies ... 13 E. E. Coombs, 0 Colemore,bSmythies 79 Capt. Thompson, c Benbow, b Smythies 6 S. R. Gordon, Rougliton, and R. Peel did not bat. * Innings declared closed. * Spalding’s Cricket Annual : Edited by “ McW.” The British Sports Publishing Company Ltd., 2, Hind Court, Fleet Street, E.O. Gd. nett. R o y a l Capt. Hickley, not out 39 Lt. Gibson, c Coombs, b West ................. 0 Benn, b Coombs.......... 2 Lt. Benbow, b Coombs 0 Mainprice, c Brad­ field, b Coombs ... 14 Capt. Nicholson, lbw, b Coombs................. 9 Lt.Heycock,b Coombs 3 N a v y . Lt. Smythies, c Daw- .son, b Coombs Lt. Clifton Mogg, c Roughton, b West... Lt. Risk, c Rhe Phil- lipe, b West .......... Coleinore, b West ... Dr. Sheward, b West Extras .......... Total , 84. Messrs. Benetlink & Co., of 107-108, Cheapside, E.C., have recently issued their Cricket and 'lennis Catalogue for 19U7. It will be sent post free to any eader of this paper applying for same.