Cricket 1909

S ept . 23, 1909. CR ICK E T : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 4J9 The construction of the Demon Drivers is fully described in The E vo lu tio n of a Cricket B a t, which may be obtained free upon applica­ tion. CRICKET; IMFROVEOMAKE- KEEPTHEIR SHAPE-LAS ! LONGER^ CATALOGUE UPON APPLIC ATION . CATALOGU E UPON APPLICATION . CATALOGU E UPON APPLICATION . n m APPLICATION™ AT THE SIGN OF THE WICKET. B y F. S. A sh le y -C oo p e b . EO 0 IMLLS IMPROVEDMAKE-KEEPTHEIR SHAPE-LASTLONCERlS CATALOGU E UPON APPLICATION . B U S # E Y S QA-DEMON D R IV E R S 7 /U i 6 ARE OUT AHD OUT THE BEST. | Q MSBEESESm CATALO GU E UPON APPLICATION ! TO: 5 GEO. G. BUSSEY & Co., L td . 36 & 38, Queen Victoria St., LONDON. Manufactory — Timber Mills PECKHAM, S.B. ELMSWELL, SUFFOLK. A gents all over the w orld. O LD K E N T IS H C R IC K E T POEMS. III.— T h e N o b le C r ic k e t e b s . This poem, which is now reprinted for the first time since it was published as a quarto pamphlet of 22 pages 131 years ago, has little but its antiquity to recommend it. A more bitter attack upon any person, or persons, it would be difficult to imagine : the author, in fact, at times uses language which it would be impossible to reproduce in these twentieth- century days. In the previous two issues of C ricket it has been shown that between 130 acd 140 years ago the chief patrons of Kent and Surrey cricket were respectively the 3rd Duke of Dorset and the 4th E arl of Tanker- ville. It was the devotion to the game of these highly-placed personages which called forth “ The Noble Cricketers.” The author, whose wish to remain anonymous one can quite understand, evidently possessed but slight knowledge of the game; had it been otherwise he could hardly have given Hogs- flesh’s name as Horseflesh or have referred to the great John Small as Sam. As previously stated, the work has little merit, but many students of the game w ill be glad to see it reprinted, for copies are to be found in very few collections. T H E NOBLE CRICKETERS: A POETICAL AND FAMILIAR E E I S T X j E , A D D E E S S ’D TO TW O O F T H E ID L E S T LO RD S IN H IS M A J E S T Y ’S THREE KINGDOMS. Ovo prognatus codem. LONDON P r in t e d : SOLD BY J. BEW, NO. 28 , PATERNOSTER ROW, 1778 . [PRICE ONE SHILLING.] The Dedication was in the following terms:— To his Grace the Duke of D .. s .. t, and the E a rl of T .. k .. v .. lie. M Y LORDS, T H E following Trifle was intended for your Perusal, last year; but not being one of the Genus irrita b ile V atu m , but on the contrary, a Bard of Meekness and C h ris tia n Forbearance, I deferr’d the Publication, from the fond Hope, that as you grew older you might grow w iser ■ . . Disappointed in my Wishes, and despairing of a Reformation (for I am inform ’d that you have got a fresh Cargo of Bats and Balls, and that Lumpy, Small, Horseflesh (a), with several other (a) William Hogsflesh (not Horseflesh) was a member of the Hambledon Club. He was famous in his day as a bowler, and Nyren stated that he had a high delivery. equally respectable Personages, are order’d to prepare their Shins for another Campaign) I take the Liberty of presenting to your Lord­ ships this Testimonial of my Regard. May it produce an Amendment ! . . . ’Tis said that Nero fiddled whilst Rome was burning. . . . The conduct of your Lordships, seems nearly similar. . . . Fo r Godsake, fling away your Bats, kick your Mob-companions out of your House, and though you can do your bleeding Country no service , cease to accu­ mulate Insult on Misfortune, by making it ridiculous . I am, M y L o r d s , <& c . T H E A U T H O R . The concluding remarks refer, of course, to the War of American Independence, then drawing to its unsuccessful close. And here it may be mentioned, for the facts are not stated by Mr. Haygarth in Scores and B iographies , that the ninth E arl of W in- chilsea (like Lord Tankerville, a great patron of Surrey cricket) served in America as a volunteer in 1776, becoming a Major in the 87th Foot in 1779, and Lieut.-Col. in 1780. ‘T T T 'H IL S T Britain for her slaughter’d YV Legions sighs, And sunk with Wounds her fav’rite Daughter dies; W hilst p ity weeps o’er many a Hero’s Doom, And d e a th in surly Triumph strides the T om b ; 0 Muse, relate the mighty Cares that fill The Souls of D .. s .. t, and of T .. k .. v .. lie. From G lo r y far, at F o l l y ’s Shrine they fall, Leagu’d with that wond’rous W ight, yclep’d Sam. S m a ll; (b) W ith Lum py, H o r s e fle s h , and a Score be­ side, (c) Scum of St. Giles’s, and their Lordships Pride. Where mob-encirl’d midst th’ Artillery Ground, (d) Pimps: Porters, Chimney Sweepers grinning round, F ar from the Cannon’s Roar, they try at Cricket, Stead of their Country, to secure a W ick e t: There mad for Praise, they Glutton like devour (6) John (not Sam) Small, the crack batsman of Hambledon and one of the original members of that famous Club, was born in 1737 and died in 18*26. He played his first great match in 1755 and his last —at Lord’s, at the age of 61—in 1798. He was a member of the Petersfield choir for 75 years, and until within three or four years of his death used regularly to follow the hounds on foot. His wife had a belief that, if she did not attend a match in which he was playing, the Hambledonians would suffer defeat. She always made her appearanco with a green umbrella of enormous dimensions, which she would flourish excitedly in order to signal her husband every hit, shouting the while, “ Run, man, run ; you 11 be o u t ! ” Among his bost scoros for the Club were 140 v. Kent in 1768 and 136 not out v. Surrey in 1775. (e) Lumpy. See page 388, col. (2 foot). Horseflesh. See foot-note a. (d) The Artillery-Ground, in Finsbury, London, was for very many years the scene of the best matches of the time. Cricket is still played there. As far back as 1725 it was complained that the game caused the hurling matches which took place there to be neglected, and proceedings were taken against Mr. Robinson in consequence. But cricket flourished there and was supported by many people of position and title, including Frederick Louis, Prince of Wales, and the Duke of Cumberland (“ Butcher”). For several years the ground was headquarters of the London Club, and it was there that the Laws of the Game were drawn up in 1744. Collectors will be acquainted with the print entitled “ The G am e at C r ic k e t as play'd in the A r t i l l a r y G ro u n d , L on d on .” It was “ printed for Robt. Sayer, at the Golden Buck in Fleet Street.” In the picture William Hogarth, without a wig, is shown keeping- wicket.