Cricket 1910

M a y 5, 1 9 1 0 . CR ICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 99 The construction of the Demon Drivers is fully described in The Evolution of a Cricket Bat , which may be obtained free upon applica­ tion. CRICKET IlMFROVED MAKE- KEEP THEIR SHAPE LAS ■' LONCERE CATALOQUE UPON APPLICATION. CATALOGUE UPON APPLICATION. E 0 OTHLL IMPROVEDMAKE-KEEPTHEIR SHAPE-LASTLONGER! _____________ CATALOGUE UPON APPLICATION. O/- DEMON D R I V E R S 7 f WSVO O ARE outand out the BESi. / Q OTHERGRADES7 '-6-5'- ‘H-'6-A-/-3'S~3'-2f6~Z^' CAtALOOUB UPON APPLICATION TO GEQ. G. BUSSEY & Co.. L td . 36 & 38, Queen Victoria St., LONDON. Manufactory — Timber Mills — PECKHAM, S.E. ELMSWELL, SUFFOLK. Agents all over the world. AT THE SIGN OF THE W ICK E T . By F. S. A sh ley -C ooper . OLD KENT ISH CRICKET POEMS (Concludedfrom Vol. 28, page 1*31.) IV.— T he N oble G ame of C rick et . These verses, which appeared in tbe Kentish Gazette dated Tuesday, August 18, to Satur­ day, August 22, 177^, were written on the occasion of a match in Bishopsbourne Pad­ dock on August 19 and 20 that year between Hambledon and England (or Kent, according to another account). In those far-off days the Hampshire and Hambledon Elevens were practically identical, and a contem­ porary account states that “ Hampshire had the choice of two men an(J All England, on the side of whom were five of Sir Horace Mann’s Club, two men out of Surrey the other four of Kent.” The score of the match, as given in Scores and Biograpldts, is as follows:— In B ishopsbourne P addock , near C anterbury , . August 19 and 20, 1772. H ambledon , with Yalden & Edmeads. 1st Inn. 2nd Inn. T. Brett ........... ...........11 — ... 11 T. Sueter ........... ...........20 — .. 0 G. Leer ........... ...........29 — ... 7 J. Small, sen. ... ...........22 — ... 48 Peter Stewart (“ Buck ”) 13 — ... 12 — Ridge, Esq.... ........... 4 — ... 8 William Barber ........... 0 — ... 2 W. Hogsflesh ... ........... 0 — ... 1 W. Yalden.......... ........... 4 — ... 1 John Edmeads ........... 7 — ... 4 E d w a r d A b u r r o w (“ Curry”) ... ........... 0 — ... 6 Byes ... ........... 7 Byes.. ... 13 123 113 E ngland . 1st Inn. 2nd Inn. “ L u m p y ” (E d w a rd Stevens)........... ...........14 — ... 12 R. May ........... ... 3 — — Wood ........... ........... 0 — ... 20 — Pattenden ... ...........20 — ... 4 — Minshull ... ... 24 — ... 9 — Simmons ........... 3 — ... 1 — Fuggles......... ........... 0 — ... 1 J. Miller ........... ...........14 — n otou t ... 17 Thomas White... ... ... 8 — ... 5 — Palm er........... ...........29 — ... 14 J. Boorman ........... 0 — not out ... 2 Byes ........... 21 Byes .. ... 16 136 101 England winning by 2wickets. t was stated that “ The concourse of spectators was incredible, and a computa­ tion could scarcely be formed ; but there were supposed to be in the field on the first day’s sport between 15,000 and 20,000 people, among whom were several noblemen, and the principal gentlemen of the county, and other persons of rank and distinction.” Assist all ye Muses, and join to rehearse An old English sport never prais’d yet in verse, ’Tis C ricket I sing, of illustrious fame, No Nation e’er boasted eo noble a game. Derry down, &c. Great Pindar has bragg’d of his heroes of old, Some were swift in the race, some in battle were bold; The brows of the victor with Olive were crown’d, Hark, they shout! and O lympia returns the glad sound. What boasting of C astor and P ollux his brother, The one fam’d for riding, for bruising the other; Their lustre’s eclipsed by our lads in the field, To M inshall and M iller those brothers must yield, (a) Here’s guarding and catching, and throwing and tossing, Aud bowling and striking, and running and crossing. Each mate must excel iu some principal part, The Pentathlon of G reece could not show so much art. The parties are met and array’d all in white, Fam’d E lis ne’er boasted so pleasing a sight, Each nymph-looks askew at her favourite swain, And views him half stript, bDth with pleasure and pain. The wickets are pitch’d now, and measur’d the ground, Then they form a large ring, and stand gazing around. Since A jax fought H ector , in sight of all T roy , No contest was seen with tuch fear and such j°y- Ye Bowlers take heed, to my precepts attenl, On you the whole fate of the game must depend; Spare your vigour at first, nor exert all your strength, But measure each step, and be sure pitch a length. Ye Strikers observe when the foe shall draw nigh, Mark the bow’er advancing with vigilant eye: Your skill all depends upon distance and sight, Stand firm to your scratch, let your bat be upright. Ye Fieldsmen look sharp, lest your pains ye beguile, Move close, like an army, in rank and in file, When the ball is return’d, back it sure, for I trow Whole States have been ruin’d by one overthrow. The sport is now o’er, IO victory rings, Echo doubles the chorus, and fame spread her wings, Let us now hail our champions, all steady and true, Such as H omer ne’er sung of, nor P indar e’er knew. (a) Minshull was stated by Nyren to be one of the best batsmen opposed to the Hambledon Club. He made 60 not out against that Club for England sit Sevenoaks in 1777, and 75 for Surrey (playing as a given man ”)a t Laleham Burway in the following year. He was gardener to the (3rd) Duke of Dorset, and “ as conceited as a wagtail.” Joseph M iller.-(Sec footnote Vol. xxviii., page 389, col. 1.) I A 11ALOGUE UPON APPLICATION.