Cricket 1910

S e p t . 8 , 1 9 1 0 . CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 387 The construction of the Demon Drivers is fully described in The Evolution of a Cricket Baty which may be obtained free upon applica­ tion. f BALLS CRICKET ilMFROVED MAKE-KEEPTBEtR SHAPE-LAS f LONCERt CATALOQUE UPON APPLICATION. AT THE SIGN OF THE WICKET. By F. S. A sh l e y -C o o p e r . CAIALOQUE UPON APPLICATION. CATALOGUE UPON APPLICATION. CATALOGUE UPON APPLICATION. DEMON D R I V E R S x O 6 ARE OUTAND OUT THE BEST. OTHER GRADES 7 -6 -5 '~ 4 'fe -4 r-3 '6 -3 '~ 2 r6 - Z ,~ 7 6 CATALOGUE UPON APPLICATION TO GEO. G. BUSSEY & Co.. L td . 36 & 38, Queen Victoria St., LONDON. Manufactory — Timber Mills— PRCKHAM , S.E. ELMSWELL, SUFFOLK Agents all over the world. NORFOLK CBICKET. On Thursday last Norfolk won the Minor Counties Championship by defeating Berk­ shire at Norwich by an innings. The latter side had been displaying very good foim for some time before, and their downfall by so pronounced a margin was somewhat surprising. Still, on the form shown in the match, Norfolk were clearly the better side, and their success was well merited. It is pleasing to find the name of the county prominent once more in cricket annals. Time was when the side was one of the strongest in the country —the New Sporting Magazine of July, 1831, described the Norfolk County C.C. as “ Now the next club to the Marylebone ”—and though the county has now won the Minor Championship twice within the space of six years the greatest days of Norfolk cricket belong to the past. There is a tradition that a club existe 1 at Swaffham as early as 1700, and it is not so difficult to credit when one remembers that cricket is found mentioned in a bill of the theatre at Norwich over one hundred and fifty years ago. In 1788, and probably for many years before, there was a club at Norwich the members of which played on Magdalen Fairstead and Mousehold Heath. In the year mentioned the two best clubs in Norfolk were stated to be those at Castleacre and Downham. The standard of the county’s cricket at the end of the eighteenth century, however, was probably low, for in July, 1797, we find Tbirty-three of Norfolk playing Eleven of England on the race-cour.-e at Swaffham and being beaten by an innings and 11 runs. ’I here was only one double- figure score in the match for the XXX ill. — 14 by one Mitchell—and as many as thirty-five noughts! The Connty scored 50 and 80: England, for whom Jom Walker made 55, 144. This somewhat remarkable game was brought about in an interesting way: Lo: d Frederick Beauclerck having been heard to say that England could beat thirty- three of Norfolk, a challenge was sent by the connty wi.h the result recorded. A print has been published of the match, which, according to a more or less truthful local report, was played “ In the presence of an immense number of spectators from all parts of the kingdom.” The result of the encounter may have had a chastening influence on the aspirations of Norfolk to be regardtd as a cricketing county, for several years pass before we find “ Norfolk” taking the field again. Not that the game ceased to be popular in the county. Far frum i t : in fact, clubs seemed to spring up in every town and almost every village, and a glance through old newspapers brings to light many a humorous occurrence and many an interesting and curious match. Thus in 1806 we find two cricketers of Hilborough challenging twenty-five of Thetford: the latter side won with ease. A year later D. Bowd, of Igburgh, a veteran of eighty, beat a man of half his age—J. Spinks, of Hilborough—at single-wicket. A hundred years ago matches between teams of ladies— sometimes dressed “ in jackets and trousers tastefully decorated with blue ribbands ”— were not uncommon, and even shoemakers, innkeepers, carpenters, bricklayers and stage-coachmen had their cricket-clubs. The Alexanders of Hingham and the Cushings of Shipdbam placed family teams in the field, just as thirty years or so later did the eleven brothers Colman. In 1812 we hear of “ The practice of idle men playing at cricket in Chapel-field, and using abusive language to the annoyance of those who frequent that pleasant promenade in Norwich,” whilst three years later Walsing- ham and Fakenham were dismissed by the combined parishes of Litcham, Dunham and B is'ey without a run. This remarkable match—“ unparalleled in the annals of cricketeering” —was p'ayed on Hempton Green on August 1st, 1815. The game must have been very popular in Norfolk about that time for it is recorded that in 1816 seven thousand persons watched a match between Bungay and Needham Market. Evidence of its popularity may or may not be adduced from the fact that in November, 1817, several persons “ who had long resisted the threats and entreaties of the inhabitants, of Old Buckenham,” were convicted before a magistrate at Larlingford and fined for playing cricket on the village- green on Sunday October 2nd in the same year. An important date in tbe annals of Nor­ folk cricket is July 24th, 1820, for it was upon that day that Fuller Pilch, then a lad of seventeen, made his first appearance at Lord’s and fielded whilst Mr. William Ward made 278 - a score which still remains the highest ever obtained at headquarters. Mr. Ward commenced his innings on his thirty- third birthday and batted for three days. The M.C.C. made 473 and 103: Norfolk, who had E. H. Budd, T. Vigne and F. Lad- broke to help them, only 92 and 72. The county were therefore beaten by 417 runs. The three brothers Pilch—Nathaniel,William and Fuller—were tailors, and all played tbeir first game at Lord’s on the occasion men­ tioned. One may doubt whether the Norfolk side really represented the strength of the county in that match, for it was not until January 11th, 1827, that a Norfolk County C.C. was established, at the Rampant Horse Inn, Norwich. At that meeting the rules were adopted, and it was agreed to play four matches during the year, one op each of the four grounds to be established by the Club in the neighbourhood of Norwich, Yarmouth, Swaffham and Gunton. Rule XX. provided that members, clergymen excepted, should wear at ihe annual meetings the uniform dress, “ a dark blue coat with buttons lettered ‘ N.C.C.,’ with white waistcoat, &c.” Another rule enacted that every playing member should be fined half a-sovereign if he absented himself from more than one of the annual matches. The first pres'dent was the 3rd Lord Suffield, who was accidently killed by a fall from his horse on Jilly 6th, 1835; Mr. Philip Gurdon, of Letton, was elected treasurer; and Mr. Henry Hobart, solicitor, of Bethel Street, undertook the secretarial duties. Two practice days a week were fixed and the services of Henry Bentley, of Lord’s, were obtained primarily to lay out a ground at Lakenbam but also to play for Norwich. Bentley was a member of a well- known cricketing family, a first-rate flute player—he was taught by the celebrated Nicholson—and a good cricket coach. For Norwich against the Norfolk Club in June, 1828, he made 74 in his first innings and 88 in his second, and on each occasion carried out his bat. It speaks well for the enthus'asm of Norfolk cricketers of those days to find that in tho very year in which their County Club was formed they had a week’s cricket in their county-town during the Norwich Assize