Cricket 1911

A pe il 29, 1 9 l l . CRICKET : A W EEK LY RECORD OE THE GAME. 97 Gngland’s Greatest Eleven. In the last issue of C r ic k e t appeared a letter from “ Roxa ”—a nom-de-plume which concealed the identity of a keen student of cricket history—which raised the question in which year England was able to place her strongest Eleven in the field. The opinions were then given of Lord Harris, William Caffyn and Capt. W. E. Denison. Subjoined will be found a further instalment of the views of famous players of other days. S i r . H. M . 1’ l o w d e x , the famous Harrovian who captained Cambridge in 1862 and 1863, writes : “ I do not consider myself justified to give an opinion of any value on the question suggested in your periodical. My personal experience and observation of first-class cricket ceased in 1867. Absence in India deprived me, except in two or three seasons, for twenty-seven years of anything but a paper acquaintance with the leading players. Limiting my remark, to the period before 1867, I should endorse the Eleven specified in Caffyn’s book which is referred to in your last number.” M r . R. F. M il e s (Marlboro’, Oxford and Gloucester­ shire) remarks : “ I should name 1871 as the best year for England to put a team into the field, and I should be content with ‘ ‘ Roxa’s ” side, only substituting I. D. Walker for R. A. H. Mitchell, as, speaking from memory, the latter was not playing much first-class cricket after he left Oxford. Possibly I. D. Walker might have captained such a team, in which case G. F. Grace might come in instead of V. E. Walker, who perhaps was a little past his best then.” Canon McCormick, the Cambridge captain of 1856, says : “ It is impossible accurately to decide which was England’s greatest Eleven. One could put a chosen Eleven on paper, but I understand you to mean an eleven that actually played. One year is splendid for batting, and another for bowling. When Sam Woods and Jackson were at their best they made the eleven. I have no record by me, but in the famous. year when they bowled throughout the.whole match I suppose “ W.G. ” and Stoddart were in the eleven. If so it was equally strong in batting and bowling.” [Canon McCormick’s reference is, of course, to the Gentlemen’s eleven at Lords’ in 1894. Messrs. Woods and Jackson bowled unchanged throughout and the Players were beaten by an innings and 39 runs. The Gentlemen’s team consisted of W. G. Grace, A . E. Stoddart, H. T. Hewett, F . S. Jackson, G. J. Mordaunt, A . C . MacLaren, J. Douglas, .1. R. Mason, H. W. Bainbridge, S. M. J. Woods and G. MacGregor.—Ed., C r ic k e t .] Mr. F. C . C o b d e n , the hero of the University match of 1870, says : “ The question asked is a very hard one to answer. The following would have been my selection, and it would apply equally to 1870 and 1871 : 1.1). Walker (capt.) Daft W. G. Grace . Pooley G. F. Grace with Emmett W. Yardley Shaw (A.) C. I. Thornton Freeman C. J. Ottaway But for his weak fielding and batting I should like to have given D. Buchanan a place. C. I. Thornton 1 consider indispensable, because, like Jessop, he was capable of demoralising any bowling. I leave out V. E. Walker reluctantly, as I rank him the first captain of any time.” R. G. B ahlow says, “ The question is rather difficult to answer as the wickets have greatly improved during the past fifteen years and are vastly superior to those of twenty-five to forty years ago. From 1870 to 1885 or so the batsmen had to fight much harder to make their runs, which tested their qualities to the full. The following (1884) eleven were an excellent team indeed, and I can imagine what a splendid account of themselves they would give on the present-day wickets : Lord Harris (or A. P. Lucas) Hon. Alfred Lyttelton Dr. W. G. Grace A. N. Hornby A. G. Steel W. W. Read Shrewsbury Ulyett Barnes Bates( or Alfred Shaw) Peate Here we have a very fine all-round eleven, all Test match players unequalled for nerve and pluck and first-class in the field. G e o r g e G if f e n , in With Bat and Ball, says (page 113) ‘ ‘ The interest taken in the third 1884 match was tremen­ dous. Having one game on the slate, England was deter­ mined not to lose her advantage, and to this end the team to oppose us was not chosen until the last moment. Then the following magnificent Eleven was put in the field : Lord Harris, the Hon. Alfred Lyttelton, W. G . Grace, A. G . Steel, W. W. Read, Barlow, Barnes, Shrewsbury, Peate, Ulyett and Scotton—the strongest side which, in my humble judgment, has ever represented England.” “ A V e t e r a n o f t h e F o r t ie s ” says : “ I fancy the enclosed list of cricketers, who might well have played together in 1845-6, would be hard to beat : A. Mynn Fuller Pilch Lillywhite Hillyer Redgate N. Felix Box C. G.^Taylor Guy Barker Clarke “ Vixere fortes ante W. G . and Mitchell.” [By 1845 and 1846 Redgate, though still an active cricketer, was past his best, ill-health being the cause. We would suggest Sir Frederick Bathurst being chosen in his stead. — E d ., C r ic k e t ] J am es L il l y w h it e , who possesses the strongest qualifica­ tions to express an opinion, writes :—“ I think that the best English team we could put in the field was about 1880, the players being— A. G. Steel A. N. Hornby Hon. A. Lyttelton Lord Harris Barnes Peate G. F. Grace W. G. Grace Shrewsbury Ulyett Shaw (Alfred). Given a hard, dry wicket Barlow or Emmett might take the place of Peate. Those who can remember so far back will see that, besides Shaw and Peate, the team contains five other bowlers in A. G. Steel, W. G. and G. F. Grace, Ulyett and Barnes, who were also great batsmen capable of any amount of runs ; in fact, the batting order would be difficult to decide on. At that time W. W. Bead and Bates also would have had. supporters to urge their claims for inclusion. I believe that the side mentioned would easily account for any team we could just at present put into the field.” T he R e v . S. C. V o u les , of Marlborough and Oxford and the first captain of the Somerset eleven, says :—“ I have no cricket Guides to refer to, but am inclined to think that the strongest eleven of 1871 would have been hard to beat, com­ posed, say, of the following:— I. D. Walker (capt.) W. G. Grace Freeman Pooley Shaw (Alfred) Emmett Daft E. M. Grace G. F. Grace W. Yardley Hayward I don’t think D. Buchanan or Shaw (J. C.) would have been in the team, admirable bowlers as they were, on account of their bad fielding. E. M. Grace had, perhaps, passed his best, but was still invaluable as an all-round man.” (A further selection of opinions wilt appear next week,)