Cricket 1911

CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE SAME. MAY 13 , 1911 . “ Together joined in Cricket’s manly toil.”— Byron. no. 8 6 7 . v o l . xxx. SATURDAY, MAY 1 3 , 1 9 1 1 . price 2 d. Chats on the Cricket Field. Mr. R. T. CRAWFORD. B . T. C R AW F O R D , the subject o f this I then under the tutelage o f Mr. W . T. Graburn, and scored interview, is the second o f the three brothers j innings o f 18 against Claygate, 25 against H on or Oak, 35 w ho have shone in the realms o f cricket. |against D ulw ich, and 95 for Public Schools again st the Surrey Colts. In that year m y younger brother ja c k , then nearly twelve years o f age, also H e was born at Leicester in 1882, and was | e d u c a t e d p r i v a t e l y at Croydon and Eastbourne. H is cricket, like that o f his famous brothers, V . E . S. and J. N ., was acquired at Cane H ill Asylum , where his father, the Rev. J. C. Crawford, has for twenty- seven successive seasons been the guiding spirit, and who him self last year, at the age o f 61, headed the club’s averages. H ere, from very early childhood, “ R .T .” practised with his brothers on the beautiful ground o f the Asylum , under the care­ ful watch of “ the Parson,” though, singular to say, they were left entirely to form their own styles both in batting and bow ling. On a fine day there is nothing better than to visit the ground, and indulge in a quiet chat w ith the members of the fam ily, who are all keen cricketers and great frequenters o f the Oval and L ord’s. “ W hen was your first match, M r. C ra w ford ?” “ At the age of eleven I played for the Erratics, and made 5 ; but it was not until 1897, previous to which I had been scoring a lot o f runs and taking m any wickets for a private school at Eastbourne, that I achieved m y first great bow ling feat for the A sylum —against Caterham -Depot, taking 4 wickets for one run on ly.” “ When did you begin to be identified with the Surrey Club? ” “ In 1898 I played several matches for the Surrey Colts, Photo by ] [Howard M. King, Croydon. Mr. REGINALD TREVOR CRAWFORD. played w ith me for the Y oung Surrey Amateurs against the Brixton W an ­ derers at Dulw ich and scored 1. The follow ing year I played in eighteen matches for the club, and became a m ember o f the Wanderers, playing in thir­ teen o f their matches. M y highest score for the season was only 70, for the W an ­ derers against Addiscom be on the ground that has now been built upon, and which was the cause o f the club being dissolved.” “ H ave not you and your brothers all made double centuries at the O v a l?” “ Y e s ; in 1900 for the Surrey Colts against the Stanley Club I m ade 243 in two hours and a-quarter, m y brother Frank made 218 for the Y oung Amateurs against Yroung Professionals before the luncheon interval on the first day o f the match, and Jack m ade 232 against Som erset.” “ W hen did you enter upon county crick e t?” “ In 1901. F or some time I had been approached by Leicestershire to play for th em ; but m y father was averse to m y going out o f Sur­ rey cricket so lon g as there was a chance o f me playing w ith V . F . S. H ow ever, on receiving another pressing appeal, and feeling I should like to enter upon first-class cricket, I wrote to the late Mr. A lcock, and asked whether there was any likelihood o f the Comm ittee wanting m e to play for them , and in reply was told that they never guaranteed any amateur