Cricket 1911

J u ly 8 ,1911 . CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 317 Tunbr idge Wells Cricket. Although sixty-six years have passed since the Kent eleven first took the field at Tunbridge Wells, the game had been played in that beautiful spot over a hundred years earlier. In a pamphlet published as far back as the reign of George II. the occupations of the visitors were described at some length, and in the course of the account it was stated that “ The outdoor amusements are cricketing, horse races, and other diversions; such as walking, riding and airing in carriages on the contiguous heaths and commons, or excursions to some of the most remarkable places in the environs of the Wells.” So much for ancient history. Now let us turn to more modern times. We have said that the first occasion on which the Kent eleven took the field at Tunbridge Wells was in 1845. That was against their near and dear neighbours, Sussex, who, after a splendidly-con­ tested game, pulled through by seven runs, although dismissed for 38 by Alfred Mynn and Hillyer in tbeir second innings. The match was played on the Corumcn, where the wickets provided Were, of course, of a very different nature from those in use to-day: on the rough and bumpy pitches of those times large scores were seldom chronicled, PhotohiA [Hawkinst&Co.,Brighton. JAS. SEYMOUR. for the reason that the ground partook so much of the Grampian Hills that a civil engineer alone could do justice to it. In the match referred to there were 69 extras and the highest score made for either side was Charles Hammond’s 31 not out in the first innings of Sussex. Almost needless to add- though it is not suggested that the roughnees of the wicket had anything to do with the matter—not one of the twenty-two players who took part in that match of 1845 survives. For eight years Sussex paid an annual visit to Tunbridge Wells, winning three matches, losing four and drawing one. Then, in 1853, Kent and Sussex combined forces and met England in a game which was left unfinished. The match was marked by some rather remark­ able bowling on the part of old William Clarke, of Nottingham, who was then in his fifty-fifth year. In the first innings of the counties he bowled 53 successive balls without being scored from, and shortly after 55 more, being hit for a 2 and two 3's between the two feats. It was at Tunbridge Wells 51 years later, though not on the same ground, that Blythe, did something similar in the match with Sussex, for, bowling with wonderful (and characteristic) accuracy, he delivered his first twelve;pvgrs (72 balls) for one run, that being all that was scored from him in an hour. Another noteworthy bowling feat performed at Tunbridge Wells was chronicled in 1878, when, in the second innings of Sussex, Mr. A. Penn obtained six wickets for three runs. The players he dis­ missed were Messrs. A. W. Anstruther, J. M. Mare, Herbert Whit- feld, W. A. Bettesworth and C. A. Brown and James Phillips. Almost thirty years later—in 1906, to be exact—Mr. J. W . H. T. Douglas, whilst playing at Tunbridge Wells for Essex, sent down a curious over in the course of which Seymour played-on to a no-ball, Huish was caught off another, Seymour was missed by Mr. P. A. Perrin and Huish was bowled. One might fill many columns in dilating upon the many unusual and remarkable incidents recorded in inter-county cricket at Tunbridge Wells, but particulars of only a few others can be recorded now owing to considerations of space. In the match with Sussex in 1858 George Bennett was injured and his place in the field was taken by John Sands, who made as many as four catches in the second innings of Kent’s opponents. In 1876, when Sussex were beaten by one wicket, the finish was most exciting. Twenty- seven runs were required when Henty went in, last man, and joined Lord Harris. The number was successfully obtained, the latter (84) making the majority of the runs and Henty carrying out his bat for 4. It was in this match that Harry Phillips, whilst keeping wicket to the fast bowling of Mr. C. A. Brown, missed the ball and had his nose broken. When Surrey were the visitors in 1880 Harry Jupp batted an hour and a quarter for 5 runs, an innings which compared strangely with that against Somerset four seasons later by Mr. Frank Marchant, who, in the course of an innings of 77, hit twenty-one threes. Seldom does a Week take place without something noteworthy being chronicled. Last year, as all who follow the game at all closely will remember, Kent beat Somerset by 306 runs and Lanca­ shire by 321, after “ declaring ” with five wickets in hand. It was in the latter match that Humphreys scored 77 and 200 not out, and that W, A. J. West, who was umpiring, stood at point, instead of at square-leg, because Dean, who was bowling, had four men stationed on the on-side—a very reasonable procedure on West’s part. Appended is a table summarising the results of the forty-six matches played at Tunbridge Wells by K ent:— Date of W on by Lost by O pponents. First Match. Kent. Kent. Drawn. Total. Derbyshire............ ... 1874 2 2 0 4 Essex ..................... ... 1906 1 1 0 2 Gloucestershire ... 1906 1 0 0 1 Ham pshire............ ... 1878 2 0 0 2 Lancashire........... , ... 1901 2 1 1 4 M.C.C. and G. ... ... 1879 0 1 0 1 M id d lesex ............ ... 1903 0 0 1 1 Som erset ............ ... 1884 2 0 0 2 S u rrey ............ , ... 1856 1 3 .. 0 4 S u ssex...................., ... 1845 .. 10 7 4 .. 21 W orcestershire.... ... 1905 1 .! o 1 2 Yorkshire ............, ... 1904 0 1 1 2 Total ............ ... 1845 .. 22 .. 16 .. 8 46 NO RFO LK t . D U RH AM .—Played at N orw ich on June 26 and 27 and won b y Durham b y 85 runs. Score:— First innings. D u R n A M . Second innings. W. Curry, c and b Allsopp ............................. 7 c Stevens, b Allsopp............ 11 H endren, c B irkbeck, b Kaikes ..................... 16 b Allsopp ............................ . 17 Harrison, b A llsopp ............................................... 27 b Allsopp ............................ . 31 C. T. Adam son, st Thurgar, b R a ik e s............ 2 c Birkbeck, b Gibson c Thurgar, b Allsopp . 7 T. Kinch, c Collinson, b Raikes ..................... R. Healy, b Raikes ............................................... 54 . 0 0 b Allsopp ............................ . 12 E. B. Proud, c Am es, b Raikes ..................... 11 n ot o u t .................................... . 15 J. Bew ick, c and b Raikes .............................. 16 c Sm ith, b Raikes ............ 9 M orris, b A llsop p....................................................... 1 lbw , b Raikes ................... 0 L. Radcliffe, c Master, b Raikes ..................... 3 lbw , b Allsopp ................... . 0 Sm ith, not out ........................................................ 5 c Am es, b Raikes ........... Byes, &c........................... . 4 Byes, &c............................................ 5 1 Total ...................................... 147 Total ... ».. 107 First innings. N o r f o l k . Rev. Q. B. Raikes, b Hendren.............................. 5 Second innings, b H e n d re n ............................ . 1 C. B. Sm ith, b Morris............................................... 0 b Morris .................... . 1 R. W. Collinson, b M orris...................................... 4 b Morris ................. .. 6 G. A. Stevens, b Morris ...................................... 69 b Morris ............................ . 22 G. W. Birkbeck, b H endren ............................. 4 b Sm ith.................................... . 18 R. W. Thurgar, b H endren .............................. 0 c Sm ith, b Morris ........... . 0 H. C. Master, b Morris ............ .................... 0 b Morris ............................ . 0 E. J. Fulcher, b Morris ...................................... 12 c Morris, b H endren.......... . 0 Allsopp, b M orris....................................................... 0 b Morris ............................. 8 S. S. Am es, b M o r ris............ ............................. 5 b MQrris ..................... .. . 2 Gibson, not out ....................................................... 2 riot o u t ............................. .. . 1 Byes, &c.......................... ............ 7 Byes, &c........................... . 1 T o t a l...................................... 109 Total ................... . 60 FOB SALE.—Vols. XIV. and XV. of “ Cricket,” unbound and complete; also many numbers of “ Cricket” and “ Cricket Field.” —Apply, D. B., Penwyllt, Tunbridge Wells.