Cricket 1912

228 CEICKET : A WEEKLY EECOED OP THE GAME. J u n e 8, 1912. unknown to the present generation of followers of the game, but each is now, or was in his day, a power in the land of Army cricket. And there are others. H. Y . Page (Oxford University 1884-87 and Gloucestershire), perhaps the best all-rounder turned ou t by Cheltenham ; F. H. B. Champain (Oxford 1897-1900 and Gloucestershire), and his brothers H . B ., C. E. B ., and J. N. B. The Bateman - Champains are to Cheltenham what the Fosters are to Malvern—names which one unconsciously connects with the history of their respective school’s cricket. Besides the Champains and II. V. Page quite a host of Old Cheltonians have played for Gloucestershire :— F. M. Luce, G. F. Collett, F. Baker, Col. E. A. Bruce, F. A. Carter, Capt. A . H . DuBoulay, C. R. Filgate, Col. W. C. Tonge, Major A. H . Luard, M. G. Salter, G. Strachan and G. N. Wyatt. Strachan afterwards appeared in the ranks of Surrey, and G. N. W yatt is one of the few cricketers who have played for three counties, Gloucestershire, Surrey and Sussex having at one time or other received his help. DuBoulay played in a few matches for Kent before turning out for the Western county, and at Chatham, in July, 1907, hit up 402 (not out) for School of Military Engineering v. Royal Navy and Royal Marines. Besides Du Boulay, Kent has had the services of C. D. Alexander, Major E. M. Blair, C. V. Davy, Col. L. B. Friend, Col. H. H. Harington, P. H ilton, F. H. Mellor, J. N. Tonge and Col II. W . Renny-Tailyour. Major A. H. Luard, mentioned above as having played for Gloucestershire, has also represented Hampshire, as have also .T. M. Quinton, C. V. Eccles, P. J. Bird and Capt. E. I. M. Barrett, the last-named no doubt one of the most brilliant batsmen hailing from Cheltenham. The Jam Sahib, one may remark, tells us in his “ Jubilee B ook of Cricket ” that A. T. Kemble was educated at Cheltenham, but, much as we would like to claim that prince of wicket-keepers, Ranji is wrong, for Kemble was never at Cheltenham. Among other Cheltonians who have appeared in first- class cricket are K . R . B. Fry (a cousin of the great C. B .) and A. W . B. Sclater for Sussex ; M. Turner (Middlesex), C. E. Horner (Surrey), O. M. Samson (Somerset), E. M. Crosse (Northants.) and E. Leese (Lancashire). Three Cheltonians have obtained their blue at Cam­ bridge : these being Matthew Kempson, F. H. Mellor and K . R . B. Fry. Kempson was the hero of the Gentlemen v. Players match at L ord’s in 1853, for, besides making top score (31) in the match, he bowled unchanged with Sir F. Bathurst throughout the Players’ innings of 42 and 69, taking nine wickets. That was Kempson’s first and only appearance for the Gentlemen and Sir Frederick’s twentieth and last but one. The latter took eleven wickets for 50 runs and the former the remaining nine for 54. The Gentlemen won by 60 runs. The ball with which the deed was performed, together with Kempson’s bat, are two highly-prized treasures in the College Museum. Seven Cheltonians have been similarly rewarded' at Oxford. H. V. Page, F. H. B. Champain, M. G. Salter, O. M. Samson, C. A. Garnett, F. R . Price and Earl Lore- burn, the Lord High Chancellor, who is better known to cricketers as R. T. Reid, one of the best amateur wicket­ keepers of the sixties. Lord James of Hereford, the President of the M.C.C. in 1889, was the first captain Cheltenham ever had. He led the Eleven in 1844 and 1845. It is interesting to note that F. H . B. Champain, his brother j . N. B., F. M. Luce, A. H. Du Boulay, E. I. M. Barrett and H . H. C. Baird were contemporary at Chelten­ ham in 1895-6, and there is no doubt that cricket at the College at that time was in a very flourishing state. W . J. Ford, in our old friend Wisden, speaks well of Cheltenham cricket of that period. Cheltenham meet three other Public Schools each year —Marlborough, Clifton and Haileybury, the last-named at Lord’s. The Marlborough match is the oldest of the three, dating from 1856, and of the 55 matches played to date Cheltenham has won 22, Marlborough 19 and 14 have been drawn. Clifton were met first in 1872, and for the first twenty- four years held the upper hand, winning 12 of the 17 com­ pleted games. Latterly, however, Cheltenham have pulled up, and the score now reads Clifton 14, Cheltenham 13 and 10 drawn. The Haileybury match at Lord’s is a more recent institution, dating from 1893. Cheltenham at present leads by one— seven to six—with five drawn games. The 1894 match was won by Cheltenham by one run after a desperate struggle. A match, ending in a draw, was played with Wellington in 1891. Thus of Cheltenham’s 111 Public School matches 42 have been won, 39 lost and 30 drawn. A word of praise is due to W . A. W oof, the old Glouces­ tershire bowler, for the success of Cheltenham cricket. He has been chief coach and groundsman at Cheltenham for many years, and, as long as he is there, it will be no fault of his if a Cheltonian leaves school unable to hold a straight bat, or if a bowler is able to find a spot on the wonderful wickets he prepares. Cheltenham has always been fortunate in the selection of her professionals, com­ mencing with old James Lillywhite in 1.855. PRICE ONE PENNY. POST FREE lia . PRICE ONE PENNY. M.C.C. TOUR IN AU STR A L IA . A Com plete Illustrated Account of the Cricket Tour in Australia, 1911-12. By F. N eville Piggott. O f all County Cricket Grounds, and Sm ith & Sons’ Bookstalls. Rules of all Games and Sports. Catalogue on application. P u b lish e d b y t h e “ CR ICKE T P R E S S ,” 2 5 , T e m p le C h a m b e r s , L o n d o n PRICE: ONE PENNY. E.C. NOW READY . CricketCalendar, Cricket Fixtures. List of Umpires. M.C.C- Tour in Australia, with Portraits, Triangular Tournament, Champion Counties, &c. Cloth, Gold Lettering, 6 d . Post Free 6 ” N O W READY. Cricket Directory. Names and Addresses of Secretaries of Counties, Universities PublicSchools Clubs, Leagues, and Asso­ ciations. Cloth, Gold Lettering, 6 d . Post CD. Free D A p p o in t e d b y R o y a l W a r r a n t . RANSOMES’ LAWN MOWERS. T H E B E S T I N T T H E W O R L D . Specially adapted for Cricket Grounds. ILLU STRA TE D C ATALOGU ES FREE. RANSOMES, SIMS JEFFERIES , Ltd. IP SW IC H . & THREE GOLD MEDALS. SEVEN SILVER MEDALS. The oldest and m ost experienced firm in the Law n M ower Trade. Supplied by all Iro n m o n g ers & Seedsm en. Printed and published for the Proprietors b y M e r r itt & H atch er , L td ., S3 and 35, Moor Lane, London, B.C., June 8th, 1912, Agents for Australia, &c. G ordon & G otch , London, Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth, Launceston, Hobart and W ellington, (N .Z . 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