Cricket 1913

J an . 18, 1913 CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 31 Mr. J. A. (“ JJumbo” ) RUTTER. top of a hill, right away from “ the madding crowd ” and traffic’s hum. Bowling screens are not needed ; the sky is our bowling screen. From our eyrie we can look for many miles over the fair lands of Kent. We play amidst such surroundings as the players of old, when cricket was indeed “ the meadow game with the beautiful name.” And though our ground be like a village green, few village greens can show such a wicket. The pavilion is unpretentious. No matter ! It serves. The game’s the thing, gentlemen. Quotations from old minute books will well exemplify the “ truly rural ” nature of the ground. As thus, 1895 : “ That a nominal rental of £2 be paid to the cricket club for shooting on the ground during the winter months. All debris to be removed.” Is this last sentence a dig at the sportsmen ? In 1901: “ It having been reported to the committee that an organised starling shoot had been held in the cricket field, the Secre­ tary undertook to prevent this in the future.” In 1908 : “ The Secretary was requested to inform the landlord of the neighbouring fields that any person found bird-catching on the cricket field would be summarily dealt w ith .” And as recently as 1910 : “ The Captain reported that rabbits were burrowing under the pavilion, and various ways of getting rid of them were discussed.” A chance for the birdcatcher. B u t why under ? We usually have rabbits inside the pavilion at L.P. The landlord’s guarantee in 1899 after he had raised the rent 135 per cent., that he would deduct £1 for every club member arranging to have his household supplied with milk from his (the landlord’s) farm has a real country savour, too. And the Lessness Park teas ! The club owes a big debt to the ladies of the district for those. They take it in turn to be hostess for the day, and right well is their kindness appreciated. Lessness Park was the first club in the district to have these teas ; others have followed suit since. Theatricals have played their part in the club’s his­ tory, especially in the days of Aubrey Smith. Under his managership “ Sweet Nancy ” in 1898 realised a handsome sum for the improvement of the ground ; and this is only one instance of several. Many clubs can boast of famous families. Lessness Park has its own— the Rutters, to wit. The late Mr. F. J. Rutter, brother of the well-known Middlesex bowler, was one of the original playing mem­ bers, the club’s second President, and always a keen supporter ; and his death a few years back was felt b y the members as a personal loss to each. His three sons, Major E. (Rugby X I., 1888), J. A., and A. G., have all done good work for us, both on and off the field, though of late the calls of du ty and business, abroad and in the west of England, have made their appearances all too rare. Bu t even yet they play when they can, and welcome birds of passage they are. A. J. (familiarly “ Jumbo ” ) Rutter was one of the best bowlers, and certainly the most consistent, the club ever had. Here are his complete bowling figures for the club. You can guess how we miss him ! 2,307-4 overs (412 maidens) for 7,633 runs and 488 wickets— average 15-64. He has never counted himself a batsman, merely a cheerful and willing No. 11. He can keep up an end, though, and in 1907 his batting average was really remarkable. Innings, 1 1— not outs, 10 — total runs, 40 — average, 40-00 — highest score, 13 ! During nine seasons he played 153 innings for L.P., and was not out 75 times. Mr. C. GERALD BEASLEY .