Famous Cricketers No 75 - Arthur Haygarth

where he tasted victory for the first time, although an innings of 6, made when batting last on September 14 when the School made only 20 runs off the bat, may have been the better performance. In 1841 the 5th Form Match Book records he played in 17 matches at Harrow and topped the batting averages. His stated average of 12.20 was well ahead of his nearest challenger, Dickins, who recorded 9.07. His highest scores were 34 not out and 29 for the School against the Upper 5th Form where the next highest score in either innings for his side was 12. He also scored 26 when batting at 10, again for the School, this time against Rev. Steel’s & Oxenham’s out house pupils. In all matches he scored 241 runs from 28 innings, of which 9 were not out. This actually gives a higher average of 12.68 but it cannot be certain that all Haygarth’s games were properly recorded. He was top score on seven occasions with perhaps the most notable being his 5 when the School made only 10 against The Rev. Steel’s & Drury’s Pupils. 1842 saw Haygarth’s elevation to the School Eleven although he must have made some doubters after recording three successive ducks in his first three innings of the season. All improved however as he was top score in six of his next seven games which included 26 against the bowling of Henry Royston for 1st XI v 2nd XI. He was duly selected for the first important fixture of the year on May 28, when the School beat Harrow Town by 18 runs. His contributions were 14 in the first innings, when he opened the batting, and 12 in the second. He regularly featured in the first four places of the batting order and was 11 times top score including 23 for a team of VIII v XIII, 30 for the Slow Bowlers v Fast Bowlers, 21 for the 1st XI v 2nd XI, 15 and 38 against Haileybury, 28 for the School v XXII and 26 for the School v M.C.C. Interestingly in the latter game whilst fielding he caught his brother, Francis, who was playing for the visitors. He played in the victorious Harrow sides at Lord’s against Eton and Winchester. In 1842 he scored 464 runs in 47 innings from 28 games for various Harrow elevens averaging 10.09. The school averages in the 6th Form Match Book show Haygarth in second place with 11.28 and Nicholson, another notorious stonewaller, at their head with 15.37. Again some other matches must have gone unrecorded. At the end of the season Haygarth travelled to Bath and played his only game, on August 11, for the Clifton club against Lansdown where he opened the batting and made 31. In 1843 Haygarth played in a further 18 matches for Harrow teams and was in both successful Elevens at Lord’s where Winchester and Eton were defeated. He began the season with 28 which was the top score in a 6th form match. He then repeated that performance in five of the next six games with his best performances being 21 and 48 for the 1st XI v 2nd XI, 34 against Haileybury and 26 again for the School v The Monitors. His form faded at the end of June and he finished the season with 328 runs from 30 innings, once not out, with an average of 11.34. His last match for Harrow, on August 5-7, was fittingly at Lord’s when Eton were beaten for the second time. In his 67 games at Harrow, Haygarth, who went to the wicket 109 times, scored 1,053 runs at an average of 10.86. His top score was 48 and he was the team’s leading run-getter in no fewer than 26 of the matches. Haygarth never forgot his school and assisted with coaching there regularly until 1870. He noted in his personal records his trips there and also whether he slept there or returned to his house. For example in 1868 between May 4 and June 19 he went there 16 times and slept 11 times, 26 days’ coaching in all. The railway was not entirely built at that time and he, incredibly it seems now, walked to Harrow from his various abodes in central London. He served on many M.C.C. selection committees and was elected, on payment of £30, a Life Member in 1864. He died on 1 May 1903 from natural causes whilst living at 88 Warwick Street, London, and is buried at West Brompton Cemetery which is also the resting place of the other great chronicler, John Wisden. He died a wealthy man leaving nearly £14,000 (about £600,000 today) to his brother Francis Haygarth. He sent a posthumous message to C.W.Alcock, Editor of Cricket , “All is over – AH”, writing to the end. 6