Famous Cricketers No 76 - J.N.Crawford

before that date. The two pages of the Register in which his war record appears lists 20 contemporaries, of whom six died in action (one as a result of wounds), one was a prisoner, and two won medals (Military Cross and Croix de Guerre). Crawford might thus be said to have had a soft war by comparison to his school peers. The same might be said for his cricketing peers. In the 1919 Wisden is listed the United Services Team: Lieutenant P.G.H.Fender, Gunner J.R.Gunn, Captain N.E.Haig, Private E.H.Hendren, Air Mechanic J.B.Hobbs, Colonel F.S.Jackson, Lance-Corporal A.Sandham, Midshipman G.T.S.Stevens, Major L.H.Tennyson and Coxswain F.E.Woolley. For the England XI: Lieutenant-Colonel J.W.H.T.Douglas, Sergeant-Major H.W.T.Hardinge, Ftr R.Kilner, Lieutenant N.A.Knox, Lieutenant C.S.Marriott, Private C.P.Mead, Private Wadsworth and Captain P.F.Warner. 1919 The Reptonian welcomed Crawford’s return to the his old school in 1919 to guide its cricketing fortunes but his role is shrouded in mystery. Frederick Bowley (Worcestershire) was the school professional that season and Arthur Rutty, who had played for Surrey as an amateur in 1910, was master-in-charge of cricket for 1919-20. Crawford’s putative appointment was not recorded in the school’s official history published in 1951 and The Old Reptonian Letter in 1993 proposed that Crawford might have undertaken some classroom teaching to ‘protect his amateur status’. It sought to throw light ‘on this admittedly rather esoteric episode’ but none has been forthcoming. The 1920 Wisden commented that Crawford was ‘a finer batsman than ever but his bowling had not the spin and accurate length of his early days’. In eight matches he scored 484 runs at average of 60.50 but his 20 wickets cost 30.40 runs apiece. His one famous innings was his century against the Australian AIF team at The Oval when his driving of Jack Gregory was magnificent. He hit eighteen boundaries and two sixes (one to the awning of the pavilion) in his undefeated 144. He added 146 with captain Cyril Wilkinson for the seventh wicket and 80 in 35 minutes with Tom Rushby (2) for the tenth wicket. AIF captain Herbie Collins said the innings ‘took your eyesight away’. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 199. Gentlemen v Players, Kennington Oval, July 3, 4, 5 (Match drawn) b C.H.Parkin 2 141 9 1 34 0 216-1d b J.W.Hearne 28 100-7 200. Surrey v AIF, Kennington Oval, July 31, August 1, 2 (Match drawn) not out 144 322 21 2 85 1 J.M.Taylor c J.B.Hobbs 436 did not bat - 121-1 22 1 84 2 H.L.Collins b 260-4d J.M.Taylor b 201. Surrey v Middlesex, Kennington Oval, August 8, 9 (Surrey won by an innings and 48 runs) b C.H.Gunasekara 22 582 21 3 71 2 H.W.Lee b 294 F.T.Mann b 13 3 28 1 M.H.C.Doll c C.T.A.Wilkinson 240 202. Surrey v Yorkshire, Kennington Oval, August 11, 12 (Match drawn) c R.Kilner b W.Rhodes 92 324 23 6 62 3 P.Holmes c A.Ducat 243 2 R.Kilner c and b E.Robinson c D.J.Knight not out 11 189-4d 10 4 20 2 P.Holmes b 110-4 R.Kilner c H.A.Peach 203. Surrey v Kent, Kennington Oval, August 18, 19 (Surrey won by ten wickets) c L.P.Hodges b W.J.Fairservice 28 308 15 3 29 2 F.E.Woolley b 218 L.H.W.Troughton c T.Rushby not out 48 96-0 16 3 37 1 F.E.Woolley c J.B.Hobbs 184 204. Surrey v Middlesex, Lord’s, August 23, 25 (Match drawn) c F.T.Mann b G.A.Fairbairn 29 395 19 2 69 1 N.E.Haig c H.S.Harrison 414 1 did not bat - 51-2 205. Surrey v Somerset, Taunton, August 27, 28 (Surrey won by six wickets) c M.P.Bajana b J.C.White 39 152 6 1 17 2 J.C.W.MacBryan c A.Ducat 127 N.Hardy b 34