Famous Cricketers No 80 - E.G.Wynyard

have reached the top in the rugger world.” But after leaving St.Edward’s, Wynyard returned to the association game and went on to become the only amateur among the select band of five to play Test cricket for England and gain an F.A. Cup winner’s medal, the other four being Jack Sharp (Everton and Lancashire), Harry Makepeace (Everton and Lancashire), Andy Ducat (Aston Villa and Surrey) and Denis Compton (Arsenal and Middlesex). Wynyard was also an outstanding competitor at winter sports. In 1894 he won the European International Toboggan Championships at Davos and in 1891 passed one of the figure skating tests of the National Skating Association, also at Davos. At school he performed creditably as an oarsman and on the running track while later he was a good enough hockey player to appear in county matches for Hampshire. In later years he took up golf and formed his own club, The Jokers, of which he was Chief Joker. As a great joker himself, he no doubt relished the fact that his birthday was April Fool’s Day! The club was mostly composed of cricketers of some fame and on the card informing one of election were written the three words “Cricket, Golf, Curling”, this last, of course, reflecting Wynyard’s interest in winter sports. Other golf clubs with which he was connected were Beaconsfield, Royal Wimbledon (hon. life member 1930) and Oxford Graduates’ Golfing Society (hon. life member 1931). One example of Wynyard’s sense of humour was given by Col.R.F.Pearson, company commander at Sandhurst, in a tribute published in The Times after Wynyard’s death. In 1901 when Wynyard was in charge of cricket at the college he arranged a match against W.G.Grace’s XI. Two days before the game Grace wrote to say he himself could not play. Wynyard was much annoyed but in talking over the forthcoming match with the cadets, it came to light that not one of them had seen Grace play. Whereupon Wynyard decided that he himself would make Grace “appear” and so on the day of the match, after a session with a make-up expert, “Dr. W.G.Grace” was ready. He batted, made a few runs and then purposely got hit on the hand to retire hurt. At lunch, when both teams were assembled, Wynyard appeared, still in disguise except for his cap and false beard, and said: “I think I have spoofed you all this time.” The make-up and Wynyard’s imitation of Grace’s batting style were so good that no one had spotted the deception. Wynyard himself related another “spoof”, when he was adjutant of the Oxford University Volunteers: “The Volunteers were not, when I arrived, a very warlike or efficient body of men. I received information that the Volunteers would be inspected by the Duke of York and that I was to arrange things accordingly. How was I to put on a respectable show with only a small and motley band of partially trained undergraduates at my disposal? In such situations Oxford always plays up. I explained my trouble to the Oxford University Dramatic Society and the Society produced an excellent band of enthusiastic actors whom I disguised as soldiers and who did not let me down.” The Duke afterwards complimented him: “A very smart parade, Captain Wynyard; a good display of military efficiency.” Some earlier commentators on Wynyard have expressed surprise that he did not get into the cricket first XI at Charterhouse but the simple fact is that his last cricket season there was 1876 when he was just 15 and therefore probably too young to make his mark with the first XI. At St.Edward’s it was a different story and his display in his very first match for the school won him his first XI colours. St.Edward’s were dismissed for only 16 by St.Catharine’s Club with Wynyard out for a single. However, he scored 38 in a second innings total of 135 before he was run out and the school turned the tables on their opponents. Against Oriel College Second XI he hit an unbeaten 87, the highest innings ever made for the school, and at the close of the season the School Chronicle said of him: “bats in good style, and when set scores rapidly; would do well to remedy the grave faults of being too eager to make big hits, and of getting before his wicket; the best field in the eleven; returns splendidly.” Despite these strictures, he obviously impressed the Hampshire authorities for the following season, after appearing for the school on 5th June, he made his first-class debut the following day at the age of 17 years and 66 days when he turned out for Hampshire v MCC at Lord’s. It was not a happy match for Hampshire who were all out in their first innings for 24, which at that time was their lowest first-class 6