Famous Cricketers No 80 - E.G.Wynyard

total. Wynyard, who batted at No.8, scored one run of the 24 and in the second innings was, as the saying goes, “not quite so successful”. The day after the match, on 8th June, he was back in action for the school and put his disappointment behind him with a score of 40. Quite when he found the time for academic pursuits is not recorded! The School Chronicle summed up his 1878 season: “By far the best bat in the XI, being a safe run-getter when once set. A brilliant field all round. Fair change bowler, with great break.” Wynyard made a giant step forward in 1879 when he captained the school to a remarkable record of 15 victories and only one defeat in 19 matches, headed both the batting and the bowling averages, hit the school’s highest individual score ever with 95 and also achieved the highest season’s aggregate in the school’s history. The School Chronicle commented: “Captain. By far the best all round cricketer that has ever been at St.Edward’s. Unsurpassed as a bat; very fine field with a sharp return; a good slow bowler breaking both ways. Owing to his excellent management the XI have experienced a far more successful season than they could possibly have hoped for, and mainly through his exertions cricket throughout the school has materially improved.” Wynyard’s batting during his three seasons with the school first XI produced the following results: M I NO R HS Ave 50 0 1877 12 16 1 243 87* 16.20 1 1 1878 12 15 2 304 88 23.38 2 1 1879 18 20 2 773 95 42.94 7 2 Total 42 51 5 1320 95 28.69 10 4 He did not bowl much until 1879 when his final figures were (balls, not overs shown, as some matches were four-ball and some five-ball overs): Balls M R W BB Ave 5wI 498 34 184 34 5-22 5.41 1 For some years Wynyard’s opportunities for county cricket were limited but he was noted as a player of promise from early on. When Cricket featured his portrait and biography in the issue of 16th June 1887 the article stated: “Those who remember Mr. Wynyard’s exceptional promise as a bat when he made his first appearance for Hampshire as a boy some nine years ago, will, we are inclined to think, agree with us that, with the opportunities offered to some other cricketers, by this time he would, in all probability, have been in the front rank of batsmen.” That same article also gave some details of Wynyard’s cricket while stationed in India: “In 1885, in particular, he was in a wonderful vein for run-getting, although, it may be added, he was, too, as a rule, successful as a bowler. At Naini Tal, in the North-West Province of India, for the Visitors against the Residents, in 1885, he was credited with a very rare performance, making a hundred in each innings – 123 (not out) in the first and 106 (bowled) in the second. Altogether he made there during that season seven hundreds in seventeen innings for an average of 67, besides several good scores on other grounds, including one of 123 not out at Allahabad for his Regiment, on which occasion he carried his bat through the innings”. The article goes on to describe Wynyard’s general play as follows: “Mr. Wynyard has every physical advantage as a cricketer. Quite six feet high and strong withal, he has not only reach to help him but powers of hitting, which he utilises fully when opportunity occurs. He plays in good style with a very straight bat, and, as he showed against Surrey at the Oval last month, has excellent defence. On that occasion, indeed, he batted with great judgment, and with more practice in good cricket we should expect to see him make his mark effectually. He is a splendid field anywhere, and has also been of use as a bowler in minor matches.” Wynyard himself, in an interview published in The Cricket Field for 9th June 1894, played down his Indian batting performances. He said: “The bowling against us was generally very easy, and it was no uncommon thing in regimental cricket for a man to have an average of over 100. Once, just as the regiment was starting on a tour, I smashed a bone in my left arm when pig sticking. However, I accompanied the team, and batted with one hand, using a very light bat. For the tour, my average was 62, including three not-out innings, which will give you a very good idea of the weakness of the bowling against us. I believe that nearly the whole of the runs were made in singles, except one hit to leg for five.” 7