The Cricket Statistician No 195

2 Editorial S hortly before finishing off this issue came the sad news of the death of Peter Wynne- Thomas. Many tributes have been paid to Peter both for his career in general and for his immense role in the ACS for many years. Peter was, perhaps, the last of the great pre-internet statisticians. Our thoughts are with his family. COMPETITION ENTRIES The competition to win copies of reprints of Wisden is now over. Thanks to all who entered. Steve Leven won 1865, Adam Oakley 1869 and Andrew Hunt accepted a substitute. Some of the excellent entries seemed worth reproducing in the hopes that they may be encouraged to write more: STEVE LEVEN 6 July 1864: The day has dawned bright and sunny. For a 2d ticket, the Metropolitan Railway journey is draughty and smelly, with the capital’s travellers in my compartment typically laconic. I alight into the fresh air at King’s Cross and walk up the Caledonian Road towards Mr Norris’ ground. It will be Middlesex’s first first-class match, against Sussex, and there is great expectation amongst the public who are thronging the gates. I pay 1s to enter the ground and a further 1/2d to hire a cushion. As I pass the pavilion, hawking bookmakers offer their odds – Middlesex to score more than 150 runs in their first innings: even money; next batsman to be out caught: 5/4; the youngster James Lillywhite to take five wickets for Sussex: 7/2. I purchase a pint of ale and a scotch egg before taking my seat at the Market Street end of the ground. What an enjoyable days’ cricket! Sixteen wickets fall and Middlesex have the upper hand. They do exceed 150, comfortably, scoring 261 in the first innings. The power and timing of Tom Hearne’s strokes for his half-century is a joy to watch – one wag in the assembled gathering relates that he and his brother George both played AGAINST Middlesex yesterday, for Bucks at Newport Pagnell, yet today they are proudly wearing the Seaxes. Cooper also makes a fifty, although it was a slower innings and less of a spectacle. James Lillywhite, meanwhile, takes four wickets in 59 overs and looks a tired man at the end. The south coast team respond uncertainly, reaching 91-6 by the close. Home captain Vyell Walker is the bowler responsible, taking five of the wickets to fall. He will be pleased with his team’s progress on the field and it was a rather good day for takings on the gate too. Despite the occasional malodorous breeze from the adjacent cattle market, it is a pleasant enough spot, and I shall hasten back in the morning to see the resolution of the match.