The Cricket Statistician No 195

4 Letters the hero of the county’s inaugural match two years later, after taking 6 for 9 in the victory against Lancashire. Sadly, and like many talented cricketers of this time, he would die young in 1873 at the age of just 36. Facing the first ball would be Walter Boden, the club’s founding father and described as a ‘exceptionally enthusiastic cricket lover.’ He was the one who uttered the famous words that every student of Derbyshire cricket history must have heard, ‘I propose that a cricket club be formed that represents the whole county and that it shall be called The Derbyshire County Cricket Club.’ Lower down the card would be another figure who would feature in the club’s administrative history, but who’s life after cricket would be shrouded in mystery. He would be present at the formation of the club at Derby’s Guildhall and would become the club’s first captain. After a brief first XI career, he would become involved in the administration of the club in 1880 and be accused of embezzlement, after an investigation in which a leading role was played by Fred ‘The Demon’ Spofforth. This led to the disappearance of Samuel Richardson, who later became ‘Court Tailor to the King of Spain’ and who lived to the age of 93, passing away in Madrid. South Derbyshire won the game by 139 runs, but much more important are the many stories to be told from the players of both sides. Sadly, the tour did not lead to life getting any easier for the aboriginal cricketers and it would take many years until they received the recognition that they deserved. Please note: I still have copies of 1866, 1867, and 1868 if anyone would like one (Ed) SETON BERESFORD Dear Sir After my article in the last edition, I was told that Philip Thorn had written an article about Beresford in the Cricket Statistician in 1981 (no.36), and that this referred to an article in The Cricketer in 1932 (no.15). Unfortunately Philip swallowed all Beresford’s stories whole (as of course did Wisden ), together with a couple of others (swimming from Cap Martin to Monaco Bay, international ice hockey, winning the Atherstone Hunt point-to-point, world champion trap shooter…). It seems he would have left Baron Munchausen standing. EJ Metcalfe, who wrote the Cricketer article, certainly played for Incogniti, captaining them in America in 1920*, where they played a New York Halifax Cup XI, the vice-captain of which team was none other than Seton Beresford (“a well-known authority on the game over in England”). *with Douglas Jardine, R St L Fowler, and Teddy Wynyard… Simon Sweetman