Lives in Cricket No 17 - Fuller Pilch

Chapter Twenty-One The new St Lawrence Ground In 1847 the Beverley Club acquired a field to the south-east of Canterbury that formed part of Winter’s Farm on the Nackington Estate and gave up the ground next to the cavalry barracks. They agreed to pay an annual rent of £40 a year to the farmer who was a tenant of Earl Sondes and were delighted with their change of venue. The Kentish Gazette reported: ‘It is situated an easy distance for the pedestrian from the heart of the city, and abuts upon the Old Dover Road, the ancient Roman Watling Street. The area is a park-like plot adjoining to, and part of the original pleasure grounds of St Lawrence House, the seat of the ancient Kentish family of the Rookes.’ The house had fallen into disrepair and been pulled down at the turn of the century and the area grassed over before Fuller Pilch arrived to put the ground in order. As efficient as ever, he had it ready for an official opening on 16 May. The club played its first game, with Fuller and William in the team, against Woodnesborough, who had Martingell and William Banks in their side. The Gazette said ‘the company expressed themselves highly delighted with the ground, and the excellent accommodation offered them.’ Marquees were available for hire and one was provided as a changing area for the gentlemen players. Fuller, William, and Martingell took advantage of the facilities at the Bat and Ball Inn, originally called the First and Last, just outside on the other side of the road. Then Fuller and the club team travelled up to the Kennington Oval to meet their old rivals, the South London Club, on 14 and 15 June and lost by an innings, scoring only 41 runs in their first innings (in which no player reached double figures) and 55 runs in the second. Kent would not appear at St Lawrence until Canterbury Cricket Week and until then played six matches, winning five with the other ending in a very rare tie. They began with an innings victory over Sussex at Brighton on 24, 25 and 26 June, piling up a massive 259 runs, thanks to a century from Felix, 31 from Fuller and an unbeaten 27 from young William. Then two days later they were at Lord’s for a win over England, thanks largely to an unbeaten 49 from Fuller in their second innings when wickets were falling quickly and they looked unlikely to present England with a difficult target. At Kennington Oval on 1, 2 and 3 July, Kent lost Felix and Martingell to Surrey again and the game swung backwards and forwards with first one side then the other gaining the ascendancy. When Kent came to bat in the last innings they needed 146 runs to win and after a top score of 36 from William and 24 from Fuller, the game looked won with Kent 145 for the loss 96