Lives in Cricket No 29 - AN Hornby

51 First tilt at the Australians In May 1878, just four months after playing in Blackburn Rovers’ first-ever match, Hornby walked out on to the field at Lord’s together with W.G.Grace to open the MCC innings against the Australian tourists. The match was scheduled for three days, but with ball well on top of bat it was completed in a single day. Grace failed in both innings, making four and nought, but Hornby top-scored in MCC’s first knock with 19 out of just 33 all out. Tom Horan, writing in Horan’s Diary , said: ‘Hornby enjoyed a charmed life; he was given not out caught behind before scoring and should have been both stumped and run out.’ Horan adds: ‘Hornby created a diversion for the crowd by hitting [Harry] Boyle for four through the skylight of the billiard room adjoining the club’s rackets court.’ Later Horan adds: In his second over Spofforth levelled Hornby’s leg stump for 19. This was a tremendous blow in our favour for Hornby is a very dangerous player. He hits at nearly every ball and is very quick on his legs. He takes guard or rather takes no guard, for his bat is fully four inches from his leg stump and thus the bowler has a full view of the wicket. The Lancashire star is only about 5ft 7in high, is very compactly built, and looks as if he would never tire. Horan was certainly impressed with Hornby’s batting, writing: ‘Mr Hornby is a magnificent bat with upright style. He is strong in defence and back play and is a free all-round hitter. In the field he is unsurpassed and has the great advantage of being an ambidexter [sic].’ Unfortunately, in the second innings, Hornby’s stamina wasn’t tested. He was struck on the head by Spofforth, who was taking the first steps on the road to becoming Hornby’s bête noir. Hornby retired with the score on one for four but pluckily resumed his innings, by which time MCC had slumped even further to 17 for seven, with the help of a runner only to see his partner at the other end, George Vernon, bowled by Spofforth. Hornby himself was bowled by Boyle for one. Boyle finishing with six for three and match figures of nine for 17 although, remarkably, they were bettered by Spofforth’s match analysis of Married to Sport