Lives in Cricket No 34 - Frank Mitchell

46 Chapter Seven The 1896 season with the follow-on controversy The preliminaries In the spring of 1896 Frank Mitchell would have been in a happy state of mind before the start of the cricket season. He had earlier that year captained England at rugby football and now he was to captain Cambridge University at cricket. But before the cricket could get under way he turned his attention to another sport – athletics. The edition of The Field for the week ending 7 March contained a report on the Gonville & Caius Sports Day and announced that Frank Mitchell, having appeared in the college competitions for the first time, had won both the shot and hammer events. His distances were 34 ft 10½ in and 76 ft 4in respectively. The following week he took part in the University sports, coming second in the shot put with a throw of 35 ft 6 in. That gained him a place in the Varsity athletics team against Oxford, and thus a half Blue. In the event he came third to Bulloch of Cambridge and Oakley of Oxford. His throw was 34 ft 10 in. If he had won that competition he would have been given a full Blue. This last occasion was the climax and end of a brief athletics career. At the Olympic Games in London of 2012, Putting the Shot was won with a throw of over 71 ft. Another interest in that spring of 1896 was the Cambridge University Rifle VolunteerCorps. TheCaiusCollegeCompanyhadaCaptain, twoLieutenants and four Sergeants. There were normally 100 men in a Company, and 800 in the University Battalion commanded by a Colonel. Mitchell had become a Sergeant soon after joining the Caius Company in 1894, and by 1896 was the Captain. At the Annual Review in May 1896, just as the cricket season was starting, there was an inspection of the Battalion by HRH the Prince of Wales. Mitchell, with the Review successfully completed, and having enough to do as captain of cricket, then relinquished his command, and reverted to the rank of First Lieutenant. As Captain, he had also led his Company in a Field Day at Royston, and a three day camp at Aldershot. He resigned his Lieutenancy in December 1896. Cricket before the Varsity game On, or rather beside the Caius cricket fields, a new pavilion was completed for the summer of 1896 and Mitchell was part of the organising committee. The cost of the pavilion was £1125, and initial contributions came to £650. It was agreed that future freshmen should pay the balance over the following years. This pavilion is still in use at the lovely Caius ground beyond the Backs at Cambridge, close to Newnham College and Ridley Hall.