Lives in Cricket No 34 - Frank Mitchell

47 As captain of Cambridge, Mitchell played in nine matches between May and July 1896. His personal batting record was generally poor. His only score of note was 110 out of a Cambridge score of 514 at Hove against Sussex, who were then by far the weakest county bowling side. In an innings win the Cambridge captain was stumped by Butt from the lob bowling of Walter Humphreys. Lob bowling still had a few exponents at that time. Mitchell finished seventh in the end of season Cambridge averages just above W.G.Grace junior, who played irregularly for Cambridge over three years and had to suffer comparison with his incomparable father. The Cambridge team were still that year – and for some time afterwards – able to play amateur sides brought together by the likes of C.I.Thornton and A.J.Webbe, but they did not have the chance to play the visiting Australian tourists. Mitchell himself, however, was given that opportunity and was chosen to play for the South team (albeit that he was a Yorkshireman) that met the Australians at The Saffrons, Eastbourne. That match was ruined by rain, with the Australians batting first, and then the Eleven of the South had a truncated innings, with Mitchell being allowed to open and scoring 24. There was controversy prior to the Varsity match when Cambridge set 507 to win against MCC at Lord’s actually managed to reach that target with three wickets in hand. Mitchell only contributed seven to the winning total, but earlier caused a little difficulty when requesting that Albert Trott, playing for MCC, be taken off because one of his deliveries had got up sharply and hit a Cambridge batsman. Trott was taken off which then made the subsequent batting much easier. The follow-on law and its earlier application in 1893 Frank Mitchell was soon to cause a stir in all cricketing circles by tactics relating to the follow-on law, just as had happened three years earlier. The 1896 season with the follow-on controversy The lovely pavilion at Gonville & Caius sports ground which Mitchell helped to fund – a photograph taken in 2013.