Lives in Cricket No 34 - Frank Mitchell

Contents Introduction 5 Chapter One An East Riding background 7 Chapter Two St Peter’s School, 1883-90 14 Chapter Three Cricket in Sussex, 1891-93 19 Chapter Four Cambridge: the freshman’s year, 23 1893-94 Chapter Five Cambridge, Yorkshire interlude 30 and America, 1895 Chapter Six Rugby Union – as a player and writer 37 Chapter Seven The 1896 season with the follow-on 46 controversy Chapter Eight Quiet summers, winter tours and 55 Test cricket, 1897-99 Chapter Nine The fields of peace and war: in England 62 and South Africa, 1899 and 1900 Chapter Ten A remarkable season, and a 67 lost opportunity, 1901-02 Chapter Eleven Country house cricket before 73 World War I Chapter Twelve Johannesburg, 1901-1904 77 Chapter Thirteen International cricket: South Africa 82 in England, 1904 Chapter Fourteen South African residence, 1905-1911 87 Chapter Fifteen The 1912 Triangular Tournament 92 Chapter Sixteen Difficult times – and bankruptcy 97 Chapter Seventeen World War I 101 Chapter Eighteen A column in The Cricketer 107 Chapter Nineteen Blackheath, Nigeria and family days 114 Acknowledgements 122 Bibliography 124 Appendix One Career statistics 126 Appendix Two Birdsall Rectory House and Birdsall Manor 129 Index 130 3