Lives in Cricket No 34 - Frank Mitchell

87 Chapter Fourteen South African residence, 1905-1911 Cricket , the only regular periodical on the game in the Edwardian era, is revealing in the next few years, for there are constant mentions of Abe Bailey and of his very strong desire to place South African cricket in the same bracket as English and Australian cricket. In particular he wanted all matches played between South Africa and either of the other countries to be designated as Test matches. Bailey had, as previously mentioned, in earlier years been a solid cricketer, as captain of the Wanderers Cricket Club, and was also captain of the Transvaal side that won the Currie Cup in Cape Town in 1894. He was a right-hand medium pace bowler and in that 1894 competition took eleven for 171 in the matches that he played. Abe Bailey in the Edwardian era was constantly in England pursuing his imperial objectives, and entertained generously at Yewhurst, Ashurst Wood, near East Grinstead. Frank Mitchell is barely mentioned in Cricket during these years, for in March 1905 he had launched himself into an entirely new career as a stockbroker on the Johannesburg Exchange. Johannesburg was by then well established as the financial capital of South Africa and the centre for national stock broking, but no formal qualifications were needed at that time to become a stockbroker. Mitchell would have been very well known in the city, and his contacts at the Wanderers and Rand Clubs may have provided him with ample business – at least for a few years. The Johannesburg Stock Exchange today has no record of his business address. To be, and remain, successful he would have needed new skills in assessment and judgement of the many companies seeking to exploit the mineral wealth of the country. His acumen was such that he was also able, whilst stockbroking, to write a regular financial column for the Transvaal Leader , a morning Johannesburg paper which was published between 1899 and 1914. He remained on very friendly terms with Abe Bailey (himself once a stockbroker) who was instrumental in Mitchell’s return to full time cricket in 1912. His formal position as a Secretary to Abe Bailey seems to have ended by early 1905 and R.O.Schwarz, referred to in previous chapters, took on the role. Schwarz was born in London and educated at St Paul’s School, but generally thought of as South African, rather than English. Later described in his Wisden obituary as ‘ quiet, almost retiring, in manner’, Schwarz had ‘social skills’ that enabled him to succeed Mitchell with great success. Mitchell undoubtedly had social skills but would not have been quiet in manner, his large personality being effective within a crowd. Schwarz also established himself as a stockbroker but remained