Lives in Cricket No 36 - WE Astill

107 The Tour of India India Company, the capital of the British Raj until 1911, known as ‘The City of Palaces’ for its magnificent buildings and still a thriving, teeming, polyglot city on MCC’s arrival. Following a reception at Government House and a ball amongst whose guests were several Indian princes, the team found itself playing the first of two one-day matches at Eden Gardens. There followed a birthday celebration for the captain on Christmas Day; and on the Viceroy’s Cup Day, the teamwas able to appreciate the glittering, panoplied cavalcade of Bengal Lancers and the Household Cavalry, which, in Tate’s memory, made ‘even the glories of Ascot pale’. 204 There followed the first of the two three-day games in Calcutta, versus Europeans in the East, which according to the correspondent of The Times , was ‘probably regarded in England as their chief match of the tour’ since the team included many well-known English county players. Astill took four wickets and showed some batting form with 41 in an easy victory despite the valiant efforts of F.A.Tarrant. The Leicester Mercury , following the fortunes of their two local heroes, remarked on his ‘fine fielding’ as ‘one of the features of the day’s play. The best of his three catches [two off Geary] was a one-handed effort at short leg which dismissed I.P.F.Campbell, the old Oxford University and Surrey player.’ The second game, astride New Year’s Day, was the second and final unofficial Test against All-India, a team that retained only four Indians from the first match at Bombay and included seven ‘Europeans of the East’. This time, after the earlier draw, the match was won. Astill played his part. He began by keeping the opposition quiet in conceding only eight runs in eleven overs while others took the wickets; then made the highest score (66) of the first innings, his partnership with Tate enabling MCC to establish a lead of 87 despite their lowest innings total (233) in a three-day match on the whole tour; and with three wickets helped to dismantle All-India’s second innings after a long opening stand. Despite his negligible further contribution of eight runs, he, Tate and Wyatt were the stars of their side’s victory. His local paper commented again on his contribution in the field: ‘Astill once more demonstrated what a brilliant fielder he is by catching Campbell in the slips. He had to fall full length to make the catch.’ From the Hugli to the Irrawaddy and beyond, from one river teeming with sampans, lighters and jute-boats to another crowded with launches, steamers and teak-rafts, the team crossed by boat for two games in Burma at Rangoon. 205 Hubert Ashton showed the tenuous allegiance of many 204 My Cricketing Reminiscences , pp 103-04. Tate specifically states that they ‘were free from cricket on Boxing Day’ when they saw the Viceroy’s Cup race. Hignell states that Mercer ‘was one of the party who attended the Calcutta races’ on Christmas Eve and that ‘a day at the Royal Calcutta Turf Club followed [Christmas Day] before a second unofficial Test’ ( Jack Mercer: a Bowler of Magical Spells , p 52). According to Wisden and The Cricketer MCC played Anglo- Indians and Indians and British in Bengal in one-day matches on 22 December and Christmas Eve, The Europeans in the East on 26, 28-29 December and All India on 31 December and 2-3 January. The only free days for watching races appear to have been 23, 25, 27, 30 December and 1 January. Tate and Astill played in all four matches, but Mercer was free also on 26, 28-29 December. Perhaps over-indulgent hospitality clouded memories. 205 Now sometimes Myanmar and Yangon respectively; the international community has not yet decided whether or not to accept the late government’s arbitrary changes. Many Burmese have not and nor have the Thais.