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PROPERTY OF THE ShcK No.

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CAUTION

Do not write in this book or mark it with pen or pencil. Penalties are imposed by the Revised Laws of the Commonwealth of Mas- sachusetts, Chapter 208, Section 83.

SEP 16 >

B.P.I.. FORM NO, 509; 3.8.30; SOOM.

CRICKETING REMINISCENCES

First Edition . . Ani^jist 1899 Reprinted. . , Ajigust \^<^(^

^

"W. G."

CRICKETING REMINISCENCES

AND PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS By W. G. GRACE

CONTAINING PHOTOGRAVURE

PORTRAIT OF THE AUTHOR

AND EIGHTY PAGES OF

ILLUSTRATIONS

LONDON JAMES BOWDEN

10 HENRIETTA ST, COVENT GARDEN, W.C.

1899 /i^

"two, %IA'=^-

Puvaied^by Eal',i\ntynb, Hanson <^ Ho. .'I ...At t^e Eailantyne Pief^

« »

CONTENTS

A Preliminary Look Round I. Early Recollections IL Cricket in the Sixties .

III. With R. A. Fitzgerald's Team in Canada

IV. With the Team in America V. P'irst Visit to Australia.

VI. Cricket in the Seventies VI r. Cricket in the Eighties . VIII. Cricket in the Nineties . IX. Random Recollections X. Hints for Young Cricketers XI. Some of my Contemporaries A Statistical History of Cricket Laws of Cricket ....

PAGE

ix

19

3(3

52

64

106

168

208

268

281

316

40J

50

ILLUSTRATIONS

Photogyavurc from the podyait painted in oils by

J. Ernest Breitn .... Frontispiece

Pasre

Old Cricket handbills ....

Grace, Mrs. {Mother of W.G.) .

Grace, Dr. H. M. {Father of W. G.) .

Chestnuts, The, Downend {Home of W. G.)

The Australian Aborigines Team (1868)

Fitzgerald's Canadian Team (1872)

Photograph taken at Montreal (1872)

Group taken at Niagara Falls (1872)

The Old Albert Cricket Ground at Sydney

Members' and Ladies' Pavilions on the Sydney Ground

G. F. Grace

E. M. and W. G. Grace

The Australian Team of 1884

Smokers v. Non-smokers (1884)

The England Eleven {Test Match at the Oval,

The Australian Team of 1886

Lord Harris

The Australian Team of 1888

The Australian Team of 1890

A. G. Steel batting

R. Pilling at the wicket

Alfred Shaw bowling .

Lord Sheffield's Australian Team (1891-2)

H. B. Steel, C. L. Townsend, and E. C. Hornby

{Photograph taken after a match between Clifton College and Liverpool and District, -Mhen C. L. Townsend— then a schoolboy— bozvled both Steel and Hornby before a run was scored.) .....•••

XVlll

4

5

12

13 36 37 44 45 84

85 92

93

180 181 188 189 196 197 204 205 212 213

J20

VIU

ILLUSTRATIONS

The England Eleven {Lord's, 1893)

The Australian Team of 1893

The Adelaide " Oval'' .

Plate in commemoration of IV.G.'s "Century of Centuries," 1895

A few Bats and Balls in the possession of IV. G. .

Facsimile of Letter from the Prince of Wales to W. G. Grace congratulating him on his thousand runs in May, 1895

Prince Ranjitsinhji at the ivicket

The England Eleven {Lord's, 1896)

The England Eleven {Filial Test Match, Oval, 1896)

The Australian Team of 1896

A Match at Lord's

A. C. Maclaren at the wicket .

A. C. Maclaren playing an off ball to the on

The Sussex Eleven {iSgy)

The Somersetshire Eleven (1897) .

The Kent Eleven (1897)

The Notts Eleven (1898)

The Surrey Eleven (1898)

The Gloucestershire Eleven (189S) .

The Essex Eleven {i8gS)

The Lancashire Eleven (1898)

jf. Tunnicliffe ....

T. Richardson . . . • .

Lord Hawkc ....

C. L. Townsend bowling

W. Storer .....

C. B. Fry .....

C. McLeod

The Gentlemen's Team { W. G.'s Jubilee Match, Lord's, 1898)

The Players' Team {W. G.'s Jubilee Match, Lord's, 1898)

J. T. Hearne ....

W. G. Grace at the wicket

W. G. Grace playing a ball to short-leg

The Yorkshire Eleven {1898)

The Middlesex Eleven {i8g8)

S. E. Gregory ....

Wraihall and Board {who put on 106 runs in one hour for tenth

wicket for Gloucestershire v. Surrey, at Kennmgton Oval,

May 19, 1899)

W. G. Grace cutting ........

Page 221

228 229 236 237

224

245 252

253 260 261 268 269 276 277 284 285 292

293 300 301 308

309 316

317 324 325 332 2,3,3 340 341 348 349 356 357 364

365 368

ILLUSTRATIONS

IX

Pa^e

A hit of an Oval Cfoivd ....... 368

The AustniUan Team {i8gg) ...... 369

C. L.Townsend playing forwani ...... 372

Clement Hill (Australian Left-hand Batsman) . . . 373

jf. T. Broivn at the wicket ....... 3S0

J. Darling 381

The England Eleven {Lord's, 1899) ..... 388 Snapshots at the First Test Match., Nottingham, 1899

June I —

England takes the field ...... 396

Darling and Iredale going out to open the Australian

Innings ....... 396

The first ball of the match ..... 397

Clement Hill completes his 50, and celebrates it . . 398

The end of Clement Hill's innings .... 400

Noble returns to the Pavilion . , . . . 400

Coming in for lunch ...... 400

The end of the first day' s play ..... 400

June 2 —

The close of the A ustralian Innings .... 400

Australians coming out to field . .... 400 W. G. Grace, "c. Kelly b. Noble 28" . . .401

C. B. Fry out for 50 ..... . 401

INTRODUCTION

A PRELIMINARY LOOK ROUND

Reminiscences of thirty-five years — it is a long innings I have before me. As I buckle up my pads, pull on my batting-gloves, and take up my bat, or rather my pen, I am painfully conscious that my eye cannot long remain undimmed, that my muscles must soon lose their elasticity, and that in a year or two my name, like that of so many of the companions of my youth, will drop out of the ''averages." Some one has said that only an old man writes reminiscences, and it may be true ; but as some one else has said, old men have one advantage — they know as much of the future as young men, and they know^ a great deal more of the past. It is on the past I have to dwell in this volume — the future of cricket can take care of itself. The game has taken deep root in the hearts of the British people, and wherever the English language is spoken, wickets are pitched and cricket is played. In the thirty- five years during which I have been in the field I have seen cricket jump by leaps and bounds

xii INTRODUCTION

into popular favour ; I have watched its develop- ment with the greatest interest, have seen it pass through critical times, and, as best I could, have done my share to make the game of games the national pastime of the British people.

I take up my pen with reluctance, for writing is not a recreation I care for. Nature, training, temperament, and predilection combine to make me prefer the open air, and even now I w^ould sooner enter on a long day's leather-hunting than write a single chapter of reminiscences. But the chapters must be written. I have promised, and must fulfil that promise.

How and where shall I begin these reminis- cences— by reviewing the dim memories of forty years ago, when in my Gloucestershire home I was first initiated into the mysteries of cricket, or by a few rambling observations more or less anecdotal, and perhaps wholly disconnected ? The latter course may commend itself to my readers, and to them I submit. Whatever my book may be, whatever its literary defects and manifest shortcomings, I know that the public, who have for so long encouraged and stimulated me by their generous appreciation of my endea- vours in the cricket-field, will be indulgent even if they are critical. On that confidence I rest.

^^ Yours must have been a grand life," a man said to me once, ^' always playing cricket." Well, perhaps it has been. It would ill become me to say that a cricketer's life is not a happy one. There may be — there are — drawbacks and dis-

A PRELIMINARY LOOK ROUND xiii

advantages, but they all have their compensations, and I at least can say, after thirty-five years in the cricket-field, that the joys have far exceeded the pains, and that I look back along the vista of years now growing dimmer and dimmer and re- joice that my nerve, eyesight, and physique have served me so long to participate in the delights which cricket affords. A cricketer's life is a life of splendid freedom, healthy effort, endless variety, and delightful good fellowship.

A friend of mine who was at the Oval a few days ago overheard one man say to another, " I wonder if old W. G. really likes playing cricket," and his companion wondered also. If these lines should meet the eyes of either of those gentlemen, I want to assure them that I never liked cricket more than I do now, and that the only regret I entertain is that my career is ending instead of beginning.

What a flood of reminiscences pours into my mind as I think of the men who at one time or another have been my comrades in the cricket- field ! Some who were veterans when I was a youngster are dead, and perhaps are forgotten in the mists of memory ; some who were of my own age have dropped out of active cricket, though they still shoulder their bats to " show how fields were won " ; while others have given us their sons to carry on the family traditions. Glancing back, it seems to me as if the cricket- field was a panorama with scenes ever changing, and faces ever new passing before my eyes.

xiv INTRODUCTION

I have stayed on in the cricket-field while two or three generations have sprung up, had their day, and ceased to be. How many generations of bowlers I have played with and against I scarcely like to calculate. In the late sixties there were Tinley, Tarrant, Jackson, Grundy, Willsher, and Freeman ; in the early seventies, Southerton, Alfred Shaw, Martin Mclntyre, and Morley ; in the late seventies, Ulyett, Allan Hill, Barnes, Tom Emmett, W. Mclntyre, Watson, Mycroft, and A. G. Steel ; in the early eighties, Peate, Crossland, C. T. Studd, Flowers, Humphreys, and Barlow ; in the late eighties, Lohmann, Briggs, Attewell, Davidson, and Peel ; in the early nineties, J. T. Hearne, S. M. J. Woods, Mold, Tyler, Sharp, and Martin ; and now, in this closing half of the nineties, we have Richardson, Mead, Cuttell, C. J. Kortright, C. L. Townsend, F. S. Jackson, Rhodes, and Lockwood. Roughly speak- ing, each decade sees the rise and fall of two generations of bowlers ; so I am the survivor of seven different generations.

And then the batsmen of my time ! What a catalogue their names would make if I began with George Parr, and went through the inter- vening years, naming one after another of the men like Daft, Carpenter, and Hay ward, who were the giants of my boyhood, Jupp, Ephraim Lockwood, Tom Humphrey, and George Ulyett, who were in their prime in the seventies, and the great army of batsmen who during the last twenty years have been my fellow cricketers !

A PRELIMINARY LOOK ROUND xv

In the thirty-five years over which my memory sweeps, cricket has undergone many changes. The game we play to-day is scarcely like the game of my boyhood. There have been silent revolutions transforming cricket in many direc- tions, improving it in some ways, and in others robbing it of some elements of its charm.

If some old champion of the early Victorian days — say Alfred Mynn, who was the Kent ^' crack" in the days when cricketers played in white tall hats — could by some dispensation pay a visit to Lord's when some great match is in progress, he would, I doubt not, stand amazed at the meta- morphosis fifty years have effected in cricket. The very ground itself would bewilder him. He played on open commons, with rude tents as dressing-rooms, and the vast enclosure and palatial pavilion would dazzle his senses. Then the smooth turf and billiard-table wickets would amaze the old bowler, who triumphed on bumpy pitches. And then the crowds. How he would marvel at the vast fringe of spectators, exceeding in thousands the hundreds who watched his most brilliant deeds ! But the changes in the game itself would perhaps hold him spell-bound. The high delivery of modern bowlers would horrify the famous trundler of the good old days, when to deliver the ball from above the level of the shoulder was as heinous an offence as throwing is to-day — perhaps more so, for umpires in Mynn's day were not afraid to '^ No ball " an offender. The altered style of batting would

xvi INTRODUCTION

scarcely surprise him less, and I can imagine the old man doubting his eyesight if he saw a batsman hitting fast bowling with absolute con- fidence and ease. In his time, he would remind us, fast bowling was treated more reverently, and batsmen were content to play back, and be thankful if they scored behind the wickets. Yet the changes which would perplex this old man of the past have all taken place within my own recollection. I have watched all these gradual variations of the game begin as experiments, and then establish themselves as general practices.

And if Alfred Mynn, restored to life for the purpose, could, after visiting Lord's, travel over England from Berwick-on-Tweed to Land's End, he would find that cricket, which in his day was the game of the few, has become the pastime of all. He would find County Cricket, which in his time had scarcely any real existence, organised on a scale of elaboration which would take his breath away ; while the regular visits of Australian teams and return visits of English teams to Australia would make his confusion even worse confounded. When I compare the cricket of to-day with the cricket of the sixties, with which my earliest recollections are associated, I confess that the extent of the changes surprises even me.

I need not say that my connection with cricket has been close as well as prolonged. I have been in the thick of it from my childhood, living among cricketers and cricket enthusiasts, and taking an active part in what 1 may call the

A PRELIMINARY LOOK ROUND xvii

^^ politics" of the game. My closest ties have, of course, been with Gloucestershire cricket, but I have played at different times for South Wales, for the Marylebone Cricket Club, for the Gentle- men of England, for the United South, for the South of England, and for England. I have played on almost every important cricket-ground in the country, and on most of them have had the pleasure — for it is a pleasure — of scoring a hundred. Once I accompanied a team to Canada and America, and twice I have captained an English team in Australia. Wherever I have played I have found cricketers the best of good fellows and the truest of sportsmen. There is something in cricket, I think, which brings out the best elements of a man's nature. Perhaps my enthusiasm for the game tempts me to exaggerate its virtuous influences, but I certainly believe that no sport cultivates the manly attri- butes better than cricket. The conditions under which it is played, the absence of occasion for passion, the freedom from the gambling spirit, the confldence it engenders between men, the good fellowship it inspires, and the friendships which spring from participation in the game — all these combine to give cricket a unique place among sports.

I have had some curious experiences. Once, in Canada, I played in the dark, when it was next to impossible to see the ball ; once in Boston I played on a wicket which was a veritable quag- mire ; and once in Australia I played on a cricket-

b

xviii INTRODUCTION

ground whose surface would be put to shame by a decent macadam road in England. Only once I played under a noin de plume. It was in the sixties, before the appearance of my photograph in illustrated papers had made my features public property. At that time, on my frequent visits to London, I often stayed with some relatives in the neighbourhood of Tufnell Park. Once, when I was visiting there, William Absolon, who wa^ captain of a club at Islington, invited me to play for him at Stratford against the Eastern Counties Club. On the way they said to me, ^' You must not let on that you are W. G. Grace, or they will object to your playing." Consequently I was put down as Mr. Green. I happened to be in good form and had scored ii8 before my identity was accidentally disclosed. Then Ted Pooley, who afterwards became the famous Surrey wicket- keeper, casually strolled upon the ground, and someone said to him, '^ That fellow Green is knocking the bowling about all over the place." ''No wonder," said Pooley, "it's Mr. Grace." That's the only time I ever tried to play in- cognito.

What a book could be written on the humours of cricket ! The game breeds some curious characters, or at least some curious characters find their way into the cricket-field : wags, wits, practical jokers, and humorists. Tom Emmett was one of them. His ready tongue was equal to any emergency, and his wit was always a match for any joker who took Tom in hand.

A PRELIMINARY LOOK ROUND xix

A hundred good stories are told of Tom Emmett. One of the best was an incident that happened to myself. I have told it before, but it bears repetition. I had been up to Edinburgh for a medical examination, and hurried back to London to play in an M.C.C. match. As I was walking towards Lord's Ground I overtook Emmett, w^ho was also playing in the match. He knew why I had been to Edinburgh, and asked how I had got on. '^ Oh, all right, Tom," I said, '' I have got my diploma," pointing to the roll I was carrying in my hand. The wicket that day was very wet, and when I was batting, Emmett, who was fielding at cover-point, slipped and fell backwards in trying to stop a hard hit of mine. As he seemed slow in getting to his feet I asked if he had hurt himself. '* No," he said, as he pointed to an extensive mud mark on his trousers, ^^ but I have got my diploma."

Then there was Martin M^Intyre, a man whose good temper saved him from no end of scoldings. When he was out in Australia with my first team he fell a victim to Colonial hospi- tality, and 1 found on calling at his hotel late one night that Martin was still out. As I had insisted, as captain, that everyone in the team should go to bed early in view of the big match next day, I was annoyed, and prepared a sharp reproof for M'^Intyre. But when next morning I walked towards him on the field, Martin, vvho apparently expected a wigging, sealed my lips by saying, *' It's all right, sir ; M'^Intyre has given himself a

XX INTRODUCTION

good talking to, and he says it won't happen again." I had to laugh, and then it was no use letting off my reproof. Poor M^Intyre ! how he did enjoy himself on those up-country rough Australian wickets. His apologetic smile, when one of his fast balls knocked a batsman ovei', was simply beyond description. And then there was Edward Pooley, the good old wicket-keeper, who did not like having his hands damaged by fast bowling, and who always went with me to survey the wicket when the United South were playing a match, and invariably put on a knowing look and said, '^ A slow bowler's wicket to-day, sir," no matter what condition the ground was in. Another character of the cricket-field was William Barnes, the great Nottingham all-round profes- sional, whose faculty for getting out of scrapes was remarkable. It is hard to believe that ^* Barney," as we called him, is dead, for even last year he was as full of life as ever. The cricket- field has still its bright spirits — though these old characters are gone — and will always have them, I hope.

p-*^.if.

'^;;^jfi;^;w^m.Frm^^-s^^

CKET.

J^'

THURSDAY the 20th of JULY, 1820, |

i^'xlH j'vi>2j2j^a"/71fli3 ^S^^Ij

WILL BE FLAYED ON EPSOM DOWNS,

A

Graed Match of Crieket,

. BETWEEN

Ten C'entlemen of the County of Kent, with Lord F. Beauclerk,

" arcn - . *.-,„.. ;.,

Ten Gentlemen of the County of Surrey, with S']. !i. Iludd, Esq.

FOR

Fire Hmulrefl 6f Flfhf Guineas.

V

LORD F. BEAUCLERK, HON. J. BLIGH.

W. DKEDES, JE.Q.

P. DYKE, E^q.

J. DENNL, Lsy.

H. T. LANE, Lsy.

II. RERLNS, E.Q.

O. CUAUiDGE, Esq

R. NORMAN, Es<i.

P. DAWRINS, Esq.

T. O. BACIIE, E^Q. 1^ Wicket-

^ ^UlTCi?*

^ E. H. Hl'DI); K>y.

^ F. L VDBROKE, Esq.

I T. VIGNE. E-Q.

^ R. AISLARTE, fe'Q.

N J. WELLER LADRROKE, Esy.

s S. R. LUSiUNGTON, Ex^.

\ K. SL LLIVAN. L:>v

V ('. CORKRAN, Km,..

> G. F. FARRV, Km..

^ .K TANNER, K-g.

^ E. WOODDRIU'JE, E.mj.

to he pilcficd 'i''J\:i »' Cloi li.

%

IMiZi U_I,.MIO«

..Oj*"^**^-

PHOTOGRAPHIC REPRODUCTIOX OF A HANDBILL ANNOUNCING "A GRAND MATCH OF CRICKEr," AT EPSOM DOWNS, IN 1820.

^^

9 z o 3

•4f ^nAJ%*n ^MT^Mi

\^\h\ BE PLAYED IN ST. MARY-LE-BO^E,

On Monday, August 12, 1822, and the following Day,

Between ELEVEJN PLAYERS, whose Names begin with B, and ELEVEN PLAYERS of ALL ENGLAND

FOR FIVE HUNDRED GUINEAS A SIDE.

The Wickets to be pitched at. Eletfu. o^Cloc^

PI.AY£aS.

Ji'^

-., ,i. mjDD, E.-.Q.

i5A1lN'ETT. E&Q J. BK.>N4>, EdQ. iSFJri ! v. ■•' ■■' ' ijl.

.»ADniur>GE. o\i)Bi!njGr,,

B\KrA\,

1} BATIiS. Adtnitunce Six-pence. — Gowl StsMiii^ on the Stnianf to l»e had at tb« GronnJ, or it Mr

A

ENGLAND.

W. VaBD, BhQ.

R. LANE, Eso.

T. KICOLL, Esq.

H. LLOYD, Es?.

J. DYKE. Esc

T. WHlTi;, ErQ. i ASH BY,

I SPARKS.

I'LAV£LL,

SATJNPERS, I JOR0AX.

Ground. — ^Thc Cricket Laws, BaH^ Kali?, ^nd LORD'S House, Upper GlcVcestek ^ GOOD ORDINARY AT THREE.

,'-"' f E<.T£it,CH, Printer, 4?, ^'ark-api^tT^V' • -loTs >*'"

~*1

PHOTOGRAPH OF AN OLD HANDBILL ADVERTISING A CRICKET MATCH FOR

MONEY, AT LORD'S.

Cricketing Reminiscences

CHAPTER I

EARLY RECOLLECTIONS

I HAVE frequently been asked if I was born a cricketer. I do not think so, because I believe that cricketers are made by coaching and prac- tice, and that nerve, eyesight, physique and patience, although necessary, would not be of much use alone. Hereditary instinct is helpful, because it would be absurd to deny that suc- cessful cricketers often run in families. There are, for instance, the Austen Leighs, of whom five used to play at the same time for the Gentlemen of Berkshire ; the Lytteltons, seven of whom represented Eton ; and the Walkers, of whom six at one time or another appeared in the Gentle- men's Eleven v. Players. There are also the Rowleys, the Steels, the Studds, the Palairets, and the Fosters, to mention only a few of the most famous.

But if I was not born a cricketer, I was born in the atmosphere of cricket. My father, who

A

2 EARLY RECOLLECTIONS

was a keen sportsman, was full of enthusiasm for the game, while my mother took even more interest in all that concerned cricket and cricketers. When I was not much taller than a wicket I used to wonder what were the hard cuts, leg hits, and long drives, about which my father and brothers were constantly talking. As far back as I can remember cricket was a common theme of conversation at home, and there was great excitement in the house when some big match was coming off in the neigh- bourhood.

My father, Henry Mills Grace, was a Somerset- shire man, but in 1831 he settled down as a doctor at Downend, a quiet village about four miles out of Bristol. He had a large practice, extending over an extensive radius, and the calls upon his time left him but little leisure for cricket. In those days few villages had cricket clubs of their own, and for a time my father had to content himself with occasional glimpses of the matches that took place at Clifton and Bristol. As his boys grew up he naturally wished to provide them wath healthy, enjoyable recreation. He anticipated modern schoolmasters in the belief that it is wise to superintend boys' games as carefully as their lessons. So he prepared a cricket pitch on the lawn of Downend House, where my elder brothers laid the foundation of their cricketing careers. My father was one of the leading sportsmen in the district, and though a busy, hard-working man, he found time to

MY FATHER 3

indulge in a little cricket in the summer, and hunting in the winter. He was a friend of the Duke of Beaufort, father of the late Duke, and paid frequent visits to Badminton when hunting. He took great care that the foxes were preserved, and was so strict that he used to say that a man who would kill a fox would commit almost any crime. Right up to his death, at the age of sixty-three, he hunted every winter. He was a most abstemious man, never smoked, and drank nothing except a glass of wine with his dinner and a little whiskey and water at night. Curiously enough, all his sons took after him in one respect — we were all non-smokers. I ought to say that my brother, Alfred, who has been in the habit of hunting three or four days in the week with the Duke of Beaufort's or Fitz- hardinge's hounds, has acquired the habit of smoking at the covert-side. But we chaff him, and tell him he is a poor performer — so far as tobacco is concerned ; but he cannot be beaten in following the hounds across country.

It was my father who took the initiative in establishing the Mangotsfield Cricket Club, which was composed of people from the neighbouring villages, and played on Rodway Hill Common, just above the present Mangotsfield Station. About this time Mr. H. Hewitt, who was as keen a sportsman as my father, formed the West Gloucestershire Club, which played at Coalpit Heath. Both clubs soon became well known, but were eventually amalgamated, keeping the

4 EARLY RECOLLECTIONS

name of West Gloucestershire, but playing at Rodway Hill. My mother's brother, Alfred Pocock, was an enthusiastic member of the old Mangotsfield Club, and taught me all my early cricket. •

My earliest recollections of any cricket match are connected with a visit which William Clarke's All England team paid to Bristol in 1854. Clarke's combination used to travel about the country, playing matches against eighteen or twenty-two players of different districts. In this way a great deal was done to stimulate interest in cricket, as a visit from the All England team was a red-letter day wherever they went. My father organised this match, and captained the local twenty-two. The game took place in a field behind the Full Moon Hotel, Stokes Croft, Bristol, and I remember driving in to see the ground which my father's gardener and several other men were preparing. It was originally a ridge and furrow field, and had been specially re-laid in the previous autumn. The pitch was first rate, but the rest of the ground was rough and uneven. I was wath my mother, who sat in her pony-carriage all day. I don't remember much about the cricket, but I recollect that some of the England team played in top hats. My mother was very enthusiastic, and watched every ball. She preserved cuttings of the news- paper reports of this and most other matches, and took great care of the score books. I have several of her scrap-books, with the cuttings pasted in, and very useful I find them, because in those

PHOTO Qy]

MRS. GRACE. Qtothir of \y. Q. Grace,)

[midwinter, BRISTOL.

DR. H. M. GRACE. {Father of VF. G . Grace,)

THE FIRST MATCH I SAW 5

days " VVisden's Annual " was not in existence, and no proper record was kept. I see from the score-book that my eldest brother, Henry, and my Uncle Pocock played besides my father.

The All England brought down a first-class team, consisting of A. Claik ; Bickley, who was a grand bowler ; S. Parr ; Caffyn, the great Surrey man ; George Parr, the famous Nottingham cricketer ; Julius Caesar, of Surrey fame, and one of the very best all round cricketers of his day ; George Anderson, the genial Yorkshireman, one of the finest hitters of his time ; Box, the cele- brated wicket-keeper ; J. B. Marshall, who was a great supporter of cricket ; Edgar Willsher, of Kent ; and W. Clarke, the slow underhand bowler — most of whose names are still famous in the annals of cricket. It is doubtful whether nine men out of the eleven could have been excelled, and as was only to be expected, the West Gloucestershire twenty-two were beaten — by 149 runs.

I cannot recall any more cricket until the next year, when almost the same team came down and played a second match on the same ground. This year my brother, E. M., played. W. Clarke, who acted as secretary and manager of the All Eng- land Eleven, was present, but did not play, as his eyes were troubling him. What makes me re- member his presence was that after the match he came up to E. M. and gave him a bat, because he had long-stopped so well upon the rough ground. E. M., who was only fourteen at the time, came

6 EARLY RECOLLECTIONS

specially from school at Long Ashton to play in the match, and everybody congratulated him. It was a great thing then to have a bat given you by one of the All England players, and E. M. put it up in front of the pony-carriage with great pride. I see from the score-sheet that E. M. was given out leg before wicket. I wonder if he was satis- fied with the decision ? In the first innings my brother Henry was top scorer with 13, and in the second my father with 16. Uncle Pocock made 15. There were no other double figures reached by the West Gloucestermen, who made 48 in the first innings and 78 in the second. The fielding ground was very rough, but the wicket was good, as may be seen by the scores of the All England. Julius Caesar made 33 and 78 off his own bat. Of course, the All England team won again — this time by a hundred and sixty-five.

The next thing I remember was a cricket week in 1858 and 1859 at Badminton, the Duke of Beau- fort's residence. The celebrated I Zingari team was invited down and played three matches — V. Cirencester, Kingscote Club, and Gentlemen of Gloucester. In 1858 the Hon. Spencer Ponsonby (now the Hon. Spencer Ponsonby-Fane) was playing for the I Zingari, and so was Mr. J. L. Baldwin, the founder of the club. Next year Mr. Harvey Fellows, the famous fast bowler, was one of the team, and Mr. R. A. Fitzgerald, with whom I went to Canada in 1872.

We drove over, and I remember that the Duke entertained us very hospitably. I also recollect

CRICKET IN MY BOYHOOD 7

that the Duke was at that time training five couple of hounds for a match (which, however, never came off) of "horses against hounds." The hounds were to run against three horses carrying eight stone seven over the Beacon Course of four miles at Newmarket.

I learned the rudiments of cricket when quite a child. As small boys we played about the garden in a rough and ready way, and used to make the nurses bowl to us. In 1850 my father had moved from Downend House to the '' Chest- nuts," which was a great improvement, because it had two orchards, and the grounds were larger. My father laid out a cricket pitch in one of the orchards, which E. M., who was already a keen cricketer, improved by his own efforts. My father, my brother Henry, and my uncle Pocock practised at every spare moment, and we youngsters fielded for them from the time we could run about. Then they would give us a few balls, so I soon learned how to handle a bat. Uncle Pocock took special pains with me, and helped me a great deal, by insisting on my playing with an upright bat, even as a child. I soon got so fond of the game that I took every opportunity of playing, and when I couldn't play proper cricket, I used to chalk a wicket on a wall and get a stable-boy and one or two youngsters from the village to join me. So I got some sort of practice — sometimes with a broom-handle instead of a bat. We played all the year round, and at all hours of the day. I consider that a great deal

8 EARLY RECOLLECTIONS

of my quickness of eye is due to the fact that the boys with whom I played bowled a very large proportion of fast underhand ** daisy cutters," which used to jump about in a most erratic way, and needed a lot of watching. I also played fives, a game which is good practice for the eye during the winter months.

When I was at boarding-school cricket was encouraged by the masters, and I used to play as often as possible. Then I began playing for the West Gloucestershire Club, in which my father was the leading spirit. Of course, I used to go in last, and if I got a run or two I thought I was very lucky. As early as 1857 I played three or four innings for the West Gloucestershire Club. I was then only a boy of nine, and I couldn't be expected to do very much against the elevens we played, which were composed of grown-up men. As I grew older 1 played oftener, and in 1859 had eleven innings, which reaUsed twelve runs.

The year i860 marks an epoch in my cricket career. On the 19th and 20th of July (I was then in my twelfth year), I was selected to play for West Gloucestershire against Clifton, which was a keen rival of my father's club, and one of the crack teams in our neighbourhood, as it is to-day. I mention that particular match, because it was the occasion of the first score I remember making. I went in eighth (my brother E. M., who at this time was in rare form, had already made 150, and my Uncle Pocock 44) and added 35 before stumps were drawn. My father and mother were delighted,

AN EXTRAORDINARY MATCH 9

and both were very proud next day when I carried my score on to 51. I do not think my greatest efforts have ever given me more pleasure than that first big innings. In that year I had four innmgs, and made 82 runs. My average came down a good deal in 186I; when I played ten innings, and made only 46 runs, but it looked up a little the next season with five innings and 53 runs. But it was not until 1863 that I began to score with any consistency. That year was really the beginning of my serious cricket, for then I played in most of the West Gloucestershire matches. In 19 innings I made 350 runs, not against schoolboys, but against the best gentlemen cricketers of that time, many of them 'Varsity men, and capital players.

One of the most extraordinary matches I ever played in took place about this time. The story has been told before, but I think it will bear re-telling. My eldest brother Henry, who was in practice as a doctor at Kingswood Hill, was captain of a small club at Hanham, and fre- quently asked me to go over and play in matches against neighbouring village clubs. Over these matches a good deal of feeling usually sprang up, and not a little jealousy existed between the clubs. Victory was a great thing on the one hand, and defeat often a source of much annoy- ance on the other. My brother arranged a match between Hanham and Bitton, a village about a mile away. The Bitton team, knowing that we had a good eleven, secured some strangeis,

lo EARLY RECOLLECTIONS

including one or two of the best men from Bristol, to help them. My brother E. M. put his cricket bag in the carriage, and came with us, pretending that we might be one short. When we arrived at the ground the captain of the Bitton eleven was delighted at E. M.'s appearance, and said, " Teddy, I am glad you've come. I think we shall give them a beating to-day." Without letting us know, E. M. had promised to play for the other side.

It was a wet day, and the wicket was very soft, but we commenced the match, and our side got the worst of it, E. M. taking most of the wickets. When the Bitton men went in a second time they wanted only ten runs to win the match. As E. M. went out to take his place at the wicket an old friend said, '^ I haven't seen a good hit to- day." E. M. laughingly replied, "All right, I'll show you one. I'll win the match with one hit." He tried to carry out his promise, and was bowled first ball by a shooter. We were glad to gQt E. M. out so cheaply, but never thought we had the remotest chance of winning the match. However, we began to feel very jubilant when three or four more wickets fell one after another without a single run being made. Some of the Bristol men had changed their clothes, thinking they would not have to bat. We chaffingly called out, "You had better get ready. You'll be wanted yet." Sure enough they were but they only walked to the wickets to walk back again. Only one man scored at all. He made

E. M. AT CANTERBURY ii

three, and just when he looked hke winning the match for them an excited partner ran him out. As the result of the match was now hanging in the balance the excitement became tremendous, especially as the Bitton men scored three off a bye. Ultimately, we got the whole eleven out for six, and so won the match by three runs. It was one of the closest finishes I ever saw.

But while I was making a local reputation, my brother E. M., who was seven years my senior, was doing great things all over the country. He was at his very best, and was making some wonderful scores. His first appearance in the Canterbury week made a great sensation. My father and mother always went to stay with friends at Canterbury during the cricket week, which in the sixties was even more interesting than it is now. While they were at Canterbury the secretary told my father that he was one man short, and asked him to let E. M. play. My father pointed out that it was scarcely worth while bringing him all the way from Gloucestershire for one match, but promised to send for him on condition that he was also allowed to play in the M.C.C. match. This request was acceded to, and E. M. was telegraphed for. He got to Canterbury on the second day just in time to have his innings, but he made a duck. In the second innings he retrieved his failure by scoring 56, which was described as a very fine performance.

This match was over at half-past two. In those days three matches were played, and as soon as

12 EARLY RECOLLECTIONS

one was over the next was commenced. Before the M.C.C. match commenced there was a sUght dispute, some of the Kent players objecting to E. M. playing for M.C.C. as he was not then a member. The Kent secretary was away from the ground, but soon returned and explained that he had given leave for E. M. to pkiy in the match. E. M. carried his bat through the M.C.C. innings for 192 not out, and took every single wicket in Kent's second innings. Some of the Kent cricketers may have wished their secretary had not been so generous, but all were probably delighted with E. M.'s magnificent play. Earl Sefton, President of the M.C.C, presented him with a bat to com- memorate the occasion. His bowling exploit was rewarded by the Hon. Spencer Ponsonby (who had played against E. M. at Badminton), who sent him the identical ball mounted on an ebony stand with the following inscription on a silver plate : —

WITH THIS BALL

(presented by M.C.C. to E. M. GRACE),

HE GOT EVERY WICKET IN 2ND INNINGS, IN THE MATCH PLAYED AT CANTERBURY,

AUGUST 14, 15, 1862, GENTLEMEN OF KENT v. M.C.C,

FOR WHOM HE PLAYED AS AN EMERGENCY, AND IN WHICH, GOING IN FIRST, HE SCORED 192 NOT OUT.

A. score of 118 in the same year, made at Lord's

TARRANT'S GENEROUS ACT 13

for South Wales against the M.C.C., estabhshed E. M.'s reputation in first-class cricket, and at that time he was as well known on cricket grounds all over the country as I am now.

In 1863 I was selected as one of the 22 to represent Bristol and District against the All England team. I remember the match very well —it was made memorable to me by a generous act by Tarrant, the famous bowler. I was to go in tenth, but the luncheon hour arrived just before my turn came to bat. During the interval Tarrant gave me a little practice. Curiously enough, he was bowling when I opened my innings. Whether I had got my eye in during the luncheon hour, or whether he was kind enough to send me down one or two loose balls by way of encouragement, I don't know ; but I knocked him about so freely that he was taken off, and Tinley went on with underhands. Now at that time 1 had a distinct partiality for lobs, and I welcomed Tinley by sending his first ball to the boundary. In trying to do the same with the next I hit over it and was clean bowled. My score of 32 made me quite a hero for the rest of

the season.

Another curious thing happened in that match. In the second innings E. Stephenson (known as the Yorkshire Stephenson, to distinguish him from H. H. Stephenson, the celebrated Surrey cricketer) came in and made a slight stand. E. M., who was captain, gave the ball to me, and said, '' Pitch him one or two well up, and I'll go

14 EARLY RECOLLECTIONS

and catch him in the long field." I followed instructions, and Stephenson hit the very first ball straight to E. M., who never dropped a catch in those days. On that occasion the English team had to follow on, and were ultimately beaten by an innings and 20 runs.

It is perhaps interesting to record that this match was played on Durdham Down, as was the Gloucestershire and Devonshire match the year before, and our first real County Match v, Surrey in 1870. As the Down is an open common no charge could be made to spectators. Flags were put up to mark the boundary, and we had no pavilion. In those days we had to dress and lunch in tents. That was considered no hard- ship in the sixties and seventies, though perhaps we should regard it differently now. I sometimes think that the modern conditions of cricket are too luxurious. County cricket is made too much of a business, and some of the best elements of the game have consequently been eliminated.

In 1863, George Parr took out an eleven to Australia. E. M. went and did fairly, though he was not at all well when he landed (which he attributed to ship diet, not then as luxurious as voyagers now enjoy), and was, moreover, hampered by a whitlow on his finger, which prevented him doing himself justice. While out there he and Tarrant played — and won easily — several single-wicket matches, which excited a lot of interest. E. M. remained in Australia

FIRST APPEARANCE AT THE OVAL 15

longer than the rest of the team, and did not come back till the middle of the summer.

His absence in Australia gave me my first opportunity to play in a really big match. My brother Henry and I were invited to join in the annual tour of the South Wales team. I do not know what was my qualification for playing for South Wales, but we didn't trouble much about qualification in those days. Only a few weeks ago I had a letter from a gentleman saying that he played with me for the South Wales against Middlesex on the old county ground at Islington, and remarking that he never could tell why he played for South Wales, because up to then he had never been in Wales. He is not the only cricketer who could claim the same negative qualification for playing in that combination. Still, most of the players came from the West Country, and after all my brother and I were only divided from Wales by the Severn.

We came to London to play, and I made my first appearance at Kennington Oval on July 12, 1864. I secured four wickets in the first innings, and made 5 and 38 with the bat. After the Kennington match the captain of the South Wales told my brother that he didn't want me to play in the next match, which was at Brighton. Then, as now, it was always easier to get men to play at seaside resorts than in the provincial towns, and the Hove ground has always been very popular. But my brother Henry would not have me left out of the Brighton match, and

i6 EARLY RECOLLECTIONS

insisted that I should play. I did, and went in first wicket down. When I had made 170 in the first innings and not-out 56 in the second, the captain did not repent that I had been included in the team. That was my first notable achieve- ment away from home. The match was against the Gentlemen of Sussex, for whom those fine old cricketers, E. and W. Napper, were playing. Mr. W. Napper has often told me since that he ought to have captured my wicket, because when I had cut him three times to the boundary off successive balls he bowled me another which I also cut (but through Point's hands) to the boundary. Mr. Napper still thinks that Point ought to have taken that chance.

I made my first appearance at Lord's a few days later (July 22, 1864), playing for South Wales against the M.C.C. and Ground. It is a curious coincidence that on that day the first important match, Kent v. Notts, was played at the Crystal Palace, Sydenham, and now, thirty-five years later, I am arranging for more big matches on the same ground. I went in first wicket down and made 50. Mr. ]. J. Sewell, father of Mr. CO. H. Sewell, who now plays for Gloucester- shire, was one of the South Wales eleven. He was a fine cricketer, a hard hitter, and a capital fieldsman in any position, but especially at cover- ponit.

Mr. ]. J. Sewell was a native of Cirencester, Gloucestershire, and went to school at Marl- borough College, for which he played from i860

FIRST COUNTY MATCH 17

to 1862. In the latter year he went in first against Rugby at Lord's, and was top scorer with 50 out of no. Marlborough won by an innings and 17 runs. This was the fifth match between the two schools, but the first which was won by Marlborough. Mr. B. B. Cooper, who was captain of Rugby afterwards, used to go in first with me for the Gentlemen v. Players.

In 1862 Gloucestershire played Devonshire on Durdham Down. This was the first county match ever played in Bristol. Mr. Sewell and my brother E. M. went in first and made 113 before they were parted, E. M. scoring 57 and Sewell 65. Gloucestershire won by an innings. Subsequently Mr. Sewell played for Middlesex, and a few years later went to South Africa. It will be remembered that his son came over with the South African team in 1894, and, staying in England to study the law, played for Gloucester- shire. The local paper commented on the above- mentioned Gloucestershire v, Devonshire match as follows : —

'* The county has thus made a good beginning, and we hope they will long retain the laurels they have so gallantly won, and who knows but in time they may be fit antagonists for Cambridge, Yorkshire, Kent, and even for Surrey itself. It may appear presumptuous to speculate thus, but we believe there is plenty of good stuff in the district." The prophecy may have been pre- sumptuous; however, in ten years we were not only " fit antagonists " for the other counties, but

13

i8 EARLY RECOLLECTIONS

in 1876 and 1877 we reached the top of the tree, not losing a single match in either year.

Though the Gloucestershire County Club did not play regularly until 1870, my father fre- quently got up inter-county matches before that time. Those matches have never been generally chronicled, but they were played for five or six years, before first-class county cricket was established.

CHAPTER II

CRICKET IN THE SIXTIES

It is no exaggeration to say that between i860 and 1870 English cricket passed through its most critical period. The game itself was then in a transition stage, and it was quite a revolutionary period so far as its rules were concerned. A good deal of jealousy existed between the All England Eleven and the United Eleven, and there was constant bickering between the North and the South. Numerous schisms led to the display of much ill-feeling, and to a considerable extent jeopardised the progress of the rapidly expanding popularity of the game. Combinations and strikes among cricketers were almost painfully frequent. The unsatisfactory character of the law as to no- balling was a source of grievance until the law which forbade a bowler to raise his arm above his shoulder was amended, so that it merely pro- hibited the ball being jerked or thrown. This removed an obnoxious restriction and in a measure led to a complete metamorphosis in bowling.

It was during this decade that fast round-

20 CRICKET IN THE SIXTIES

arm bowling reached its highest point of perfec- tion. Fast underhand bowHng was just going out as I began to play first-class cricket, and Tarrant, WiUsher, and Jackson— that remarkable trio of formidable fast bowlers— were in the heyday of their strength. Tarrant, who played for Cambridgeshire, was generally known as ''Tear 'um," because he took such a long run before delivering a ball, and gave himself the appearance of ferocity. He was in every way a remarkable bowler. His deliveries were very straight and very fast— quite as fast, if not faster, than Tom Richardson's. Jackson was a native of Bungay, in Suffolk, but always played for Nottingham. He was one of the lew men, not born in the county, who have played for Nottmgham, which has always loyally en- deavoured to adhere to the birth qualification. Jackson, like Tarrant, was a right-hand bowler. He bowled at a great pace, the peculiarity of his delivery being the extraordinary rapidity with which the ball rose after striking the ground. Although he did not take so long a run, or give the impression of such a terrific speed as Tarrant did, many people thought he was the faster bowler. The fact was his delivery was very deceptive, and batsmen new to his bowling were often astounded and bafHed by its actual pace. That, indeed, was the secret of his success. Willsher, who was a Kent man, was a left- handed fast bowler, with a high action. His delivery was the subject of much discussion,

IMPORTANT CHANGES 21

and it was due to the fact that he was " no- balled " that the rule was amended. He was one of the most difficult left-hand bowlers that I have ever had to play against. On bad wickets all these three bowlers were almost absolutely unplay- able.

The introduction of fast round-arm bowling had led to some important changes in the arrangement of thefield. The fast bowlers gained the upperhand over the batsmen, and most of the runs scored off their bowling were made behind the wicket. Con- sequently, when they were bowling it was not necessary to put fieldsmen in the long-field. E. M. was almost the first to play out at the fast round-arm bowling. Having a wonderful eye he could hit forward the swiftest balls, and as he constantly drove them over the bowler's head, fieldsmen had again to be placed in the long-field. When I began to play in first-class cricket, I followed the same tactics.

During this decade, too, important clubs began to pay special attention to the condition of their grounds. Up to this time many of the principal grounds were so rough as to be positively danger- ous to play upon, and batsmen were constantly damaged by the fast bowling. When the wickets were in this condition the batsmen had to look out for shooters, and leave the bumping balls to look after themselves. In the sixties it was no unusual thing to have two or three shooters in an over ; nowadays you scarcely get one shooter in a season. At this time the Marylebone ground

22 CRICKET IN THE SIXTIES

was in a very unsatisfactory condition — so un- satisfactory that in 1864 Sussex refused to play at Lord's owing to the roughness of the ground. When I first played there the creases were not chalked out, but were actually cut out of the turf one inch deep, and about one inch wide. As matches were being frequently played, and no pains were taken to fill up the holes, it is quite easy to imagine what a terrible condition the turi presented. Happily, the idea of cutting out the creases did not prevail for long. If I am not mistaken, the experiment was only tried for one season and then abandoned.

The period of reform and improvement at Lord's began, I think, in 1863, when my old friend R. A. Fitzgerald was elected honorary secretary of the M.C.C. Mr. Fitzgerald became paid secretary in 1868, and held the post of secretary thirteen years, resigning it on the ground of ill-health in 1877. An assiduous and energetic official, he initiated numerous improvements, both as regards the ground and the management of the club. His popularity may be judged from the fact that when he became secretary the membership of the M.C.C. was 651, while when he resigned it was 2080. In the year after his appointment (1864) a portion of Lord's ground (about 80 yards by 40) was levelled and returfed, and the whole premises were thoroughly repaired. That was the year in which the M.C.C. had a Jubilee match to celebrate fifty years' occupation of the present ground. In the evening Mr. Fitzgerald

THE INSTITUTION OF BOUNDARIES 23

presided at a dinner given in the pavilion to cele- brate the occasion, when about forty gentlemen were present. In i8j55 two new wings were added to the pavilion, and the roof was altered so that spectators could view the match from that coign of vantage. In every respect Lord's was improved, although many years elapsed before the ground attained its present state of perfection. Wickets at the Oval were always much better than at Lord's, where the clay in the soil has always handicapped the ground men. It may surprise some people who admire the existing green sward at Marylebone when I say that within my recollection I could go on to the pitch at Lord's and pick up a handful of small pieces of gravel. That was very detrimental to the wickets, as a ball would sometimes hit one of the small stones and fly high in the air.

To show how crude the arrangements at Lord's were in the old days, I may mention that it was not until 1865 that the scorers were provided with a covered box in which to do their work. Up to that year the two unfortunate men had been perched on high seats without any protection whatever from sun or rain. Originally, of course, in the early days of piimitive cricket, scores were kept by the cutting of notches in a stick, and the scorers usually squatted themselves somewhere near the umpire.

There were no fixed boundaries at Lord's when I first played there. If the ball struck the pavilion railings a four was allowed — although even that rule was suspended one year — but every

24 CRICKET IN THE SIXTIES

other hit had to be run out. The institution of boundaries came about in a curious way. As interest in cricket extended and deepened the crowds attending the matches increased rapidly. Occasionally a ball would be hit among the spectators, who would open to let it pass through them, but often close again immediately. Fields- men frequently found it difficult to get through the crowd to the ball. On one occasion Mr. A. N. Hornby was out in the long-field at Lord's, when a ball was driven among the spec- tators. As everybody knows, the Lancashire amateur was a very energetic fieldsman, and as he dashed after the ball he scattered the crowd in all directions. One poor old gentleman, not being sufficiently alert to get out of the way, was thrown on his back and rather severely hurt. The incident opened the eyes of the authorities to the necessity for better regulations, and as the result a boundary line was instituted. The good example set by the M.C.C. in the matter of the i nprovement of Lord's ground was followed b}^ other influential clubs, and a general system of all- round reform became the order of the day.

Just about the time when I came to the front in first-class cricket, a somewhat discreditable intrigue was attempted against the M.C.C. It was, in fact, an attempt to supersede the authority of the club as the law-giving authority of the cricket world — a position it has held ever since the Hambledon Club was dissolved about 1791. A proposal, emanating from the columns of the

AN INTRIGUE AGAINST THE M.C.C 25

Sporting Life, was made to institute a Cricket Parliament. It was suggested that the time had come when some more comprehensive and re- sponsible form of government than that which had hitherto existed for the regulation of the national game had become necessary. It was argued that when the M.C.C. took upon itself the responsibility of being lawgiver for cricket the game was confined to a few of the Southern counties, and that as cricket had gradually ex- tended to the North and was becoming popular all over the country, the regime of the M.C.C. ought to come to an end. To legislate for the vast cricket-playing community was, it was sug- gested, too great a task for a single club, such as the M.C.C, and the proposal was made that the onus of regulating the game should be put upon the shoulders of a more extended, responsible, and differently constituted assembly, to be com- posed of practical and business men from every part of the United Kingdom, who should be elected by the voice of their respective constitu- encies, and should have the opportunity periodi- cally of discussing openly and dispassionately all matters and things appertaining to the game.

The actual proposal was that a Parliament should be established, to consist of an unlimited number of members, who should be elected annually or otherwise as might be thought expe- dient, and who should have power to frame a general code of rules and to make all necessary by-laws. This led to a long discussion, which

26 CRICKET IN THE SIXTIES

occupied the columns of the Sporting Life for some time, and gave a number of would-be reformers (who in most cases were careful to write under a nom de plume) an opportunity to air imaginary grievances against the M.C.C. Of course this was nothing but an attack upon the Marylebone Club, but happily for cricket the agitation col- lapsed, and the proposal came to nothing.

Nothing is easier than to get up an agitation of this kind, but it is lucky for the game of cricket that this and other attempts to overthrow the M.C.C. have been futile. One ground of com- plaint emphasised by the agitators was that the M.C.C. did not, even at Lord's, enforce the laws which it promulgated. As far as my experience goes this was a distinct mistake, because at Lord's the laws are always carried out to the letter. There is less time wasted between the innings at Lord's than there is at any other important ground. Play always begins punctually at Mary- lebone, and the regulations are rigidly adhered to. Of course the one vexed question concerning the law prohibiting throwing has caused trouble at Lord's, but the interpretation of that law is a matter of opinion — one cricketer or umpire regarding as perfectly fair bowling what another would condemn as throwing.

My own personal feeling is that the laws and regulations of cricket generally could not have been entrusted to better hands than those of the M.C.C. The club has always set a high standard to the cricket world, and has never

CRICKET GOVERNMENT 27

refused to consider reasonable suggestions from responsible cricketers. It has acted with the impartiality of the High Court of Appeal, and has always safeguarded the best interests of the game, without unduly interfering with the rights and liberties of cricketers, individually or collectively. In cricket the classical maxim that he governs best who governs least applies as completely as it does in national life. A judicious conservatism — born of a dread of change which is not improve- ment— has always guided the counsels of the M.C.C., and if it had done nothing else than successfully resist some of the ridiculous pro- posals which have from time to time been noisily advocated, it would have done splendid service to our national game. If the M.C.C. had listened to the agitations which have been sprung upon it during the last thirty years there would have been continual alteration of the rules, and finality or fixity would have been impossible. Legislative tinkering would have been fatal to cricket, and the M.C.C. has, I think, shown its wisdom by throwing its influence against precipitate action.

The years 1865 and 1866 stand out in my memory as especially eventful. In the former year an interesting match was played at Bath between eighteen of the Lansdowne Club (one of the oldest in the district) and the United All England Eleven, which was a rival combination to William Clarke's All England team. The scene of the match was the Sydenham Fields, Bath, and the wicket was pitched on land now occupied by the Midland

28 CRICKET IN THE SIXTIES

Railway Goods Station. E. M., who was batting this season with particular vigour and freedom, played a grand innings of 121. He got well hold of one ball; and knocked it clean into the river ; but he was eventually magnificently caught at long leg byG.M. Kelson, the well-known Kent amateur, who was playing for the Eleven. The All England scored 99 and 87. A peculiar point about the match was that my brothers, E. M. and Henry, and myself took every wicket in both innings. E. M.'s score of 121 was almost an epoch-making event, as such achievements against the All England team were almost unheard of.

One of my best matches, as far as bowling is concerned, was an encounter between the Gentle- men of the South of England and the Players of the South, which took place at the Oval the same year. The Oval is a ground on which I would always much rather bat than bowl, but on this occasion Mr. I. D. Walker and myself took all the wickets between us. In the first innings Walker took four and I got five ; in the second. Walker captured two, and I secured the remaining eight. I have a memento of this match still, for the Surrey Club had the ball mounted and inscribed, and presented it to me. E. M. did not play on that occasion owing to ill-health.

It was at the Oval, on September 28, 29 and 30, that a memorable incident occurred, in a match between eighteen Gentlemen of the South of England and the United South of England Eleven, which was played for the benefit of the

A RIOT THREATENED 29

bowlers connected with the Kennington ground. Jupp, who was the stonewaller of the time, was batting, and the bowlers were all perplexed as to how to get him out. Both Mr. I. D. Walker and E. M. had been bowling lobs for some time with- out any success, when E. M. said : " I'll give him a high toss." So saying, he bowled a high under- hand ball, which soared right over Jupp's head, and fell on the top of the bail. This incident caused a considerable sensation. The spectators expressed their dissatisfaction very freely, and for a little while it looked as if there was going to be a riot. Some of them called out to Jupp not to go out, and it looked as if blows were going to be exchanged. One or two of the Gentlemen armed themselves with wickets as weapons of defence. The game was suspended for some time, but eventually the troubled waters were calmed, and the innings was resumed. While I do not think it was wise to bowl such a ball, there was nothing in the rules to forbid it, and so, of course, it was perfectly fair. The extraordinary part of the episode was that the ball should fall on the wicket. I suppose such a thing would not occur once in a thousand times.

It was the custom of the Surrey Club in the sixties to give a bat to any one who made 50 runs in a first-class match at the Oval. On this occa- sion, E. M. made 64 and 56, and so had a couple of bats presented to him. It was announced that these made the seventy-hfth bat with which he had been presented up to that time.

30 CRICKET IN THE SIXTIES

The year 1866 was one of my greatest scoring seasons in the early days of my cricket. I made 173 not out for The Gentlemen of the South v. The Players, and 224 not out against Surrey, whilst playing for England.

It was in 1866 that I played for the first time at Sheffield. The occasion was an interesting one also, because it afforded me my first experience of captaining an important team. The people of Sheffield were very anxious for E. M. to pay them a visit, but as he was studying medicine at the time and couldn't go he suggested that they should invite me in his stead. The suggestion was adopted, and the match was played on the Hyde Park ground at Sheffield. The ground stood on the top of a high hill, and I began to despair of the cab ever getting to the top. I captained eighteen colts of Notts and Sheffield against the All England team. George Parr was playing and scored 20, all made off leg hits. Now- adays we get very little leg-hitting, as the bowling is more accurate, and bowlers keep the ball as much as possible on the off-side ; but Parr was a past-master in the art of scoring on the leg side, and it was a perfect treat to see him playing balls to leg with his consummate ease and skill. I made nine runs in the first innings, and 36 (out of 91) in the second. George Atkinson and J. C. Shaw were bowling, and as the All England team v/ere anxious to catch the train to get away to some other part of the country, they begged me to get out. But I didn't see throwing away my wicket

G. F.'s DEBUT 31

in those days. Since then I have made many a big score at Bramall Lane, which I don't mind confessing is one of my favourite grounds. It got into a bad state some years ago, but they are getting it back to its former condition of excellence.

Towards the end of the sixties my youngest brother, G. F. Grace, began to come into promi- nence. As a boy he had shown marvellous aptitude for the game, and in local matches around Bristol frequently made scores of a hundred and up- wards while quite a youngster. At the age of nine he performed a great feat, taking thirteen wickets while playing in a small match against grown-up men. In 1866 he made his debut in first-class cricket, by playing at Canterbury for The South of the Thames v. The North of the Thames. Two years later, when seventeen years of age, he made his first appearance at Lord's, playing for England against the M.C.C. and Ground. In this match G. F. and I played for England, while E. M. was one of the M.C.C. team.

In 1866 the Gentlemen, for the first time since the mstitution of the Gentlemen v. Players match at the Oval, defeated the professionals. In cele- bration of the event, each member of the team was presented with a bat by Mr. W. Burrup, who was then Secretary of the Surrey Cricket Club. It was his custom to give a bat to every gentle- man who scored lifty or more at the Oval, and it was always an interesting sight to see him standing

32 CRICKET IN THE SIXTIES

on the pavilion step, bat in hand, awaiting the retiring batsman who was to be the recipient of the honour.

The first time I ever scored a hundred in each innings of a match was in August 1868, when I played at Canterbury for the South of the Thames against the North of the Thames, my contribu- tions being 130 in the first innings and 102 in the second. I may add that I have since repeated this achievement on three occasions. Notwith- standing my big score in each innings I was on the losing side. The Rev, J. M. (now Canon) McCormick was among our opponents, and rendered yeoman service with scores of 137 and

27-

I scored a hundred for the first time in this

bi-annual encounter in the Gentlemen v. Players match at Lord's in 1868, my contribution being 134 (not out) out of a total of 201. In the same year, which was one of my best early batting seasons, I made scores of 210, 130, iii, and 103. A record, which remained unbroken for thir- teen years, was established in May 1868 by Mr. E. F. S. Tylecote, a Clifton College boy, who, in a big-side match (Classicals v. Moderns), scored 404 (not out). This wonderful performance, which took the boy three afternoons to achieve, held the record until July 1881, when Mr. W. N. Roe, playing for Emmanuel College Long Vaca- tion V. Caius College Long Vacation at Cam- bridge, made 415 (not out). Four years later this colossal score was exceeded by Mr. J. S. Carrick,

THE ABORIGINES IN ENGLAND 33

who scored 419 (not out) for the West of Scot- land V, Priory Park at Chichester. But Mr. Carrick's triumph was short-lived, as in the very next season Mr. A. E. Stoddart, the well-known Middlesex amateur, compiled the gigantic score of 485 for Hampstead v, the Stoics. Mr. Stoddart's innings still holds the record as the highest individual score ever made in any match.

A team of Australian aborigines, captained by Charley Lawrence, visited England in 1868. Lawrence, who had been one of H. H. Stephen- son's team, which made the first visit of English cricketers to Australia, had stayed behind and taught the aborigines how to play cricket. The team went up and down the country, playing matches against clubs, including several of the Counties, and acquitted themselves very well. The best all-round player of the team was MuUagh, but one or two others showed con- spicuous skill at the game. In addition to playing cricket, they generally gave exhibitions of boomerang throwing in the towns they visited.

On May 14, 1869, I first played for the M.C.C., of which I had some time previously been elected a member. The match was played on the old Magdalen ground at Oxford, and I celebrated my inclusion in the club team by scoring 117. Since that time I have scarcely ever failed to represent the M.C.C. in its most important matches, and have had the honour of captaining its eleven on occasions too numerous to mention.

The most remarkable run-getting match in

c

34 CRICKET IN THE SIXTIES

\vhich, up to that time, I had ever taken a part, was an encounter between the Gentlemen of the South and the Players of the South, at the Oval in July 1869. The Players batted first, sending in Pooley and Jupp to open their innings. These two put on 142 runs for the first wicket, and their side kept possession of the wickets until the middle of the second day. By this time they had compiled 475 runs, Charlwood heading the score- sheet with 155. Mr. B. B. Cooper, the old Rugby captain, and I were deputed to open the Gentlemen's innings, and made the great stand which for many years remained the record for a first-wicket score. For three and three-quarter hours we defied the bowlers, scoring at the rate of nearly a hundred runs an hour. Change after change was made in the attack, and then as a last resort Mantle, who was by far the worst bowler on the field, was given the ball. The result was a proof of the truism that any change is better than no change at all, for in the course of six balls Mantle was lucky enough to dismiss both Cooper and me. Our partnership had realised 283 runs ; Cooper, who scored loi, having made one six, two fives, and six fours, while in my contribution of 180 I had hit two sixes, one five, and ten fours. When play ended on the second day, the score stood at 306 for two wickets. Next day we carried the total on to 553 before our innings closed, Mr. I. D. Walker having hit the bowling about and scored 90. We thus topped our opponents' score by 78 runs

SCORING EXTRAORDINARY 35

The Players, who had about an hour and a half's batting, made such good use of their time, that they had run up 108 for one wicket before time was called. Altogether in this extraordinary match 1 136 runs were scored off 548 overs for the loss of 21 wickets, the average per batsman being over 50. During the match no less than 15 different bowlers tried their hands, but the wicket was all in favour of the batsmen, and scoring was comparatively easy.

In the last two years of the decade under review, county cricket began to take a prominent place, and to excite great interest. Nottingham and Yorkshire led, w^ith Surrey running them close and Lancashire, Kent, Sussex, and Middlesex following, in something like the order in which I have placed them.

CHAPTER III

WITH R. A. FITZGERALD'S TEAM IN CANADA

I WAS one of a team of twelve amateurs who, towards the close of the English cricket season of 1872, visited Canada under the aegis of Mr. R. A. Fitzgerald, who was then Secretary of the M.C.C. Early in the previous year two Canadian gentle- men— Captain N. Wallace, since then a member of the Gloucestershire team, and Mr. ]. C. Patteson • — invited Mr. Fitzgerald to organise an amateur team for a tour in the Dominion. The invitation was really given at the instigation of a number of Canadian clubs, and the hope was expressed that the team would also visit the United States, and play a few matches there. Mr. Fitzgerald con- sented to undertake the formation of a team, and approached a number of leading gentlemen cricketers — myself among the number — on the subject. After many discouragements and a good deal of persuasion '' Fitz," as we called him, induced the following representative cricketers to make the tour : W. G. Grace, A. Lubbock, Edgar Lubbock, A. N. Hornby, Hon. G. Harris (now Lord Harris), A. Appleby (the well-known

> 5

IN THE THROES OF MAL-DE-MER 37

left-handed Lancashire bowler), W. H. Hadow, C. J. Ottaway, C. K. Francis (now one of the MetropoHtan Stipendiary Magistrates), F. Picker- ing, and W. M. Rose. Mr. Fitzgerald captained and managed the tour, which was one of the pleasantest experiences of my life.

We met at Liverpool on August 8, 1872 (I had to leave Canterbury in the middle of the cricket w^eek, so as to catch the boat), and just before sailing a number of gentlemen — • well-known cricketers in the Liverpool district • — entertained us at luncheon at the Adelphi Hotel. We left the Mersey that afternoon by the steamship Sarniatlan, which was then the latest addition to the Allan Line fleet, and a fine comfortable ship too. She was making her second trip when we were among her passengers. After crossing the bar of the Mersey and getting off the coast of Ireland we took in mails and a few more passengers off Lough Foyle. Then the bad sailors began to feel the first effects of the Atlantic billows. Up to that point w^e had been a happy party, but for a day or two several of the team were in the throes of iiial-de-mer, and made no appearance in the saloon. I think Harris and I w^ere the worst victims, for before we were on deck again the others had got their sea-legs, and were in suffi- ciently good spirits to subject us to some merci- less chaff when we sat in the leeward under a boat hanging in the davits. We both made up our minds that if the captain would only lower

38 WITH R. A. FITZGERALD'S TEAM

a boat for us we would try to get back to old England again. But the Atlantic behaved itself in the most exemplary manner, and both Harris and I threw off our sea-sickness and began to enjoy the voyage. We were all greatly interested in seeing some gigantic icebergs as we approached the Newfoundland coast, but they were a long way off, and we were very glad of it too, as ice- bergs are not pleasant things to encounter. None of us were sorry when we got past the lighthouse at Belle Isle and into the placid waters of the St. Lawrence.

We reached Quebec on August 1 7, after making the fastest passage of the year (2656 miles in nine days one and a half hours) and one that has seldom been beaten since. We were met at the wharf by Mr. Patteson, who as I have said was one of the initiators of the tour. We had some difficulty in finding quarters, as unfortunately all the hotels in the city were crowded. One hotel offered to let us have rooms if we were not very particular ; but I have always found that cricketers are very particular so far as their rooms are con- cerned. The Club took charge of some of us, and friends took in others, and though it was annoying to have to hunt for accommodation we ultimately got comfortably settled. Some of the officials of the Toronto Cricket Club, and other clubs in different parts of the Dominion, had come down to Quebec to give us a welcome, and we were very hospitably entertained. Lord Dufferin, who was then

TROUT-FISHING IN CANADA 39

Governor of Canada, invited us to dinner at the citadel.

After leaving that function Fitzgerald and I, along with two or three others, started off in the small hours of the morning for a fishing and shooting expedition above the Falls of Mont- morenci, which are close to Quebec, and which impressed us greatly until we saw Niagara, and had our impressions of the smaller Falls effaced by the grandeur of the ^mighty thunderer of waters." Chartering a ^' calash " and tandem we drove about eighteen miles (we were assured that it was only about ten miles, but Canadian miles are so long that the distance was nearer twenty), along a bush track which was in a horrible condition and made us all apprehensive for our safety. We arrived at the clearing in the early morning. Having breakfasted, the shooting party went off in one direction while Fitz and I commenced fishing in a very delightful stream. The water was rather low, but in places there w^ere pools, and between them the current ran swiftly. We had a capital day's sport, but I do not think that on that occasion, at all events, it was the result of any special skill in casting the line, as I who had never got a trout with a fly rod in my life (although I had often hooked them in a small stream with the toothsome worm) hardly ever threw my line without securing a rise. In fact, as soon as the fly touched the water the fish dashed greedily at it, and we hauled them in as rapidly as could be. By noon we had had quite

40 WITH R. A. FITZGERALD'S TEAM

enough of it, having secured 130 trout, most of them small, but now and again running to about a pound.

The shooting party fared less happily. They got wandering aimlessly about, and, thinking they were perfectly free in any direction, trespassed on some private land, and were confronted by an indignant and stalwart virago. She was armed with a stout stick, and ferociously threatened to lay it about them if they didn't clear off from her land ; so they beat a retreat. Altogether though they covered a good many miles they got very little sport. Indeed, they only saw one unfortu- nate small bird which was scarcely worth powder at all, and which they " bagged " as it sat basking on a rock. Our return to Quebec was fraught with difftculties, as the track, which had seemed bad enough in the night time, appeared worse in the daylight. It was so rough that we congratu- lated ourselves when we got to Quebec that we had come over such a road with our limbs whole. When we reached the Stradacona Club, about five o'clock in the evening, we learned that the other members of the team had been entertained at a champagne luncheon. We were all very hungry, and soon made up for lost time. Before sundown we had a little cricket practice on the ramparts.

The most notable feature of Quebec is the great rock which rises abruptly out of the St. Lawrence to the height of several hundred feet. It was on this rockj known as Abraham's Heights,

OUR FIRST ACCIDENT 41

that Montmorency was killed in the famous siege of Quebec. The spot where he met his death is marked by the w^ords '^ Here Montmorency fell/' painted in large letters half way up the precipi- tous slope of the rock. A capital story is told concerning this spot. A somewhat obtuse Ameri- can, standing on the deck of a Canadian liner which was passing down the St. Lawrence under the shadow of Abraham's Heights, asked a comrade who was looking at the rock through a binocular what the words were. His friend replied : " it says, ^ Here Montmorency fell.' " '^ Wall," said the American, apparently blissfully ignorant of Canadian history, but impressed with the steepness of the rock, ^it's no wonder he did." We left Quebec for Montreal later in the same evening, crossing the St. Lawrence to the Grand Trunk Depot. Here we met with our first acci- dent. One member of the team, on whom mis- fortunes had an unhappy knack of falling, tripped over a plank on the landing stage, which had been damaged by fire a few days previously, and dropped his dressing-case through a hole. It fell into the mud and water about twenty feet below the landing-stage, and as the train was on the point of departure the bag was never recovered, or, at least, we never heard of it being recovered. But that was not the worst of it, as he injured his knee, and was thereby prevented from playing in our first match. A friend had provided a private sleeping car for our night journey, but we thought that the best part of that car was ^' Parker," the

42 WITH R. A. FITZGERALD'S TEAM

man who controlled the bar, and who gave us during our journey an introduction to the peculiar beverages which the Americans call " cock-tails/' and of which they concoct an endless variety.

On August 2ist we arrived at Montreal. We had taken the trouble to have the best of the trout we had caught on the previous day packed in ice for our own consumption in Montreal, but in the bustle the fish got left behind. The heat in Mon- treal was very intense, although the summer was far advanced. One of our first acts was to visit the cricket ground, which is just at the foot of the mountain, and of which we did not think very much. Indeed, w^e made a good many com- plaints about the ground, which was in a deplor- able condition. Luckily, some heavy thunder- storms improved the wicket, and by dint of hard work it was made fit to play upon, though it was bad enough in all conscience. We took the opportunity to get a little practice, and then occurred the second accident in our chapter, Francis being struck on the head with a ball which laid him low for a short time. Captain Fitzgerald, having only twelve men at his disposal, and finding two of them already Jiors de combat, put a stop to further practice that afternoon. While I was practising I hit a ball out of the ground over a neighbouring fence, and the ball could not be found. We all went to look for it, and, to my astonishment, I found a melon-bed in the garden. The fruit was growing luxuriously in the open air

AS ITHERS SEE US 43

— a thing which I had never seen before. The gardener politely cut the ripest and best of the melons and presented it to me, and I carried it off the ground in high exultation. Whether he kept the ball in exchange for the melon I don't know ; if he did he got the best of the bargain, as I found later that melons were very cheap in Montreal.

The first match of our tour was a three days' encounter with twenty-two of Montreal. We had an easy victory. In our first innings we made 255, towards which I contributed 81. Our lob bowler, Rose, proved much too good for the Colonials, who scored only 48 and 67.

One of the Montreal papers, in referring to my innings, said : *' Mr. Grace is a large-framed, loose-jointed man, and you would say that his gait is a trifle awkward and shambling, but when he goes into the field you see that he is quick- sighted, sure-handed, and light-footed as the rest. He always goes in first, and to see him tap the ball gently to the off for one, draw it to the on for two, pound it to the limits for four, drive it beyond the most distant long leg for six, looks as easy as rolling ofi a log." I have had my style and appearance variously described at dilTerent times by newspaper reporters, but that reference is, perhaps, the most curious I have ever had made to myself.

On the evening of the first day of the match we were banqueted, and I made my first appearance as an after-dinner speaker. I had to reply to a

44 WITH R. A. FITZGERALD'S TEAM

toast to "The Champion Batsman of Cricket- dom/' and our Captain Fitz, in his amusing book, " Wickets in the West, or the Twelve in America/' records my maiden effort as follows : " Gentle- men, I beg to thank you for the honour you have done me. I never saw better bowling than I have seen to-day, and I hope to see as good wherever I go." We had another dinner on the second night, this time at the St. James's Club, the members of which kindly invited us to be their guests. The people of Montreal took a very keen interest in all our movements, and large crowds assembled to watch the match. The new^spapers paid great attention to all our doings. Their reports of the matches were very funny, if not very accurate. Neither the reporters nor the spectators seemed to understand the game very thoroughly, and we were often amused at the excitement when a catch was made off a bump ball.

From Montreal w^e travelled to the Dominion capital, Ottawa, where we took up our quarters at the Russell House, and were very well looked after by the proprietor. Canadian hotel-keepers seem to keep their bars open all night, and I was awakened about half-past two one morning by an exciting discussion which was going on in the bar. Recognising the voice of Farrands, whom we took out as our umpire, I listened to the con- versation, and overheard a gentleman bragging about his own cricketing abilities, and declaring that he had scored freely off Freeman's bowling.

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CANADIAN HOSPITALITY 45

Farrands would not listen to this assertion, and bluntly told the man that Freeman would knock him, bat and all, right through the wickets in a couple of overs. I believe that if I had not made my appearance and pacified the disputants, who were getting very excited, a row would have been inevitable. I poured oil on the troubled waters, and when I left the scene of the con- troversy Farrands was enjoying the hospitality of his antagonist.

Next day we commenced our match against twenty-two of Ottawa, and again we won a single innings victory. The wicket w^as certainly better than it had been at Montreal, and as I was in good form I made 73, the top score of our innings. Rose and Appleby did the mischief with their bowling against the twenty-two.

Of course, we were entertained in Ottawa — we could not move anywhere in Canada without being entertained, as the people were so hospitable. Once more I was called on to reply to a toast, and once more I cannot do better than quote Fitzgerald's report of my utterance : " Gentle- men, I beg to thank you for the honour you have done me. I never saw a better ground than I have seen to-day, and I hope to see as good wherever I go." I have a lively recollection of this particular banquet, because among the delicacies of the menu was a haunch of bear. Naturally, never having tasted this rarity, we all thought we would sample it. It looked all right, appetising enough in its way, but it was terribly

46 WITH R. A. FITZGERALD'S TEAM

tough, and the taste was abominable. I quite believe that that haunch never came off a wild bear; in fact, I think it was a relic of some poor superannuated show animal whose dancing career was ended. It was quite impossible to get one's teeth through it, and though the taste for bear may perhaps be cultivated, like the taste for olives, I fought shy of the delicacy ever after- wards.

While in Ottawa we were asked, as everybody who visits Ottawa is asked, to ^' do the slides." Shooting the slides really means sliding down the rapids of the Ottawa River on a lumber raft. We were comfortably assured that there could be no danger, as the lumber was always firmly secured when picnic parties were doing the shoots, and so most of the party accepted the invitation. It is exciting w^ork for the first time, and makes a pleasant diversion, but it is a pastime of which one soon tires. As Fitzgerald said, the peril all told is not equal to a real slide on a bit of orange-peel on a London pavement.

Journeying via Lake Ontario, one of the most amazing of Canada's inland seas, we next stopped at Toronto, where we found a well-prepared ground ready for our encounter with twenty-two of Toronto. The interest in our tour was even keener here than at Montreal or at Ottawa, and the crowd of spectators was greater than had hitherto been attracted by our matches. A flower-pot stand, with accommodation for 2000 onlookers, had been specially erected for the occasion, and

A SEDUCTIVE OFFER 47

much better accommodation was provided for the cricketers than we had previously enjoyed. For the first time, for instance, we found soap and towels provided in the pavilion for our use, and as the climate was sultry we greatly appreciated the thoughtfulness which prompted this provision. I recollect this m.atch principally because I was lucky enough to make my first century in Canada on this occasion — my share of the English score of 319 being 142. Again we were easily victorious, winning for the third time in three matches by an innings. Against Rose and Appleby's bowling the Toronto twenty -two compiled only 97 in the first innings and 117 in the second. The match excited great interest. One gentleman, who had come down from the country to witness the encounter, got himself introduced to me in order to offer me a couple of young bears to take home to England. I could not quite see to what use I could apply the creatures when I got them home, so I declined the seductive offer.

At Toronto we had another banquet — that goes without saying. This time the members of the Royal Canadian Yacht Club were our hosts. Here I perpetrated my third speech, reported by Fitz- gerald thus : ^^ Gentlemen, I thank you for the honour you have done me. I have never seen better batting than I saw to-day, and I hope to see as good wherever I go."

Our visit to Toronto was made extremely pleasant by the hospitality of the people. We

48 WITH R. A. FITZGERALD'S TEAM

were entertained somewhere and somehow nearly every night. The Toronto Ckib invited us to a banquet, and of course I had to get on my legs again to respond to a toast. Fitz reports my fourth speech as follows : " Gentlemen, I have to thank you for the honour you have done me. I never met such good fellows as I met to-day, and I hope I shall meet as good wherever I go." I may say that my speech was received with rapturous applause. Mr. W. H. Smith, after- wards the leader of the House of Commons, was present at this banquet, and also spoke. Hospi- tality was literally showered upon us. Indeed, the people seemed unable to do enough to make our visit pleasant and memorable. The Lieu- tenant-Governor gave a ball in our honour, and an excursion was arranged by Mr. and Mrs. Cumberland to Lake Simcoe, and Couchising. Altogether, we did not get much breathing time between a constant succession of festive and social engagements.

To finish up the week's sojourn, the Toronto Club organised a scratch match of teams selected from the English twelve and the Toronto cricketers. I captained one side, consisting of six Englishmen and five Canadians, and Fitz- gerald captained the other, which was similarly constituted. Like most scratch matches it was productive of excellent fun, although the play was not of the order of strict cricket. My eleven made i68 (of which Lord Harris made 65) and 119., and Fitz's side scored 165 and 63. I ran

CRICKET IN THE DARK 49

out to meet a ball in my first innings and got stumped, and in the second innings, just when I was well set, and scoring freely, my opponents, who thought they had had enough of me for that day, bribed the umpire to give me out Ibw, and I retired discomfited, much to their amusement and my own disgust. Throughout our stay in Toronto the weather was splendid, and we were reluctant to leave the city when the day of departure came.

Leaving Toronto, and still travelling westward, w^e made a short stay at London (Ontario), where we played a match on the old Barracks ground against twenty-tw^o of London. We made 89 and 161, and they compiled 55 and 65, Appleby and Rose proving invincible with the ball. There was no lack of entertainment for us in London, whose citizens were not going to be behind Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal in their welcome to us.

Our last sojourning place in Canada was Hamilton, where we had the experience of finish- ing a match in the dark, to which our opponents consented, so as to expedite our departure for Niagara. By this time, of course, the summer was rapidly waning, and the evenings shortening, and as there is no twilight to speak of in Canada, darkness fell suddenly upon us while we were playing. It was so dark that we could hardly see where the ball went, and I remember I bowled the last man out with an underhand sneak. We gave the twenty-two of Hamilton a thorough beating, for while we made 181, they only managed to put

D

50 WITH R. A. FITZGERALD'S TEAM

together 86 and 79. The captain of the Hamilton team entertained us at his house, and a large com- pany assembled in our honour. Again I was made spokesman of our team in response to one of the toasts, and if Mr. Fitzgerald does not misreport me I said : " Gentlemen, I have to thank you for the honour you have done me. I have never seen prettier ladies than I have seen to-day, and I hope I shall see as pretty wherever I go."

The Canadian tour was a triumphal success in every way. Never did twelve cricketers work together in greater harmony and with more perfect esprit de corps. From the day we left the Mersey to the day we got back to Liverpool there was not a single hitch, nor one moment's bad feeling. I have spoken since to several members of the twelve, who have subsequently been to Australia, the Cape, and other places, with cricketing teams, and they all with one accord say that they never experienced such a har- monious tour. I attribute the credit for this very largely to the man we had as our captain. Poor old Fitz smoothed all the rough places with his unfailing tact, geniality, and businesslike ability ; and looking back to the tour, over a vista of nearly thirty years, it stands out in my memory as a prolonged and happy picnic.

Most of the cricketers we encountered in Canada were gentlemen who had gone out from England and settled in the Dominion for business and professional purposes. I have every reason to believe that our visit had a beneficial effect in

AT NIAGARA gi

the direction of cultivating cricket sentiment in Canada, though the Canadians have not gone ahead with the game as the AustraUans have. The batting of the teams we met in Canada did not attain a high standard — they seemed incapable of facing our bowlers, and fell victims to easy balls, which ought to have been severely punished — but nothing else could perhaps be expected. It must be said, however, that we met some excellent bowling, and that the fielding of the Canadians was very creditable.

It is a curious fact that while we were in Canada Fitzgerald never lost the toss, and yet with one exception we beat our opponents by an innings and some runs to spare.

As in the case with most travellers seeing the Falls for the first time, our first impressions oi Niagara were in the nature of a disappointment* We were disposed to discount the majesty of the great cataract — like the Irishman who, when asked if he did not think it was w^onderful that so many million tons of water should go pouring over the precipice, replied, "Wonderful? No! for, begorra, what's the hindrance ? It might have been wonderful if it had gone up the precipice." But this feeling soon vanished, and the awe- inspiring grandeur of the Falls grew upon us^ and increased day by day until we left the vicinity. Of course we visited all the points of interest, and amongst other things were photo- graphed, with the Horseshoe Fall as a back- ground. The photograph hangs in my room as

52 WITH R. A. FITZGERALD'S TEAM

I write, and conjures up many happy remini- scences of our Niagara experiences.

Several of the influential Canadians, who had feted us during our visits to the cities of the Dominion, accompanied us to Niagara, and stayed at the Clifton House Hotel, where we had taken up our quarters. Some of the younger members of The Twelve thought it would be only right if we showed our appreciation of their kind- ness by returning their hospitality in som^e small way which would be agreeable and enjoyable to all ; so we gave a ball at the hotel, but unfortu- nately— or as some of us thought very fortunately — the ball took place on a Saturday night, and dancing had to stop at midnight.

CHAPTER IV

WITH THE TEAM IN AMERICA

Leaving Niagara on September i6, we crossed into the United States, and entered on the second portion of our tour. We took train first to Albany, and then steamed down the Hudson to New York. We were not greatly prepossessed by our first glimpse of New York. The first thing that struck me in the city was that each hotel — we stayed at the Brevoort House — had its own oyster-bar. We found this exceedingly convenient, and soon became good customers, for the oysters were excellent.

We opened our tour in America with a match on the Hoboken Ground in New Jersey against twenty-two of the St. George's Club. To reach the ground from New York we had to cross the river, and for the first time in my life I saw a vehicle driven on to a ferry boat, and then driven off on reaching the other side. For this match we had an excellent wicket — it was prepared by Stubberfield, the old Sussex professional, who had an engagement out there — and we had another easy victory, our score being 249, of

54 WITH THE TEAM IN AMERICA

which I made 68, while our antagonists totalled only 66 and 44. In the first innings Rose and Appleby did all the bowling, and in the course of some chaff some one said that I could get the St. George's men out even quicker than Rose. Anyway, I went on bowling with Appleby in the second innings, and we succeeded in getting rid of the entire twenty-two for 44 runs. Great interest was evinced by a certain section of the people in this match, but cricket was not then, as it is not now, a very popular game in New York. George and Henry Wright, the famous baseball players, were included in the St. George's twenty- two, and were the best scorers of their side, while, of course, their fielding was — as the fielding of all baseball players is — simply magnificent.

Our visit to America was the third which had been paid by English cricketers — George Parr having captained a team which visited the States in 1859, and Willsher having taken out another team in 1868. Some of the comments of the New York newspapers were extremely amusing. Ottaway, for instance, was described as ^'a tall, lithe, sinewy man, with a splendid reach, and an eye that can detect at a glance the course about to be pursued by the invading sphere of com- pressed leather."

We were just as hospitably entertained in America as in Canada, and at one of the banquets in New York they made me make another speech. In the words of Fitzgerald again, my speech runs : — ^' Gentlemen, I have to thank you for the

MY FIRST SPEECHES 55

honour you have done me. I have never tasted better oysters than I have tasted here to-day, and I hope I shall get as good wherever I go."

I think it is rather too bad of Fitz to have perpetuated my first utterances in this way, but I daresay that the reports are not libellous. I make no pretensions to oratory, and I would any day as soon make a duck as a speech.

After leaving New York our first stopping place was Philadelphia, where we had the best cricket of our tour. Our impending visit had been quite a source of excitement in Philadelphia, where cricket has a strong hold on public senti- ment. Our reception was of a most enthusiastic order. We were dined and feted as we had been throughout our tour, but in addition we were made welcome in various other ways. Stalls were placed at our disposal at Mr. Fox's theatre, and upon our arrival the band struck up with " God save the Queen," whereupon the whole audience rose and cheered vociferously. We returned the compliment when the orchestra struck up ^'The Star Spangled Banner." An official handbook was published, and a hand- somely bound copy was presented to each of the twelve. The programmes of the Cricket Fete appeared on every blank wall, and announced that a spacious grand stand had been erected for the occasion, that a restaurateur had been engaged, that the band from Navy Yard would play at intervals, that telegraphs of the score would be posted, and that the names of the English players

56 WITH THE TEAM IN AMERICA

would be exhibited on large canvas strips as they *' take the bat."

Great attention had been bestowed on the wicket for our match with twenty-two of Phila- delphia, which proved a sharp tussle and ended amid a scene of great excitement. Fitz lost the toss — he never won the toss as long as we were in the United States — and the Americans scored 63 in their first innings. We had expected a bigger total, but the ground did not play very well. When we began our innings w^e found that with twenty-two superb fieldsmen constantly on the alert it was no easy task to get the ball away. Moreover, the bowling of Charles Newhall and Mead, who opened the attack, w^as particularly good, and Ottaway and I, who were the first to bat for the English team, experienced no small difficulty in making runs. When I had made 14 Newhall bowled me out. I have heard many a great shout go up in various parts of the globe at my dismissal, but I never remember any- thing quite equal to the wild roar that greeted my downfall on this occasion. Newhall and Mead bowled unchanged throughout the innings, and dismissed us for 105 runs. Throughout the innings their bowling w^as admirable. Newhall, who was a right-handed fast bowler, was one of the best trundlers I ever played against ; whilst Mead, a medium pace left-hand bowler, kept up a wonderfully good length. In the second innings the Philadelphians made 74, Dan Newhall, a brother of the bowler, being the top scorer with

A TIGHT FIGHT 57

15. Then came the tug of war. We wanted 33 runs to win, and as we had a whole day in which to get them, we commenced our innings first thing next morning pretty sanguine of victory, though the wicket was worn, and we were not, after our first experience, disposed to under- estimate the strength of the bowHng. I had made a run off Newhall's third bail in the first over, when Ottaway's middle stump was sent flying by a fast ball, and there was another out- burst of cheering of a most vociferous order. This was one wicket, one run. A. N. Hornby, who joined me at the wicket, made one good leg hit for 3, when another roar of applause rent the air — the Lancashire man being caught at short- leg. This was two wickets for eight — certainly not a very promising start. Alfred Lubbock took the vacant place, and though we were at the wickets together for some time, we could not get the ball away, the bowling and fielding being so excellent. It was risky work doing it with twenty- two men in the field, but we stole a run or two. Then came another long interval during which the scorers were idle. Ball after ball was sent down, which we could do nothing beyond playing, and maiden over followed maiden over in un- broken monotony. At last Lubbock slipped a ball for three, and I got one to leg for another three.

By this time we had been three-quarters of an hour at the wicket, during which time we had compiled 15 runs. The wicket was crumbling,

58 WITH THE TEAM IN AMERICA

and getting worse and worse. Newhall's bowling rose dangerously, and Mead, as usual, kept up a splendid length. Between them they kept us stationary in our places for another spell, and then Alfred Lubbock fell a victim to Newhall — caught and bowled. Three wickets, 15 runs. Hadow was my next partner, and he opened his score by making three, but my end came im- mediately afterwards, as I was caught in the slips for seven runs, which had taken me nearly an hour to make. This is about the slowest pace at which I ever remember scoring. My dismissal was followed by a tremendous roar of applause. Hats and umbrellas were tossed high in the air by the excited spectators, whose delight for a few moments seemed to know no bounds. Four wickets, 18 runs. Things began to look serious, but Hadow and Harris, who were now partners, put a slightly different complexion on the game. They had carried the score on to 29, and we in the pavilion breathed more freely, as victory seemed in sight. Unfortunately, Harris, in trying to drive the ball from Newhall, skied it, and was caught at cover-point for a very useful and timely contribution of 9. Half our wickets were now down for 29, but as we only wanted 4 more runs to win, we did not begin to despair. To our horror, however, Hadow directly after this succumbed to Mead. Six wickets, 29 runs — so stood the score on the telegraph board. Only 4 runs were wanted, but we none of us now felt sure of victory. Francis followed, going in, as Fitz

A GLORIOUS FINISH 59

said, to do or die. He didn't — he died. Seven for 29.

The excitement, which had been growing intenser every moment, was now extraordinary. The atmosphere was electrical. I never remember seeing a team or a crowd of spectators more ex- cited. They were in rhapsodies, and could scarcely keep still. The quietude amid which each ball was bowled was almost deathly, and no wonder, for thirteen successive maiden overs had been bowled and not a run had been secured for half an hour, during which time three wickets had fallen. Appleby walked quietly in, and joined Edgar Lubbock, who had taken the place of Francis at the wicket. By this time we were prepared for the worst, and we fully expected Newhall to bowl Lubbock. Luckily the ball, instead of hitting his wicket, hit his leg, and so at last we scored another single — a leg-bye, which lifted our score into the thirties. The tension, which was getting painful, was relieved at last by Appleby, who opened his shoulders and let out at an overpitched ball from Newhall, thus winning the match with a boundary hit. We all agreed that a glorious finish like this was almost worth going to America to witness, and, from the cric- keter's point of view, it was the most memorable event in our tour. The only drawback was, our regret that both sides could not win, because the Philadelphians, by their plucky fight, deserved the victory quite as much as we did.

The prolongation of the Philadelphian match

6o WITH THE TEAM IN AMERICA

made it necessary for us to rush off to catch the train for Boston, where we were due next day, and as a consequence we were unable to wait to drink the health of our opponents, a circumstance which we deeply regretted, and for which the Philadelphia press gave us an undeserved censuring next morn- ing. The worst of it all was that, though we got in bad odour for our apparent lack of courtesy, we also missed the train for Boston, and thus earned a double reprimand, as the Bostonians were annoyed at our non-arrival. As a matter of fact, we reached Boston so late that we could not play at all on the day upon which it had been arranged that the match should open. This necessitated a curtailment of our original pro- gramme. It had been arranged that we were to go to Harvard University, but when we got to Boston we were unwashed, unkempt, and unfed, and these wants, requiring immediate attention, involved the abandonment of the trip to Harvard. Moreover, as we did not arrive at Boston until the morning of the 26th, and we were to sail from Quebec for Liverpool on the 28th, our time was so short that we had to play a one-day match only. Our Captain, Fitzgerald, was not in the best of health, and having some business in Boston he entrusted the captaincy to me. When we got to the baseball ground, on which the match was played, we found it in a very deplorable condition, heavy rain having been falling all through the night. The wicket itself was not very bad, but where short slip, point and mid-off had to stand

LAST MATCH IN AMERICA 6i

there was a perfect quagmire. Some idea of the condition of the turf may be judged from the fact that between twenty and thirty bags of sawdust had to be bestowed upon the ground before it was fit for the match. Notwithstanding this pre- caution some of the fieldsmen stood ankle deep in sawdust and slush. Our opponents were twenty- two of Boston, and we got nineteen of them out for 26 runs, when Linder put quite a different complexion on the innings. He hit up well, and carried out his bat for 17, the total reaching 51 before the last wicket fell. We began our innings disastrously, and when Fitzgerald arrived on the scene, thinking that perhaps only a few wickets had fallen, he was astounded to find that eight of our men were out for 39. Out of this meagre total I had made exactly two-thirds, having twice hit the ball out of the ground, for each of which I was only allowed four, although they were honestly worth six. Eventually we w^ere all dismissed for 51 — a tie. In went the Bostonians for their second innings, but Appleby and I dismissed the twenty-two for 43 runs in the course of an hour and a half's play. The one incident of the innings was a splendid hit out of the ground by Wright, the baseball player, who, being a native of Boston, was one of our oppo- nents. It was getting late, and darkness would soon be upon us, but everybody was anxious that we should go in again. We only wanted 44, so it was decided that we should finish the match if possible.

62 WITH THE TEAM IN AMERICA

The wicket was getting worse and worse, the fieldsmen were sinking deeper and deeper in the mud; and the Hght was fading rapidly. Our start was again disastrous. Two wickets went down for 7; four wickets for 8, five wickets for ii (by this time it was almost dark), six for 19, and then we appealed to the umpire for leave to abandon the match on the ground of darkness. The umpires decided against us, and Fitzgerald went in. A few minutes afterwards a full pitched ball hit him on the toe — he declared it might just as well have hit him in the face for all he could see of it — and the umpire then decided that it really was too dark to go on. Time was called, and in the darkness and damp we concluded the last match of our tour in the West. As a tie in our first innings was followed by our making half our opponent's score for the loss of half our wickets, we agreed that the " honours were easy." The match was altogether a very curious struggle, and I have often thought it was very lucky that dark- ness did come on, otherwise I am sure that we should have been beaten.

After the match George Wright presented each of the English twelve with a baseball. I have mine still, and preserve it as an interesting relic of the wind-up to a memorable tour.

A few hours later we were en route to Quebec and home. As we passed through Maine we came under the veto of the famous Prohibition Laws of that State, and had the curious experience of being absolutely unable to get, for love or

HOMEWARD BOUND 63

money, anything stronger by way of refreshment than thick soup, washed down with weak tea and indifferent coffee. What impressed itself most vividly upon my mind during that journey through the woodland country were the first rays of sun- light in the early dawn, falling on the variegated foliage of the forests, which were now resplendent in their full autumn tints. The colouring was rich and deep, and the beauty of the scene as the sun rose above the woodlands was a sight never to be forgotten. We had spent five weeks in Canada and America during the season, which the people of the West call their ^' Indian Summer," but nothing so perfect in its beauty as the landscape changing every moment before our eyes as we sped towards Quebec had come under our observation.

We left Quebec on our homeward voyage on September 29, and on October 7 we were once more in Old England, our return trip being made in the Prussian. The Atlantic put on its best manners, and no one suffered much from sea sickness with the exception of Harris. The voyage was uneventful, but thoroughly enjoyable. The night before w^e arrived at Liverpool we ordered sardines on toast, as usual, for supper, but the significant fact was brought to our knowledge that the ship's supply of sardines had already been demolished. From that fact readers with any experience of the sea will naturally assume that our appetites were not dulled by the pangs of sea-sickness.

CHAPTER V

FIRST VISIT TO AUSTRALIA

As the result of overtures made to me in the spring of 1873 I agreed to form a team to visit Australia at the end of that year. The invitation came from a number of gentlemen connected with the Melbourne Club— the M.C.C. of Australia — who cabled to me inquiring, ^'Can you, will you, bring a team at the end of the year ? " I consented, and set myself the task of selecting and engaging a representative team for the tour. Though the Melbourne Club did not undertake the financial responsibility, certain of its members, and other gentlemen keenly interested in cricket, formed themselves into a syndicate to promote the interests of the team. Some time before I had entered into another and more enduring engagement, and I was to be married in the autumn of 1873. The future Mrs. Grace, how- ever, consented to our marriage taking place a few weeks before the date of departure for Aus- tralia, so that the tour might be regarded as an extension of our honeymoon.

Throughout the cricket season of 1873 I was

INITIAL DIFFICULTIES 65

busily engaged in preparing for the tour, and I soon realised the difficulties which lay in the way of the undertaking. It was harder in those days than it is now to get together a good team for an extended absence from England, particularly in the case of first-class amateurs. At first I had great hopes of securing Mr. W. Yardley and Mr. A. N. Hornby, but at the last moment both these well-known cricketers found themselves unable to undertake the trip. I invited Tom Emmett and Alfred Shaw to include themselves in my com- bination, but neither could comply with my request. Pooley and Pinder were not available for the tour, so I had to fall back upon Mr. ]. A. Bush, the Gloucestershire amateur, as wicket- keeper. At last these initial difficulties were overcome, and we arranged to sail from South- ampton on October 23, in the P. and O. steamer Mirzapore, The team, as finally constituted, con- sisted of W. G. Grace (captain), G. F. Grace, ]. A. Bush, F. H. Boult, W. R. Gilbert, A. Green- w^ood, R. Humphrey, H. Jupp, J. Lillywhite, M. Mclntyre, W. Oscroft, and J. Southerton. We met at Southampton, and a party of Glou- cestershire friends, consisting of my mother, Mrs. Gilbert, Colonel Bush (Mr. J. A. Bush's father), and my old schoolfellow, Jack Lloyd, came to see us off. Another party, consisting of Messrs. Alcock, Burls, and Oelrichs, joined us on our way to Southampton on a similar pretext. We were a merry party at dinner on the night before sailing, although some of the team did not

66 FIRST VISIT TO AUSTRALIA

like the idea of leaving England for the first time.

The voyage to Australia was an even more formidable undertaking in the seventies than it is now, and we w^ere fifty-two days on shipboard before we reached Australia. Some of the team were good sailors, and some were bad, but good or bad we all breathed more freely when we left the Bay of Biscay behind us. We called at Gibraltar, and then steamed into the Mediterranean, where two days later we experienced a terrific storm, which lasted a little more than a day. After the rain had passed over, and the thunder and light- ning had ceased, the wind blew a hurricane for some time. The brilliant rays of the sun fell on the foam which was flying before the wind and produced one of the most lovely sights I ever remember in the form of hundreds of miniature rainbows. This spectacle recalled to my mind a similar phenomenon caused by the sun shining on the spray at Niagara Falls — a sight which im- pressed itself vividly on my memory during my Canadian tour twelve months previously. On November i we arrived at Malta, where we spent a few hours on shore, very glad after our experiences in the hurricane to feel our feet once more on terra firma,

Alexandria, our next stopping-place, did not strike us favourably. Of all the filthy places I ever saw, Alexandria, or at least some of it, was far and away the worst, and I heard of its bom- bardment years later without any regret that

STUCK IN THE MUD 67

I should never see it again in its former condition. The British Consul came on board and tried his utmost to persuade us to make a short stay and play a match at Alexandria, undertaking to send us down by special train in time to catch the Mirzapovc at Suez. I reluctantly declined the offer, feeling it safer to avoid all risk of being left behind in case any accident or unforeseen dif- ficulty might have frustrated the plan of rejoining the ship.

We had pleasurable anticipations of sailing through the Suez Canal, but we were dis- appointed with De Lesseps' great engineering achievement. In those days ships did not use search-lights, and could consequently only steam through the Canal by daylight — pulling up at night till dawn. Our progress through the Canal was tediously slow^, and we soon got tired of the monotonous stretches of sand which meet the eye on both sides. It was very foggy, but our captain, wishing to get to Suez as quickly as possible, proceeded in spite of the fog, a course which prolonged instead of shortening our voyage, as w^e had the misfortune to take the wrong side of a buoy, get stuck in the mud, and be detained the best part of a day.

On reaching Point de Galle on the southern coast of Ceylon we had to leave the Mirzapore and tranship to the Xiibia, a smaller steamer, with which we were not at first prepossessed, but which took us safely and comfortably to Melbourne. On December 8 we arrived at King

68 FIRST VISIT TO AUSTRALIA

George's Sound, where we went on shore and had several hours for cricket practice while the ship was coaling. Some of the natives gave us an exhibition of the art of throwing the boomerang. I tried my hand, but failed again and again, when suddenly the boomerang tlew away dow^n the cricket ground, fell a few yards in front of one of the players, took a second flight with increased velocity, and just missed the head of one of the members of the team. It was a narrow escape, as another foot would have involved an inquest.

The remaining six days of the voyage passed rapidly. The weather was extremely cold, and although it was then the Antipodean midsummer we were glad of our great-coats. We reached Melbourne a little before our time on December 13, and found a number of the promoters and leading Victorian cricketers assembled to wel- come us. We were soon ensconced in our hotel, glad to be on dry land after seven weeks at sea. Mr. Mc Arthur, President of the Melbourne C.C., kindly put his carriage at the disposal of Mrs. Grace and myself, and all through our stay spared no pains to enhance our comfort. In the afternoon we went down to see the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and then drove across to the South Melbourne Club, where a match — the final round of a cup contest — was in progress. About 7000 spectators were on the ground, and when w^e arrived they cheered enthusiastically.

As I was being shown round one of the players remarked. '' You see we manage our crowds

AUSTRALIAN UMPIRES 69

better than you do in England. Our spectators are impartial and good-tempered. We never experi- ence any unpleasantness on our cricket grounds." Within a quarter of an hour this remark was refuted in a curious way. One of the umpires gave a decision displeasing to the batting side — which wanted just a few runs to win the cup — and a wrangle ensued, in the course of which the spectators broke into the ground. Ultimately the players left the field, abandoning the match in its unfinished condition. This, I am sorry to say, was a foretaste of some experiences which subse- quently fell to our lot. It was a manifestation of the spirit which still unfortunately seems to sur- vive in Australia, though not in so malignant a form as in the seventies.

I may say here, in parenthesis, that Australia has always been deficient in the matter of good umpires, and though we in England are by no means perfect in this respect, the Australians are a long way behind us. In those days professional umpires w^re almost unheard of in Australia. Any one who took an intelligent interest in cricket was thought good enough to umpire. Conse- quently inexperienced men had the delicate and onerous duty thrust upon them, with the result that no confidence was placed in their judgment and scant respect was paid to their decisions. I attribute the friction which has frequently arisen during the visits of English teams to Australia to the fact that even at the present time Australia is not well provided with good umpires.

70 FIRST VISIT TO AUSTRALIA

When I first played in Australia there were not sufficient important matches to keep capable umpires employed. The matches between Vic- toria and New South Wales were the only really important events in the cricket calendar — there was no South Australian team then. Even now, except when an English team visits Australia, first-class matches are few and far between, though, of course, there is plenty of club cricket. In England we draw our umpires from the ranks of professional cricketers of long experience, who have retired from active participation in the game ; but in Australia they have not professional cricketers in sufficient numbers to keep up the supply of efficient umpires. It is not always recognised that the duties of an umpire call for uncommon intelligence, decisive judgment, and intimate acquaintance with the laws and customs of the game. It is too often assumed that because a man has been a good cricketer he is sure to make a good umpire, but I contend that this is no criterion, and that a more necessary qualifica- tion for an umpire is that he should have a good head on his shoulders, and should have had con- stant practice at this special branch of work.

One of the first things that struck me in Mel- bourne was that good wickets in Australia would not be the invariable rule. In the interval be- tween landing and beginning our first match, we got some practice on the M.C.C. ground. Two or three days before the match I inquired of the groundman whether the wicket for the match

NEGLECTED WICKETS 71

was being prepared. '' Oh/' he answered, " we'll select a pitch and put the roller on it on the morning of the match, and that will be all right." I knew that a good deal depended on the condi- tion of the wicket, and that the worse it w^as the less chance we had of success. As all cricketers know, a bad wicket brings all players down to a certain level, and I did not take to the idea of having the selection of the wicket left till the eleventh hour. Consequently I saw the authori- ties of the club, with the result that, by dint of rolling for two or three days, we ultimately got a very decent wicket. This incident in Melbourne rather put me in mind of the M.C.C. at home, for at that time '^ the powers that be " at Lord's thought a few hours' attention was enough for any wicket. I take upon myself the credit of having shown the Australians how to prepare a wicket, and of disabusing their minds of the idea that a good wicket can be obtained without special care and preparation. The lesson was not wasted on the Australians, and no one could wish to play upon better wickets than are now secured at Melbourne, Sydney, and Adelaide.

Cricket was in its infancy in Australia in 1873 — though two English teams had previously visited the Colony, and the Colonials had bene- fited from their experiences with them — and many of the best players w^e met in our tour were gentlemen who had learned all their cricket in England, and had gone out to settle under the Southern Cross. Mr. B. B. Cooper, who, with

72 FIRST VISIT TO AUSTRALIA

me, made the record in 1869, when against the Players of the South we compiled 283 for the first wicket, formed one of the 18 of Victoria, against whom we played our first match. Our antagonists won the toss and kept us out in the field industriously leather hunting while they made 266. B. B. Cooper with 84 was the top scorer, the other principal contributors being Conway with 32 and Boyle with 30. We began our innings and had a run of misfortune, being dismissed for no. Allan and Boyle (both of whom visited England with the first Australian team in 1878) and old Sam Cosstick shared the bowling honours. We had to follow on, and again we did poorly. Our second innings closed for 132, and the match ended in a single innings victory for the Victorians. I made 23 and 51 not out, but no one else except Jupp, my brother G. F., and Lillywhite, offered any serious resist- ance to the bowling. The match excited great interest, 40,000 spectators paying half a crown apiece for admission during the three days. We were naturally disappointed at our early defeat, but we attributed it to the unquestionable fact that we were not in proper form. Moreover, we were certainly weak in bowling on this occasion, as our regular bowlers were conspicuously in- effective. I blamed myself for not going on sooner, as I took ten wickets for 49 runs, while my brother, G. F., got four for 35. Southerton secured one wicket at a cost of 41 runs, Lilly- white two for 49, while Mcintyre had 47 made aff

A CREDITABLE SCORE 73

his bowling without capturing a wicket. Ob- viously our men were not up to their standard, and the match, though disappointing, was sub- sequently redeemed by a succession of victories.

From Melbourne we went up to Ballarat, a journey of about a hundred miles, made weari- some by dust, heat, and slow^ travelling. The ground at Ballarat is called the Oval, and it carried on Kennington Oval traditions so far as the wacket itself was concerned. There was nothing left to be desired. We won the toss in this match, which was against twenty-two of Ballarat, among whom were Mr. T. W. Wills, of Rugby fame, Allan, Cosstick, and Gaggin (who had played against us at Melbourne, and followed us up to Ballarat). We made good use of our opportuni- ties, and profiting from the perfect condition of the wicket, which was not surpassed in excellence throughout the tour, we ran our score up to the creditable total of 470. I made 126, and my brother G. F. 112. Oscroft, who scored 65, lost his wicket by a stroke of ill-luck. Just when he seemed safe for a century, G. F., who was batting with him, skied a ball to point, and thinking that the ball was certain to be caught never left his ground, though Oscroft ran down the wicket. As luck would have it, point missed the catch, but atoned for his blunder by returning the ball smartly to the bowler, who promptly put the wicket down. Oscroft was run out, while G. F., who ought to have been caught, continued his innings.

74 FIRST VISIT TO AUSTRALIA

I remember that Bush amused the spectators while he was making his score of 23 runs by pretending to run when backing up, and by stealing some short runs. This so exasperated the fieldsmen that they threw in frantically, and so helped our total. It was about the hottest day in which I ever played cricket. The heat was almost unbearable, dry, sultry, and exhausting. The temperature w^as about 100° in the shade. Some wooden seats placed around the ground for the spectators became so hot in the sunshine that the people could not sit upon them. Mr. W. H. Figgins, wath a very creditable 53, was the highest scorer for the twenty-two, who did very well. They made 276 runs in their only innings, and retained possession of the wicket until within a few minutes of the time for close of play. The match was consequently left undecided. It is worth recording that when stumps were drawn the wacket was still as true as a billiard-table. Our total of 470 far exceeded the highest score ever made in Australia by an English visiting team, and my own individual score of 126 was for a short time the record innings of any English- man visiting the Colony.

On the Sunday — which we spent at Ballarat — we had our first experience of an Australian dust storm. A hot wind swept over the city, scorching everything up, and clouds of blinding dust whirled along the roads and streets. It was thoroughly unpleasant, as the whole town was in darkness while the storm raged. On this Sunday Hum-

DRIVING IX THE BUSH 75

phrey met with an accident, which deprived us of his services in the two succeeding matches. He went for a drive into the bush country, and was thrown out of the trap, falling on the stump of a tree, and straining the muscles of his thigh.

Our troubles began in earnest when we turned our backs upon Ballarat, and our faces towards Stawell, where we were to play our next match. The journey of 74 miles had to be made in an old-fashioned Cobb's coach over a rough bush track, quite undeserving of the name of road. At the outset there were difficulties to overcome. When they saw the vehicle in which they had to make the journey several members of the team flatly refused to take their seats, and were only, after much coaxing, prevailed upon to do so. We left Ballarat at 8.30 A.M. The first fifteen miles were through cultivated country, and the roads were tolerably decent, but for the remaining sixty miles w^e endured agonies. The horses laboured along up to their hocks in white dust, with which we were literally cloaked, so that we looked for all the world like so many millers as we sat on the jolting and rickety vehicle.

To break the monotony of the journey, two members of the team, who had guns with them, amused themselves, if not their comrades, by banging at the magpies and parrots as w^e went along. It seems rather cruel to kill the lively and entertaining parrot, but as they are as plen- tiful in Australia as sparrows are in London the offence was perhaps not very serious. The

76 FIRST VISIT TO AUSTRALIA

secretary of the Stawell Cricket Club, and a few other cricket enthusiasts in the neighbourhood, came twenty miles from home to meet us at Ararat. Four miles off Stawell itself it seemed as if the whole town had turned out en masse to greet us. As we approached the crowd cheered wildly, and two brass bands struck up a welcom- ing strain. The horses in one of the waggonettes at once took fright, and overturned the vehicle. Luckily, though the trap was smashed to atoms, no one was injured. Stawell was reached at 8.30. We had been twelve hours on the road, travelling under the most uncomfortable con- ditions, but our reception made us forget the trials and troubles of the long drive.

At that time Stawell was a small, but rich, mining centre of about 8000 inhabitants, and on the following day most of the professionals in our team inspected the North Cross Reef Gold Mine, which was reputed to be the best paying mine in Victoria. My cousin, W. R. Gilbert, and I hired a buggy and drove about ten or twelve miles to a lagoon in the bush, where we had a fine day's sport with our guns. On the way we came across an Irish settler, a wonderfully hospitable old man, who, when we made ourselves known to him, could scarcely do enough for us. He showed us where to find the best sport, and then left us for about a couple of hours, returning with a big basket of luscious peaches, which he had ridden over to a neighbouring squatter's to procure foi us. Gilbert and I were in hopes of bagging

A LUDICROUS FARCE 77

a kangaroo, but no such luck came our way that day.

Our match against twenty-two of Stawell began next morning, under conditions by no means mspiriting. The ground w^as in a deplorable condition. Here and there were small patches of grass, but the greater part w^as utterly devoid of any herbage. We were not surprised to hear that the field had only been ploughed up three months before, and that the grass had been sown in view of our visit. The wdcket was execrable, but there was no help for it — we had travelled seventy miles through bush and dust to play the match, and there was no option but to play.

Of course the cricket was shockingly poor, and the match a ludicrous farce. How bad the ground really was may be judged from the fact that one slow ball actually stuck in the dust, and never reached the batsman. It was ridiculous to play on such a wicket, but w^e were in for it and went through with it. Jupp and I batted first, and adopted slogging tactics. There was really nothing else to do, but the result was that in seventy minutes w^e were all out for 43 runs. If all the catches we gave had been held our total would have been still smaller. We were not sorry when our innings ended, as the wicket was one of the class which I have described, as bringing all players, good and bad, down to one level. Our opponents, who were more accus- tomed to such wickets, kept us in the field for a

78 FIRST VISIT TO AUSTRALIA

couple of hours, and made 71. Mclntyre did the bowHng for us, takhig nine wickets for 10 runs. It is scarcely worth while recording the progress of the play, though it should be stated that we W'Cre beaten by ten w^ickets. A plague of flies, which sw^ept over the field while play was in progress, added to our discomforts in this remark- able match.

As the match finished in two days, a single wicket match between six of our professionals and tw^elve of the Staw^ll team was arranged for the third day. The wicket was worse, and the cricket more grotesque than ever. In response to the 29 made by the twelve the six English pro- fessionals scored 2 — made by Mclntyre w^ith one hit. I went off for some more shooting in the bush, along wdth one or two of the other members of the team, and w^e w^ere not surprised, though we were amused, to hear on our return what had happened during the day. Some of the Stawell people apparently thought that our men did not try to do their best ; but with the ground in such a state, it was almost astonishing that any runs were scored at all. If the ball was hit in the air it travelled all right, but if it was sent along the ground it could not possibly reach the boundary.

Another depressing drive across the bush country fell to our lot when we left Stawell for Warrnambool. We took it in two stages, journeying first to Ararat, where we spent the Sunday, and then proceeding to Warrnambool.

A DEPRESSING EXPERIENCE 79

On the Sunday the rain, which was very much wanted, fell in torrents, and when we started at 4.30 A.M. on Monday for our ninety-one miles drive we found the tracks in an appalling state. They were bad enough in all conscience when we traversed them en route to Stawell, but the rain had converted the dust into thick mud, in which the wheels sank almost to the axles.

Of all my travelling experiences that coach drive to Warrnambool was the most unpleasant. Rain fell pitilessly all the time, and w^e w^ere soon drenched to the skin. The first thirty-one miles took five hours and a quarter, and though we changed horses now and again our progress was exasperatingly slow. On leaving Hexham, where we halted for dinner, we came to a slight incline. Here two of our horses jibbed, and refused to budge. B. B. Cooper (who made the runs against us at Melbourne, and distinguished himself by a pair of spectacles at Stawell), Lillywhite, Jupp, Southerton, Mclntyre, and Humphrey stayed at Hexham to lighten the load. We managed to make the horses convey the rest of us to Warr- nambool, which we reached at half-past eleven at night, after a ride of nineteen hours. We were wet through, and our cricket bags and port- manteaus were soaking. Notwithstanding the rain a large number of the people at Warrnam- bool, who expeeted us to arrive in the afternoon, had gone out to meet us, but as we made no appearance they assumed that our coaches had broken down.

8o FIRST VISIT TO AUSTRALIA

But if we were not met on the road we were most hospitably received at the hotel, and I remember how thankful we were to find fires in our bedrooms. I had just gone to sleep when a bang at the door made me jump up. In answer to my inquiry I was told that some one wanted to speak to me. It was a reporter from one of the papers ; but, as may be imagined, I did not think that midnight was the right hour for a man who had been travelling all day in the rain to encounter an interviewer. Though such journalistic enterprise deserved a better reward I did not receive the intruder with any kindly feeling, and turned him away with very little " copy."

After the bumping and jumping of the comfort- less coach over muddy tracks and in persistent rain we were not in very fit condition for cricket, and our match against twenty-two of Warr- nambool was not a brilliant display. Our opponents included B. B. Cooper, Allan, Wills, Gaggin and Conway, who throughout our tour followed us from place to place, and seemed prepared to regard themselves as representatives of any district in the Australian continent. The ground was sodden, and played slowly, which was perhaps a happy circumstance, as from its rough appearance it might have been dangerous to play upon if the wicket had been dry and fiery. It was incomparably superior to the wicket at Stawell, and the cricket partook less of the burlesque order. There was a very large com-

SINGLE-WICKET CRICKET 8i

pany of spectators, a stand having been erected for the ladies, and a band was in attendance to enliven the proceedings. We lost the toss again, and the twenty-two, in their first innings, were dismissed for 68 runs. The last seven wickets fell for seven runs, Southerton doing the hat trick. It was in every respect a bowler's wicket, and our total of 104 was not, on the whole, a poor achievement. ]upp carried out his bat for 58 — one of the best innings he ever played. Allen's bowling was remarkably destructive, his record being 26 overs for 28 runs and six wickets. The wicket had improved by the second day, but Southerton and Lillywhite, who were in great form, were almost unplayable. Our fielding main- tained a high level throughout, and we won the match by nine wickets — our first victory in Australia.

To fill out the time on the second day. Bush, Gilbert, my brother, and I played a single-wucket match against Ten of Warrnambool, but time was called before we arrived at any decisive result. On the third day another scratch match was arranged. The club authorities had, it appeared, let the selling of refreshments to a contractor, and in the agreement had used the words '4'or three days," instead of '^for the match" ; consequently they had to provide something for the third day. The six English professionals, along with five of the local cricketers, played a team of eighteen, who went in first, scored 88 before a wicket fell, and finally made 172. To this the eleven responded

V

82 FIRST VISIT TO AUSTRALIA

with 26, of which Greenwood contributed 16, while the other live Englishmen did not break their ducks. At Warrnambool we were occasioned some annoyance by the card-sharpers and pro- fessional gamblers, who swarmed on the ground, and plied their trade in complete disregard of the police, who seemed to have no power to suppress the nuisance.

The amateurs of the team amused themselves on the third day at Warrnambool by fishing and shooting. It was here that I had my introduction to kangaroo-hunting, which proved extremely interesting and not a little exciting. The way the stockmen ride when kangaroo-hunting was a revelation. Some of us stood aghast at the reck- lessness with which they dashed through the bush. I was much impressed with the bush ponies. They are extraordinarily clever creatures, and if you leave their heads alone they w^ill go galloping across scrub and bracken, reaching up to their girth, and though fallen trees may be lying about in all directions they will pick their course with perfect certainty. The kangaroo is either hunted down with rough greyhounds, or ridden down by stockmen, who are so clever in the pursuit that they will gallop alongside a kangaroo till it is tired out, and then catch it by the tail without dismounting. The kangaroo has one deadly weapon of defence — a terrible claw on its hind foot, and the hunter must be careful not to get in front of the animal, or he may be ripped up. In some places kangaroos are driven into

KANGAROO-HUNTING 83

stockades, expressly made for the purpose, and there killed by the stockmen.

After a splendid day's sport in the bush we left Warrnambool, then a pretty seaside village, for Melbourne, making the sea voyage in one of the small coast steamers. This was another un- pleasant journey. The steamer was abominably uncomfortable — the stench of the oil from the machinery pervading the whole vessel — while the pitching and tossing in the rough sea we en- countered soon made us all feel ill. We were sixteen hours on the boat, and till then I had never spent so wretched a night on board ship.

After a day or two in Melbourne, where I rejoined Mrs. Grace, who had stayed with friends during our up-country excursion, we embarked for Sydney. A large crowd saw us off at Mel- bourne, but we were no sooner outside Hobson's Bay than we came in for more rough weather, and had all to retreat to our cabins.

As we steamed through the Heads on the 22nd of January we were enchanted with the beauty of Sydney Harbour, and no less delighted with the welcome we received. Several steamers, crowded with people, came out to meet us, and greeted us with ringing cheers, which were renewed from five or six thousand voices as we drew alongside the wharf. A public breakfast was ready for us at Tattersall's Hotel, and then came the inevitable toasts, which, in my opinion, are carried to an extreme in Australia. In the afternoon we drove over to the Albert Ground,

84 FIRST VISIT TO AUSTRALIA

which has long since been built over, though the present ground has the same designation. It was in splendid condition, green and smooth, but the turf was rather carpety, which is more advan-

V tageous to bowlers than batsmen.

"• The match in Sydney (the fifth of our tour) was against Eighteen of New South Wales, and here I saw Spofforth for the first time. The ^' demon " was at that time quite a youngster, but he was a very fair bowler, and he took two of our wickets for i6 runs in the second innings. Though I was lucky in the toss, we did not take full advantage of our opportunity, for, with eighteen reliable men fielding in perfect style, we found runs hard to get, and were all disposed of for 92. The catch at square leg which dismissed my brother G. F. was one of the sort it is not easy to forget, the fieldsman taking it brilliantly while running hard. Coates, the slow left-hand bowler, played havoc with our wickets, six falling to him for 29 runs. My cousin, W. Pocock, son of my Uncle Pocock to whom I have often expressed my indebtedness in these reminiscences, was one of our opponents, and he did a good deal towards winning the victory for New South Wales. In each innings I was caught out by the same man from the same bowler, a coincidence which does not often happen. The tremendous shout of jubilation which went up along with hats, caps, umbrellas, walking-sticks, when I was sent back to the pavilion, reminded me of the similar scene at Philadelphia, which has already

^m

m J

G. F. GRACE.

{,J)ied 1880.)

SYDNEY HARBOUR 85

been described in a previous chapter. The match, which ended in our defeat by eight wickets, was one of the pleasantest we played in AustraHa.

Once again, to fill up the time, we played a single wicket match — seven Englishmen against twelve of New South Wales. The twelve, who batted first, scored 29. I went in first for the Englishmen, and won the match without assist- ance, as my score of 28 and a couple of byes produced the desired 30.

The people of Sydney entertained us regally, as, indeed, did the people of Australia generally, and one of the most delightful excursions to which I have been a party was a picnic dow^n Sydney Harbour the next day. We were taken in a launch to explore the charming nooks and coves in the Bays, and if we were impressed by our first glimpse of the splendid harbour, we w^ere enraptured by the exquisite views which were brought under our notice that afternoon. In every respect the picnic was a triumphant suc- cess. The arrangements were perfect, the weather faultless, and the means provided for us to amuse ourselves were innumerable. It was a most enjoyable day, and one which, during the twenty- five years which have elapsed since, has always provided a subject for pleasant retrospection.

Our next match ought, according to our pro- gramme, to have been played at Maitland, but the heavy rains had occasioned serious floods in the district, and the cricket ground was entirely

86 FIRST VISIT TO AUSTRALIA

submerged. This fixture was consequently can- celled, and in its place the promoters arranged for us to go to Bathurst. The change of arrange- ments was by no means unwelcome to uS; as it obviated the necessity for another of the short sea voyages, of which we had already had a surfeit. Apart altogether from the discomfort occasioned us by these coasting trips, the constant attacks of sea-sickness to which they subjected the members of our team seriously affected our cricketing form. In many respects the teams which have subsequently visited Australia have been less severely handicapped than we were by the in- conveniences attending travelling in the Colony. Since 1874 locomotion in Australia has been greatly facilitated, and teams which now visit the Colony are relieved from the fatigue and worry occasioned us by the primitive means of transit which obtained at the time of my first visit.

Many of the leading cricketers of Sydney accompanied us to Bathurst, while others, includ- ing the Governor — Sir Hercules Robinson — and a party of his friends, followed in our wake and witnessed the match. On this journey we had an experience of slow railway travelling, which, however, proved infinitely more agreeable than our travelling adventures in the lumbering coaches in the bush and the tossing little steamers of the coast. To reach Bathurst we had to cross the Blue Mountains, the magnificent range of Aus- tralian Alps which rear their heads to the sky about forty miles from Sydney. We began the

THE AUSTRALIAN ALPS 87

ascent by running round one of the mountains, and then by zigzagging up the slope of another. The curves were so sharp that the engine could not turn them, but pulled us along one portion of the line and shunted us up the next. The railway, which has been described as a freak of engineering, did not inspire us with much con- fidence. The gradients were in places very steep, and at times our sensations were curious, as we were painfully conscious that the snapping of a coupling would send us careering down the precipitous slope to certain death. When we reached the summit, and looked backwards over the track, we could not restrain our astonishment that such an ascent was possible. For some miles the railroad took us along the summit of the mountains, through most picturesque and impressive scenery. At one moment we were on the edge of a magnificent but dreadful gorge, and at another deep down in a darksome cutting. I rode on the engine in ascending the mountain, and was invited to repeat the experiment on our descent, but I declined the privilege. Five miles from Bathurst we came to the railway terminus, and were met by a cavalcade of horsemen, carriages, and every variety of vehicle. For the rest of our journey we were accompanied by a brass band and a body-guard of excited pedestrians. Eventually we reached Bathurst about six o'clock, having been nine hours on the journey of one hundred and forty miles.

The cricket ground at Bathurst was certainly

88 FIRST VISIT TO AUSTRALIA

rather primitive. Luckily the wicket had been well watered, though they seemed to have been a little afraid of using the roller, which, as we found previously and subsequently, was a fault common to most Australian groundsmen. There was I nothing extraordinary in the cricket in our match . with twenty-two of Bathurst, but very keen interest was taken in it, and we had the usual big luncheon and numerous speeches. When driving past the cricket field one of the Australian gentlemen made a bet with Mrs. Grace that I would not hit the ball out of the ground, and at first sight I did not think I should manage it. However, I made up my mind to do my best to win the wager — which was for a pair of gloves — and I went in for hitting. I got hold of one ball, full in the bat, and sent it right over the scoring box, but, unfortunately, it landed just inside the ground, and so Mrs. Grace lost her bet. The scoring-box, by the way, was made of a frame- work of wood, with branches of the native gum- tree as roofing. Eventually we won the match by eight wickets. Governor Wells, of Western Australia, was present throughout the match.

In the evening we were entertained in the Town Hall at a banquet, at which the Mayor was in the chair, and afterwards we adjourned to the ball-room, where dancing was kept up until the small hours of the morning. During our visit to Bathurst my wife and I were the guests of Mr. Frank Suttor, who did everything a man could do to make us comfortable. One

QUAIL SHOOTING 89

morning he arranged for me to have a little quail shooting, which was all the more enjoyable, because I had not to walk more than two hundred yards from his house before I entered the pad- dock— in which thistles were growing almost to the height of my head. The birds were plentiful, and we had excellent sport, bagging twenty-two couples in about two hours.

On the return journey to Sydney we had another delightful glimpse of the picturesque mountain country. Our second match in Sydney was against a combined fifteen of Victoria and New South Wales, and it proved one of the most important events in our tour. We batted first, and when I had scored nine I was dis- missed— to the huge delight of the vast con- course of spectators. Our first innings, which realised 170, was redeemed by a fine display by M^Intyre. The combined fifteen made an in- different show against the bowling of Southerton and Lillywhite, who bowled unchanged through- out the innings, which closed for 98. Luckily for us, the fifteen had just saved the follow-on, which in those days was caused by a deficiency of 80 runs.

The excitement began with our second inn- ings. I w^as in form, had a good go at the bowl- ing, and twice I hit the ball outside the chains. I soon felt sure that we had the match well in hand, and told our men to hit out, regardless of their wickets. With three hours to play the fifteen went in, wanting 309 runs to evade defeat.

90 FIRST VISIT TO AUSTRALIA

Two courses were open to them — to play to draw, or to lose the match. They selected the former and adopted defensive tactics^ but we were intent on victory, and did our level best. We succeeded in the fight against time, for though the batsmen played to keep up their wickets rather than to score runs — as may be judged from the fact that one stonewaller was at the wickets more than an hour for 2 — we pulled off the victory by 218 runs.

At one moment it seemed as if we were to be robbed of a hard-earned win by an ugly incident. Some of the spectators raised noisy objections to a decision given by one of the umpires. The batsman who had been given out left the wicket and the next batsman came in. Then the first batsman, acting apparently on advice given him in the pavilion, returned to the wicket, and, repu- diating the decision of the umpire, claimed the right to continue his innings. The curious sight was witnessed of three batsmen being at the wickets at the same time. To this unconstitutional proceeding we naturally entered an emphatic protest, and as the batsman refused to budge I took my team off the field. It was only when wo reached the pavilion that the authorities succeeded in persuading the batsman to abandon his ridi- culous attitude. We then resumed play, and won the match amidst intense excitement. Mr. Bush, our wicket-keeper, performed his duties in this match, as indeed he did throughout the tour, with distinct credit to himself, and greatly to our

AN OYSTER FEAST 91

advantage, his contribution to our success in the last moments, when the result was hanging in the balance, being invaluable. At the close of play we had quite an ovation in front of the pavilion. The spectators stood closely packed together, cheering vociferously, and refusing to be satisfied until one by one we had all appeared and bowed our acknowledgments. It was like the scene at Kennington Oval, when at the close of an exciting match the Surrey crowd masses itself in front of the pavilion and shouts for the heroes of the day.

With this match w^e ended our tour in New South Wales. We were loath to say good-bye to Sydney, which we liked as a city, and in which we had been entertained with generous kindness — in excess even of that accorded us in our previous stopping-places, which is saying a good deal. Another choppy sea voyage on our way to Melbourne put the whole team hors de combat for two days. In the third day the storm sub- sided and the sea calmed down, and we crawled on deck again. I espied some sacks of oysters which were going down to Melbourne. One of the stewards w^hom I consulted said that he dared not touch the oysters, but after a little argument he told me that if I liked to buy a whole sack I could do so. We struck a bargain, and in less time than it takes to write it we had half a dozen stewards hard at work opening oysters and cut- ting bread and butter, while we entertained the poor sea-sick passengers to a feast of stout and

92 FIRST VISIT TO AUSTRALIA

oysters. The sack, which cost me about fifteen shillings, contained so many that even after we had made an oyster supper a plentiful supply was left for the stewards. We had no sooner reached Melbourne than we started on another journey to Sandhurst, one of the gold settlements of Victoria. Here we played a team of twenty-two, which was unique in one respect — every man who played w^as an actual resident in the district. The heat was dreadful, and the ball got up dangerously on the dry, crumbling wicket. Again I was in hitting form, and made 52 in the first innings and 72 not out in the second.

Several interesting episodes were connected with our next match, which took place at Castle- niaine. When I was batting I hit a ball high in the air towards the boundary. The fieldsman, in bringing off a good catch, fell over the ropes, whereupon I appealed to the umpire, who at once gave me " not-out," on the ground that the ball was caught out of bounds. An ordinary boundary hit w^as regarded as four, but a hit over the ropes counted five, and the scorers naturally wanted to know with how many runs they should credit me. To our surprise the umpire refused to allow us more than the single which we had run before the ball was caught. As I had a keen suspicion that I ought to have been given out I did not argue out the point, though I was greatly amused by the inconsistency of the umpire, who happened to be our own man.

The Australian umpire, not to be outdone, gave an

PHOTO by]

E. M. GRACE.

[hAWKINS, BRIGHTON.

\V. G. GKACE.

=: O

AMUSING EPISODE 93

equally ridiculous decision. One of the batsmen, who had ventured out of his ground, was plainly stumped by Mr. Bush, but much to every one's astonishment was given *' not-out." This was a decision we could scarcely accept, but in response to our request for an explanation the umpire promptly said, ^^Ah, Mr. Bush, I was watching you then, and when you took the ball the tip of your nose was in front of the wicket, and, as you know, rule 35 says that if any part of a wicket- keeper's person be over or before the wicket the striker shall not be out if he is stumped." Of course we could not dispute the decision after this ingenious explanation ; so the batsman went on with his innings.

A still more amusing episode, of which Mr. Bush was again the hero, took place in our second innings. When only a few runs were needed to win the match Bush joined Mr. Gilbert, who was set and batting well. The two batsmen agreed to steal runs wherever possible — in fact, to adopt tip and run tactics. As the wicket was as bad as it could possibly be, I am not sure that it was not the best thing they could do. They had been bat- ting a few minutes when Bush received a fast ball, which shot as he thought between his legs and the wicket. Gilbert cried, '^ Come on. Frizzy " (which was our familiar nickname for Bush), and they ran as hard as they could for four runs. To his dismay Bush then discovered that the ball had really bowled him, and that the bail had been off while they had been dashing between the wickets.

94 FIRST VISIT TO AUSTRALIA

Needless to say, Bush never heard the last of that episode, and was chaffed unmercifully about it all through the tour. Gilbert won the match for us by a brilliant innings. I had only one ball, and I did not really want any more on such a wicket, which made the bowling bump about in a perilous fashion. As a writer describing the match at the time said, ^'The most merciful escape was that none of us was killed. For myself I had no more pleasing experience of the Australian tour than the end of this match. M^Intyre was thoroughly at home as he played merrily about the ribs of those Castlemaniacs, and enjoyed himself in a pure and innocent fashion to the full."

While at Castlemaine w^e had a little experience, which we had no desire to repeat, of the reckless- ness of Australian four-in-hand drivers. The road from the hotel to the cricket ground was exceedingly hilly, and down some of these de- clivities, which no English driver would descend without his brake full on, and his skid pan fixed, the Australian driver let his horses " rip," as he called it, which meant giving them their head and letting them go galloping down at a breakneck pace. One or twice we were in mortal terror of our lives, and dismounted with feelings of relief when the coach came to a standstill.

We went back to Melbourne to play our return match against Victoria. As the Victorian Eighteen had beaten us on the first occasion the committee decided to play a team of fifteen, but the experi-

IN TASMANIA 95

ment was a failure, as we won by seven wickets, and found it a comparatively easy task. After the match we filled out the afternoon by playing against Eleven of the Victorians, so as to give an exhibition of what we could do with only eleven in the field. I think the Melbourne people were pretty well satisfied, as Jupp and I made 140 before we were parted. When time was called we had lost five wickets for 250 runs, all made in two hours and a half. My individual score on this occasion was 126. In this match one of the Australian bowlers, finding that he could not get my wicket, lost his temper, and deliberately threw at me, an act which no one afterwards regretted more than the offender, except, perhaps, the players on his own side.

A visit to Tasmania was the next event in our programme. We crossed from Melbourne to Launceston, a voyage of twenty-nine hours' dura- tion, with a rough beginning but a delightful ending. The people of Tasmania won all our hearts by their extreme cordiality and unbounded hospitality. Here we played Twenty-two of Tas- mania, whom we defeated, after a somewhat uneventful match, by an innings and 32 runs. The only memorable feature of the game was the presence of Mr. J. C. Lord, who some years pre- viously had played for Hants, and who on this occasion made 34 and 36 by dashing cricket. Off one over by Lillywhite he scored 14 runs. G. H. Bailey, who subsequently came to England in 1878 with Gregory's Australian team, was

96 FIRST VISIT TO AUSTRALIA

one of the Tasmanians, while the two Butlers (C. W. and E. H.), of Hobart Town, were also among our antagonists. It may be remembered, perhaps, that Mr. E. H. Butler, while on a visit to England, played on one occasion for the Gentle- men against the Players at Prince's Ground.

The drive by coach from Launceston to Hobart Town — a journey of a hundred and twenty-five miles — was a pleasant contrast to our coaching tours in the bush country. The road, which had been made in the old convict days, was in magnifi- cent condition, and the scenery through which we passed realised all our expectations of the boasted beauties of the picturesque island. The coach left Launceston at five o'clock in the morning ; but Bush, Gilbert, Mrs. Grace, and I stole a march upon it by travelling overnight to a place about forty miles on the road to Hobart Town, which we reached about ten o'clock at night. Our engagement at Hobart Town was a match against Twenty-two of Southern Tasmania, which was played on a splendid wicket, and proved enjoyable in every way. A very fine innings by G. P., who made 154, was the most notable feature of the game. This, besides being the record innings of our tour, was the highest score ever made in Tasmania, and the largest individual total reached by any English player who had up to that time visited Australia.

The Tasmanians did very well with the bat, and treated our bowlers with less respect than they had been accustomed to receive during our tour.

CRICKET NEWS BY CABLE 97

Lillywhite, who in his first over was hit for six, took his revenge by bowHng Mr. Lord (who had done all the scoring at Launceston, and was ex- pected to repeat his achievement at Hobart Town) for a duck. Another batsman made six fours off successive balls, while Mr. W. H. Walker hit me out of the ground twice in one over. Altogether, the Tasmanians made a very plucky fight, and though ultimately they were vanquished by eight wickets they gave us a lively game. The Gover- nor of Tasmania, Sir Charles Du Cane, who was a member of the M.C.C., manifested keen interest in the game, watching nearly every ball that was bowled. At the luncheon one of the speakers remarked that fourteen years previously he had prophesied that an All England Eleven would be brought out to Australia, and that the results of their matches would be sent to England by telegraph. He seemed very proud to have seen the fulfilment of his prophecy.

On the way back to Launceston I had a couple of days' good shooting. To show how thoughtful the people were in everything that concerned our comfort, I may say that two gentlemen, prominent bankers in Australia, who were visiting Tasmania at this time, set themselves the task of lightening the burden of our journey by acting as our advance couriers. They travelled a few hours in front of us, and arranged that meals and rooms should be ready for us at the hotels on the route. We greatly enjoyed our sojourn in Tasmania, and particularly appreciated the splendid apples

98 FIRST VISIT TO AUSTRALIA

which are grown in the island, and which, though now to be seen in every good fruiterer's shop in England, were in those days a choice delicacy.

After returning from Tasmania we stayed in Melbourne just long enough to play the third match of our rubber against Victoria. As we had each won a match interest in this fixture was exceedingly keen, five thousand spectators sur- rounding the ground when play began. After our signal victory against the team of fifteen on our previous visit to Melbourne the authorities thought it wise to revert to the original order of things, and we consequently played a team of eighteen. I had an extraordinary run of bad luck in the toss in all the important matches, and in this case the spin of the coin went against me once more. The cricket was, on the whole, un- eventful ; but it is curious to note that both G. F. and I were bowled by Midwinter, who afterwards came over to England and played for Gloucester under the birth qualification. I have vivid recollections of the tropical thunderstorm which broke over the ground on the last day of the match. In a few minutes the wicket was flooded, and though both sides were anxious to finish the rubber, further play was obviously impossible, and the match was drawn.

This was our last match in Victoria. The promoters of our tour had arranged for one match to be played in South Australia, and thither we turned our faces. Of course the match ought to have been played at Adelaide, but

"SUCH A GROUND!"

99

in those days, though interest in cricket was keen in the town, the Club was only a small one, and was unable to make the promoters so good an offer as the people of Kadina. So for the sake of a few pounds we were sent up to that small copper mining village in Yorke Peninsula. We left Melbourne by boat, and almost immediately steamed into a terrific storm. Sea-sickness and all its consequent miseries overtook us all during this journey, which instead of the usual forty- eight was extended to seventy-four hours. The steamer pitched and rolled and tossed about in an outrageous fashion, and when we reached Port Adelaide we one and all struck against con- tinuing the journey by sea. We hired a coach at Adelaide, and drove the remaining hundred miles, of which seventy were over a bush track. This journey by coach was monotonous enough, but it was heavenly by comparison with the coasting voyages.

When we reached Kadina, we went out in search of the cricket ground ; and a search it really proved. We came to an open space, and then asked to be directed to the cricket ground. "This is it," some one said, and we whistled in astonishment. There was scarcely a blade of grass to be seen, while the whole area was covered with small stones. On the morning of the match a bushel of pebbles was swept up. I fervently hope I shall never again have to play cricket on such a ground. Very naturally our men funked batting on a wicket like that, and, in

100 FIRST VISIT TO AUSTRALIA

consequence, no one was expected to make a big score. Our innings realised 64, a small enough total, but nevertheless quite sufficient to win for us a single innings victory. As to the Kadina Twenty-two, their wickets fell like ninepins, as may be imagined from the fact that they managed to make only 43 runs in their first innings, while in the second their aggregate was 13, of which only 8 were made from the bat. Eighteen out of the twenty-two utterly failed to score at all. Our bowlers enjoyed themselves, M'Intyre getting sixteen wickets for five runs, and Lillywhite thirteen for six. The match was a farce, and no one realised its ludicrous aspect more than we did.

Of course cricket like this cannot be taken seriously, and the match at Kadina is scarcely worth recording at all. One or two incidents which happened made it memorable. Mr. T. W. Wills, the old Rugbeian, had been coaching the Kadina team for over a month in view of the match, and as he had been instructing them in the game the Kadina people thought a good deal of his prowess, and expected him to do valiantly against us. He made a pair of spectacles — clean bowled in each innings — and after that the Kadina people were interested in him no more.

Another reminiscence of the match may be interesting. When Mr. Bush went in to bat he missed the first ball, and was clean bowled. As he was the last man in, the Kadina men began to move towards the tent, but Bush, in the coolest

A FIGHT FOR A CUP loi

possible manner, picked up the stump, put it in the ground, and turning to the umpire said, "That was only my trial ball. I always insist on having a trial" ; whereupon the umpire, no doubt thinking that Bush knew more about cricket than he did, said, "Certainly, sir," and gave him in. The decision, however, made no difference to the course of events, as Bush, after all the trouble he had taken to get another innings, failed to score — his partner being promptly dismissed in the next over.

A third incident is associated in my memory with the Kadina match. That great supporter of cricket in South Australia, Sir Edwin Smith, of Adelaide, offered a silver cup for the highest scorer against the English Eleven in this match. None of the Kadina men scored many runs, but two tied with totals of seven each, and after some discussion it was agreed that they should contest for the cup in a single wicket match, in which I was to bowl and two of the English team to field. One of the competitors for the cup was on friendly terms with us, and our sympathies lay with him. His antagonist batted first, and I dis- posed of him before he scored. Our friend then took his place at the wicket, and we hoped he would score, but he met with the same fate. Again each man batted, and again each man was dismissed for a duck. The contest was getting exciting, and the destiny of the cup hung in the balance, when for the third time I dismissed the first m^an for a duck. Then we had the satisfaction

102 FIRST VISIT TO AUSTRALIA

of seeing our friend make a single off a very flukey hit, and tfius win the cup.

Our tour was now conckided, so far as our agreement with the promoters was concerned, but the Adelaide people, who considered they had been badly treated, sent up several of their leading cricketers to Kadina to invite us to play a supplementary match at Adelaide. As we had been sent at great inconvenience to Kadina, in the interests of the promoters' pockets, I sym- pathised with the Adelaide people and consented to play in their city. My acquiescence brought upon my head the wrath of the promoters, who had foolishly agreed with the people at Kadina that no other match should be played in South Australia, forgetting that my agreement with them was for fourteen matches only. They threatened all kinds of proceedings, but we carried out our intention to play at Adelaide, and I felt no compunction in the matter after the shabby treatment to which Adelaide had been subjected.

This addition to our original programme ne- cessitated an all-night journey from Kadina, which in turn led to uncomfortable adventures. In the dark we lost the track, and began driving about in the bush, until at last, as we had taken seven hours to cover thirty-live miles, we thought it wiser to wait until daylight before proceeding on our journey. Consequently we did not reach Adelaide until the afternoon, and after our night's exposure were so stiff and tired that to play

A DROMEDARY RACE 103

cricket decently was almost beyond us. The Twenty-two of South Australia, against whom we played, did not, however, take full advantage of our incapacity, as they lost eight wickets for ten runs, and were finally disposed of for 66. Eventually we won the match by seven wickets. The lavish hospitality heaped upon us by the Adelaide people made our last hours in the Colony exceedingly pleasant.

On Saturday afternoon, March 28, we left Adelaide by train for Glenelg, where we joined the Nubia, homeward bound. Many of our friends in Adelaide came with us to say good-bye at the steamer's side. Our voyage to England was an easy and delightful journey. We had a rapid passage, through calm and placid seas, the only untoward incident being a sand storm in the Suez Canal. The latter half of the journey was made in the steamship Kliedlve, which stopped long enough at Alexandria to give us time to see the races, in which I saw dromedaries competing for the first and only time in my life. We landed in England on May 18.

Our tour had, on the whole, been conspicuously successful. We never lost a match after we got into form, and our record for the tour ran : Fifteen matches played, ten won, two drawn, and three lost. Of course, in those days Australian cricket had not reached the high standard to which it has now attained. It was, however, steadily im- proving, and there is no doubt that the Colonial cricketers had greatly benelited from the tours

t04 FIRST VISIT TO AUSTRALIA

made by the teams which had previously visited Australia under Stephenson and Parr. Caffyn and Lawrence, who had stayed out in Australia, had also done a great deal to develop interest and efliciency in the game. We met the pick of Australian cricketers at Melbourne and Sydney, though some of the men we played against in Tasmania were not to be despised. The bowling even at that date was very good indeed, especially that of Allan and Boyle, and the fielding was very fair. As we proved by experience, we could easily beat any team of fifteen that could be gathered together in Australia, but with eighteen or twenty-two against us victory was not so easy. The best cricketers we met were, as a rule, English University and Public School men, who had settled in the Colony, but some of the native- born showed considerable aptitude, especially in bowling.

What struck me most in Australia on this my first visit was the scanty attention that was given to the preparation of the wicket for cricket matches. Until I pointed out the fact that the cricket was always vastly improved by proper attention having been paid to the wickets several days before the match, they seemed to have no idea of the importance of good wickets. We had the satisfaction of knowing that in this matter, at any rate, we taught the Australians a thing or two. I have no doubt that this and the subsequent tours made by English teams had a most salutary influence on the development of

HOME AGAIN 105

Australian cricket ; as, apart from the experience they gained by playing against the best cricketers we could send out, the vast interest taken in the various matches led to the adoption of cricket as the national game of the Colony.

On our return to England, we found that our doings in Australia had been followed by cricketers at home with the keenest possible interest, and that, for the first time, people in England had received the results of cricket matches played in Australia by means of the telegraph.

CHAPTER VI

CRICKET IN THE SEVENTIES

1870 In the year 1870 the laws of cricket were altered in one important essential. Up to that time the bowler could only change ends once in an innings, but at a special general meeting of the M.C.C. the rule was amended, so that a bowler could be allowed to change ends twice. To prevent him bowling three successive overs, it was decreed that he should not bowl two overs in succession. The first time this new rule was brought into operation was in the match at Lord's between M.C.C. and Yorkshire on May 30 and 31. The amendment in the rules was an important addition to the freedom of bowlers, and removed a restriction under which many cricketers had chafed for a long time.

From a personal point of view the year 1870 is memorable to me, because it was one of my best all-round seasons. In both batting and bowhng I met with remarkable success. I made nine individual scores of a hundred and upwards, and in thirty-three innings (among which were twelve for the M.C.C, four for Gloucester, and four for

^*W. G.'S TRAP" 107

the Gentlemen), I attained an average of over 54 runs. In 1870 the Gloucestershire County Cricket Club was properly organised and consti- tuted for the first time. The year was notable in the annals of County Cricket generally, but particularly for Gloucestershire, with which, naturally, my ties were very close. At that time Gloucester had no county cricket ground, so we had to play our first matcli on Durdham Down. We played Surrey twice in this season, and beat them at Bristol by 51 runs, and at the Oval by an innings and 129 runs.

Onthe occasion of the Surrey match on Durdham Down a curious incident happened. The match excited great interest, and a vast crowd assembled. Our boundaries were marked by flags, but the spectators encroached upon the ground. Pooley, who was batting, hit the ball to leg, where it was stopped by the spectators. He thereupon insisted on the crowd being cleared back behind the boundary flags. When this had been done, Filgate, who was fielding at long leg, was able to stand some yards farther back. I was bowling, and by accident sent down a ball on the leg side, which Pooley hit vigorously, with the result that Filgate made a grand catch on the leg boundary. It was assumed by the spectators that I had laid a trap for Pooley, but nothing was farther from my mind. Whenever I have bowled a ball to leg (even by inadvertence) and the bats- man has been dismissed oft' it, I have been given the credit of having bowled a leg ball on pur-

io8 CRICKET IN THE SEVENTIES

pose. Indeed, the ball has often been called "W. G.'s trap." I may have been guilty of bowling these wily balls occasionally, but I have received much more credit than I ever deserved for securing wickets off leg balls. Besides the matches against Surrey, Gloucestershire also played the M.C.C. and Ground, and defeated them by an innings and 88 runs. The Gloucester- shire Club thus entered on its County Cricket career with three signal successes in its first year of existence.

Something approaching a gloom was cast over the cricket season by the calamitous accident which happened at Lord's during the match between Notts and the M.C.C. on June 13, 14. At that time, as I have said, Lord's Ground was in a most unsatisfactory condition — so dangerous that some cricketers declined to play there. In this match Summers, a promising young pro- fessional player, who would have been a source of strength to Nottingham, lost his life through a blow on the head from a bumping ball. He had only just taken his place at the wicket in his second innings, when the bowler sent down a short-pitched ball, which bumped and hit Summers, knocking him down. When the acci- dent happened no one imagined that it would end fatally, but the next day Summers unwisely appeared on the ground in the blazing sunshine, and afterwards travelled down to Nottingham. The heat of the sun, and the shaking up on the railway journey, aggravated the injury, with fatal

THE DEATH-RATE OF CRICKET 109

results. The ball was certainly a short one, but it was the condition of the ground that made it bump. The bowler was not in the least to blame for the catastrophe, but he was terribly cut up, and I shall never forget his mental distraction. The blow was a hard one, but I firmly believe that the fatal consequence might have been obviated if Summers had been persuaded to rest awhile.

It may be interesting, as evidence of the com- parative safety of cricket as a game, to note that in my thirty-five years' experience I have seen but two fatal accidents. The first was the case of Summers ; the second was that of a poor boy at Harrow. I was invited by Lord Bessborough to go down with him to Harrow to give the school- boys some practice, and I always think that both he and I were indirectly the cause of this fatality, although it was one of a character that could not be foreseen. While another game was going on we were hitting catches to some of the boys, and the unfortunate boy who was killed was standing as umpire. I think he was looking round watch- ing us, when a ball was hit to leg, and struck the poor boy behind the ear with such force that he gave one gasp and then expired. I am glad to say that in this case also, the players, who were the indirect cause of the boy's death, were in no way to blame.

Such catastrophes happen very infrequently, for the death-rate of cricket is exceedingly low, and the proportion of serious accidents very

TTo CRICKET IN THE SEVENTIES

slight by comparison with casuaUies in other games. I am inchned to believe that the only real danger in cricket arises when spectators crowd round batsmen at practice. When I see the reckless way in which onlookers cluster round batsmen who are practising before big matches begin I am often surprised that there are not two or three severe accidents at every match. It is aston'shing to me that the ball should so often go whizzing among the people without doing any more injury than bruising some one's shins.

This reference to accidents at cricket recalls an agonising mental experience I once had at Leicester. I was staying with a friend at a hospital, and one afternoon we went out on the grounds for a little cricket practice. After I had been batting a little while I hit a ball out of the hospital grounds into an adjacent street. We thought it was useless to go after the ball, so we 'abandoned play. A few minutes later the casualty- ward bell rang, and word was brought to us that a child had been struck on the head w^ith a cricket ball, and was lying unconscious in the ward. We jumped to the conclusion that our ball had done the mischief, and with feelings easier imagined than described we hurried to attend the little patient. The injury was a severe one, and the case looked hopeless. I was greatly distressed, and felt very miserable, until some one inquired where the child had met with the accident. It then transpired that the injuries had been inflicted on a cricket ground a mile and a half away from

A FRIENDLY DISPUTE m

the hospital. I shall never forget my own feelings while I was labouring under the delusion that 1 was the cause of the child's injury, and in the light of my own experience I can fully realise the agony of mind of the bowler who was the un- witting cause of poor Summer's death.

In this- same year (1870) we played a very fes- tive match at Beeston, near Nottingham, between the Gentlemen of the South and the Gentlemen of the North. My brother G. F. was in fine fettle, and made a grand stand with Mr. I. D. Walker, who was playing at this time in magni- ficent form. Fred scored 189, and Mr. Walker 179. My own score of 77 was quite over-shadowed by the brilliant displays of my brother and Mr. Walker. Owing to the big scoring the match was left drawn, but a little dispute which arose during the Northern innings (in the course of which Mr. A. N. Hornby played a fine innings of 103) makes me remember the event. The boun- daries were marked, as was usual in those days, by flags, and the line between the flags was necessarily a matter of conjecture. One of the Northern team skied a ball to the long fields, where a fieldsman was standing close to the flag. He caught the ball, and the batsman was walking out, when some one shouted that the fieldsman had overstepped the boundary line. The umpire, of course, could not possibly see, and we ad- journed to the out-field to take evidence, which was very conflicting. Eventually one of the leading men on the Northern side came running

112 CRICKET IN THE SEVENTIES

out of the tent and said, '^ Oh yes, he was over the boundary," so the umpire promptly declared the batsman "not-out." We afterwards learnt that the gentleman, upon whose declaration the umpire's decision was founded, had been merely chaffing, and, as a matter of fact, had not seen the catch made. The dispute, however, was of a thoroughly friendly order, and added to, rather than retarded, the enjoyment of the match. In those days we worried less about securing vic- tories— we were playing cricket for pleasure and not for records, of which we thought very little. Our first consideration was to have a good game, and we did not mind very much whether we won or lost, so long as the cricket was enjoyable.

I have noticed that batsmen who have to wait a long time with their pads on for their innings frequently fail to score. I attribute this very largely to the nervous strain of anticipation. In this match at Beeston, Mr. G. Strachan waited for about six hours for the dismissal of either G. F. or Mr. Walker, whom he was to succeed. When at last he did go in, he was dismissed with his second ball.

The North v. South match at Lord's this year (1870) was memorable for the fact that several of the Northern players, who, owing to the schism in the ranks of the professional cricketers, had not taken part in this encounter for some years, reappeared at Marylebone. Another interesting fact in connection with the match is that it was George Parr's last appearance at Lord's. Though

CHIVALROUS CRICKET 113

forty-four years of age, he was then in good form, and secured 41 runs.

An incident in the M.C.C. v. Notts match this year (1870) corroborates my remark that cricket was not played in the seventies in the same strict spirit as it is at the present time, when everything seems to be sacrificed on the altar of records and championship honours. After the match had been in progress for a short time, Mr. Walker, who was fielding at point, dislocated his little finger in stopping a hard cut, and, in conse- quence, was unable to go on playing. After some little discussion Mr. Richardson was per- mitted by Daft, the captain of the Nottingham team, to take Mr. Walker's place. This was, technically, a breach of the rules, but really an act of chivalry, of a kind which I am afraid is not too common to-day. Daft's action evoked some strong feeling, and brought some unnecessary censures upon the M.C.C. for sanctioning such ii course. The complaints were quite uncalled for, as it ought, in my opinion, to be the desire of every cricketer to play the game in a chivalrous spirit, irrespective of the consequence. Unfortu- nately the intensely partisan feeling which has developed out of the County Championship con- tests has, to some extent, destroyed the good- fellowship which prompted Daft to make his sportsmanlike concession. Still, I must mention a similar incident which happened in August, 1897. Lancashire won the toss against Sussex, and went in first. Bland, for Sussex, bowled

ii

114 CRICKET IN THE SEVENTIES

three overs, and was then taken so ill that there was no chance of his taking any further part in the match. Mr. A. C. Maclaren most courteously allowed another man to take his place.

Though County Cricket was now being organ- ised on a strict basis, questions of qualification, either birth or residential, did not give us much trouble in the early seventies, and during this season I played for Twenty-two of Worcestershire against the United North of England Eleven. The ground was not in the best order, and the twenty-two were all dismissed for 114, of which I made 74. I got out when the score stood 96 for seventeen wickets, my last nine partners having all failed to score a single run. We eventually won the match by thirteen wickets. 1871 The year 1871 was made remarkable by a succession of notable benefit matches. Willsher, H. H. Stephenson, and John Lilly white were all given benefits, and as all three were players in the very front rank, a widespread interest was taken in the matches arranged on their behalf. For Willsher's benefit, which took place at Lord's on July 10, II and 12, a match between Married and Single was arranged. I played for the Single side, and made 189 (not out). Unfortunately for Willsher, rain set in, and on the second day not a single ball was bowled. Frequent showers inter- fered with the attendance on the third day, with the consequence that Willsher did not benefit very much. I was exceedingly sorry, and subse- quently helped to arrange another match on his

BIG SCORE AT THE OVAL 115

behalf. It was played at Mote Park, Maidstone, in September, between W. G. Grace's Eleven and Kent. I was fortunate enough to score 81 (not out) in the first innings, and 42 (not out) in the second, so that in the three innings of Willsher's benefit matches I scored 312 runs without being dismissed. I must not forget to mention a magnifi- cent not-out innings of 126 by Mr. W. Yardley in the match at Maidstone.

H. H. Stephenson's benefit match took place — of course — at Kennington Oval, North v. South, on July 31, August i and 2. There was an immense crowd of spectators, and Stephenson benefited in consequence. Along with the spec- tators, I was disappointed with the way in which the match opened, as I was given out leg before wicket from the first ball bowled. The South scored 193, and then dismissed the North for 177. In our second innings I completely re- deemed my failure in the first. At the end of the second day's play the South had scored 195 for two wickets, of which number 142 stood to my credit. The match was thus left in a crucial condition for the next day's play, and a grand crowd of spectators mustered for the finish. When the Southern score had reached 298 I had carried my overnight contribution to 200, and al luncheon time the score stood at 377 for four wickets, my share of the run-getting being now 246 (not out). When I had added 22 runs, and the total had reached 436, I was snapped at the wicket. My innings of 268 was the largest up to

ir6 CRICKET IN THE SEVENTIES

that time attained by me, and the greatest in- dividual score ever made at the Oval. Needless to say, the match was a perfect success in every respect. H. H. Stephenson was delighted at my performance, and presented me with a ring, which I now have in my possession. In accord- ance with their custom, the Surrey Club presented me with a bat, bearing the following inscription on a gold plate :

PRESENTED TO

W. G. GRACE, Esq., BY THE Surrey County Cricket Club,

FOR HIS MAGNIFICENT INNINGS OF

TWO HUNDRED AND SIXTY-EIGHT,

IN THE MATCH,

NORTH V. SOUTH, AT KENNINGTON OVAL, 2nd AUGUST 1871.

I made my second, and last, appearance at the old Hove County Cricket Ground, at Brighton, at John Lillywhite's benefit, which took place on August 14, 15, and 16. The match was Gentlemen v. Players. This was the first year in which three of these matches were played, and Lillywhite, who was one of the most popular professional cricketers of his day, was favoured by splendid weather, and had a capital benefit. History repeated itself in my first inning-s, as J. C. Shaw, who had got my wicket with his first ball at H. H. Stephenson's benefit at the Oval, knocked my off stump out of the ground at Brighton before I had scored. But again I

BRILLIANT HITTING BY G. F. 117

retrieved my misfortune by my second innings. At the end of the second day's play 1 was not out 200, and next morning I added 17 more before I was once again caught by the wicket- keeper, the catch in this case being off a ball to leg, which I skied. During this innings I had a long partnership with my brother G. F. Between us we put on 241 runs before we were separated. G. F.'s innings of 98 was the result of brilliant hitting. As one of the papers said : '' It was a grand and faultless exhibition of superfine cricket from the first to last, his play being remarkable for some of the quickest and smartest hitting of the season, and noticeably for its absence of any- thing like a positive chance." After Lillywhite's match my brother and I were both made recipients of presentation bats.

After twenty-seven years of active participation in the game, the celebrated George Parr, of Nottingham, retired from cricket this year, playing for the last time for Notts against fourteen Gen- tlemen on May 29, 30, and 31, at Trent Bridge. He finished his brilliant career by making 32 (not out) and 53.

The first county match ever played by Glouces- tershire on an enclosed ground at home took place on August 3, 4, and 5, when, by per- mission of the Council of the College, who very kindly put the College Close at our disposal during the vacation, the match against Notting- ham took place on Clifton College Ground. This new epoch in the club's history aroused great

ii8 CRICKET IN THE SEVENTIES

enthusiasm. Several episodes made the match notable. My brother E. M. and I opened the Gloucestershire innings against the bowling of ]. C. and Alfred Shaw, and made 134 runs before my dismissal dissolved the partnership. This was stated at the time to be the first occasion on which over a hundred runs had been made off the Nottingham bowling before a wicket fell. It is a fact worth mentioning, as an illustration of the way batsmen "get their eyes out" during the luncheon interval, that when we adjourned for lunch E. M. and I had made 129 for no wicket down, but that on resumption of play I was dismissed after five runs had been added to the score, while my brother lost his wicket with the total at 148. E. M.'s innings of 65 was a fine display of patient batting. Thanks to a splendid not-out innings of 51 by Richard Daft, Nottingham saved the match, which was left drawn just when Gloucestershire seemed within sight of victory.

A remarkable innings by Mr. T. G. Matthews for Gloucestershire against Surrey in a match played about a fortnight later should be chronicled as one of the historic events of the year. Mr. Matthews, who went in first, compiled 201 runs, which, in those days, was an extraordinary score. It is true that at that time Surrey was not quite so strong in bowling as the eleven is to-day ; nevertheless, Mr. Matthews's innings was a grand performance.

This year was one of my best seasons. On

3696 RUNS IN A SEASON 119

ten occasions I made upwards of a century in first-class matches. My highest total was 268 for South V. North, at Stephenson's match, and my other centuries were : 217 for Gentle- men V, Players, at Brighton (John Lillywhite's benefit match) ; 189 (not out) for Single v. Married, at Lord's (Edgar Willsher's benefit) ; 181 for M.C.C. V, Surrey, at Lord's ; 178 for South V, North, at Lord's ; 162 for Gentlemen of England v. Cambridge University, at Fenner's Ground ; 146 for M.C.C. v. Surrey, at the Oval ; 118 for Gentlemen of the South v. Gentlemen of the North, at LilHe Bridge, West Brompton ; 117 for M.C.C. V. Kent, at Canterbury ; and 116 for Gloucestershire v. Notts, at Nottingham (the first hundred ever scored on Nottingham ground). In these ten innings my combined scores reached 1692 — an average of 188 ; my aggregate for the year in first-class matches was 2739 runs for thirty- five innings — an average of 78*9; and in all matches (first-class and otherwise) I made 3696 runs.

Just before the end of this year I lost my father. His death robbed Gloucestershire county cricket of one of its most ardent supporters. The work he did, first for the Mangotsfield Club, then for the West Gloucestershire, and finally for the Gloucestershire County Club, materi- ally helped to popularise cricket in the West. Happily he lived to see the County Club, whose inception was in a large measure due to his initiative, on a firm and prosperous basis, and with a prominent place among the counties.

I20 CRICKET IN THE SEVENTIES

1872 The cricket season of 1872 was ushered in by a period of rainy weather, with late frosts and thunderstorms, with the result that until well on in the season the bowlers had all the advantage. Cricket opened early, with a match between the North and South, at Liverpool, on April 29 and 30. Jupp and I, who went in first for the South, scored 112 runs before we were separated, but the rest of our side added only 22. One does not expect to win a single innings victory with a score of 134, but on this occasion that was achieved. In their first innings the Northern team made only 46, and on following on were all dismissed for