In a posting I made earlier in the week I commented on a situation that arose in 1939 when Middlesex played a 'home' match south of the Thames at The Oval while some schoolboys were playing at Lord's. Not any old schoolboys however for the match in question was between Eton and Harrow, a match that at that time had not been played away from Lord's since 1805 except during World War 1.
To assist me in this posting I have used this book which has been on my shelves for a number of years and which as its title suggests is a comprehensive history of the games between the two schools. The author, Robert Titchner-Barrett, an old Harrovian was no mean cricketer himself for in 1961 he bowled his alma mater to an innings victory taking 12 for 76 in the match. RTB includes a press cutting from the match in his account, a report written by the former Welsh Rugby Union player Vivian Jenkins. 'Harrow Bowler takes 12-76 in Eton Defeat' is the headline followed by a report of the match and the scorecard.
In its heyday the Eton Harrow match was very much part of the London summer social season, indeed as late as 1970 when the fixtures for the proposed shortened tour by South Africa were being arranged concern was expressed that if this involved moving 'the match' it should not clash with Henley Regatta or Wimbledon. To get some idea of how important the match was to those who enjoyed that sort of thing we need only to look at Wisden's account of the 1914 match played on 10th and 11th July in perfect weather. Although war was still three weeks away the flash point of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand had set in motion the events leading up to the outbreak of war at the end of July. Whether those who came to Lord's on that July still believed that war could be avoided or had the foresight that it might be the last such occasion for sometime is, of course, not known but whatever their state of mind a crowd of over 38000 attended over the two days.
In the match Harrow batted first for the twelfth successive year and took a first innings lead of 86 to which they added a further 144. Eton began their reply after 'luncheon'. 'Hambro who got his colours as a bowler, played wonderfully good cricket for two hours and a half''. He was sixth out for 77 at which point 43 were still required but Eton lost no more wickets and won for the fifth successive year with 15 minutes to spare. No match was played in 1915 but a series of home and away matches were played at the school grounds for the next three years before the sides returned to Lord's in 1919.
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