Philosophical about Plato

By Mike Latham

Carlisle’s Edenside is a wonderful, historic cricket ground.

There, on one glorious Friday afternoon over one hundred years ago Plato Harrison hit a stunning double century by the banks of the Eden.

Friday 5 August 1910. The Edwardian era at its height, hard to imagine that four years later would come the carnage of war.

Cumberland hosted Westmorland on the first day of a two-day county match.

 

Edenside in more recent times

As the game continued Saturday some of Cumberland’s best players were unavailable, required for club duties. But even so, they had been expected to roll over the Westmerians. They reckoned without Plato.

A leisurely start was made at 2.40pm but by the close of the first day Westmorland had scored 420 for 9, Harrison 216- it remains the highest innings ever against Cumberland.

On Saturday, after an overnight declaration, Cumberland succumbed meekly, 73 and then 79 all out, their heaviest defeat, an innings and 268 runs, the match over by 3.20pm.

The Westmorland opening bowler Joe Foulkes, who played for Kendal, took seven for 27 in the first innings, four for 28 in the second.

Harrison, also the Westmorland wicketkeeper picked up two catches behind the stumps but a total of ten of the 20 dismissals were bowled. It was not a bad two days for Plato, however philosophically he viewed the game of cricket.

 

The original scorebook

The original scorebook of the game is preserved for posterity in the county archives. Written in neat fountain pen the details of Harrison's innings unfold. In all he hit 30 fours and one six. Sixth out at 313, he had batted a little more than three hours.

Harrison added 192 for the fourth wicket with Tom Punchard, an old Sedbergh Schoolboy whose elder brother James later kept the scoreboard ticking over, with an undefeated 70. The Punchards and Harrison were team-mates, playing for the Kirkby Lonsdale club.

By any standards Harrison's innings was remarkable, but for the time, with bowlers usually in control and a team score of 100 considered a decent score it was something special.

He scored 43 of the first 53 runs, reached his 50 after an hour, his hundred after batting for 105 minutes, with some brilliant shots all around the wicket. Changes in the bowling made no difference to him.

At tea Harrison was 172 not out and finally, at 5-40pm he reached 200, eventually falling to a catch in the outfield. "Harrison’s driving was a feature of his display and some of his straight drives were extremely fine strokes," reported the Carlisle News and Star.

Plato Denny Harrison, it is fair to say was a character. He was also an all-round sportsman.

Born Barrow-in-Furness 1 Aug 1883, his father, also Plato was originally a Brewer's Traveller, one the directors of a newly registered company known as the Barrow Mineral Water and Bottling Co. Ltd, registered on 22 March 1890.

Plato senior then set up business in Kirkby Lonsdale, carried on by his descendants.

Plato's, a highly regarded boutique hotel, restaurant and bar in Kirkby Lonsdale celebrates the family history and operates from the same premises at 2 Mill Brow.

From an early age Plato junior, known as ‘Denny’ was an independent person. At the age of 14 he joined the Volunteers Company in the town when it was part of the Border Regiment.

Two years later he volunteered for service in the South African (Boer) War where he served as a bugler, seeing action in Natal, Orange Free State and the Transvaal. Before he was 17, he had been awarded a medal and five clasps. He later became a Corporal in Westmorland and Cumberland yeomanry and later was mobilised when war broke out in 1914.

Records show that he was a Sergeant in the Military Police Corps (Mounted Branch) from 16 July 1915 to 3 April 1919, serving in the Dardanelles and Egypt.

He was one of the first people to enter Jerusalem in 1917 after General Allenby following the defeat of the Turks, twice mentioned in despatches.

As well as being a keen cricketer young Denny was an all-round sportsman, excelling at association football, playing with distinction for Kirkby Lonsdale and Kendal Swifts in the North Lancashire League.

His pace his biggest attribute, he once scored 50 goals in a season playing centre forward for Kirkby Lonsdale. Offered trials with Nelson, then members of the Lancashire Combination, he declined the offer.

 

Maude’s Meadow, once the home of Kendal RU club

In 1909 he took up rugby union, quickly given a first team debut by Kendal. He made rapid strides as a fleet footed winger, became a favourite of the Maude's Meadow spectators, soon picked to represent Cumberland.

 

Plato Denny Harrison, the rugby player, with Barrow

In January 1911 he turned professional, signing for St Helens (7 games, 1 goal), later played for Barrow (34 games, 13 tries, 2 goals).

In the 1914 cricket season, now a Kendal player, he won the North Lancashire League batting prize which he did not receive as by the time for the annual dinner the war had started. Nine years later, a meeting of the North Lancashire League received a report that Harrison had not received his prize and it was agreed this should be rectified.

However, it was pointed out that the value of a bat in 1914 was considerably less than in 1923. After much discussion it was agreed that Harrison should receive the sum of twenty-five shillings, an amount halfway between the 1914 and 1923 values.

In his 50th year Harrison won the Westmorland League batting prize after being a stalwart of the Kirkby Lonsdale side for many years, that brief spell at Kendal aside.

He died at Carlisle in Sep 1966 aged 83.

 

Kirkby Lonsdale CC- once home to Plato Denny Harrison

Cricket is a great leveller. A fortnight after his momentous innings Harrison faced the Cumberland attack again, on his home ground at Kirkby Lonsdale in the return game.

He must have fancied his chances of a repeat performance.

This time the two-day game was played midweek, meaning Cumberland could field a stronger side.

Cumberland mustered 156, then bowled out Westmorland for 40 and 55, Harrison making five in the first innings, a single in the second.

Bert Shutt, a former Hampshire player and the Whitehaven CC professional, took nine wickets for 51 in the match, Carlisle’s Albert Smith surpassing him with ten for 40.

It must have made our friend Plato quite philosophical.

(with thanks to the estimable Mike Davage for additional research)