Brothers on Opposite Sides

 posted by John Winn

In his book describing the world of wandering cricket Stephen Chalke describes I Zingari as 'if not quite the oldest wandering cricket club...unquestionably the most historic, famous and influential.' In my last post I mentioned that the club appeared at Scarborough on a number of occasions, playing in 13 matches deemed first class. Their opponents included Yorkshire, MCC and the 1884 Australians. 

Given that I Zingari was founded by Sir Spencer Ponsonby Fane, JL Baldwin* and Lord Besborough it is not surprising that their membership was as exclusive as their fixture list. I wrote last week how in 1887 Queen Victoria's grandson, Prince Christian was in the XI who took on the Gentlemen of England at North Marine Road along with the Paravicini brothers, Percy and Harry, sons of Baron JP de Paravicini and it is these two who form the subjects of today's posting. 

Percy, the younger of the two was born in 1862 and played in 121first class matches, whereas brother Harry, born 1859 played only six such matches, three for MCC, two for I Zingari and for CI Thornton's XI v Cambridge University at Fenners in 1888, a match in which Percy was in the same side. Strangely while Harry went to Harrow, Percy was an Etonian and in what must have been a very unusual occurence they played on opposite sides in the game between the two schools at Lord's in 1878, a match won by Harrow by twenty runs.  

Percy played most of his first class cricket for Middlesex, 62 matches, and made 25 first class appearances for Cambridge. His obituary in the 1922 Wisden runs to nearly a page saying how his many friends were shocked by his death following surgery and saying what a 'popular fellow' he was on the cricket field. It makes the point however that his cricket career never fulfilled the promise he showed at Eton. Both his batting and bowling faded away but he was outstanding in the field. He did however have another string to his bow, namely he was a talented footballer, good enough to be in the Old Etonian team that beat Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup final in 1882 and to be on the losing side v Blackburn Olympic a year later, both games played at The Oval. He also played three times for England in 1882 v Ireland, Scotland and Wales. His last first class cricket game was at Lord's for Middlesex v Sussex in May 1892 and although on the winning side he did not have a great game, run out for 0 in the first innings, not required to bat in the second innings and did not bowl. I expect he fielded well. 

Harry de Paravicini is not the first sportsman to be overshadowed by a younger more talented brother, he misses out on an obituary in Wisden, perhaps because he died in 1942 when the almanack was a much slimmed down version due to the Second World War.Both brothers married into the same aristocratic family, their brides being sisters, daughters of the Marquess of Cholmondley. I wondered if the ladies made the teas for I Zingari. 

                                                                           

* John Loraine Baldwin was born near Halifax in 1809,a son of Lieutenant Colonel John Baldwin of the 9th Dragoons. He standardised the rules of badminton, wrote the laws (sic) of whist and the rules of bézique. He is commemorated by a 'grand tomb' at St Michael's Church Tintern.