Not a bad start

posted by John Winn

At 9:20 on Thursday morning I was not going to Headingley, at 9:25 I was on my way. I had vacillated all week whether to attend the first day of the first class cricket season and after seeing Paul Hudson's forecast on Wednesday evening which promised a showery opening day I decided not to attend, a state of mind which did not change until shortly before half past nine the next morning. What caused this abrupt change?  The sun came out, I remembered how much I had been looking forward to meeting old friends and my wife told me to stop dilly dalllying and I was on my way. 

Having paid the tax now imposed on members to enter the long room, £15 for the season, I met up with old friends Jennifer Ellison and Stuart Wrigley for coffee, shared our varying opinions on the rights and wrongs of the signing of SD Hope and took our seats to see Leicestershire, having won the toss, take the field with Messrs Lyth and Bean opening for Yorkshire. No Root, Brook or Bairstow of course, although encouragingly the last of these was seen in the nets before the call of play. The sun shone and Yorkshire made good progress so that by the time Hudson's revenge arrived mid afternoon in the shape of a heavy almost wintery shower which caused an influx of taxpayers* to seek the shelter of the long room, last year's wooden spoonists found themselves in a familiar position with Malan and Bean enjoying some fairly moderate bowling. Mr Bean feasted on Rehan Ahmed's opening over to the tune of 22 runs and throughout the day Malan showed what a class act he is. 

The severity of the rain convinced that there would be a long wait before there was any more play and so I left but returned on Friday when a better forecast had increased the crowd considerably and by the time I left at tea, Leicestershire had lost three wickets in response to Yorkshire's 517.

                                                                              

                                                   Friday afternoon in the Upper North East 

As I type, 11:45 Sunday morning,Yorkshire  despite a lead of almost four hundred, continue their second innings but with a scoring rate of over five an over surely a declaration cannot be far away. Elsewhere, in Division One Hampshire have beaten Notts inside two days, Lancashire probably need to bat all day to avoid defeat against Surrey at Old Trafford, at Canterbury Kent need to score a trifle more than they did in their first innings to beat Northants while at Lord's Middlesex are now seven down in their second innings and facing defeat against Essex. At Taunton where the first day was washed out, more of which anon, a draw seems the only outcome. In Division Two a decent last day is in prospect at Derby where Worcestershire are the visitors, a draw seems likely between Glamorgan and Gloucestershire at Cardiff and Sussex should just scrape home against Durham at Hove. 

The second round of matches begins on Thursday with sixteen counties in action, Glamorgan and Sussex are resting, and Surrey v Hants looks the pick in Division One. 

Finally and back to Taunton where there was no play on Thursday, the game eventually started at noon on Friday, the county's Facebook page has presented some Somerset supporters with the opportunity to vent their spleens especially those who travelled quite long distances to find there would be no cricket.  Mr Charles Maggs took the biscuit and opened a can of worms, mixed metaphor there John,  and proposed that all these opening matches should have been played in the Middle East. And there's me thinking I was ill served by having to pay to go into the Long Room. 

* Given the absence of a steward on one of the doors there may even have been some non doms. 

Here we go again

 posted by John Winn

                                    When baby summer calls us once again

                                     to close trimmed turf; we say we will not go 

                                     but yet we go. Digby Jephson*

Pending hip surgery is restricting my driving at the moment but had I been fully fit then today I would have been at Riverside, Chester le Street where Durham are taking on  Durham University and where, on a lovely March day, the county side took the precaution of including Raine, Drissell and Macintosh in their XI. I have complained in the past about the stilted start to the English cricket season, just compare it to the fanfare for the start of the Major League Baseball season later this week, but at least the county championship when it opens next Thursday will see all 18 counties in action. Match of the Day has to be Lancashire, tipped by Cricketer magazine to be champions, taking on Surrey, last year's winners, at Old Trafford. Well done algorithm. Nonsense I hear some of you cry as you head to Headingley to see relegated Yorkshire take on wooden spoonists Leicestershire. 

If league cricket is more your bag then I have done my usual exercise of working through a few websites to find out when readers in the north east and Yorkshire will be able to see their local clubs in action. Most have opted for the traditional third Saturday in April, this year the fifteenth, the earliest it can be. 

These leagues are in action that day, Bradford, Dales Council, Craven and District, Huddersfield, Yorkshire Premier (South), North Yorkshire South Durham, North East Premier, Nidderdale, Durham & North East 

22nd April Aire Wharfe, Yorkshire Premier (North) and its supporting pyramid, Pontefract and District, Langbaurgh, Darlington and District, Bradford Mutual.

29th April Scarborough 

Good watching!

* This little poem which I came across ten years ago in a book entitled The Demon and The Lobster, was written by Digby Jephson who played for Cambridge University and Surrey. Jephson was known as the lobster because of his skill as an underarm bowler between 1890 and 1902, although he made very few appearances after 1902. The Demon refers to Charles Kortright, a contemporary of Jephson. considered one of the fastest bowlers of all time. The two men were distantly related. 

                                                                       

                                                                      Digby Jephson     

                                 

I must go back to Scruton

posted by John Winn

                                                                                             

 It is reasonable to argue that with out the above book there would be no blog for following a suggestion from Peter Davies of Huddersfield University these three cricket enthusiasts, two alas no longer with us, kept a diary of their cricket watching from January 11th 2006 to Boxing Day of that year. I have marked inside my well read copy July 2007 and I remember very clearly that I purchased the book from the late Molly Staines before play began in a match at Stamford Bridge. From May of the following year I kept records of grounds visited mainly in the three leagues nearest to my home, the Wetherby, Nidderdale and Aire Wharfe but also dipping my toes into the Bradford League and York Senior.

By 2010, having pretty well wrapped up the grounds within fairly easy reach of home I ventured further afield and on July 17th I made acquaintance with the Langbaurgh League, a league based on the area of the old Wapentake of Langbaurgh in the former North Riding but which now includes clubs from County Durham and Cleveland. On that day I visited Hutton Rudby, Crathorne, East Harley and Kirby Sigston, four grounds close to the A19 between Northallerton and Yarm. A month later I saw Scruton, between Northallerton and the A, playing Chop Gate and Thimbleby near Osmotherly taking on Ingleby Greenhow, both matches in the second division. 

From the following year all my visits are recorded in the blog and although the demise of the Cleveland League brought in new clubs, just in time to beat the pandemic games at Dormanstown and Danby completed the set. Sadly there have been casualties and Ingleby Greenhow, Crathorne, Malyby, Scruton, Skelton Castle and Swainby have all fallen by the way side. This has been offset by the arrival of Ingleby Barwick and Castleton, a ground I played on in 1968. Scruton is an interesting case for as I reported in the blog on February 2nd 2016 the club resigned from the Langbaurgh at that years AGM but continued to play evening cricket in the Wensleydale League. I had visited the home of Trevor Howe, then chairman of Scruton CC, in 2012 and was treated to a display of club memorabilia and a tour of their splendid pavilion, complete with museum. 

I have not seen cricket at Scruton's ground since my visit 13 years ago but the news that Northallerton are this year entering a third XI in the Darlington and District League and will play their matches just five miles away at Scruton has prompted me to promise myself a long overdue trip to that part of North Yorkshire.  . 

                                                                                   

The Wensleydale league in 1991, only three of these villages put out Saturday sides today. 

Not That One

 posted by John Winn

The first surname that I will mention in this post is Shackleton and you would be perfectly entitled to think that the subject might be Derek of that ilk, the almost robotic seam bowler who took over 100 wickets in first class cricket in 20 consecutive seasons, mainly for Hampshire for he played in only seven tests, 13 years separating his first and last appearances for England. Sorry to disappoint you but the Shackleton I have in mind is, dare I suggest, even better known, viz Ernest Shackleton, polar explorer. 

This Shackleton, born 1874 and who died in South Georgia aged only 47, has been in the news this week as it is just one year since his ship Endurance was discovered at a depth of almost 10,000 feet in the Weddell Sea where it had lain for over 100 years. Remarkable photos of the wreck were shown on BBC Breakfast early this week. This was accompanied by an interview with Shackleton's granddaughter which prompted me to enter Ernest's name in a search engine which showed that his wife Emily Dorman, who outlived her husband by more than twenty years, had a brother Arthur who was a first class cricketer. Phew, got their in the end. 

Arthur William Dorman, born 1862 in Sydenham, was educated at Dulwich College, where he captained the XI, and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. A slow left arm bowler, he played just eight first class matches but had he not opted to take holy orders on graduation his bowling statistics suggest he could have played many more. He died aged just 51 in 1914 and his obituary in the following year's Wisden stretches to only 12 lines but describes him as 'a first-rate left-handed bowler, with a high delivery and good break'. Close examination of his bowling analyses shows he was very accurate. 

Seven of Dorman's eight first class matches were for Cambridge University, he gained his blue in 1886, and their opponents included Yorkshire twice, at Fenner's and Bramall Lane, the touring Australians, Surrey at The Oval and MCC at Lord's. Against Yorkshire he took nine wickets in the match at Fenner's whilst conceding 103 runs from 57 four ball overs, steady stuff, Arthur.  The icing on his career came in his last match, being picked for The Gentlemen v The Players at The Oval but he took only one wicket and his analysis of 41 overs, again four ball, 25 maidens, 1 for 48 is described by Wisden as 'expensive'. Bit harsh? Curiously in his obituary Arthur is described as ' good straight bat, playing the ball very hard'. 28 runs for Cambridge University in 11 innings at an average of 4.00 suggests otherwise. In his one innings for The Gentlemen he scored three not out, batting as usual low down the order. 

Dorman took holy orders in 1890 and was curated at Knaresborough the following year but very soon moved on to Wiltshire, then to his birthplace of Sydenham then to Hinton Charterhouse in Somerset, four miles south of Bath, where he was vicar until his early death. Wikipedia records that Shackleton visited his brother-in-law regularly where he spent 'quiet and happy week-ends'. A few months after Arthur died Endurance set sail for Antarctica. Shackleton delayed his departure and joined the ship in Buenos Aires.

It would appear that Arthur Dorman played no serious cricket after entering the church for under the heading Miscellaneous Matches, Cricket Archive lists only matches he played for Dulwich College. So a short career but one that took in the varsity match, matches at Lord's and The Oval and Dorman gained a Cambridge Blue and represented The Gentlemen in what at that time was one of the most prestigious matches in the cricket calendar. It is nice to read that Hinton Charterhouse has a thriving club with a first XI playing in the West of England Premier Wiltshire Division. In addition it has a Saturday 2nd XI, a Sunday XI and a 'vibrant junior section'. It would be nice to think that brothers-in-law Ernest and Arthur enjoyed watching cricket at Hinton Charterhouse, Ernest planning a trip to Antarctica, Arthur putting the finishing touches to his Sunday sermon, but alas the club was not formed until 1920.

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.

A Prince at Scarborough

 posted by John Winn

I mentioned in last week's post that in its early days the Scarborough Festival welcomed I Zingari, the oldest and perhaps most exclusive of wandering clubs. Founded in 1845 it is known for its aristocratic membership and its colours of black, red and gold. The eleven who played Gentlemen of England at North Marine Road in 1887 were typical of the social class make up of the club. Two 'Hons', Lyttelton and Hawke, Captain Friend and the Paravicini brothers, Percy and Harry, sons of Baron JP de Paravicini, took the field on Monday August 29th but pride of place must go to Prince Christian Victor, grandson of Queen Victoria. 

Wisden record that the match, the opening fixture of the festival, was spoilt by the 'deplorable weakness of the Zingari bowling'. On the first day The Gentlemen, centuries for Mr Thornton, Mr Stoddart and 73 for Mr WG Grace, rattled up 381 in under four hours. I Zingari did not go down without a fight, replying with 264 and 308 in a drawn match, top scorer Mr Webbe with 76 and 126. Queen Victoria would have been reasonably happy with her grandson's 35 in the first innings but not the nought for which he was bowled in the second knock. 

Wisden affords Prince Christian only six lines of obituary. Prince Christian Victor of Schleswig-Holstein, try getting that on your scorecard, was born in 1867 at Windsor Castle. He was educated at Wellington College, Oxford and Sandhurst and served in the King's Royal Rifle Corps from 1888 to 1900. At Wellington he captained the cricket team as he did at Magdalen College  and Sandhurst. Wisden rather damns him with faint praise saying that 'he would have very likely got into into the eleven at Oxford if a new wicketkeeper had been required'. Whist on military service he scored lots of runs including 205 v the Devonshire Regiment at Rawul Pindee in 1893.

Elevated to the rank of major he served in the Sudan and then took part in the relief of Ladysmith in the second Boer War. Whilst in South Africa he caught malaria and died of enteric fever* in 1900 in Pretoria where there is a fine grave. He is commemorated in a number of places in this country including a statue outside Windsor Castle. 

The match at Scarborough was his only first class game but no other member of the royal family has played at this level. 

                                                                         

A rainy festival

 posted by John Winn

When I was  a small boy in the 1950s family holidays were taken at Scarborough to coincide with the cricket festival at the beginning of September and at that time the three first class matches had a familiar pattern. Yorkshire would play MCC, Gentlemen take on Players and Essex stalwart TN Pearce would select an XI to take on the touring team, so I was lucky enough to see Australia in '53 and '56, South Africa in '55 and West Indies in '57. I suspect at the time I thought that this structure had been in place for ever and would go on for ever. Of course this was not so, TN Pearce had only taken over from HDG 'Shrimp' Leveson Gower, pronounced Lewson Gore of course, in 1951 and before 'Shrimp', Charles Thornton had had this responsibility. 

There had also been years when there were no visiting sides so for example in 1925 Thornton's XI took on team selected by MCC from those due to tour Australia that winter. Hobbs and Sutcliffe opened for the MCC side, not a bad attraction. Even further back in the nineteenth century I Zingari were regular visitors and North v South added spice to the occasion a number of times. 

The year referred to in the title of the posting is 1948 when on the first of September, a Wednesday, the festival opened with Yorkshire v MCC followed by Gower's XI v MCC, chosen from those due to tour South Africa and the climax came the following week when another of HDG's sides took on Bradman's 'Invincibles' who had gone undefeated in a tour beginning at New Road on April 28th. In his excellent book Bradman's War Malcolm Knox stresses how important it was to 'The Don' to go through the tour undefeated, his failure to do so in 1938 'still rankled' and thus he was very wary as to what might happen at Scarborough in what was close to a sixth test match. Staying at The Royal Hotel there were no festival festivities. Wisden has no doubt that there was an agreement that Gower would not include more than six test players although this is disputed in Knox's book. Whatever the truth of the matter only six test players were included while the Australian side had ten who had thrashed England at the Oval a few weeks earlier.

The weather for the festival seriously interfered with play and at times when play was possible watching was a miserable, cold experience. Yorkshire v MCC enjoyed a fine first day but only three and a half hours were possible on days two and three. Match drawn, as was the second match played for much of the time in 'wind and gloom'. For the Australian game much time was lost on the opening day the start was delayed on the second. Hutton was bowled in the first over by Lindwall, something to be repeated at Headingley five years later, and Bradman batted on until all possibility of defeat was eliminated thus preserving his side's undefeated record. Knox records that some of the Australians were not enamoured by this show of ruthlessness. In his last innings in England Bradman hit 153.

The tourists played two more matches before sailing for home, both against Scotland, in Edinburgh and Aberdeen where a crowd of 10000 saw  DGB sign off with 123 batting at number six.