Public School Magazine, October 1900
 

THE Public School Cricket season generally produces its little crop of sensation, and this year was no exception, either as regards the performances of teams or of individuals. Taking individuals first, E. W. Dillon, of Rugby, adds another to the proofs already supplied by MacLaren and Day, that the best School cricket is not divided from first-class form by any very great gulf. He was—it is, perhaps, superfluous to say—the finest School batsman of 1900, and his series of big scores for Rugby during June and July, especially his 110, not out, against Marlborough at Lords, procured him a place in the London County team as soon as the Rugby term was over. His first innings was a century, all the more creditable because play ceased for the day when he had made 83, and was set. The following day, however, found him still in form, and he soon added the necessary 17.

He then played consistently for Kent all through August, making good substantial scores in every match, and coming within ten of a century in the second innings of Kent v. Hampshire. Kent also found his slow bowling of use to them.

E. von Ernsthausen, captain of the Uppingham Eleven, also appeared in first-class cricket for Surrey, though without such conspicuous success as he of Rugby.

The dry weather favoured hitting, as the year’s records show. The fastest individual scoring was 102, not out, made by B. S. Foster, for Malvern against Repton, in thirty-seven minutes. Nobody else came near this score for quantity and pace combined, though there was some bright play in the Eton v. Harrow match by the Eton Buckston, who made his first 20 in nine minutes.

Against Wellington Haileybury scored 315 for four in the second innings in under two hours and a half, E. C. Hodges and E. C. Smith (captain), who both reached their centuries, being the heroes of the match. The law of compensation demanded that Haileybury should get an experience of quick scoring from the view of the fielder, as well as of the batsman, and this they were enabled to do (per kind favour of Providence) when they met Uppingham. They dismissed eight of the Uppinghamians cheaply. Then P. Reiss came in,—a player of more repute with ball than bat. He at once proceeded to make the winter of Uppingham’s discontent glorious summer. Haileybury had five deep-fields out for him, but even this was of no avail. Taking every ball on the half-volley, he ran up exactly a hundred in sixty-three minutes, finishing his meteoric career by being clean bowled.

The biggest total scored in an inter-School match of 1900 was Malvern’s 527 against Repton. Besides Basil Foster’s 102, B. A. White, the captain, was responsible for 130. This match produced a third record, for 219 runs were scored in eighty-seven minutes,—a feat possible of accomplishment on few other grounds than Malvern.

The highest individual score in any game was probably Dillon’s 225 in a Rugby House match.

Charterhouse claims the ubiquitous double century. It was made by Eddis, a prominent figure in the Charterhouse averages, in a House match. Curiously enough, Eddis came very near to being deprived of the undisputed honour by one of his opponents, who reached his first century in safety, and was only dismissed in the second innings when well on the right road, having made 61.

So far these feats have been such as bowlers would fain forget,—a morbid collection of gruesome horrors, in fact. But, though bat certainly lorded it over ball during the season of 1900, the long-suffering trundler had an occasional look in.

Perhaps the most prominent feat of the year’s bowling was the havoc caused by K. M. Carlisle in Eton’s second innings against Harrow. Eton looked like making a long score, but it was not to be. Carlisle rolled up ten overs and a ball, including six maidens, and took five wickets for 15 on a batsman’s day—and that though Tod was missed off him in his first over, a thing to break any bowler’s heart and put him off his length.

Whatley’s hat-trick in Harrow’s second innings is also noteworthy.

The lowest inter-School total was the 20 of Victoria College, Jersey, against Elizabeth College, Guernsey. This, however, took place in unexplored and foreign parts.

Dulwich made 34 against Streatham, and—law of compensation again—Brighton made 35 against Dulwich.

In all matches played on School grounds in 1900, Dulwich probably have the questionable glory of supplying the lowest total. In a Cup match the Army Class made 9 against the Classical Lower Fourth, for whom N. A. Knox, brother of the Oxford Blue, took seven wickets for no runs.

A curious bowling performance is noted in the “Lorettonian.” A Loretto bowler bowled sixty-eight balls for no runs, and was at length rewarded by securing the last wicket.

We can find no traces of tie-matches in 1900. Dulwich lost to the Masters by 1 run, and Brighton beat their Masters by an equal margin. So may we see the inscrutable doings of Fate in excellent working-order everywhere.

 

Published unsigned in Public School Magazine; entered by Wodehouse as “School Cricket of 1900” in Money Received for Literary Work.