On This Day

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Re: On This Day

Postby The Professor » Thu Jun 08, 2017 6:33 am

On this day in 1899 Yorkshire dominate on the first day of their game against Derbyshire.

Derbyshire seemed to have the upper hand at first when John Hulme displaced Yorkshire opener, Jack Brown, for 16. However a partnership worth 34 between John Tunnicliffe and Lees Whitehead put Yorkshire back on track. Whitehead popped off for 25 off the bowling of Bill Shorer but Tunnicliffe set Stanley Jackson off on an innings that lasted the bulk of the rest of the day.

John Berwick had a good few overs when he dismissed Tunnicliffe for 43 and, soon after, Frank Mitchell for 11 - however Derbyshire could not keep up the pressure. Jackson and Ted Wainwright put up a decent partnership for the fifth wicket.

Jackson fell on 82 and, soon after, Wainwright for 46. The only batsman that could produce anything in the tail did so stoically with 63 off the bat of George Hirst. The rest of the tail only contributed minimally. Yorkshire were all out for 343.

Berwick was the chief antagonist for the tail and ended the innings on figures of 5-82.

Before the close of play, Derbyshire had already lost one batsman, Levi Wright for 4, and ended the day on 36-1, 307 runs behind Yorkshire.
"It has been said of the unseen army of the dead, on their everlasting march, that when they are passing a rural cricket ground the Englishman falls out of the ranks for a moment to look over the gate and smile."
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Re: On This Day

Postby The Professor » Fri Jun 09, 2017 6:37 am

On this day in 1899 Derbyshire disappoint and victory looks likely for Yorkshire.

The morning session was a poor one for Derbyshire. The visiting side lost a further five batsmen before lunch with the most impressive of which, John Hulme, going just before lunch for 38. Through all this Bill Storer was an ever present - but just couldn't hold down any partnerships. At lunch, Derbyshire were 197-6.

Derbyshire were all out within ten minutes of lunch on 203. Storer was not out for 96. They were asked to follow on.

The opening partnership of Levi Wright and Harry Bagshaw managed to put on 42 runs together. Bagshaw lived to fight another day after Wright was dismissed for 22. He then formed another decent partnership of 37 with Storer for the third wicket. When the top three were displaced, the rest of the batting order let Derbyshire down. The highest score for any batsman from number three down was Hulme's 16. Derbyshire capitulated just before the end of the day's play and had just managed to overhaul the Yorkshire total but only by a mere 32 runs. Wilfred Rhodes was the key figure for Yorkshire having got 8 wickets in the day plus the late wicket the day before, leaving him match figures of 9-115.

As usual the ground was emptied and the groundsmen tidied up for the day. As normal the caretaker turned off the water mains so as to ensure no accidents and everyone took to their beds for, what would be, a peaceful night's sleep.
"It has been said of the unseen army of the dead, on their everlasting march, that when they are passing a rural cricket ground the Englishman falls out of the ranks for a moment to look over the gate and smile."
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Re: On This Day

Postby The Professor » Sat Jun 10, 2017 8:59 am

On this day in 1899 some errant housekeeping sees some very unusual looking cricket on the final day between Yorkshire and Derbyshire.

When the groundsman returned on the morning of the final day he did his normal rounds and switched the water mains back on again. Little did he know, one of the kitchen staff had left a tap turned on overnight and water began to cascade into the sink. Soon enough the clubhouse was flooded and the Derbyshire players' kits were ruined.

When the players and officials arrived they were faced with a tricky prospect. Call off the game with Yorkshire only 32 runs away from victory or come up with a Plan B? It was agreed that Derbyshire would play in their everyday clothes.

This made for the very unusual sight of a team of players in shirts, trousers and boots bowling and fielding against a team of players in whites.

The less formal team managed to get a wicket with Thomas Higson getting Jack Brown for 13. John Tunnicliffe and Lees Whitehead got Yorkshire over the line on an occasion where fashion was the story rather than cricket.
"It has been said of the unseen army of the dead, on their everlasting march, that when they are passing a rural cricket ground the Englishman falls out of the ranks for a moment to look over the gate and smile."
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Re: On This Day

Postby The Professor » Sun Jun 11, 2017 11:38 am

On this day in 1849 a three day game between a team of married players and a team of single players began.

For seemingly no reason whatsoever, this contest began with the Married team batting first. They began poorly with both James Dean (2) and Billy Hillyer (11) becoming divorced from the crease in the early overs by John Wisden.

William Clark and Tom Box then pledged themselves to each other for a longer spell which yielded 99 runs and took the married men to 133 before both were out in quick succession. Clark's 71 was the highest score for the Married men.

Nicholas Felix tried to hold the innings together but the rest of the middle order were poorer rather than richer and he found himself floundering. He came together with Samuel Dakin, who looked more likely to engage himself in proceedings, but was then dismissed himself by Wisden on 27. Dakin ended 26* and marshalled proceedings at the end. The married team were all out for 203. Wisden ended on a fivefer.

The single team began their innings in a brighter fashion with Robert Grimston and Arthur Haygarth hitting a carefree 49. When they were dismissed in short order, the single team failed to commit themselves to the bat for any period of time. This saw three of the next four batsmen dismissed for a duck. The day ended with the single men going back to their empty houses to mull over the precipitous score of 77-6 and a fairly new partnership of George Armitage and George Parr facing an up hill challenge to keep the bachelors in the match.
"It has been said of the unseen army of the dead, on their everlasting march, that when they are passing a rural cricket ground the Englishman falls out of the ranks for a moment to look over the gate and smile."
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Re: On This Day

Postby The Professor » Mon Jun 12, 2017 6:34 am

On this day in 1949 the power swing between the Married and Single teams on Day Two.

At close of play last night, the Single Team were crying out for two of their batsmen to settle down into a mature adult relationship and get them some runs to put them back in the game. The two Georges, Armitage and Parr, did just that. They added a further 40 runs to take their partnership to 52 before Armitage broke up with Parr on 23.

Parr carried on and became the main source of notches on the Single team's run-scoring bedpost. He had little assistance from any of the lower order with the exception of last man in, William Nicholson, with whom he got 48 runs. Parr was last man out on 61 - another victim of James Dean. The Single team were all out for 180 - 23 runs behind their betrothed opponents. Dean and William Lillywhite shared the ten wickets equally between them.

The openers for the Married team exchanged luck in the same way as they had previously done vows. Whereas in the first innings, it was Dean that fell early and William Clark that salvaged efforts; this time out Clark went for a duck and Dean marched on. It was not Dean that went on to push the score up, however. This was done through a 63 run partnership between Billy Hillyer and Thomas Box.

As the day drew in three quick wickets saw fortunes swing back towards the Single men. In succeeding overs, Hillyer was sent back for 32 by John Wisden and then Nicholas Felix, punished for a shotgun decision, and gone for nought. The same fate awaited Alfred Mynn - another victim of Wisden - and the Married team were 82-5.

William Pilch saw Box through until stumps and the score was 116-5, meaning the Married team were 139 runs ahead of their single opponents.
"It has been said of the unseen army of the dead, on their everlasting march, that when they are passing a rural cricket ground the Englishman falls out of the ranks for a moment to look over the gate and smile."
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Re: On This Day

Postby The Professor » Tue Jun 13, 2017 7:03 am

On this day in 1949 single life trumps domestic bliss on the final day.

The overnight pair of William Pilch and Thomas Box managed to add only a further seven runs to the total of the Married team before they were both accounted for. Samuel Dakin did a fine job of marshalling the tail but met with no affiliation with any of the other batsmen and was not out for 19 when the Married team closed on 147 all out - a lead of 170.

Robert Grimston took the initiative in an early 88 run partnership alongside William Nicholson. Once Nicholson left him, caught behind off the bowling of James Dean, he struggled to hold down any partners so soon found himself striking out in order to take them there himself. Ironically the singleton was trying to get their singularly. He was eventually helped in a seventh wicket partnership with Jame Chester that yielded 22 runs that helped the bachelors to zone in on victory. Grimston fell before the end but his 76 proved the driving force for victory. Chester and Roger Kynaston took the single men over the line to seize a victory by three wickets.
"It has been said of the unseen army of the dead, on their everlasting march, that when they are passing a rural cricket ground the Englishman falls out of the ranks for a moment to look over the gate and smile."
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Re: On This Day

Postby The Professor » Wed Jun 14, 2017 6:18 am

On this day in 1929 New South Wales and Australia's Alan Davidson was born.

Davidson was born in Lisarow, New South Wales and was thrust into cricket when his uncle was missing a fast bowler and he filled in.

Davidson made his debut for New South Wales early on in the 1949-50 season, training with Richie Benaud in order to up his game. His performances in that season got him a place in an Australian B team however the next season he failed to hold up the form he first showed. However his determination saw his form improve in the 1951-2 season.

Davidson found himself a fully fledged member of the Australian set up by 1953 when Keith Miller and Ray Lindwall found themselves out of favour and was straight into the Test team against England. His First Test was poor but he pulled it back for the Second Test where he got 76 with the bat. This was the high water mark of the series where he was largely disappointing.

Other issues arose away from the cricket. He found himself in tense situations whereby he was frozen out by more established international players for his 'professional' attitude towards the game.

During the mid fifties Davidson found himself isolated from the Test set up due to fewer matches and poor form. When he was called up though, he did perform.

The Australian selectors kept the faith and Davidson forced his way back into the team for the 1956 Ashes. This time it was injury that hampered his progression; chipping a bone in his leg in the First Test and not returning until the Fourth.

The finest hour of Davidson's career was in the 1960-61 series against the West Indies where he scored 212 runs and 33 wickets. Finishing on a high, he made it known that the 1962-3 Ashes season would be his last. Unfortunately they lost, the first series the Australians failed to win whilst Davidson was playing.

Davidson moved into the world of business and has sat on a variety of boards of directors.
"It has been said of the unseen army of the dead, on their everlasting march, that when they are passing a rural cricket ground the Englishman falls out of the ranks for a moment to look over the gate and smile."
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Re: On This Day

Postby The Professor » Thu Jun 15, 2017 7:24 am

On this day in 1914 England's Allan Steel died.

Born in 1858, Steel went to Cambridge and became a barrister by the age of 25. Just four years later he had reached the top of his profession and owned his own practice. As well as this, Steel became one of the most well known figures in the formative years of English cricket; many people dubbing him the first great bowler of the game.

Steel's biggest skill was disguising the delivery to the batsman until the very last moment as well as his pinpoint accuracy. Before University he spent four years playing for Marlborough and then became one of the star Cricketers in the Cambridge University team where he averaged the highest with the bat and the lowest with the ball.

As he progressed in his career he began to play for the Gentlemen team who regularly played a team of professionals at Lord's. Here his skill with the bat came to the forefront. He also turned out, sporadically, for Lancashire.

Steel turned out for England thirteen Tests, all against Australia with his highlights including a score of 135* in 1882 and 148 in 1884 where he faced off against Fred Spofforth, Joey Palmer, Billy Midwinter, George Giffen and Harry Boyle.

With the bat, Steel showed great ingenuity to improvise performances of startling accuracy.

He died of heart failure in Oldham at the age of 56.
"It has been said of the unseen army of the dead, on their everlasting march, that when they are passing a rural cricket ground the Englishman falls out of the ranks for a moment to look over the gate and smile."
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Re: On This Day

Postby The Professor » Fri Jun 16, 2017 7:42 am

On this day in 2012 Ian Bell makes a successful return to the England fold by helping them to victory over the West Indies.

Alistair Cook was out early after West Indies put England in. He was gone for a duck with just one run on the board but Bell put the show back on the road. This was done almost immediately when he took 18 runs off a single Andre Russell over. Luckily for England, an lbw decision on Bell was overruled by Richard Kettleborough when the opener was on 23.

Bell, filling a gap left by the retirement of Kevin Pietersen, got to his hundred in QuickTime off just 95 balls. He was the dominant partner alongside Jonathan Trott for a 108 second wicket partnership where they took advantage of some bog standard West Indian fielding. It was Bell's second ODI century and came five years after his first one, marking a good decision by the selectors to recall him. Bell provided the momentum that the England team needed but, after he had been dismissed in the 40th over on 126, the scoring rate dropped steeply with only a final flurry from Craig Kieswetter pushing the score up to the 288-6 it finally settled on.

The early stages of the West Indian innings followed a similar pattern to the English one. After losing Lendl Simmons for 15, Dwayne Smith went on to impress and got to his half century in no time. The difference was that, unlike Bell, he was out shortly after. Marlon Samuels and Dwayne Bravo tried to up the pace but, as rain started to fall, Steven Finn broke the promising looking partnership and West Indies never regained composure from there. They were eventually all out for 172 thanks to a late Tim Bresnan blast that left him with figures of 4-34
"It has been said of the unseen army of the dead, on their everlasting march, that when they are passing a rural cricket ground the Englishman falls out of the ranks for a moment to look over the gate and smile."
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Re: On This Day

Postby The Professor » Sat Jun 17, 2017 10:31 am

On this day in 1844 crowds were drawn of near unprecedented size for a match between the Gentlemen of England and Kent.

At the site of a fair and promenade erected for a charitable event in aid of the Shipwrecked Mariners' Society, England faced off against Kent. Despite the modern day biases that we hold towards the disparity between the national and domestic game, many assumed that Kent would overpower England and so it seemed when Kent batted first and got 116 runs - no inconsiderable score on the day. The opening batsmen caused the most damage for Kent with openers Nicholas Felix and Alfred Mynn beginning with a partnership worth 38. Individually the former scored 22 and the latter 32. At first drop, Edward Swann performed admirably managing to get 24 runs but from there the middle and lower order let Kent down.

Kent then seemed to continue to exert their dominance with an absolute barrage that saw England dismissed for a mere 63 thus handing Kent a 53 run lead over them.

Before the end of the day, Kent were back batting but did not do so admirably. Mynn and Swann were out cheaply leaving Felix and W. Wynn at the crease and Kent at 18-2 with a 71 run lead.
"It has been said of the unseen army of the dead, on their everlasting march, that when they are passing a rural cricket ground the Englishman falls out of the ranks for a moment to look over the gate and smile."
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Re: On This Day

Postby The Professor » Sun Jun 18, 2017 9:46 am

On this day in 1844 England climb a huge mountain to overcome Kent.

Kent started day one with a comfortable lead but their lower order let them down in a pursuit to stretch this to the impossible. After the overnight pair of Nicholas Felix and W. Wynn were removed for 18 and 17, the only batsman who showed any fortune with the bat was Emilius Bayley who got 19. He got no support from any other Kentish players and they were soon all out for 82.

England began their second innings with a chase of 135 runs staring them in the face, however they went to work with great spirit despite the early loss of Thomas Craven and Edward Grimston for two and three runs respectively. Arthur Haygarth was the first to stand up to be counted as he set England back on track with his score of 19. He was ably assisted by a quickfire 18 from Charles Taylor.

After a period of consolidating it was the partnership of Charles Gordon and Roger Kynaston as they both put on scores in the thirties to overcome the Kent total.

Kent's bowlers suffered under the new 'wide ball' rule and conceded 17 byes and 12 wides. In what went down as a shock defeat.
"It has been said of the unseen army of the dead, on their everlasting march, that when they are passing a rural cricket ground the Englishman falls out of the ranks for a moment to look over the gate and smile."
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Re: On This Day

Postby The Professor » Mon Jun 19, 2017 7:22 am

On this day in 1853 cricket hit the high court in the case of Lane v Barnes.

James Lane had brought criminal action against Christopher Barnes for damages for an injury sustained in consequence of blows which had been inflicted upon him.

Lane was a nineteen year old working as an assistant to his father as a house-decorator, painter and wallpaper changer. Barnes was a member of a cricket club in connection with a school in Westminster.

A cricket match was organised between the Westminster School and a local team that Lane played for. Barnes' team batted first but Lane's chase was interrupted by heavy rain and both sets of boys took shelter in an outbuilding belonging to a local pub. Barnes, and a number of other schoolboys, decided to go into the pub where they preceded to get inebriated.

A little later the rain had stopped and the game continued. Shortly after the break, Lane took to the crease alongside his brother, John. John faced up against Barnes. The ball hit John's leg and Barnes appealed to the umpire - who happened to be his brother. John was given out. James Lane protested and an argument ensued between he and Barnes resulting in Barnes punching Lane in the face and then grabbing a bat and beginning to pursue him. Eventually Barnes caught up with him and caught him on the back and then later on the ankle. As Lane fell to the ground a great brawl ensued between both sets of boys.

Surprisingly things calmed down and the game resumed with Lane employing the use of a runner. At the end of the game Lane could barely walk unassisted and by the following morning he could not even do that thus making it impossible for him to work for a period of three months.

It was decided that Barnes should pay Lane £60.
"It has been said of the unseen army of the dead, on their everlasting march, that when they are passing a rural cricket ground the Englishman falls out of the ranks for a moment to look over the gate and smile."
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Re: On This Day

Postby Arthur Crabtree » Mon Jun 19, 2017 7:43 am

Good stuff Prof.
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Re: On This Day

Postby The Professor » Tue Jun 20, 2017 7:31 am

On this day in 1870 the first death caused by cricket is recorded.

Nottinghamshire's George Summers was struck in the head by a ball in a game against Marylebone held at Lord's.

He died of concussion at his father's house at the age of just 35.

John Platts, the bowler who delivered the fatal blow, never bowled fast again.

Many people blamed the poor state of the Lord's pitch and it, indeed, provoked an upgrade of the ground. The next batsman in Richard Daft, however, blamed Platts as he came out to bat with a towel wrapped around his head as a sign he considered the bowling dangerous.
"It has been said of the unseen army of the dead, on their everlasting march, that when they are passing a rural cricket ground the Englishman falls out of the ranks for a moment to look over the gate and smile."
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Re: On This Day

Postby Arthur Crabtree » Wed Jun 21, 2017 1:08 am

Interesting entry in the series that Prof. Nice one.

Got a feeling we've heard of Daft on this thread before.
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