🧢 Captain's Log

Wed 17 Aug 1881 🧢 1st XIv ? · AwayformWLLLL

From the captain's chair — Wednesday 17 August 1881. We were away, and won the toss to have first use of the ball, which on reflection felt rather more of a compliment to my judgement than the afternoon deserved.

Their innings gave us encouragement enough. X Cornwallis Esq top-scored with a stubborn 30, but around him we prised out G Goodwin, A Hollands and H Crallan without any of the three so much as troubling the scorers — three ducks to warm the heart of any captain. G Sedgwick was the chief tormentor, returning 4-0, with Jack Fryer (2-0) and W Wilson (1-0) tidying up what remained. A thoroughly satisfactory morning's work.

Our reply, alas, was a different species of cricket altogether. Jack Fryer, A Startup and W H Fryer each contributed a golden nothing to the cause, and the innings closed in a manner best described tactfully as brief. There is, I fear, no dressing that up — some days the willow simply will not cooperate.

Amid the wreckage, two small triumphs deserve their moment: Ernest Cruttenden's 6 runs eased him past H Freed into 7th on the club's all-time run-scorers list, while G Sedgwick's four wickets carried him past F Garrett into 12th among our leading wicket-takers. Meanwhile W H Fryer (61) and Jack Fryer (36) continue to lead the season's run and wicket charts respectively — form the rest of us would do well to catch.

Beaten by 26 runs in the end. We'll be better for it next week.

Wed 20 Jul 1881 🧢 1st XIv ? · HomeformLWLLL

It rained on Wednesday 20 July 1881, but not on my resolve — winning the toss, I had no hesitation in taking first knock. F Warde led us home with a fine 38, and W T Court chipped in handsomely with 32 of his own, the pair doing the bulk of the graft while the rest of us watched on from the shade. Not every man covered himself in glory, mind: J Sedgwick will want to forget his contribution entirely, departing for a duck that had the fielders smirking behind their caps.

With the ball, we turned in a display to be proud of. F Atkins was the visitors' chief resistance with 22, but there was precious little support around him — A G Mannering and C F Foster both trudged off without so much as a run to their name. And what can one say of H Freed, who simply ran amok, returning figures of 7 for none and bowling as if he owned the pitch outright. F Warde, not content with his runs, added three wickets for good measure.

There is history in this scorecard too: Court's 32 lifts him to 5th on the club's all-time run list, past J T Amies, while Freed's haul vaults him to the very top of our wicket-takers, ahead of W H Fryer — a landmark worth raising a glass to. Beaten by 59 runs we may have been, but with form like that on show, I've no doubt we'll be better for it next week.

Wed 06 Jul 1881 🧢 1st XIv ? · HomeformLLWLL

From the captain's chair — Wednesday 06 July 1881. Bit of a curious afternoon, this one, and not one I'll be framing for the clubhouse wall, results-wise, though there's plenty else to raise a glass to.

Winning the toss and choosing to bowl looked a shrewd move within minutes, as F Laurence, T B Jackson and A Pettett trooped back to the pavilion without so much as a run to their names. The architect of the collapse was Jack Fryer, who bowled like a man possessed to return 5 wickets from 8 overs without conceding — a spell that will be talked about long after the teas have gone cold. He had willing lieutenants in W H Fryer and G Sedgwick, each chipping in with a wicket apiece, and between them the opposition were shot out for nothing.

Sadly, what the ball giveth, the bat taketh away, and our reply was every bit as brief and painful, with G Sedgwick, F Danells and J Sedgwick all departing for ducks of their own. Four wickets the visitors needed, and four wickets they got, leaving us to reflect on a match won and lost in the same breath.

There was, mercifully, some silverware for the scrapbook: Ernest Cruttenden's 4 runs eased him past H Freed to 12th on the all-time run charts, while Jack Fryer's heroics lifted him to 2nd on the all-time wicket-takers' list. Not our day with the willow, but heads up, lads — back to the nets, and back again next week.

Wed 22 Jun 1881 🧢 1st XIv ? · AwayformLLLWL

Captain's Log, Wednesday 22nd June 1881. Away we went, and in the field first we were, which on a morning like that felt no bad thing. Their innings didn't trouble the scorebook for long — C W Battiscombe, P Tootell and W Foord all trooped back without so much as a run to their name, and H Freed was quite simply unplayable, spinning through the order for 7 wickets. Jack Fryer chipped in handsomely with three more, and between the two of them there wasn't much left for the rest of us to do but applaud from the field.

Our reply, alas, had its own sorry chapter — W H Fryer, X Carter and J Mallard all fell without scoring, ducks all in a row, and no amount of good cheer in the pavilion could quite paper over that. Still, there was much to raise a glass to: H Freed's 24 runs eased him past H Hammond into 12th on the club's all-time run charts, and his 13 wickets this season lift him past T Gandy into 2nd on the all-time wicket-takers' list — no mean feat. Up in the season table, W H Fryer continues to lead our run charts with 38, and Jack Fryer sits proudly atop the wickets with 15.

In the end it was not to be — beaten by 6 runs, agonisingly close, the sort of defeat that stings on the journey home but promises better things ahead. We'll be better for it next week.

Wed 15 Jun 1881 🧢 1st XIv ? · AwayformWLLLW

From the captain's chair — Wednesday 15 June 1881. We travelled with hope in our hearts and, as ever, not quite enough runs in our pockets.

Put into the field first, we set about the visitors with real purpose. C Martin gave us the most trouble, top-scoring with a stubborn 36, but around him the innings crumbled rather satisfyingly — T B Jackson, S Stanley and X Tompsett all trooping back for ducks. The afternoon belonged, without argument, to Jack Fryer, whose 5-0 was as fine a spell as this reporter has had the pleasure of watching from the other end. W H Fryer chipped in with 2-0 and J Gurney with 1-0, and between them the lads did the hard work in style.

Our reply, alas, did rather less to flatter us. F Danells, C Fryer and W Wilson all made the walk of shame for nought apiece, and your captain, never one to miss a trend, joined them with a duck of his own — the least said about that innings, the better.

There was, at least, cause for a raised glass back in the pavilion: W H Fryer's 34 runs carried him past W Goad to top spot on the club's all-time run-scorers list, and Jack Fryer's 11 wickets took him past R Morris into ninth among our all-time wicket-takers — both now lead the 1881 season charts in their respective disciplines.

Not our day, in the end — beaten by 2 wickets. Heads up, chins high, and back to the nets we go.