🧢 Captain's Log

Thu 27 Aug 1891 🧢 1st XIv ? · HomeformLWTLW

Sixty runs shy of a declaration and forty overs of Kentish sunshine standing between us and the visitors — Thursday's fixture at Linton Park had all the makings of a proper contest, and I'm pleased to report it delivered exactly that.

Winning the toss, I had no hesitation in sending us in first; the pitch looked a batting one and I wasn't about to gift the new ball to anyone else. What followed was, by turns, watchful and wonderful. The top order came and went as top orders will, but Captain F J Fox stood firm for 25 not out, marshalling what remained of the innings with the calm of a man who has seen far worse days at the crease. He found a willing ally in Major L T Spens, whose unbeaten 22 gave the innings a spine it had rather lacked earlier on. Between them they saw us through to the close without further loss — the innings finishing all out, though not before the pair had done us proud.

With the light fading and honours still to be settled, neither side could force home the advantage, and the match was drawn — a fair reflection, I think, of two teams giving as good as they got.

A draw it may have been, but there was no shortage of character in it. Fox and Spens carried us with real application, and if that's the standard we're setting ourselves this season, I'll take a share of the spoils gladly and look forward to the next.

Sat 15 Aug 1891 🧢 1st XIv EC Eton Ramblers CC · HomeformDLWTL

Saturday 15th August, and Eton Ramblers rolled up to Linton Park with the sun out and the tea urn primed. Winning the toss I had no hesitation in batting first — call it captain's instinct, call it a hunch, but it felt right the moment the coin landed. And so it proved: Harry Hamilton played the innings of the day, a chanceless, well-crafted 61 that had the boundary boards rattling, with Pemberton chipping in a tidy 27 to keep things ticking along nicely.

Then came the small matter of defending it. The Ramblers threatened at times — Gibbs in particular looked to have found some rhythm with a stubborn 34 — but A C Rock had other ideas, steaming in to claim five wickets and leave their middle order in something of a heap. Patterson lent able support with three, and I even managed to sneak in a wicket myself for good measure, more by luck than design.

It transpires Hamilton's innings has nudged him up to fifth on the club's all-time run charts, and Rock's five-for has done likewise for him among the wicket-takers — both now sit proudly atop this season's leaderboards too, which speaks to a vintage year in the making.

Twenty-one runs the margin in the end, two points banked, and a thoroughly satisfying afternoon's work. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday at all.

Wed 12 Aug 1891 🧢 1st XIv FC Free Foresters CC · HomeformLDLWT

Wednesday 12 August 1891, and Free Foresters CC came calling. I lost the toss — no great surprise, my luck with the coin remains firmly Victorian in its stinginess — and we were sent out to field first, which on a warm afternoon at least spared the lads the indignity of padding up in a hurry.

The visitors settled in rather too comfortably. J A Turner made merry with a magnificent 106, well backed up by Captain Rawlinson's 37 and C L Metcalfe's 34, and we spent long spells chasing leather across the outfield. Credit where due: Captain Hinde bowled beautifully for his 4 wickets, with L Friend (3) and A C Rock (1) chipping in gamely to at least bring the innings to a close.

Our reply never quite got out of second gear. Captain H Hamilton played a lovely hand of 55, ably assisted by F J Richardson's 31, but wickets fell around them and the ledger recorded ducks for both L Friend and R H Pemberton — the walk of shame performed with due solemnity. There was a silver lining or two: Friend's dozen runs nudged him past Hamilton into 9th on the club's all-time run-scorers list, and Hinde's four wickets carried him past F Garrett into 17th among our bowlers — small comforts amid a chastening ten-wicket defeat.

A thumping loss, no question, and Turner's century will linger long in the memory of our long-suffering fielders. But the lads kept their spirits and their sense of humour, and we'll be better for it next week.

Mon 10 Aug 1891 🧢 1st XIv RC Royal Engineers CC · HomeformLLDLW

Monday 10th August, and Royal Engineers CC came calling. Lost the toss, no great surprise given my recent form with the coin, and we were put into the field. No complaints there — a bowl first was probably no bad thing on the day.

The Engineers made a fight of it without ever quite getting away from us. C G Burnaby's 42 was the innings' backbone, with Captain Rice (27) and S L Owen (24) chipping in usefully, but at the other end Captain Rawson and Captain L Friend both walked back for ducks, and Captain Hinde was in irresistible form, tearing through with 4 for 0. Captain H Hamilton (2-0) and A C Rock (1-0) mopped up what was left.

Our reply had its own tale of two extremes. A C Rock, having done his bit with the ball, led our batting too with 38, well backed by S Christopherson's 29 — though poor L M Richards will want to forget his golden duck in a hurry. Amid it all, F S W Cornwallis's watchful 25 quietly nudged him past W H Fryer into second on the club's all-time run-scorers list, which felt worth raising a glass to regardless of the result. Cornwallis now leads our 1891 run charts with 97, and Rock sits second among the wicket-takers with 6.

And the result itself — well, there wasn't one. Level after a full day's honest toil, no separating us. A tie is a rum sort of verdict, neither victory nor defeat, but on a day of ducks, heroics and a little club history made, I'll happily call it a fair one.

Sat 04 Jul 1891 🧢 1st XIv SS Sutton Valence School · HomeformLLLDL

Saturday the 4th of July found Sutton Valence School visiting Linton Park, and having called correctly at the toss, I had no hesitation in asking my lads to bat first — a decision I still maintain was the right one, whatever the wicketkeeper mutters.

We built our innings around two fine efforts: F S W Cornwallis compiled a splendid 72, and G Knight was not far behind with 61, the pair putting bat to ball with real purpose while George Champion chipped in a useful 33. Poor Jack Fryer, alas, departed for a duck — these things happen to the best of us, and he took the ribbing with good grace.

In the field, matters turned on a rather remarkable spell from C Chambers, who returned figures of 5 for 25 with five maidens thrown in for good measure — not a run given away lightly, and thoroughly deserved. He had fine support from the Reverend Thomas Burra, whose 3 for 0 was positively miserly, and George Champion chipped in again with a wicket. The School's Lushington made a superb hundred (104) and Hunt a well-made 84, but with Perks, Bennett and Hemingway all back in the pavilion without scoring, the target proved just beyond them.

We scraped home by 13 runs — a good day for the club, and milestones too, with Knight and the Reverend both climbing the club's all-time charts. A tight, tense, thoroughly enjoyable affair.

Sat 27 Jun 1891 🧢 1st XIv ? · AwayformLLLLD

Captain's Log, Saturday 27th June 1891. We made the journey with the sun more or less on our side and I won the toss, opting to have first use of the ball — a decision that looked rather clever for about twenty overs and rather less so thereafter.

They were bowled out for a total that did no favours to our fielding figures, built chiefly around T Hards, who made a stubborn 24, and C Hobbs, who chipped in with 23. Credit where due, though: G Hurn was a whirlwind, returning the extraordinary figures of 6 for 0, with F Bowles (2-0) and H Cole (1-0) mopping up around him. Dr Smart and J Foord both departed without troubling the scorers — the first ducks of the day, though not, alas, the last.

Our reply never quite got out of second gear. E Fryer battled manfully to 21 and carried what innings there was, but F Danells, Jack Fryer and S Ruck all joined the Duck Club before they'd fairly arrived. As for your captain — a golden blob, out first ball. One is supposed to lead from the front; I led, instead, straight back to the pavilion.

There was a silver lining amid the wreckage: G Hurn's six-wicket haul carries him past J C Crawford to 25th on the club's all-time list, and he now leads our 1891 wicket charts, with Fryer topping the run charts. Beaten by 26 runs in the end — chastening, but we'll be the better for it next week.