Cricket "Test series", Monmouth v Dean Foresters, 1839 (General)

by Jefff , West London, Middlesex, Tuesday, December 10, 2013, 01:52 (3996 days ago) @ downunder

Thanks, you're most kind. But who's this Johnson fellow you mention, means nowt to me ?.
He can't be the same man I saw a few years back, that one was FAR quieter on the field, except when leading the community singing of course.
;-)

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Back to more important playing fields, it seems the fiery Foresters may have been the beginning of the end for Monmouth cricket, judging by this report from the Cardiff Times of 6th June 1874.

"MONMOUTH.
CRICKET.— This manly game seems to be on the wane in Monmouth.
The little town used to turn out a couple of capital teams. On Thursday Chepstow beat the Monmouth Drybridge Club by nine wickets, and on Saturday Hereford College beat the Monmouth Grammar School eleven by ten wickets. In the first named match, Drybridge v. Chepstow, the former team could muster only nine men, and each of the Monmouth clubs (thanks to the generosity of Mr. C. H. Crompton Robert) has a professional bowler."

http://welshnewspapers.llgc.org.uk/en/page/view/3386607/ART9/monmouth%20forest%20cricket

N.B. Mr C.H. Crompton-Roberts was born Charles Henry Roberts in March 1832. He was a British landowner and politician. He was briefly a Member of Parliament before his election was annulled in 1880, and was a substantial contributor to the amenities and community of Monmouth in Wales. After dying at his London home his funeral was held at Rockfield Church, Monmouth, on 19 November 1891.

Much more detail here
http://www.digplanet.com/wiki/Charles_Henry_Crompton-Roberts

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The Welsh newspapers website has several articles detailing England's cricket tours to Australia - despite there being no obvious Forest links I thought this one the most interesting and worth a mention given recent events.
I'm proud to say the good doctor, W.G.Grace, was a son of Gloucestershire and the sport's first international superstar. Born into a large cricket-mad family, his father a founding member of Gloucestershire County Cricket Club, the family were key to their early success - William Gilbert and two Grace siblings became the first-ever instance of three brothers playing in the same Test match.
This should be interesting reading for cricket fans,
http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/440091.html
http://maninblue1947.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/40-f-bristolgccc-25-08-2013.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._G._Grace

"He evolved his own technique to deal with balls that could shoot along the deck or scream head-high: he stood outside leg stump, waited with his bat waist-high (which became fashionable again a century later) and was willing to push runs with a straight bat on the leg side, which the classicists disdained. His secrets seem to have been a quick eye, strength, concentration, a light bat, and amazing confidence (he rarely wore a box)."

I suspect he will have been turning in his grave these last few nights, as will subsequent Glosters such as Hammond and Graveney ...... even this mediocre "batsman" knows the best way to play short bowling is to dodge it wherever possible, which is most of the time; not send catches to fielders when trying to score runs won't help tie the match. Yes MJ is quick, very, but in my playing days most County sides had an equally-fast bowler or even two, why are we so unprepared now ....grrr.

Mind, as this article shows, despite all his great qualities, those pesky colonials forced even the great W.G. to adopt new protective headgear, outrageous !!!

From the Aberdare Times of 16th January 1892,

"DR. GRACE IN AUSTRALIA.
The exchanges in by the Australian mail are full of W.G. Grace's magnificent performance with the bat in Melbourne at the end of November, when he went in first and carried out his bat for 159. The ovation he received on returning to the pavilion was, unparalleled in enthusiasm. A curious little incident occurred when the score reached 215. W.G., finding that his orthodox cricket-cap did not afford sufficient protection from the fierce rays of the Australian sun, sent to the pavilion for an Australian broad-brimmed white tile, and when he donned this unaccustomed headgear cheers and laughter were heard all around the densely-packed oval.
Blackham, the Victorian captain and famous wicket-keeper, talking to a Melbourne Herald reporter about W.G.'s innings, said "The old man has very seldom played a better innings. His placing to leg was simply wonderful. And no one was better pleased to see it than myself. If any of them were to make runs we'd rather see W.G. make them. I It was a great feat, mind you, that of his carrying his bat right through."
The Herald adds that W.G. and Briggs are the contrast of the English team, and Grace seems fond of emphasising it at every opportunity. He walks close up to the little man when crossing the pitch, and when the team was being photographed Grace objected to Briggs sitting anywhere but between his knees, and so they were "tuk."
Asked whether he approved of an early visit of an Australian eleven to England, W.G. replied in the negative, unless, he added, "you can get a very good team together; something better than the last you sent." The champion's impression is that it would be well for the colonies to refrain from dispatching an eleven to England for the next two or three seasons. Then they ought to come to the old country with the best team possible."

http://welshnewspapers.llgc.org.uk/en/page/view/3028362/ART18/australia%20cricket%20grace

N.B. Spin bowler Johnny BRIGGS was short, even for his day, at under 5'4". At his first class debut aged just sixteen Grace was already 6'2"(1.88 m) tall and 11st(70 kg), he was a huge man in his prime.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Briggs_(cricketer)