MR. BUDD AND HIS FRIENDS
By the Editor
Glimpses of Mr. Edward Hayward Budd we have already had in Mr. Pycroft's chapter on the Hambledon Club and the Old Players; but more are needed. Mr. Budd was to the youthful cricketers of the first thirty years of the last century, before Alfred Mynn's zenith, very much what Dr. Grace was to the youth of the last thirty years of it; and it is time that his genius was celebrated. Moreover he was of the greatest service to Mr. Pycroft in writing the historical part of The Cricket Field. Mr. Pycroft, when he was beginning work on that book in 1850, approached Mr. Budd by letter: 'How can it be done without the assistance of E. H. Budd Esq.?' he asked. '"Hamlet—the part of Hamlet left out"—will never do.' Mr. Budd complied.
The account of Mr. Budd in the Scores and Biographies is against his first match at Lord's, on September 13, 14, 15, and 16, 1802, between Twenty-Two of Middlesex, for which he played (9 and 5), and Twenty-two of Surrey. For Middlesex played also Lord Frederick Beauclerk (3 and 7), Fennex (4 and 9), Aylward (4 and 2), and John Nyren (11 and 2). Mr. Budd was then seventeen, says Mr. Haygarth, adding: (He was chosen in the Gentlemen v. Players match in 1806, but did not commence to participate regularly in the great contests of the day till 1808. After 1831, he partially abandoned the game, though he formed one of the Wanstead Park Eleven v. M. C. C. match, at Lord's, in 1837. He left London in 1825, after which he became an active playing member of the Purton Club; his actual last match being when making one of that Eleven against Marlborough College, June 16, 1852—thus, from first to last, completing fifty-one seasons! He also continued to practise about four years longer—in fact, till he was past seventy years of age. His career as a batsman, bowler, wicket-keeper, single-wicket player, and field, has been most brilliant, his average, altogether, being one of the highest on record. As a field, he was most active, generally taking middle-wicket, being a very fast runner. In the England v. Twenty-two of Nottingham match, June 23, 1817, he caught out nine, a number equalled at present (1860) by H. Wright, and exceeded only by R. C. Tinley. He was also very successful as a bowler, being one of the best of his day; it was of middle speed, a sort of half-round-armed, with his hand slightly extended from his side. As a proof of the tremendous power of his hitting, it may be mentioned that, in the Surrey v. England match, June 6, 1808, he hit clean out of Lord's ground. Again, June 15, 1818, in the M.C.C. v. Woolwich match, he drove a ball forward for nine, it being a clean hit and no overthrow, though Mr. Parry, a very fast runner indeed, went after it. He also got a nine in a match on the Vine, at Sevenoaks. When playing, he generally used a bat of 3 lbs. weight; but at that period of under-hand bowling much heavier ones were required than on the introduction of the round-armed delivery. Mr. Budd joined the M.C.C. soon after his first match, and continued to be a member till 1825, after which his name for some time was kept on the list as an honorary member. In a Purton v. Lansdown match he once got four wickets in six balls, and another time he bowled five wickets in an over of six balls. Once, on Ripley Green, he and W. Ward, Esq., bowled seventeen overs (of four balls) and no runs were got from either end! He also shot with a licence for fifty years, which can be recorded of few sportsmen. 'Squire' Budd was born at Great Missenden, in Buckinghamshire, February 23, 1785. Height 5ft. 9 in., and weight 12st. In 1860 he was residing at Elcombe House, Wroughton, near Swindon, when the compiler of this work [Lillywhite's book] was greatly indebted to him for much valuable information about cricket during the early part of the present century.'
Mr. Budd claimed to be an innovator too. Says Mr. Wheeler in Sportascrapiana:—
'With regard to balls out of reach being considered "no ball", Mr. Budd informs us the regulation was at his suggestion. At a great match, one player, being a much better batsman than the other, the bowler began to pitch the ball over the head of the better batsman when he was at the wicket. To meet this Mr. Budd proposed the existing rule that the umpire may call "no ball", and a run be added to the score.'
Here is Mr. Pycroft in The Cricket Field: 'Lambert's bowling was like Mr. Budd's, against which I have often played: a high under-hand delivery, slow, but rising very high, very accurately pitched, and turning in from leg-stump. "About the year 1818, Lambert and I," said Mr. Budd, "attained to a kind of round-arm delivery (described as Clarke's), by which we rose decidedly superior to all the batsmen of the day. Mr. Ward could not play it, but he headed a party against us, and our new bowling was ignored." Tom Walker and Lord Frederick were of the tediously slow school; Lambert and Budd were several degrees faster. Howard and John Wells were the fast under-hand bowlers.
'Lord Frederick was a very successful bowler, and inspired great confidence as a general: his bowling was at last beaten by men running into him. Sparkes mentioned another player who brought very slow bowling to perfection, and was beaten in the same way. Beldham thought Mr. Budd's bowling better than Lord Frederick's; Beagley said the same.
'His Lordship is generally supposed to have been the best amateur of his day; so said Caldecourt; also Beagley, who observed his Lordship had the best head and was most valuable as a general. Otherwise, this is an assertion hard to reconcile with acknowledged facts; for, first, Mr. Budd made the best average, though usually placed against Lambert's bowling, and playing almost exclusively in the great matches. Mr. Budd was a much more powerful hitter. Lord Frederick said, .jpg)
LORD FREDERICK BEAUCLERK
(Enlarged detail from the frontispiece)
Mr. Budd made a slight correction of Beldham's memory for the second edition of The Cricket Field. He wrote:—'I return the proof-sheets of the History of my Contemporaries, and can truly say that they do indeed remind me of old times. I find one thing only to correct, which I hope you will be in time to alter, for your accuracy will then, to the best of my belief, be wholly without exception:—write twenty guineas, and not twenty-five, as the sum offered, by old Thomas Lord, if any one should hit out of his ground where now is Dorset Square. You invite me to note further particulars for your second edition: the only omission I can at present detect is this—the name of Lord George Kerr, son of the Marquis of Lothian, should be added to your list of the Patrons of the Old Surrey Players; for, his lordship lived in the midst of them at Farnham; and, I have often heard Beldham say, used to provide bread and cheese and beer for as many as would come out and practise on a summer's evening: this is too substantial a supporter of the Noble Game to be forgotten.'
I resume, from The Cricket Field: 'Lambert was also good in every point. In batting, he was a bold forward player. He stood with left foot a yard in advance, swaying his bat and body as if to attain momentum and reaching forward almost to where the ball must pitch.
'Lambert's chief point was to take the ball at the pitch and drive it powerfully away, and, said Mr. Budd, "to a slow bowler his return was so quick and forcible, that his whole manner was really intimidating to a bowler." Every one remarked how completely Lambert seemed master of the ball. Usually the bowler appears to attack, and the batsman to defend; but Lambert seemed always on the attack, and the bowler at his mercy, and "hit", said Beldham, "what no one else could meddle with."
'Lord Frederick was formed on Beldham's style. Mr. Budd's position at the wicket was much the same: the right foot placed as usual, but the left rather behind, and nearly a yard apart, so that instead of the upright bat and figure of Pilch, the bat was drawn across, and the figure hung away from the wicket. This was a mistake. Before the ball could be played Mr. Budd was too good a player not to be up, like Pilch, and play well over his off-stump. Still Mr. Budd explained to me that this position of the left foot was just where one naturally shifts it to have room for a cut: so this strange attitude was supposed to favour their fine off-hits.'
Mr. Wheeler in Sportascrapiana, which is a joint anecdotal biography of Mr. Budd and his two friends Mr. Osbaldeston and Captain Ross, published in 1867, referring to the foregoing passage, says: 'We wished to fully understand Mr. Py croft's description of Mr. Budd's attitude in batting, and the latter at once took a bat from a corner of the dining-room, and, with all the vigour of the most powerful athlete in the prime of life, he threw himself into the attitudes for his "slashing hits", the "cut", and each possible change. The bat was one of Lord Frederick's, with his name written at full length by the noble lord himself; and we take this opportunity to remark that the name is spelt "Beauclerck," though we are now accustomed to always see it minus the "k". Seeing the action and attitude of our worthy friend, and fully aware of the tremendous strength he used to and does (even now) possess, and the enthusiasm of his character, we could at once feel the justice of Lord Frederick's remark given in next page.'[1]
Apropos of Mr. Budd's own bat, Mr. Pycroft, in his Oxford Memories, writes as follows:—'Being a man of great strength and quickness, with fine wrist-play, five feet ten inches in height, and twelve stone in weight, no wonder he was a hard hitter, especially in days when bats were heavy. Mr. Budd's bat weighed three pounds, but there were heavier bats than his. Mr. Ward used one that weighed four pounds. When I was at Oxford (1832-6) two pounds ten was a common weight for a bat. Light bats with cane handles were then unknown.
'It was from playing Mr. Budd's bowling that I derived my practical knowledge of what the old bowling was. Mr. Budd bowled, like Clarke, from his hip, with good elevation, and could make the ball rise very high, even when much past his best, above fifty years of age; and his power of spin, which is the characteristic of all first-rate bowling, is what the tired bowler loses at the end of an innings; it is what the used-up professional loses in the course of a school or college engagement; and, above all, it is what old men rarely retain.'
To write of Mr. Budd without saying much about Lord Frederick Beauclerk, Mr. Osbaldeston and Mr. Ward is impossible; for at that time they were inseparably associated in men's minds as the four great amateurs of the game. Mr. Osbaldeston lives in history mainly for his career in the hunting field, but his cricketing days, though brief, were brilliant. Mr. Haygarth writes thus of him:—'Mr. George Osbaldeston's first match at Lord's was for the M.C.C. against Middlesex in 1808. Used to play when at Eton and Oxford, being, it is believed, in both Elevens, but no scores remain. Was a hard, slashing hitter, making many a good innings in fine style, but was mostly noted for his tremendous-paced under-hand bowling. It was "all but" as fast as that of George Brown, sen.'s; indeed, there was scarcely any difference in the speed, always requiring two long-stops. Also a famous single-wicket player, having been engaged in many of that kind of contest with varied success. His career will be found rather short, not participating in the great contests after 1818, except one match in 1827, and another in 1830. The reason of this was that, owing to the result of the great single-wicket contest in 1818, he removed his name from the list of members of the Marylebone Club. Mr. Osbaldeston was also a famous hand at all other kinds of sport, including racing, hunting, steeplechasing, pigeon-shooting, billiards, &c., &c., being a crack shot and a famous rider. On November 5, 1831, carrying 11 st. 2 lbs., he rode 200 miles in eight hours and forty-two minutes, having backed himself to go that distance in ten hours. Is called "The Squire" by several of his sporting friends, and has been the master of various packs of hounds for no less than thirty-five seasons, from 1809-10 to 1844, including the Quorn, Atherstone, and Pytchley hunts. He had a seat in Parliament for one season, but relinquished it, "as it was not exactly in accordance with his taste." He was also high sheriff for Yorkshire. Is son of Mr. Osbaldeston, of Hutton Bushell, near Scarborough, and was born in Welbeck (or Wimpole) Street, Cavendish Square, December 26, 1786 (or 1787, according to another account). Height 5ft. 6 in. and weight 10½ st. In 186l he was residing at 8, Park Road, Regent's Park, London, but used formerly to live in Yorkshire. An excellent photograph of this celebrity will be found in one of the early numbers of Baily's Magazine.'
Here are some of Mr. Budd's memories of his friend 'The Squire', as quoted by Mr. Pycroft in The Cricket Field:—'In 1817, we went with Osbaldeston to play twenty-two of Nottingham. In that match Clarke played. In common with others I lost my money, and was greatly disappointed at the termination. One paid player was accused of selling, and never employed after. The concourse of people was very great: these were the days of the Luddites (rioters), and the magistrates warned us, that unless we would stop our game at seven o'clock, they could not answer for keeping the peace. At seven o'clock we stopped; and, simultaneously, the thousands who lined the ground began to close in upon us. Lord Frederick lost nerve and was very much alarmed; but I said they didn't want to hurt us. No; they simply came to have a look at the eleven men who ventured to play two for one.—His Lordship broke his finger, and, batting with one hand, scored only eleven runs. Nine men, the largest number perhaps on record, Bentley marks as "caught by Budd"'.
Lord Frederick with Beldham once made a match with Mr. Osbaldeston and Lambert. "On the day named," said Mr. Budd, "I went to Lord Frederick, representing my friend was too ill to stand, and asked him to put off the match. "No; play or pay," said his Lordship, quite inexorable. "Never mind," said Osbaldeston, "I won't forfeit; Lambert may beat them both; and, if he does, the fifty guineas shall be his."—I asked Lambert how he felt. "Why," said he, "they are anything but safe."
His Lordship wouldn't hear of it. "Nonsense," he said, "you can't mean it." "Yes; play or pay, my Lord, we are in earnest, and shall claim the stakes!" and in fact Lambert did beat them both. For, to play such a man as Lambert, when on his mettle, was rather discouraging; and "he did make desperate exertion," said Beldham: "once he rushed up after his ball, and Lord Frederick was caught so near the bat that he lost his temper, and said it was not fair play. Of course all hearts were with Lambert."
'"Osbaldeston's mother sat by in her carriage, and enjoyed the match; and then," said Beldham, "Lambert was called to the carriage and bore away a paper parcel: some said it was a gold watch—some, bank-notes. Trust Lambert to keep his own secrets. We were all curious, but no one ever knew"—nor ever will know. In March, 1851, I addressed a letter to him at Reigate. Soon, a brief paragraph announced the death of " the once celebrated cricket player William Lambert."'
A pleasant account of another of Mr. Osbaldeston's matches, in 1813, I take from Mr. Wheeler's pages:—
'His next performance was for £50 a side, against the two best players of Nottingham. Harry Bentley went down from Lord's to stand umpire, and, on the evening before the match, went to see the Nottingham men practise in the King's Meadow; but Tommy Brewster would not allow him, saying, " What we know in Nottingham we keep to ourselves." When the match came off, the Nottingham players were unable to get "The Squire" out, and, after scoring 84 runs, he gave up his bat. He then bowled them out, they only scoring 17 runs in their four innings. After the match was over, Bentley said to Brewster, "Well, Tommy, what you know at Nottingham you certainly do keep to yourselves, for I am sure we have seen nothing of it."'
The Squire's removal of his name from the list of members of the M.C.C. was done in a fit of anger at the result of a match—the defeated man performing .jpg)
GEORGE OSBALDESTON, ESQ., M.P.
(From an engraving reproduced by permission of the M.C.C.)
Mr. Osbaldeston died in 1866, in his house at No. 2 Grove Road, St. John's Wood, very near Lord's. Having taken to racing without much discretion he had lost his fortune, and he had lost his health too, perhaps having to pay for his great feats of endurance in the saddle. But his name will never die among hunting men. He could hunt six days a week; as a breeder of hounds he was inspired; and he was master of the Burton, the Quorn, and the Pytchley. The cup which was presented to him in 1834 by the Pytchley bore these brave words, and they were no idle compliment: 'To the best sportsman of any age or country'. When master of the Quorn Mr. Osbaldeston's chief whip was the great Tom Sebright, who to the end kept over his mantelpiece a copy of the engraving of 'The Squire' that is reproduced on the opposite page.
'The Squire's' shooting feats were not less remarkable than those in the saddle: he once killed 98 out of 100 pheasants, and backing himself (he always backed himself) to kill 80 brace of partridges in a day, he killed, says Mr. Budd, 97½ brace, while the 5½ brace which were picked up afterwards brought the total to over a 100 brace. And this before the days of breech-loaders. 'The Squire' won notoriety also by his duel with Lord George Bentinck in 1831, at Wormwood Scrubs, when Lord George fired into the air, and Mr. Osbaldeston put a bullet through his hat.
Of Lord Frederick Beauclerk we have seen much from time to time, for no name is so influential in early cricket. Here is Mr. Haygarth's account of him in Lillywhite: (Lord Frederick Beauclerk's first match at Lord's was for the M.C.C. against Kent in 1791, he being now but 18 years of age. After one more match this season, his name does not again appear till 1795. He was introduced into the cricketing world by the Earl of Winchilsea, who had seen him bowl at Cambridge, where he was one of the Eleven's best bowlers, Colonel Allen, formerly M.P. for Pembroke, being the other. At first he was no batsman, but subsequently became the most accomplished and graceful performer of his day. His hitting (especially to the off) was very fine indeed, though he sometimes lost his wicket by trying to cut straight balls. His average will, it is believed, be found one of the highest on record; but it must be remarked, that several of his longest scores were made against very inferior bowling and fielding. It must also be observed, that (like other cricketers of former days) he had during the greater part of his career to defend wickets of smaller dimensions than those afterwards used. It is believed he never made two noughts, or "a pair of spectacles", in any match of note! This must be considered a wonderful feat, especially as his career extends, from first to last, for 35 seasons, scoring well up to the finish. His under-hand bowling, which was slow, was wonderfully accurate as to pitch, and with a remarkably quick rise from the ground. In addition to those he bowled, he got many wickets by catches from, and stumpings off, his balls; all these, however (owing to the imperfect way scores were compiled in his day), are lost to him, and they were not a few. He retained his precision of pitch to the last, though he latterly lost the sudden leap from the ground which his bowling once had. His place in the field was mostly slip, but he was a very fast runner between wickets, being also the winner of many races of 100 yards. His height was 5ft. 9in., and his weight between 11 and 12st. His profession was the church, being Vicar of St. Albans from about 1828 till his death. He did not, however, abandon the game in consequence, as has been the case with many other celebrated gentlemen cricketers. From his good play, rank, and influence, he became a sort of "autocrat" at Lord's, where his name in a match was "Legion". No one was more distinguished there, and he was admitted to be the best general in the field, "where his word was law". When years and infirmities stole upon him, he did not desert the scene of his favourite sport, but enjoyed the game and its social qualities as long as health allowed him, leaving behind him a name among cricketers "familiar as household words". From first to last, therefore, he must have frequented Lord's for nearly, if not quite, 60 years! as he was present at some of the great matches on that ground as far on as 1849, when he used to be driven there in his carriage, and still witness the game with interest. His son, Charles, played in the Oxford Eleven in 1 836, and was a good hitter. Where Lord Frederick was born cannot now be said; but he died at his town residence, 68, Grosvenor Street, at the advanced age of 76. He is buried at Winchfield, in Hampshire, where a tablet inside the church is erected to his memory, bearing the following inscription:—
Sacred to the Memory of the
RIGHT HON. AND REV. LORD FREDERICK BEAUCLERK, D.D.,
Of Winchfield House,
Fourth Son of Aubrey, fifth Duke of St. Albans.
In humble record of his many virtues,
this monument is erected by his affectionate Wife.
Born 8th of May, 1773;
Died 22nd of April, 1850.'
The fourth of the great quartette, Mr. Ward, is thus described by Mr. Haygarth against his first recorded match, for England against Surrey, in 1810. In the second innings Robinson and John Wells collared the English bowling and Surrey won. 'He was born at Islington, London, July 24th, 1787, and was a large and powerfully built man. Height 6 ft. 1 in., and weight 14 st. He was educated at Winchester College, where he first played at cricket, but whether he was in the Eleven there is now unknown. His average is one of the largest ever obtained by any cricketer, and had he not continued the game too long, it would perhaps have been exceeded by none. From the years 1816 to about 1828, his scores will be found enormous, but as he continued to participate in the game up till 1847 (in minor matches) so his average gradually decreased. He made the second highest innings on record, namely 278, in the year 1820, and on four other occasions he scored (it is believed) 200 runs in a match with both his innings combined. Some (indeed many) of his greatest feats with the bat were (it must be remarked) made against very inferior bowling and fielding. He was a hard forward hitter, and is one of the few there are who scored largely against roundarm, having begun his career against the under-hand delivery, and having never, it is supposed, obtained two noughts or a "pair of spectacles" in any match of note. He played with bats which generally weighed as much as 4lbs., but much heavier ones were in use at the time of the under-hand bowling. He also got many wickets with his slow under-hand, but was not famous as a bowler or as a field, where he generally stood point. He was a great supporter of the game, and used to frequent Lord's regularly up to the time of his death. About 1825, he purchased from Thomas Lord (who was then just retiring) the lease of 'Lord's' cricket ground, and is thus entitled to great praise from all cricketers in preventing the 'favoured spot', where so many great contests have taken place, from being built upon. He could only obtain the lease at a most exorbitant rate, and thus deserves more credit than had it been otherwise. In 1836, J. H. Dark purchased the remainder of the lease from him.
And of all who frequent the ground named after Lord,
On the list first and foremost should stand Mr. Ward.
No man will deny, I am sure, when I say
That he 's without rival first bat of the day,
And although he has grown a little too stout,
Even Mathews is bothered at bowling him out.
He's our life-blood and soul in this noblest of games,
And yet on our praises he's many more claims;
No pride, although rich, condescending and free,
And a well-informed man, and a city M. P.
Mr. Ward's name is always found in the Hampshire Eleven, having at one time (it is believed) some land in the Isle of Wight. Once he had a beautiful marble statue of a 'Cricketer in play' made by the sculptor Rossi. Two of Mr. Ward's sons played in the Winchester Eleven, one in 1830, and another in 1834. A third also formed one of the Cambridge Eleven in 1853. Latterly Mr. Ward resided at 14, Windham Place, Bryanston Square, where he died at the age of 6l. (Another account stated he died at 76, Connaught Terrace.) He is buried in Hammersmith churchyard, where a raised slab stone marks the spot where this great cricketer lies, being interred in the same grave with his wife and daughter. The inscription is as follows:—
also the above,
WILLIAM WARD,
For some years M. P. for the city of London,
Born July 24, 1787,
Died JUNE 30, 1849.'
Mr. Wheeler, in Sportascrapiana, gives from Mr. Budd's lips this account of Mr. Ward's purchase of the Lord's lease: (It was reported that the ground was for sale, and Mr. Ward remarked to Lord, "It's said you are going to sell us." Lord said he would dispose of the ground if he could get his price. "What is your price"? said Ward; and having the reply, £5,000, Mr. Ward said, "Give me pen and ink." A cheque was at once drawn for the amount, and the purchase was thought a good investment. " I have heard," said Mr. Budd, "that he settled it on his sisters."' 'He often used,' says Mr. Wheeler, 'to back Mr. Budd thus: according to who was bowling against Mr. Budd, Mr. Ward would give £20 to £25 to any one who would give him £1 for every run scored by Mr. Budd at the one innings, knowing that he was making a pretty safe thing, Mr. Budd's average being twenty-nine in all the great matches.'
And here is an anecdote of Mr. Ward from Mr. Pycroft:—'Caldecourt, who had a plain, though judicious, style of bowling, once observed a weak point in Mr. Ward's play, and levelled his stumps three times in about as many balls. Many men boasting, as Mr. Ward then did, of nearly the first average of his day, would have blamed the bowler, the ground, the wind, and, in short, anything but themselves; but Mr. Ward, a liberal patron of the game, in the days of his prosperity, gave Caldecourt a guinea for his judgement in the game and his useful lesson.'
Mr. Ward, who was a Bank of England director, was also invincible at picquet.
From Mr. Pycroft's supplement to The Cricket Field, his Cricketana, 1865, I take some remarks on Lord Frederick Beauclerk, and indeed on all of these four friends: 'Lord Frederick Beauclerk is the greatest name in cricket. He was a frequent attendant at Lord's, either as a player or a looker-on, for nearly sixty years. A vivid description of his Lordship, as the very picture of life, activity, and spirits, has more than once crossed our mind as a sorry contrast, when, in his declining days, he appeared at Lord's only in his brougham, and always, as it seemed, with a lady-nurse at his side, looking a striking illustration of the strong man becoming weakness at the last.
'Neither can we forget, as another illustration of sic transit, that at Lord's in 1859, when some exciting match was being played, one of Mr. Ward's old friends being heard to remark to us, "Poor Ward is now about his last, dying of a diseased kidney—very painful." Whereupon, some distinguished young players of the day remarked, "Ward—who's Ward"?
'Lord Frederick's batting was certainly not superior to Mr. Budd's; his fielding, usually at short-slip, was not as good. Indeed, as to Mr. Budd, Clarke said he remembered him the best fieldsman he had ever seen, having played against him at Nottingham, when Mr. Budd caught nine at middle-wicket. But, nevertheless, Thomas Beagley, no doubt, spoke the general feeling of the players of his day, when he said that Lord Frederick would have been the first chosen. Caldecourt said the same.
'Lord Frederick was the best bowler of his day at Cambridge, but was not there distinguished as a bat. The story is that the Earl of Winchelsea, seeing him bowl at Cambridge, brought him out at Lord's. In batting, his lordship was a very easy, graceful player, formed on the model of Beldham. He played thirty-five seasons, and yet scored so well up to the last, that his average was the highest on record.
'No doubt an average is a very uncertain criterion. Mr. Ward used to complain that the manager of matches had a great advantage in putting himself in when the light, the bowling, or the time of day was more favourable. To be ordered to go in at a quarter to seven o'clock in the evening tries your average hard, as compared with the man who can reserve himself for the next morning.
'Again, a good average is all in favour of the man who thinks more of his own innings than of the game.—Beldham told us that he "could never half play unless runs were really wanted". And this is very characteristic of a great player. Therefore, without depreciating Lord Frederick, we think it fair to observe, that while his position and his talent placed him high over all, he had no slight advantage where judged by the scorebooks.
'John Sparks told us that Lord Frederick lost all fondness for bowling from the time that Hammond set the example of running in to slow bowling. Hammond once hit back a ball so hard, that it whizzed dangerously past his lordship's head. Mr. Budd also said that there was something so powerful and menacing about Lambert's hitting—standing, as he used to do, so as to cover much ground before his crease, and swinging his bat in a wide-sweeping circle—that it was rather trying to the nerves of a bowler. What we have related of Hammond was not the only danger to which Lord Frederick was exposed during his long career. He broke a finger at Nottingham, and was threatened with lock-jaw. He had been scolding Sherman for slack play, and the next ball that came to him Sherman threw hard with a vengeance.
'Beagley and Caldecourt both said that his lordship was truly valuable as a general—not least because he was sure to be obeyed. Still, he was a perfect judge of the game; and, said Beagley, "he did find out a man's hit so very soon," and set his field to foil it without loss of time. Lord Frederick used to say of Budd, that he always wanted to win the game off one hit. The truth was, Budd was a man of commanding strength and quickness, audax viribus, and he confessed to us—"I used to delight in hard hitting, and in seeing the ring obliged to fall back further and further as I warmed in my play. To step in to an overpitched ball, and drive with all the impetus of my heavy bat, weighing three pounds of good stuff, was my favourite play." Lord Frederick might naturally envy that dashing, powerful style, which was not in the nature of his play; yet his lordship was a compact, strongly-built man, large about the loins, and one of the best men at a hundred-yard race, of which he ran no small number—five feet nine inches high, and weighing about eleven stone and a half.
'Lord Frederick was one of the slowest of the slow bowlers of that day. Mr. Budd was certainly almost as slow as he could be to make good bowling, but Lord Frederick was slower still; but, being a good judge of play, pitching within an inch of where he desired to pitch, and with a delivery which caused a quick and abrupt rise, he was very effective, especially in days when "going in to hit" had not become the fashion. . . .
'Mr. Budd, holding an appointment in the War Office, played in all the great matches at Marylebone from the year 1805 to 1825. He then left London, but gladdened the eyes of many by making his appearance with the Wanstead Park Eleven in 1837. The success of his bowling in the first innings made the veteran rather chuckle at the thought of showing that old ways were sometimes best; but next innings Mr. Ward went in with Mr. Charles Taylor, and then Mr. Budd's game was up. Of course Mr. Ward knew all about it, having regularly encountered him for many years—not forgetting the occasion of his great innings. Mr. Budd played full fifty years in town and country, playing for Purton against Marlborough College as late as 1851, when, to his great disgust, some boy umpire gave the old man out "leg-before-wicket"—a thing next to impossible with Mr. Budd's style—and which, he declared, had never happened in his whole life.'
I end by quoting the description of Mr. Budd in old age from the pen of his friend Mr. Wheeler in 1867:—'When, in 1829, I first took up my abode at Swindon, I found Mr. Budd the cricket-king, and right happy seemed those subjected to his dominion. When he had reached fourscore years, I have often known him play the game in good style, on his own ground at Elcombe, though for some ten years before he had declined playing in matches. I have heard him say he could never recollect having lain awake half an hour from any vexation, having made up his mind that "what can't be cured must be endured"; and after he had seen eighty summers, he has stated to me that he has never lain a-bed a day in his life through positive illness. Much of his exemption from disturbance may be attributed to his great love for, and indulgence in, athletic out-door amusements, in most of which his iron frame, muscular power, steady nerve, and quick eye, made him an fait. Though fond of hunting, he never liked coursing. In shooting, as well as cricket, I shall have something to say hereafter; but it may be as well here to state, that though he never actually published a challenge, it was well known among his sporting friends that he was prepared to back himself against any man in England (and it may, therefore, be said the world) for five manly sports—cricket, shooting, running, jumping, and sparring. Though his celebrity was more especially for the first of the five, I have heard him say, "If there is one thing I can do better than another, it is the last-named." And I have good reason to believe that, rather than have missed a chance, he would have accommodated any gentleman by adding tennis and billiards, and thus make it seven events. In fact, he seemed to so excel in all he took in hand, that he was not averse to "go in" for almost anything in the "ring ".
'When not engaged in any of the amusements referred to, he might for many years past, and still may, be found superintending his pets canine, ovine, bovine, or .jpg)
AN OLD CRICKETER
(Reproduced by permission from a painting in the possession of the M.C.C.)
In connexion with this happy athletic old gentleman let me quote Mr. Ffinch's cordial song 'The Fine Old English Cricketer', from the text given by Mr. Haygarth. Whether the poet had Mr. Budd in mind I know not; but let us think of him as we read it:
THE FINE OLD ENGLISH CRICKETER
Tune—'The fine Old English Gentleman,' or
'The Highland Home.'
I'll sing you a good old song, made to a good old rhyme,
Of a fine old English cricketer, who lov'd his old pastime;
Who deemed it nothing better than the very greatest crime
That cricket should be e'er forgot in any age or clime.
His house so old was hung around with bats, and stumps, and balls,
And many scores of games played out were placed against the walls,
And many books were laid about, in which with care he wrote
The names and style of playing of each cricketer of note.
And who, like him, could hand the bat at this old English game,
And who could bowl such good length-balls, with such continued aim?
At point, long-stop, long-leg, or slip, all equally the same
And whoe'er took the wicket, that could rival him in fame?
When a winter's blast blew keenly past, this good old-fashioned soul
Would bale his goblet brimful from a rare old-fashioned bowl;
He lov'd full well to sing or tell of some contested match;
And oft would he declare with glee he ne'er had missed a catch.
And so it was when good old age, like snow, had blanched his hair,
That youthful heat yet warmed his heart no coldness e'er dwelt there;
And when, at length, his stumps gave way, yet still would he repair
The game to see, or umpire be, though seated in a chair.
But life's a game which all must play, and none can ever doubt
That though for years we may keep in, we must at length go out.
When eighty and ten notches full this rare old man had scored,
He fell. The rich and poor his loss most bitterly deplored.
The bat now flits o'er his remains—near yonder church they lie;
Go—mark! this simple epitaph will surely meet your eye:
'Here lies an honest cricketer, who never heaved a sigh,
Save when he found that some old friend had passed his wicket by.'
But tho' he's gone, yet still let us all imitate his ways—
Like him respected live and die, blest with each good man's praise.
Our good old games we'll cherish still, and prize them one and all,
And 'cricket ne'er shall be forgot while we can play a ball.'
Mr. Budd died at Rose Cottage, Wroughton, in Wiltshire, on March 29th, 1875, aged ninety.
And here comes to an end this rambling history of a simple folk, Nyren's friends and contemporaries, fathers of the game. That the charge of triviality may be brought against it I am quite prepared to learn; but their very triviality is part of the attraction of these old records. I like to think that Mr. Haygarth thought it worth while to gather together with such patience and industry his facts about obscure villagers whose only claim on his notice was that they were adepts at hitting a ball or bowling one. How well, according to our modern standards, they played we shall never know; but we know that they played as well as they could, and, so doing, laid the foundations not only of sound cricket theory, but of sound cricket character. The game has always assayed very thoroughly, and only the fittest survive.
That cricket would ever reach the place that it holds to day among English Industries, and that it would be keeping feverishly busy so many editors and pens, telegraph wires and printing machines, is a result probably never dreamed of by any one mentioned in this book; nor is it too much esteemed by some who will read these pages. It was a little in the hope that such might find rest in the backward glance to the old leisurely days of cricket that I have compiled the work—probably, when all is said, quite as much for my own pleasure as any one else's.
- ↑ 'Budd always wanted to win the game off a single ball.' It should be added that at the time Mr. Budd was thus exhibiting his method of batting he was eighty years of age. E.V.L.