Alfred Mynn - the "Lion of Kent" - was to the first half of the 19th century what WG Grace was to the second half. Physically he was a giant as well, standing over six feet and weighing in excess of 18 stone, but has tremendous stamina and was not unduly incapacitated by his size, except perhaps towards the end of his career. If he had a weakness, it was against top-quality slow bowling, but it was a tiny chink in his fearsome armour. He was also a fast round-arm bowler who generated fearsome pace off a four- or five-pace run-up. In 1836 he scored a hundred for South v North at Leicester but a badly injured leg necessitated him returning to London laid out on the top of a stagecoach and for a time it was feared his leg might have to be amputated. He recovered, and returned to his dominant best. In 1838 he beat James Dearman in a single-wicket competition for the unofficial Championship of England, and eight years later he defeated Fuller Pilch for the same title in what is considered to be the last of the great single-wicket matches. Off the field he was immensely popular, had an iron constitution (as befitted a hop a farmer) and ate heartily. He used to take a tankard of beer with him to bed to drink overnight, explaining that "beef and beer are the things to play cricket on". He suffered throughout his life from financial problems - he was in name an amateur but in reality an out-and-out professional.
Martin Williamson