Arthur Ridley

Ridley was in the Eton eleven in 1870 and 1871, and in the Oxford eleven from 1872 to 1875. He played a very fine innings of 117 against Harrow in 1871, but in his four matches against Cambridge he scored only 61 runs in seven innings, once not out. Captain of the Oxford team in 1875, he won a sensational match against Cambridge at Lord's by six runs. Cambridge had gone in to get 175, and with seven wickets down the score reached 161, or only 14 to win, H. M. Sims and W. S. Patterson being well set. At this point Mr. Ridley put himself on with his lobs, and with his first ball he bowled Patterson. G. Macan was next in, and amid great excitement seven runs were added. Then a very fine catch at long on got rid of Sims. A. F. Smith, the last Cambridge man, had to face Ridley, and the situation proved too much for him. He stopped two balls, but the third clean bowled him, and the match was over. That was the greatest day of Ridley's cricket life. Except the two runs' victory for Cambridge in 1870, when F. C. Cobden did the hat trick, there has never been such a finish to the University match. During his career Mr. Ridley did many brilliant things in the cricket field. His highest innings in first-class matches was 136 for Middlesex against Surrey at Lord's in 1883, but perhaps his best was 103 for Gentlemen against Players at Lord's in 1876. He played for Hampshire from 1875 to 1878 and for Middlesex from 1882 to 1885. In Gentlemen and Players matches he scored 491 runs with an average of 24.55 and took 19 wickets. Though good enough for any eleven he was never picked for England against Australia. For the Gentlemen of England against the Australians at Lords in 1884, however, he played an innings of 68 - the highest score on the side. .
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack