Obituaries in 1960

ANDERSON, MR. JACK, who died in the Colombo General Hospital on September 19, aged 60, was one of Ceylon's foremost batsmen. While at St. Andrew's College, Kandy, he hit 291 against St. Thomas's which still stands as the highest innings by a schoolboy in Ceylon. His opening stand of 258 with V. Fernando against Wesley is also a record. In eight matches in 1918 he obtained over 1,000 runs, scoring four consecutive centuries in inter-school matches, and averaged 92. After leaving school, he played for the Customs and was prominent in Government Service cricket.

BEASLEY, MR. JOSEPH NOBLE, who died at Stony Stratford on January 23, aged 78, played as a hard-hitting batsman and fast-medium bowler for Northamptonshire in 1911 and 1919. He went to Australia in 1911, returned to serve in the Army in the First World War, winning the Military Cross, and turned out again for the county in 1919. After that he devoted his attentions to farming. A fine Rugby footballer, he played as centre three-quarter for Northampton from 1906 to 1911. He also shone at lawn-tennis and hockey.

BHOPAL, THE NAWAB OF, AIR VICE-MARSHAL H. H. SIR HAMIDULLAH KHAN SIKANDER SAULAT, who died on February 4, aged 65, captained the cricket XI at the Mahomedan Anglo-Oriental College at Aligarh and also won a cap for hockey. He became one of the most celebrated polo players in India and was also a keen lawn-tennis player, yachtsman and fisherman.

BONHAM-CARTER, SIR MAURICE, who died on June 7, aged 79, was in the Winchester XI of 1898 and the following year before going to Oxford, where he gained a Blue in 1902. Against Cambridge, he was twice dismissed without scoring and took three wickets for 63 runs. He afterwards played in one or two matches for Kent. From 1910 to 1916 he was Private Secretary to the Prime Minister, Mr. Asquith.

BRACEY, FREDERICK ROBERT, who died on March 28, aged 72, played as a slow left-arm bowler for Derbyshire from 1906 to 1914. Thought at times expensive, he achieved one fine performance against Northamptonshire at Derby in 1907, taking five wickets for nine runs in the first innings and six for 36 in the second.

BROCKLEHURST, MR. ERNEST THORLEY, who died on August 16, aged 85, played for Buckinghamshire from 1906 to 1908 and in one match in 1921. He took part in club cricket till he was 65.

BROOKE, LIEUT.-COLONEL F. R. R., who died on June 20, aged 75, played for Lancashire in 29 matches in 1912 and 1913. Military duties prevented him from appearing more frequently. A very good wicket-keeper, he stumped 11 batsmen and caught 46. Also a useful batsman, he scored 566 runs, average 16.17, his highest innings being 61 against Sussex at Old Trafford in 1912.

BROOKS, EDWARD W. J., who died on February 10, aged 61, was the regular wicket-keeper for Surrey between 1928 and the start of the Second World War in 1939. He first joined the county from Cheam Cricket Club in 1925 as a medium-pace bowler, but his chance came as successor behind the stumps to that great England wicket-keeper, Herbert Strudwick.

Brooks took the opportunity splendidly, and became a highly popular figure at the Oval. An able and acrobatic wicket-keeper, he helped in over 800 dismissals, and he acquired a considerable reputation as a humorist, both on and off the field. Brooks had no pretensions to first-class batting, yet he made 4,504 runs during his career, and could hit or defend dourly as the occasion demanded. He liked the role of night watchman at the end of the day, and was far from an easy victim when play resumed.

For some years after his first-class career ended, Brooks was a licensee at Abingdon, Berks, and later became groundsman at Littlehampton Sports Field. He lived at Lyminster, Sussex in his last years.

BRYAN-BROWN, THE REV. DOUGLAS STEPHEN, who died on January 23, aged 72, was in the Eastbourne College XI of 1904 and 1905. He entered the church after retiring from medical practice.

BUCHAN, MR. CHARLES MURRAY, who died on June 25, aged 68, while on holiday in France, played in a few matches for Durham in 1920. He was a famous Sunderland, Arsenal and England inside-forward.

BURNUP, MR. CUTHBERT JAMES, who died on April 5, aged 84, was in the XI at Malvern for three years before going to Cambridge, for whom he played against Oxfordfrom 1896 to 1898. His best season for the University was that of 1896 when he scored 666 runs in nine matches, including 80 and 11 in the big match at Lord's. W. G. Grace, junior, son of The Champion, failed to score in either Cambridge innings. In that game E. B. Shine, acting upon his captain's orders, bowled three balls to the boundary in order to prevent Oxford following on. It was, however, for Kent, whom he captained in 1903, that Burnup enjoyed his greatest successes as opening batsman.

A careful player who took few risks, he possessed strokes which enabled him to score on all types of pitches and he showed on occasion that he could force the pace. Eight times in a county career dating from 1896 to 1907, he exceeded 1,000 runs, his best season being that of 1902 when he hit 2,048 runs, including six of his 26 centuries, for an overage of 39.38. His highest innings, and at that time the highest ever made for Kent, was 200 against Lancashire at Old Trafford in 1900. He played six times for the Gentlemen against the Players, and on his first appearance hit 123 at the Oval.

Though he seldom bowled, he bore a major part in the defeat of J. Darling's Australians at Canterbury in 1899 when taking three wickets for seven runs and five for 44. He took part in tours of America (twice), Australia and New Zealand and Holland. Also a fine Association footballer, he played for Cambridge from 1895 to 1898, for England against Scotland in 1896 and for the Corinthians.

CAMPBELL, MAJOR SIR GUY COLIN, BART., who died on October 2, aged 75, was in the Eton XI from 1902 to 1904, being captain in the last year.

COCHRANE, SIR CECIL ALGERNON, who died on September 3, aged 91, was in the Sherborne XI, heading the batting averages in 1887, and was also in the Rugby football team. Though taking part in the Freshmen's match, he did not get a Blue at Oxford.

COLEMAN, W. E., who died on January 27, aged 81, played for Hertfordshire from 1896 to 1914. A good fast bowler and a hard-hitting batsman, he scored 62 and 17 and took five wickets for 79 runs for Minor Counties against the West Indies at Ealing in 1906. After a brief spell as coach at St. George's School, Harpenden, he spent ten years on the ground-staff at Lord's. For 23 years afterwards he coached at Aldenham School.

CRICK, FLIGHT-LIEUT. HARRY, who was killed in a car crash on February 10, aged 49, was formerly wicket-keeper for Yorkshire II XI and took part in a few games for the Championship side between 1937 and 1947. He participated in over 70 bombing sorties with the R.A.F. during the Second World War and returned to the service as recruiting officer after the end of his cricket career.

DOBSON, MR. KENNETH WILLIAM, who died on March 3, aged 59, played as a fast bowler in three matches for Derbyshire in 1920.

DONALDSON, CANON ALEXANDER EDWARD, who died on September 7, aged 82, was one of the few possessors of a complete set of Wisden's Almanack. After two seasons in the XI at Newton College, Devon, he played for Exeter College, Oxford, and at the turn of the century made occasional appearances for Breconshire. From 1902 to 1955 he was a master at Christ College, Brecon, being cricket coach for many years.

EVANS, MR. ALFRED JOHN, who died in London on September 18, aged 71, was a fine all-round sportsman. Educated at Winchester, where his father, A. H. Evans, a former Oxford cricket Blue and captain, was a master, he won both the schools racquets and the golf in 1905 and the two succeeding years, and played at Lord's for three years. Going up to Oxford he won his cricket Blue as a Freshman in 1909, scoring 79 and 46. He also played against Cambridge in the three following seasons, doing good work as a hard-driving batsman and medium-paced bowler. He led the side in 1911. In 1910 he represented his University at racquets and in 1909 and 1910 at golf. He played cricket for Hampshire in 1911 and, after serving with distinction in the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War, when he earned fame for his escapes from enemy prison-camps, he assisted Kent and M.C.C. In 1921, on the strength of an innings of 69 not out for M.C.C. against the Australians, he was chosen for England in the Test match at Lord's, but was not a success.

FANE, MR. FREDERICK LUTHER, who died on November 27, aged 85, was a prominent figure in cricket for some twenty years before the First World War. Owing to a similarity of initials, Wisden reported his death when he was 79. The man concerned was Francis L. Fane, his cousin. By a coincidence, Mr. Fane's father also once read his own obituary. Educated at Charterhouse, Frederick Fane was in the X1 from 1892 to 1894, and after coming down from Oxford, where he gained a Blue in 1897 and the following year, he played a good deal for Essex, being captain from 1904 to 1906. His best season for the county was that of 1906 when he scored 1,572 runs, average 34. In 1899 he put together his highest innings, 207 against Leicestershire. At Leyton in 1905, when Essex beat the Australians by 19 runs, Fane ended the match with a remarkable catch at a position approximating to deep long-stop where, with Buckenham bowling very fast, he had placed himself to save possible byes. In the 1907-8 tour of Australia, he captained the M.C.C. side in the first three Test matches when A. O. Jones fell ill. During that tour he scored 774 runs, average 33, hitting 101 against New South Wales. Fane also went to South Africa in 1905-6 and 1909-10, to New Zealand in 1902-3 and the West Indies in 1902. Altogether he played in fourteen Test matches.

FORMAN, MR. FRANK GERALD, who died on December 8, aged 76, played in one match for Derbyshire in 1911. He achieved much all-round success in club cricket in which he continued till he was 62. A fine hockey player, he captained the county team for some time.

GILBERT, MR. HUMPHREY ADAM, who died on July 19, aged 74, was in the XI at Charterhouse in 1904 and 1905 and, as a medium-pace bowler able also to spin the ball, he got his Blue at Oxford in 1907 and the two following years, heading the University bowling figures in the last two seasons. In the first innings against Cambridge in 1907 he took six wickets for 36 runs and in the 1909 University match his first innings analysis was six wickets for 52. Against M. A. Noble's Australian team of 1909 he distinguished himself by dismissing eight batsmen for 71 runs, a feat which resulted in him being asked to travel to Birmingham in case he should be required by England for the First Test Match. From 1921 to 1930, Barmy Gilbert played for Worcestershire; between 1908 and 1910 he made four appearances for the Gentlemen, his six wickets for 112 runs in the second innings of the Players at the Oval in 1908 doing much towards victory by six wickets. He also turned out for M.C.C., Monmouthshire, Radnorshire and the Free Foresters. In all first-class cricket, he took 476 wickets, average 23.67. His qualities as a batsman may be gauged from the fact that in his five innings against Cambridge he scored one run. He was a barrister by profession.

GILLIGAN, MR. FRANK WILLIAM, who died at Wanganui, New Zealand, where he had been headmaster of the Grammar School for nineteen years, on May 4, aged 66, was brother of two England captains, Arthur and Harold. Educated at Dulwich, Frank Gilligan was an excellent wicket-keeper and a better batsman than his style suggested. He got his Blue at Oxford in 1919 and, with innings of 70 and 14, contributed substantially to victory by 45 runs over a Cambridge team including his brother Arthur. He captained the University the following season. From 1919 to 1929 he made a number of appearances for Essex, against whom in 1920 he obtained his one first-class century, 110 at Oxford. In all cricket he scored 3,024 runs, average 23.62, and brought off 150 catches. For services to education, he was awarded the O.B.E. in 1955.

GOULD, MR. ERNEST, who died in a Sydney hospital on May 26, aged 61, stood as a Test match umpire. He was president of Cumberland C.C. in New South Wales.

GULL, CAPTAIN SIR RICHARD CAMERON, BART., who died at Durban on September 5, aged 66, was in the Eton XI of 1913. He went up to Oxford, but did not gain a Blue.

HAMBLING, MR. MONTAGUE L., who died in August, aged 66, played on occasion for Somerset from 1920 to 1927. A fast bowler and hard-hitting batsman, he achieved his best all-round performance at Worcester in 1920. He hit 58, sharing in a third wicket partnership of 101 with J. Daniell, and in the second Worcestershire innings took six wickets for 31, thus playing a big part in victory by an innings and 45 runs. A prominent club cricketer, he three times took all ten wickets in an innings. He was also a very good footballer and golfer.

HARRIS, MR. DENNIS FRANK, who died on December 17, aged 48, played in one match for Warwickshire in 1946. In the King Edward's Grammar School, Camp Hill XI in 1925 and 1926, he became a leading batsman for Moseley, whom he captained from 1949 to 1951 and helped to the Birmingham League Championship in 1938.

HARRIS, MR. STEPHEN BRUCE, who died on October 4, aged 73, was a former Sports Editor and for many years cricket correspondent of the London Evening Standard. He reported over 100 Test matches and covered five M.C.C. tours of Australia, besides paying one visit to South Africa.

HODGKINSON, WING-COMMANDER GERARD WILLIAM, who died on October 6, aged 77, played occasionally for Somerset from 1904 to 1911. His highest innings was 99 not out against Gloucestershire at Taunton in 1910.

HOLMES, MR. ERROL REGINALD THOROLD, the Oxford University, Surrey and England cricketer died in a London hospital after a heart attack on August 16, aged 54. He was one of the most gifted amateur batsman of his day and his passing at such a comparatively early age was widely felt in cricket circles. He had been a most valuable member of both the M.C.C. and Surrey C.C.C. committees.

Born at Calcutta on August 21, 1905, Holmes soon showed an aptitude for cricket at Andrew's School, Eastbourne before becoming one of the greatest cricketers Malvern has produced. Coached by Charles Toppin, he was in the school eleven for four years, 1921-24, and at 16 had a batting average of 60 as well as heading the bowling averages. Definitely fast for a schoolboy, he took all ten wickets in an innings for 36 runs. The next year, when captain, a strain hampered him in bowling but his batting improved out of all knowledge and, scoring 730 runs, he averaged 60.83 per innings. After being captain of cricket for his last two years, he went up to Oxford, promptly gained his Blue and for three seasons was a prominent member of the side, being captain in his final year. He also gained his Association football Blue as a centre-forward and in due course captained the side.

Although having one or two triumphs with his medium-fast bowling, it was by his batting that Holmes made such a fine impression on his introduction to first-class cricket. For Oxford, against the Army in 1925, he scored 238 runs for once out--a performance that had much to do with his season's aggregate of 553 runs, average 34.56 which placed him second in the batting to G. B. Legge, his Malvern captain of 1922 with whom during 1926 he was involved in a motor accident. This incapacitated Holmes for a time as a damaged foot handicapped him in batting and fielding. He finished his Oxfordcareer brilliantly in 1927 when he was captain. Against Cambridge he stood far above the rest of the team. They were set to make 379 in the fourth innings and the opening pair, A. M. Crawley and P. V. F. Cazalet, went for nothing, but Holmes and A. T. Barber put on 183 in just over two and a half hours, Holmes' share being 113. He hit all round the wicket in delightful style, timing his strokes admirably and while at first particularly strong on the leg-side, he afterwards excelled in clean driving. Altogether he hit seventeen 4's.

That innings was typical of the way Holmes approached cricket all his life. He believed that everyone should enjoy the game. A marked characteristic about his batting was the ease and certainty of his strokes; a very strong forward player he drove really hard, especially to the off and so good was his footwork and power of wrist that he had no need to exploit the modern method of leg-side play, but even so he was no mean exponent of such strokes. With left shoulder forward and firm right knee, Holmes convinced one directly he went in that he was there to make runs. And never did he change his methods.

For all his brilliance Holmes did not figure on the winning side against Cambridge. One of his three matches was drawn and the other two lost, but in those games he himself made 289 runs, average 48 and he took seven wickets. Holmes made his first-class debut in 1924 when in his only innings he failed to score for Surrey against Somerset at Taunton, but in the following year he took part in that historic match on the same ground when J. B. Hobbs hit two centuries and passed W. G. Grace's then world record of 126 centuries.

On going down from Oxford, Holmes, due to business reasons, dropped out of first-class cricket for seven years, but the break did not harm his batting. He returned to Surrey ( 1934) at a time when the affairs of the club were unsettled. The long reign of P. G. H. Fender had ended and his successor, D. R. Jardine, following the body-line controversy, had given up the leadership after only two seasons. The appearance of Holmes marked the beginning of a new era for Surrey. He entertained the idea that county cricket generally required some vitalising influence. Modern methods accounted for the loss of much of the real spirit of the game--life and enjoyment. There had crept in a tendency by many leading batsmen to play for keeps. Holmes, holding strongly to the opinion that county cricket would benefit from a touch of the country house spirit, applied himself to the task of installing these precepts into the minds and consequently the play of those under him. Although he had in A. R. Gover one of the best fast bowlers in the country he set his face resolutely against the employment to any great extent of the short-pitched ball--not that Gover himself wished to do otherwise than bowl a full length.

Holmes was always attractive to watch. He made the most of his height and hit strongly in front of the wicket. For a few seasons he was undoubtedly one of the best batsmen of his day. Scoring 1,925 runs he finished tenth in the country's batting in 1935 when he played in the second Test against South Africa at Lord's. He was vice-captain of the M.C.C. team in West Indies in 1934-35 and the following winter he led the side to Australia and New Zealand on a good-will tour.

Again in 1936 he was in fine form and was chosen to go with M.C.C. to Australia under G. O. Allen, but business compelled him to decline and his place was taken by R. E. S. Wyatt. Holmes announced his retirement from first-class cricket in 1938, but after the war when Surrey were again hard-pressed for a responsible leader he returned as captain in 1947 and 1948. From 1949 to 1953 he was a member of the M.C.C. Committee. In his preface to his book Flannelled Foolishness he wrote, What success I had can, I think, be attributed to my natural desire to hit the ball. I hated being kept quiet. The modern professional might well take this as a maxim.--N.P.

Sir John Hobbs writes:

Little did I think when I was walking with Errol Holmes to Victoria Station after the funeral of Donald Knight at St. Michael's, Chester Square, that within a few months I would be bidding Errol farewell. He was a true sportsman and a lovable fellow. He was captain of Surrey in 1934 when I scored my last century, the 197th, against Lancashire at Old Trafford.

Errol was a fine all-round cricketer. He had the ability and the right approach to the game. He followed in the steps of the real amateurs of my early days; men like Lord Dalmeny, Lord Tennyson, Ranjitsinhji, MacLaren, Spooner and later Greville Stevens and Nigel Haig. We used to enjoy our cricket. Though doughty opponents on and off the field, we laughed and joked about it.

As a captain Holmes was always popular with the professionals, but he never shirked his duty. As a player he was a fine attacking batsman with an excellent style--a true Malverian. He was a keen opening bowler of the tearaway type and he set a fine personal example in the field. He played in only five Tests and it was a pity he could not find more time to play because I am sure he would have appeared more often for England.

In recent years I saw a good deal of Errol Holmes. We were together on the Surrey Committee until the time of his death. As Chairman of the cricket committee he proved very efficient and I know he was a tower of strength on the M.C.C. committee at Lord's. He had the pulse of cricket at his finger tips and he always led Surrey the right way. A purist, he would not tolerate anything shady or underhanded and being a God-fearing man he was against Sunday play in the big-match sense.

When difficult questions cropped up, he used to look at me and say, What does Sir John think? Perhaps I should have backed him up more than I did. I feel his loss very much.

HORLICK, MR. OLIVER PETER THOMPSON, who died on January 23, aged 75, captained Shrewsbury at cricket, football, fives and hockey. From 1953, he was head of the firm which bore the family name.

HOWELL, DR. CONRAD MEREDITH HINDS, who died on May 9, aged 83, was in the Marlborough XI from 1894 to 1896.

HUNTER, MR. KENNETH OWEN, who died on March 25, aged 78, was in the XI at Winchester in 1899 and 1900, heading the bowling averages in the second year. He went up to Oxford, but did not get a Blue. For over twenty years he was secretary to the Old Wykehamist C.C. and played in a match for them when 65.

JUPP, MR. VALLANCE WILLIAM CRISP, who collapsed and died in the garden of his home on July 9, aged 69, was one of the rare cricketers who began as a professional and later became an amateur. A splendid all-rounder, who played eight times for England, he was one of the best players in the country between the two World Wars. Born at Burgess Hill, Sussex on March 27, 1891, Jupp was educated privately and later went to St. John's School, Burgess Hill, where he became captain of the eleven. In his last year there he averaged over 100 with the bat and his achievements attracted the attention of the county authorities. He started with Sussex as a professional and made steady progress. In 1914 he played an innings of 217 not out against Worcestershire at Worcester and averaged over 36 for the season. With 51 wickets, he headed the county bowling averages that year.

During the War Jupp served with the Royal Engineers before being transferred as a cadet to the R.A.F. On demobilisation in 1919 he appeared for Sussex as an amateur and quickly showed that the absence of four years from the game had not reduced his skill. In 1921 he scored 2,169 runs in first-class matches and took 121 wickets.

At the end of the 1920 season he was invited to tour Australia with the M.C.C. but could not accept. Two years later he went to South Africa under the captaincy of F. T. Mann. His Test appearances were against Australia twice, in 1921, against South Africa, four times on the 1922-23 tour, and against West Indies, twice, in 1928. At the end of 1921 he accepted the position of secretary with Northamptonshire and then qualified for the county, giving them valuable service as captain and player until he retired in 1939. He decided to give up the captaincy in 1931, having taken that course twice previously, only to be pressed into service again.

As a batsman, Jupp could vary his style to suit the occasion. He watched the ball with extreme care and was able to play a rigidly defensive game, but on true, fast pitches he scored with easy freedom, being strong in driving. Before the 1914 War and for a time afterwards he bowled slightly above medium-pace, but later he turned to off-spin and few bowlers of his day were able to turn the ball to the same extent. Again, as a bowler, he showed himself adept at varying his methods, depending on the condition of the pitch. He was also a first-class fieldsman, especially at cover.

In his career he scored just over 23,000 runs for an average of almost 30 and he took more than 1,600 wickets for about 23 runs apiece. Ten times he achieved the double and in 1932 he took all ten wickets in an innings against Kent at Tunbridge Wells. Jupp performed the hat-trick five times, three for Sussex and two for Northamptonshire. His best season with the ball was in 1928 when he took 166 wickets, average 20.15.

KENYON, MR. MYLES N., who died on November 21, aged 73, captained Lancashire from 1919 to 1922 and in 1936 and 1937 was President of the County Club. He enjoyed his best season in 1921, when he scored 635 runs, average 22.67, and hit his highest innings, 61 not out against Surrey at the Oval. In the match with Warwick Armstrong's Australian team at Liverpool that year, he scored 24 in a first innings of 100. E. A. McDonald took eight wickets for 62 runs, of which Kenyon punished him for 18 in an over--one 6 and three 4's. At one time Kenyon was High Sheriff of Lancashire and a Deputy Lieutenant.

KNIGHT, MR. DONALD JOHN, who died on January 5, aged 65, was one of the most stylish batsmen of his day. In five seasons, two of them as captain, in the Malvern XI from 1909 to 1913 he displayed such ability that he hit 2,860 runs at an average of nearly 47, and during his schooldays he appeared for Surrey. At Oxford he gained his Blue as a Freshman in 1914, playing innings of 11 and 64 and, following the First World War, he made 35 and 78 in the match with Cambridge in 1919, being on the winning side on each occasion. In the latter season he enjoyed special success, sharing in a number of splendid opening stands for Surrey with Jack Hobbs and scoring altogether 1,588 runs, average 45.37. His nine centuries included 114 and 101 in the match with Yorkshire at The Oval and he obtained 71 and 124 for Gentlemen against Players at Lord's. He became a master at Westminster in 1920, in which season he received a heavy blow on the head when fielding at short-leg and never again recovered his old form. All the same he played in two Test matches for England against Warwick Armstrong's Australians in 1921. Thenceforward he could spare little time for cricket, but in 1937, at the age of 43, he was persuaded to take part in twelve matches for Surrey, scoring 584 runs, including 105 against Hampshire at the Oval, average 24.33.

LEE, MR. STEWART CHARLES BURNABY, who died on February 2, formerly captained Oxfordshire. He spent much of his early life as a tea planter in India.

LINTON, MR. GEORGE CONSTANTINE, who died in Jamaica on January 20, aged 84, played for Jamaica before the First World War. A powerful hitter, he was known as the local Jessop.

LOGAN, MR. JAMES DOUGLAS, JUN., who died at Matjiesfontein on January 3, aged 80, visited England in 1901 with the South African team financed by his father, the Hon. J. D. Logan. He played in seven matches, his best innings being 41 against Gentlemen of Ireland.

LOWE, RONALD F., who died on September 5, aged 55, played as a slow left-arm bowler for Surrey Second XI before becoming a male nurse in 1926.

MACKINNON, MR. DONALD, who was killed in a motor-cycle accident on June 10, aged 23, played as opening batsman in a number of matches for Buckinghamshire.

MESTON, MR. SAMUEL PAUL, who died at Vancouver, British Columbia, on January 9, aged 77, played in three matches for Gloucestershire in 1906. The following year he appeared for Essex, for whom his 130 against Lancashire at Leyton was the highest innings of the season. He and C. P. Buckenham put on 186 for the sixth wicket and he and A. P. Lucas 118 for the seventh.

PITTS, MR. STEPHEN JOHN, who died at Durban on October 11, was a former President of South African Cricket Association and a Vice-President for over twenty years. He was one of the South African players and administrators upon whom membership of M.C.C. was conferred last year.

PRESTON, MR. HUBERT. An obituary will be found in the early pages of the Almanack.

PRESTON, MR. PETER R., who died in hospital at Wellington, New Zealand, in October, aged 24, following injuries received at cricket practice, was one of Wellington's most promising all-round sportsmen. He played for Wellington College Old Boys at cricket and Rugby football and also represented Wellington at cricket.

SHERWELL, MR. NOEL BENJAMIN, who was killed while ski-ing at Flims, Switzerland, on December 29, aged 56, was the finest amateur wicket-keeper of his day and the best ever produced by Tonbridge School. In the Tonbridge XI from 1920 to 1922, he was one of four brothers who got their colours for the school. As captain in his last year, he headed the batting figures with 745 runs, including three centuries, average 53.21, caught 15 batsmen and stumped 16. Wisden of the time described him as a fine cricketer, an excellent captain and a first-rate, sound and punishing batsman. Going up to Caius College, Cambridge, he received his Blue as a Freshman in 1923 and also played against Oxfordin the two following years. Though he did not meet with the same success as a batsman as during his school-days, he developed in wicket-keeping, standing right up when taking the bowling of G. O. Allen, who later played for England, at his fastest. In 1925 Sherwell was one of four members of that year's Cambridge team to play for Gentlemen against Players at Lord's. The others were K. S. Duleepsinhji, E. W. Dawson and H. J. Enthoven. In 1926 he took part in one game for Middlesex. He served with the R.A.F.V.R. during the Second World War and was awarded the O.B.E. in the 1946 New Year's Honours List. He was a solicitor.

C. T. Bennett, Cambridge captain of 1925, writes: The tragedy of Ben's untimely death is mourned by all, particularly by those who played in his company. As a wicket-keeper, like G. E. C. Wood, he never blinded his slip fieldsmen and gave the experienced and tactful advice that only the great can dispense. As a man and a friend, semper idem.

SHIELDS, MAJOR JOHN, who died on May 11, aged 78, played as wicket-keeper for Leicestershire from 1906 to 1914, being captain from 1911 to 1913. He appeared for Gentlemen against Players at Lord's and The Oval in 1909. Though seldom shining as a batsman, he hit 63 from the Hampshire bowling at Southampton in 1913.

SKELDING, ALEXANDER, who died at Leicester on April 17, aged 73, stood as a first-class umpire from 1931 to 1958. He began his cricket career as a very fast bowler with Leicestershire in 1905, but, because he wore spectacles, was not re-engaged at the end of the season. He then joined Kidderminster in the Birmingham League and achieved such success that in 1912 the county re-signed him and he continued with them till 1929. His best season was that of 1927, when he took 102 wickets, average 20.81. Altogether he dismissed 593 batsmen at a cost of less than 25 runs each. One of the most popular personalities in the game, he always wore white boots when umpiring and he was celebrated for his sense of humour. It was his custom at the close of play to remove the bails with an exaggerated flourish and announce: And that concludes the entertainment for the day, gentlemen.

Alec was the central figure in many amusing incidents. Once in response to an appeal for run out, he stated: That was a `photo-finish' and as there isn't time to develop the plate, I shall say not out. In another match a batsman who had been celebrating a special event the previous evening was rapped on the pad by a ball. At once the bowler asked: How is he? Said Alec, shaking his head sadly: He's not at all well, and he was even worse last night. Occasionally the joke went against Alec. In a game in 1948 he turned down a strong appeal by the Australian touring team. A little later a dog ran on to the field, and one of the Australians captured it, carried it to Skelding and said: Here you are. All you want now is a white stick!

Asked in his playing days if he found spectacles a handicap, Alec said: The specs are for the look of the thing. I can't see without'em and on hot days I can't see with'em, because they get steamed up. So I bowl on hearing only and appeal twice an over.

One of his most cherished umpiring memories was the giving of three leg-before decisions which enabled H. Fisher of Yorkshire to perform a unique hat-trick against Somerset at Sheffield in 1932. I was never more sure that I was right in each case, he said afterwards, and each of the batsmen agreed that he was dead in front.

SPONG, MR. A. J., who died on April 30, aged 62, was an official of the Club Cricket Conference for 34 years, being President in 1946 and becoming Chairman in 1950. In his younger days, he played with distinction for Hounslow.

STRICKER, MR. LOUIS ANTHONY, who died at Capetown on February 5, aged 75, played as opening batsman for Transvaal and took part in thirteen Test matches for South Africa against England and Australia between 1909 and 1912. His Test record was 342 runs in 24 innings, average 14.25. For Transvaal against H. D. G. Leveson Gower's M.C.C. Team in 1910, he (101) and J. W. Zulch (176) scored 215 together in two hours twenty minutes, which then constituted a record for the first wicket against a touring team in South Africa.

SUTHERLAND, LIEUT-COLONEL HERBERT, who died on May 15, aged 70, was captain of Bedford School in 1908 and was also in the Rugby XV. He scored many runs in Army cricket and played for Bedfordshire.

TAYLOR, CHARLES JAMES, who died in August, aged 79, played as a fast-medium bowler for Staffordshire and in a few matches for Warwickshire in 1908 and 1909.

TAYLOR, MR. TOM LANCELOT, who died on March 16, aged 81, was President of Yorkshire from 1948 till the time of his death. He played for Cambridge from 1898 to 1900, being captain in the last year. In the 1898 University match he scored 70 and 15, followed with two and 52 not out the next season and in 1900 hit 74 and 29 not out. For Yorkshire between 1899 and 1906, he registered 3,951 runs, including eight centuries, average 35.27. He also played hockey for Cambridge for four seasons, being captain in one of them, and as a lawn tennis player won, with Sidney Watson, the Yorkshire doubles championship in 1922 and 1923 and, with Miss Willans, the mixed doubles title in 1924. In 1901, Taylor was one of Wisden's Five Cricketers of the Year.

TRIM, MR. JOHN, who died in hospital in British Guiana on November 12, aged 45, played in four Test matches for the West Indies. A right-arm fast-medium bowler, he gained his First Test Match honours on the strength of a good performance for British Guiana, for whom he made his debut in 1944, against G. O. Allen's M.C.C. Team in 1947-48 when at Georgetown he earned analyses of four wickets for 68 runs and five for 36. He toured India in 1948 and Australia in 1951. In all he took 18 Test wickets, average 16.16.

WALKER, CAPTAIN NEIL ALEXANDER MCDONALD, who died on August 10, aged 65, played for Derbyshire against the New Zealanders in 1931 and against Kent at Gravesend five years later, when he captained the side.

WIGRAM, LORD CLIVE, who died on September 3, aged 87, was in the Winchester XI from 1889 to 1891, being captain in last year. He headed the bowling averages in 1890 with 41 wickets for 14 runs apiece, dismissing five Eton batsmen in the second innings for 56 runs. He enjoyed a distinguished military career and was Private Secretary and Confidential Adviser to King George V from 1931 to 1936.

WILSON, MR. GEOFFREY, who died on November 29, aged 65, captained Yorkshire from 1922 to 1924. He was in the Harrow XI for three years from 1912 to 1914, enjoying special success in the match with Eton at Lord's in 1913 when he played a splendid innings of 173. After taking two and a half hours to reach 50, he hit so brilliantly all round the wicket that he added a further 123 runs in just over ninety minutes. In the big match next year he made 65 and 58. After serving with the Royal Marine Artillery in the First World War, he went to Cambridge, where he received a Blue in 1919. In that season he made his debut for Yorkshire. Though he rarely achieved much in batting for the county, Yorkshire carried off the Championship in each of his three years of captaincy. He toured Australia and New Zealand with A. C. MacLaren's M.C.C. team of 1923, scoring 430 runs, average 39.09. At Melbourne, where the Englishmen, dismissed for 71 in the first innings, went in again 546 behind Victoria, Wilson and W. W. Hill-Wood dispelled all danger of defeat by batting throughout the last day and sharing an unbroken first-wicket partnership of 282.

WOOD, MR. CECIL JOHN BURDITT, a former Leicestershire captain and secretary, who died at Leicester in June, aged 84, held the unique distinction of carrying his bat through two completed innings of a first-class match and scoring a century in each. He performed the feat for Leicestershire against Yorkshire at Bradford in 1911, and totalling 107 not out and 117 not out, was on the field for the whole of the game. A sound and watchful batsman, but still a stylist, Wood carried his bat on thirteen other occasions, altogether hit 34 centuries for Leicestershire--during a career spanning 27 years from 1896 to 1923--and totalled almost 24,000 runs.

He was born at Market Harborough on December 21, 1877 and, educated at Wellingborough, gained a place in the school eleven when only 13 years of age. A coal merchant by trade, he played as an amateur for Northamptonshire in a few matches during 1895 and the following season commenced his long association with Leicestershire. At first he represented them as a professional, but later he returned to his amateur status and captained the county in 1914, 1919, and 1920. His most successful seasons were 1900 when he obtained 1,841 runs (average 39) and 1901 when he scored 2,033 runs (average 41). In 1906 he recorded his highest score, 225, against Worcestershire at Worcester and together with H. Whitehead (174) shared a first wicket partnership of 380. This is a Leicestershire record which still stands to-day.

Wood played for the Gentlemen four times in their annual match with the Players at The Oval, and in 1901--a notable year in his career--he took part in two century stands with W. G. Grace, for London County against Surrey at Crystal Palace. Woods scored 66 and 70 and W. G. 71 and 80. In the first innings the pair scored 131 together and in the second 142. In addition to possessing remarkable powers as a defensive batsman, Wood was a good fielder and useful change bowler. At Loughborough in 1914, bowling slow right-arm, he took five wickets for six runs against Surrey. As a boy he also showed promise as a footballer--and assisted Leicester Fosse, now Leicester City--as a half-back. In later life he became secretary to Leicestershire C.C.C. and as a cricketer and administrator altogether served the county for 47 years.

YOUNG, MR. JOHN VILLIERS, who died in hospital at Eastbourne on September 3, aged 76, was in the Eastbourne College XI from 1901 to 1904, being captain in the last two years. A fine all-rounder, he scored 947 runs and took 63 wickets in 1903. To him belonged an unusual distinction, for he played in the 1906 Cambridge Freshmen's match and in the 1907 Oxford Freshmen's match, becoming both a Cambridge Crusader and an Oxford Authentic. He played in three matches for Sussex in 1908. He was the brother of R. A. Young, the celebrated Cambridge University, Sussex and England batsman.

OBITUARY, 1959

BANNISTER, MR. H. M., who died on June 18, aged 69, played occasionally as a medium-paced bowler for Leicestershire between 1912 and 1921.

FERNIE, MR. A. E., who died on July 24, aged 82, was in the Wellingborough XI before going to Cambridge, where he gained a Blue as a slow left-arm bowler in 1897 and 1900. He assisted Staffordshire from 1898 to 1900.

MISTRI, COLONEL K. M., who died on July 22, aged 84, was a splendid left-handed batsman and useful bowler. Most of his first-class cricket in India was for the Parsees, for whom he first appeared in 1893 in the annual Presidency matches, but he was a member of the India team who visited England in 1911. He had been Chairman of the Indian Selection Committee.

SNOOKE, MR. STANLEY DELACOURTTE, who died at Cape Town on April 4, aged 80, did not meet with the same success as a cricketer as his brother, S. J. His one Test appearance was against England at the Oval in 1907. He did not score, but brought off two good catches.

WILSON, CANON R. A., who died on October 1, aged 91, was elder brother of C. E. M. and E. R. R. Wilson, the Cambridge University and Yorkshire players.