The All England Eleven's first visit to Ireland by Gerry Byrne

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Scorecard:

Ireland v All England Eleven

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DateLine: 18th June 2006

 

This was the first visit of the famous All England XI to Ireland. This XI was the first of the professional XI’s founded by “Old Clarke” and now managed by George Parr after Clarke’s death. In 1856 the United XI, an off shoot of the All England XI, visited Ireland and played against XVIII of Ireland. Coddington, Doyle, Lawrence, Despard, Quinn and Samuels played in both the 1856 match and this one on the Irish team. C.Lawrence promoted this match, large crowds attended and a profit was made. It was the first time the ground of Leinster C.C. at Rathmines was used for a representative match. For the XXII Captain Berger played his only match for Ireland. His score of 21 was the highest innings for the XXII and won him a magnificent green velvet belt with silver clasps and inscribed in gold letters “The Prize Belt”. J.H.Chapman, a fast underarm bowler, was also making his debut and in 5 matches between 1860 and 1863 he took 18 wickets. In this match he bowled really well and perhaps should have bowled more than he did in the first innings. In the second innings he took 1 for 2 in 13 overs of which 12 were maidens! H.Hodgson also made his debut and in his 4 matches for Ireland his average was almost 9. Poor C.J.Manning "bagged a pair" in his only appearance for Ireland – however he was run out in the second innings.

 

Jackson, the fastest bowler in England, and Diver of Cambridgeshire, were unable to play for the XI due to illness, and were replaced by Blain and Capt. Marshall. The latter was Master of the Horse to the Lord Lieutenant and played for Ireland v the United XI in 1856. Shortly after this match he became President of the All England XI. However, G.Parr, the “Lion of England” played. Parr was a Notts man, immensely strong though not tall. He was quiet and modest and then 34 years of age. Another Notts man was Richard Daft, then a very young man. Parr eventually handed over management to Daft who was the Gentleman of professional cricketers in his time and a wonderful batsman. R.C.Tinley, the slow lob bowler, was also from Notts, and he took 23 wickets in the Match for only 83 runs. From Surrey came dapper little Julius Caesar, then 30 and a beautiful cutter, and also from Surrey was H.H.Stephenson, the wicket keeper who took over when Lockyer went to the United XI. Stephenson was also a splendid bat and of course won immortality by captaining the first team to Australia in 1861 (and taking C.Lawrence with him). Tom Hayward of Cambridgeshire was the youngest in the team and was very successful having headed the averages of the XI in 1859 and had made two centuries in the present season. He was 25 and a very good cutter and driver. In an age of Southern dominance George Anderson was the only Yorkshire player in the team. He was 34, had a good defence and was a great player of fast bowling. He was also a splendid boundary fielder and had the best throw in the XI. A.Clarke, son of “Old Clarke” completed the XI but he was not a great player. E.Willsher of Kent was 31 and a fast left arm bowler who was very difficult to play because of his high action. In fact his action was not above suspicion under the then laws and this is emphasised in current accounts of this match. In 1862 he was no-balled at Lords in a now famous incident. He was to the All England XI what W.Caffyn was to the United XI – a splendid all rounder.

 

A “large and respectable crowd” turned up on the first day, which was fine. The crowd, in fact, was the biggest ever to attend a match in Ireland and the Lord Lieutenant arrived at 4.00 p.m. The ground was heavy from previous rain but Lawrence had supervised the preparation of the wicket and it was a good one. At 12.30 p.m. Samuels and Mahaffy opened for Ireland, having been sent into bat by the XI. Willsher and Tinley were the bowlers and indeed they bowled unchanged until Ireland were all out for 70 – Willsher bowling 47 overs and Tinley 46. Willsher bowled Mahaffy at 3 and Tinley bowled Samuels at the same score. Doyle was LBW to Tinley at 4. G.Barry stayed a long time but only got 2 before Willsher bowled him at 14. E.H.Kinahan played steadily with Brenan and made 6 before being run out at 25. Lawrence was caught for 6 behind the bowler (Tinley) by Caesar with the total on 29 and Quinn was bowled by Tinley for the first “duck” at 31. Brenan played very well for his 16 before being caught at short leg by Caesar off Willsher. Berger, batting at no. 14, made a brilliant 21 and was well settled in before being run out “fortunately for the XI” as one account said. He and Lawrenson, who only made 1, put on 22 for the 15th wicket, but the last 7 wickets fell for only 5 runs. Scoring was not easy with the heavy ground, the accurate bowling and the magnificent fielding of the XI. Two catches off Tinley’s bowling, Hayward’s to dismiss H.Hodgson and Daft’s to dismiss J.Galbraith were brilliant.

 

At 3.30 Caesar and Daft went in to face the bowling of Lawrence and Samuels. Daft was immediately run out without scoring by a clever throw by C.Guinness at “long hit”. Young Clarke came in and made 7 singles in a score of 9 before he was splendidly caught by G.F.Barry in the long field off Samuels – 20-2. Caesar made a good 18 and twice hit the ball out of the ground to square leg (for which he got 4) and he was caught by G. Kinahan at mid wicket – 30-3. Hayward and Anderson now stayed together until after the lead was secured. Anderson was very severe on Samuels until he eventually ran himself out for 29. Parr (3) and Hayward (22) were together when stumps were drawn at 6.00 with the total at 83-4.

 

The second day was showery, and also the first day of the Curragh races so that, although the crowd was large, it was not as great as on the opening day. Chapman and Quinn started the bowling. Parr hit well before Chapman bowled him off stump for 15 at 113. Capt. Marshall was bowled leg stump by his first ball but Blain prevented Chapman’s hat trick.

 

Hayward was next to regret Chapman’s “swift underhand old fashioned rippers”. He made an agreeable 35 before Chapman bowled him – 118-7. H.H.Stephenson made a good 18 out of 23 added for the last 3 wickets. Blain was run out at 127 and Quinn went off at 129. Lawrence came on and bowled Willsher with his second ball at 136. Tinley hit one ball out of the ground but at 141 Lawrence had Stephenson caught in the long field by Crostwaite. The fielding of the XXII was, in general, very good indeed but some catches were dropped on the first evening which, if held, would have reduced the XI’s total. Brenan kept a splendid wicket and G.F.Barry was brilliant at long stop. Others to take the eye were Roberts, G. Kinahan, Lawrence Despard and Hodgson. The weak point was the bowling. Chapman was put on too late, not until the second morning, when he bowled 37 overs for 30 runs and 3 wickets. Lawrence himself might have bowled a bit more than he did.

 

At the close of play on the second day Ireland had lost 14 wickets for 63 runs. Manning and Lawrence became the new opening pair and the former was unfortunately run out for his second nought of the match. G.F.Barry was stumped off Tinley for 1 at 5. Lawrence was caught and bowled by Tinley for 6 – 8-3. In no time at all Hodgson was walking back with the score at 27-9. Doyle was next out at 32 – bowled Tinley. Berger again played well but a shower interrupted his innings and on going out again he was bowled by Tinley for 7. Despard improved matters a little and he was 13* and S.Barry 0* at close of play. Eight runs were still required to avoid the innings defeat.

 

On the third morning the eight runs required were scored by Barry and Despard and the score was 72 when Barry was caught by Willsher off Tinley for 5 and at the same score Willsher bowled Despard for 17. The innings then collapsed and Ireland were bowled out for 83. It was during the latter part of the innings that complaint was made of Willsher’s too high bowling action. Ireland’s 83 came of no less than 492 balls of which Tinley bowled exactly half in taking 13 wickets for 48. Stephenson was again in great form as wicket keeper on the previous evening.

 

Only 13 were required but it took just under 26 overs to get those runs against Quinn and Chapman. Tinley, usually no 11 and Daft opened. Tinley was bowled by Quinn for 3 and Daft deflected a ball from Chapman on to his wicket after making a single. Clarke was caught off Quinn for 0 and the total was 5 for 3. Hayward and Anderson eventually ensured victory by each hitting the ball out of the ground for 4.

 

Berger was also lent by the Irish captain to keep wicket for the XI on the third morning, as Stephenson was unwell. Great praise was given to Lawrence for his arrangements in this match, and also for his work in promoting cricket in Ireland in the last 10 years. It was wonderful to see in Ireland such great players as the All England XI.

 

A scratch match followed on the third afternoon, and also races. G.F.Barry won the 150 yards and J.H.Chapman won the 500 yards which was confined to the Irish players only. J.R.Roberts threw the cricket ball 94 yards. A fireworks display by John Lawrence of Grafton Street was then given.

 

On the following two days the All England XI played XXII of the North of Ireland C.C. (who had been founded the previous December). N.I.C.C. had G.Tarrant, the fast bowler, and their own professional Heighs (who was with the club until 1875). Tinley and Willsher, unchanged, bowled N.I.C.C. out for 73 and 35 and the XI made 91 and 18-4 – Marshall making 0 in each innings for the XI.

 

Even back in the mid 19th Century suggestions were made that professional players did not try very hard in matches such as this. This was debunked in a long article in one of the Dublin papers.