Yorkshire Almanac As William Clarke’s All-England Eleven begins a match against a Hull 22, the local paper notes the failure of seaports to produce good cricketers

19 July 1849: As William Clarke’s All-England Eleven begins a match against a Hull 22, the local paper notes the failure of seaports to produce good cricketers

Hull Packet. 1849/07/20. Grand Cricket Match. Hull. Get it:

Unedited excerpt

If an excerpt is used in the book, it will be shorter, edited and, where applicable, translated.

Yesterday this long and eagerly anticipated match commenced and during the day the field of the friendly contest was visited by many hundreds of spectators, including numbers of the most influential families in the town and neighbourhood. For their accommodation, and for the convenience of the competitors in this interesting match, preparations had been made on an extensive scale, and several pavilions were erected in various parts of the ground, and refreshments of every kind were provided on a liberal scale. The whole of the field was enclosed, and seats were erected at every point where a favourable view of the game could be obtained. The arrangements altogether were excellent, and the committee deserve great praise for the manner in which they have carried them into effect. We trust they will not be losers by their enterprise; they have only the weather to fear, – should it prove propitious they cannot fail to receive a large sum for admissions, during the three days over which the match will extend – but for the heavy rain which fell during the early part of yesterday, we have no doubt that there would have been a much larger assemblage of spectators, – yet, even with this drawback, as we have said, the attendance was very great, and probably at one period there would not be fewer than a thousand persons in the field.

Hitherto the match has progressed but slowly, and has resulted anything but favourably towards the Hull players. The truth is that cricket-playing in Hull, although always a favourite amusement of youth, has never been carried into later life, or made a matter of science and skill as in numerous other towns. Although We have always had a cricket club or two, Hull has never succeeded in turning out such players as are constantly being sent forth from such places as Nottingham and Sheffield, or even Leeds and York. One of the causes of this inferiority in cricketing excellence may be found in the difficulty of obtaining at anything like a moderate rate and within easy distance of the town, suitable ground for the exercise of the game. Even the present cricket field, in which the match, of which we are speaking is being played, is altogether of an insufficient area, and from its position, we are convinced it must be an expensive ground to the club. Besides these discouraging circumstances it would really appear as if cricket did not flourish in maritime and commercial districts, but was indigenous to the agricultural. The best players in All England have for the most part had their training in rural districts, and the exceptions to the rest are all in favour of inland domestic manufacturing towns. At the moment we cannot call to mind a single cricketer of note who has received his education in the game in a maritime town.

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To facilitate reading, the spelling and punctuation of elderly excerpts have generally been modernised, and distracting excision scars concealed. My selections, translations, and editions are copyright.

Comment

At around seven o’clock on Saturday evening, at the end of the third day, the All England Eleven triumphed by an innings and 83 runs, having scored 212 in their first innings and then bowled out the Hull twenty-two twice, for 65 and 64 – an incredibly low scoring rate by modern standards (Hull Packet 1849/07/27).

Tip of the hat to Hull & East Yorkshire History Calendar.

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Comment

Tip of the hat to Hull & East Yorkshire History Calendar.

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Comment

Browne speculates that W.M. is Writing Master.

When in 1788 the 18-year-old William Butterworth of Leeds arrived in London from the West Indies, he was offered such an education:

I had not been ship-keeper more than two or three days, when two gentlemen came on board and looked over the ship. Addressing themselves to me, they inquired if I had considered to remain on board? “I have determined, Gentlemen,” I answered, “to have nothing more to do with the sea.” ” Indeed! young man,” said one of them, “perhaps your reason against a seafaring life may be overcome by sound arguments, if we knew it.” “ To me, Sir,” said I, “it is as irksome as precarious, and, hitherto, has proved as unprofitable as unpleasant !” “That we can and will remedy,” replied the other, “if you can reconcile yourself to the life, under more auspicious circumstances, than you have as yet been placed. You are highly recommended by Captain Smith; we have a vessel intended to sail up the Mediterranean, and have waited on you to engage you, if possible, to hold a situation in that vessel, well worth your attention.”. When I pointed out the impossibility of ever soaring higher than a man before the mast, from being ignorant of the important science of navigation, I was asked if I knew the four great rules of arithmetic – addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division?” “As schoolboys generally do,” said I, “ but I have not had much practice since I left the desk.” “If you will engage with us, we will be at the expense of educating you in navigation, during the arrangement for the ship leaving England.” “I can only thank you, gentlemen,” returned I, “for your attention to my welfare; but I have resolved to return home, where I have a prospect of advancement superior to any that you can offer, at the same time that it is more congenial to my own inclination and the wishes of my friends.” Finding me inflexible, we parted; they to return ashore, whither my good wishes followed them, in return for their intended kindness to me (Butterworth 1823).

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