SPORT ANCIENT AND MODERN 



Icnown in Hastings cricket than that of Mr. 

 Herbert Mascall Curteis of Windmill Hill Place, 

 Herstmonceux, and Peasmarsh Place, near Rye. 

 * The Squire,' as he was generally called, was in 

 his school eleven at Westminster, and also gained 

 a place in his University team, playing for 

 Oxford against Cambridge in 1840-1 ; he also 

 for many years assisted his county in their 

 matches. It was in 1857 that Sussex met 

 M.C.C. and Ground at St. Leonards on the new 

 East Sussex Club ground, Mr. H. M. Curteis 

 and Mr. W. P. Beecham assisting Sussex in this, 

 the first county match played at Hastings. 



On 1 9 and 20 August 1858, a United England 

 Eleven contended at Bopeep against twenty-two 

 of the East Sussex Club, with James Lillywhite 

 and George Hooker. On this occasion Hooker 

 greatly distinguished himself by obtaining as 

 many as sixteen wickets in the two innings of 

 the England eleven. United England appeared 

 at St. Leonards again the next year, contending 

 this time against twenty-two of East Sussex, with 

 Stubberfield and Hooker. In this match Mr. 

 Edward Hume formed one of the East Sussex 

 team. He was at that time in the Marlborough 

 College eleven, and proceeding to Oxford in 

 October of that year, played the next season for 

 his university against Cambridge. He for some 

 years rendered most signal service to the Hastings 

 United Club. 



The East Sussex Club was dissolved at the 

 end of the season of 1860, and a town club, 7 

 generally known as the Hastings United, was 

 formed under the presidency of Mr. Edward 

 Hewitt, the club ground being on the East Hill 

 at Hastings. E. Foster of Hastings was en- 

 gaged as professional bowler, in which capacity 

 he served the club for many years. Long scores 

 will be found against the name of Mr. A. J. 

 Brook as far back as 1860, and he was still 

 playing in 1902. The steadiest of batsmen, but 

 with great hitting powers, many a century has 

 he made and many a match has he won for the 

 Hastings and Bexhill clubs. It was in con- 

 nexion with this new Hastings club that the 

 remarkable cricketing family of Phillips came 

 into notice, and the help they have given to their 

 native town cannot be over-estimated. The five 

 brothers, Messrs. Albert, William, Henry, James, 

 and Peter, were all good exponents of the game, 

 and on two occasions all five brothers were 

 found playing on the same side. In the first 

 match in 1874, for Hastings against the East 

 Sussex Club at St. Leonards, the brothers scored 

 174 out of a total of 241 runs. 



7 The best known members of the club were : Mr. 

 E. Hume, Mr. C. J. Coventry, Mr. T. Harris, Mr. 

 J. S. Parkin, Mr. E. L. Owen, Mr. J. E. Raven, Mr. 

 W. G. Custard, Dr. T. Trollope, Mr. W. Burfield, 

 Messrs. Albert, William, and Henry Phillips ; Russell 

 Hood, and A. J. Brook. 



In August of 1860 twenty-two of Sussex, 

 with G. Wells and Hooker, played the United 

 England Eleven at Bopeep. Two years later 

 twenty-two of the Hastings United metF. Caesar's 

 All England Eleven on the East Hill. Mr. 

 H. M. Curteis was captain of the local team, 

 which had the assistance of two professional 

 bowlers, viz. E. Foster of Hastings, and N. Dunk 

 of Hawkhurst, and the next year a match took 

 place on the East Hill between twenty-two of the 

 Hastings United, with J. Lillywhite and Foster, 

 and a United England Eleven. 



In a match played at Northiam on 9 June 

 1864 between an eleven of that place and 

 Hastings United, Albert Phillips carried his bat 

 through the second innings of the visiting team 

 for a score of 127 runs, and in the return match 

 on the East Hill at Hastings he went in first 

 wicket down for the home team, and was not 

 out with a score of 104 runs. These, the first 

 two centuries scored in the Hastings neighbour- 

 hood, are notable feats when the rough state of 

 the cricket grounds of those days is taken into 

 account. Albert Phillips subsequently scored 

 many three-figure innings for his native town. 

 A right-handed batsman, he was a left-handed 

 bowler of much ability, and exceedingly good in 

 the field at ' point.' 



In 1864 the new Central Recreation Ground 

 was opened, and in the month of September the 

 first grand match was played on the new ground, 

 when a United England Eleven contended against 

 twenty-two of Hastings and St. Leonards with 

 George Bennett. This match is memorable for the 

 feat performed by George (' Ben ') Griffith of 

 Surrey, who hit four consecutive balls out of the 

 ground in one over off ' Farmer ' Bennett, the 

 Kent professional, scoring 6 for each hit. In this 

 match Henry Phillips assisted the home team ; as 

 a wicket-keeper he was one of the best that the 

 southern counties have ever produced, playing in 

 that capacity for Sussex through a long series of 

 years, and in 1886 receiving a 'benefit match" 

 after twenty years of continuous service. He 

 was also a really good bat, as his century against 

 the Australians at Brighton showed. In the match, 

 Sussex v. Surrey, on 27 June 1872, he stumped 

 5 and caught 5, securing no less than half 

 the wickets of his opponents. He is said to have 

 been the first stumper who in first-class cricket 

 stood up behind the sticks without the aid of a 

 longstop. Early in September 1865 Sussex 

 met Kent at Hastings, this being the first county 

 match ever played on the Central Ground. 



In 1867 twenty-two of Hastings and St. 

 Leonards, with Stubberfield and Wootton, played 

 the United South of England Eleven, Mr. E. L. 

 Owen assisting the home team. He made many 

 long scores for the Hastings club and in matches 

 in the neighbourhood, and his younger brother, 

 Mr. H. G. Owen, acted for some years 

 as captain of the Essex County team. On 



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