A HISTORY OF SUSSEX 



who completed his 35th year on the day of the 

 match, played in the veterans' eleven. 



Sussex against Surrey at Hastings in 1902 

 was a memorable and record-breaking match : 

 no less than 1,427 runs were scored for twenty- 

 one wickets, the home county piling up the huge 

 total of 725 runs for eight wickets Mr. C. B. 

 Fry scoring 159, and K. S. Ranjitsinhji 234 not 

 out, the Indian prince thus lowering Mr. H. S. 

 Johnstone's record score of 227 not out, com- 

 piled in 1900. 



An easy victory over Somerset next year 

 preluded a wet festival only notable for a fine 

 bowling performance, thirteen wickets for 9 runs 

 apiece, by Rhodes. Rain ruined the match v. 

 Kent in 1904, as well as the festival ; Mr. G. L. 

 Jessop scored 159 not out against the South 

 Africans in two hours, Braund, King, Llewellyn, 

 and Rhodes also making large scores. In 1905 

 a one inning's victory by Sussex over Hampshire 

 in scant measure compensated for a further aquatic 

 festival. The brace of county matches in 1906 

 presented some heavy scoring resulting in a draw 

 and a defeat. 



We cannot conclude this article without 

 mentioning the names of some to whom these 

 towns owe a debt of gratitude for their prowess 

 displayed with bat and ball, or their work as 

 secretaries. These are Messrs. C. C. Bethune, 

 W. A. S. Sparling, Rev. H. C. Lenox-Tindall, 

 H. G. Papillon, G. K. Papillon, J. W. Ashby, 

 F. G. Langham, A. E. Howes, E. O. Howis, 

 W. H. Ball, R. J. Wilson, J. W. Rome, 

 W. Ray, A. H. Richardson, H. J. King, 

 H. Hemmings, F. J. Winter, J. W. Marsh, 

 W. A. Lewis, J. T. Piper, G. H. Brown, and 

 those truly hard hitters Messrs. R. H. Nuttall, 

 J.J.Oliver, and T. Kennard ; but especially must 

 a word of thanks be given to Messrs. C. H. Ball 

 and E. H. U. Pickering (this latter one of a great 

 cricketing family) for the help and assistance they 

 have always given through the medium of the 

 Press in forwarding in every way the interests of 

 cricket in Hastings and St. Leonards. 



EASTBOURNE CRICKET 



In the early days when Eastbourne was a 

 small fishing village, the game was played at a 

 spot called 'Paradise' cradled at the foot of 

 Beachy Head, and at this rural place by the 

 Down on occasions the whole village assembled 

 to support their side. 



As the village grew so did its cricket club, 

 and a field called ' Elphies,' being nearer home, 

 was requisitioned. This was used for a few 

 years, until the village began to develop into a 

 seaside town, when, in the year 1858, it was 

 arranged to move to a field in what was called 

 the Marsh, and the club soon increased in numbers 

 .and popularity. At this period some of the most 



prominent players were Messrs. Thomas Morris, 

 C. Haines, James Towner, Charles Simmons, and 

 O. Wenham, to mention only a few names. 

 Under the careful treatment and hard work of 

 Harry Gardener, the ground man, the field was 

 converted into a cricket ground second to none 

 in England. 



Two first-class county players, by name Reed 

 and Shoesmith, both Sussex men bred and born, 

 helped the club with their services. William 

 Oscroft, the noted Notts cricketer, was also 

 introduced into the club, and under the tuition 

 of these three fine players many young men who 

 later on made names for themselves were in- 

 structed in the rudiments of the game. 



But soon again another change was to take 

 place, for Eastbourne was now rapidly growing 

 and developing, and the Duke of Devonshire (the 

 ground landlord) was advised to cut up the 

 ground for building purposes. The splendid old 

 turf was relaid on land afterwards called the 

 Devonshire Park, nearer the sea, and a limited 

 liability company was formed to carry on the club, 

 which was converted into a fashionable athletic 

 and cricket club, under a paid secretary. All went 

 well for a few years ; but soon the cricket 

 dropped from good to bad, and from bad to 

 worse; until in 1903, when no matches were 

 arranged, it received its coup de grdce so far as 

 Devonshire Park is concerned. 



In the year 1878, some two or three seasons 

 after the transfer of the Eastbourne Club from 

 the ground in the Marsh to Devonshire Park, 

 another club came into existence, the playing 

 ground being one of the south fields called 'The 

 Gildridge,' nearer the old town. Mr. Thomas 

 Cooper was the originator of the Gildridge Club, 

 and a good working committee was formed with 

 Mr. A. S. Hurst as the hon. secretary. The club 

 grew and cricket throve, and as a result it was 

 most successful for some ten years. 



The ground was however required in 1888 

 for other purposes, and under the supervision 

 and superintendence of professional cricketers, 

 imported from Lord's Ground, the old Saffrons 

 farm field was rapidly converted into an up-to- 

 date cricket ground. The Saffrons ground is 

 some 13 acres in extent, and surrounded by 

 beautiful large elm trees, and is practically in the 

 centre of the town. 



Before closing this brief account of the start 

 and growth of cricket in Eastbourne we may 

 perhaps mention just one peculiar cricket incident 

 out of many that have happened during recent 

 years. In a match at the Devonshire Park 

 between a visiting club and the home team, one 

 of the opposing batsmen hit a ball to square-leg 

 which smashed the globe at the top of one of 

 the high electric lamps. The following year 

 the same match was in progress, when the same 

 visiting batsman hit another ball to square-leg, 

 bowled by the same home member who had 



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