SPORT ANCIENT AND MODERN 



in 1899. N. Miller, whose average in club masters take a keen personal interest in the 

 cricket for the last few years has been enor- games, and do what they can both by coach- 

 mous, has been prevented by business from ing and playing to develop any promising 

 playing regularly for Surrey, though he material. 



showed his high merits as a player by scoring The connection of St. John's School 

 a century in the very first match in which Leatherhead, with Surrey cricket may be 

 he played for the county. F. P. Knox, the said to have commenced with the removal 



of the school to its present site in 1872, 

 though it was not till some years afterwards 

 that matches with the more important clubs 

 were arranged. With the engagement of 

 a professional in 1884 the match list was 

 improved, with the result that interest in 

 cricket increased throughout the school, and 

 more attention began to be paid to the 

 junior games. The system now in vogue is 

 much the same as obtains at other public 

 schools. On whole school days net practice 

 prevails, with games or matches on half- 

 holidays, the boys being divided into elevens 

 at the commencement of each season. There 

 is in addition a House Competition. This 

 is a matter of some difficulty, in that all are 

 under the same roof. It has been sur- 

 mounted, however, by the arrangement of 

 north, south, east and west, according to the 

 place of residence. 



Famous cricketers from St. John's have not 

 been very numerous ; in after life the boys 

 generally have little or no opportunity of 

 keeping up the game. Of the fortunate few 

 who have been able to devote time to it 

 after leaving school the most promising is 

 T. N. Perkins of Cambridge and Kent, also 

 an Association Football Blue. In his fourth 

 year (1887) in the school eleven he made 

 over 1,000 runs, and also took nearly 150 

 wickets, a double achievement never equalled. 

 L. T. Driffield, a more recent captain, has 

 played for Northamptonshire with success, 

 but only tardily gained his blue at Cam- 

 bridge, though he has represented the Uni- 

 versity in their trial matches several times. 

 An older generation produced the Rev. E. 

 D. Shaw, of Oxford University and Herts, 

 while L. Bruton of Northumberland was a 

 contemporary of T. N. Perkins at St. John's. 

 Most of the neighbouring clubs are played 

 annually in addition to M.C.C. and Ground, 

 Surrey Club and Ground, and the five 

 schools, Epsom, Cranleigh, Christ's Hos- 

 pital, Merdiant Taylors' and Forest School. 

 The boys have generally been successful in 

 their school matches, if not so fortunate with 

 some of the stronger clubs. Marshall, the 

 Leicestershire and Surrey wicket-keeper, 

 has recently been engaged as school pro- 

 fessional. 



The history of cricket at Whitgift Gram- 

 mar School practically commences with the 



Oxford captain, was captain of Dulwich in 

 1897 and 1898, and won his ' blue ' at Oxford 

 in 1899, proving himself most successful 

 against Cambridge in that, his first, year. 

 He also has been found worthy of a place in 

 the Surrey eleven. Besides those already 

 mentioned, the following have taken part 

 in first-class cricket : J. M. Campbell and 

 L. S. Wells (London County Cricket Club) ; 

 C. O. Cooper, F. D. Browne and F. de L. 

 Solb6 (Kent); C. WeUs (Cambridge), and 

 H. O. Dolbey (Surrey). 



Epsom College was founded in 1853. 

 Cricket has been played from the beginning, 

 but was for some years rough and unscientific, 

 as the only available pitch was the open 

 ground on the Downs. During the head- 

 mastership of Dr. West, about twenty-five 

 years ago, a good cricket field was laid out 

 inside the school grounds. Further exten- 

 sions were made from time to time, and 

 there is now enough good ground for the 

 whole school of 250 boys to play with com- 

 fort and enjoyment. The school games are 

 compulsory on four afternoons in the week, 

 medical exemption being of course given 

 where necessary. They are managed by the 

 school captain of whatever game is being 

 played, with the assistance of the house 

 captains. The general plan is that the best 

 players are first selected to make up the first 

 side. Below that the organization is by 

 houses. The chief matches are against the 

 Marylebone Club and Ground, the Surrey 

 Club and Ground, St. John's and Cran- 

 leigh Schools, Leatherhead, Old Epsomians, 

 Banstead, and generally one or two of the 

 hospitals. Epsom College has not produced 

 many county cricketers. Probably the 

 reason is that pressure of business or 

 professional duties prevents men from 

 developing the promise of their school- 

 days. H. C. Pretty a few years ago made a 

 brief and brilliant appearance for Surrey. 

 Before his time there had not been for some 

 years any county player of note except R. 

 Wright, who played and did good service for 

 Leicestershire in the eighties. The Lower 

 School games are supervised regularly by 

 masters. In the other parts of the school 

 prefects and house captains see that the 

 games are conducted and played in the true 

 and best spirit of cricket. Many of the 



545 



69 



