LEAMINGTON CLUB ARLINGTON NEWS – 8th June 2017

The latest news from Leamington Cricket Club!

Firstly apologies for reverting to the old style of Arlington news, the publisher is recovering from over sampling at last weekend’s beer festival, regular service will be resumed shortly!

The beer festival was once again a great success complemented by Nid’s ever so slightly spicy Thai Green Curry and noodles. Many thanks to all the sponsors, volunteers and samplers for making the event so successful.

Generally the cricket over the last week has seen has come out on top, unfortunately after last week’s win the 1st team couldn’t back it up against Walmley, there was however a highlight with our head of cricket Neil Smith taking his Birmingham League best figures of 8 for 35.

The 3rds, 4ths, Somra’s Sunday Sunrisers and the top of the table unbeaten U15’s all had wins. Special mention for Max Kenny with a second Sunday century 121 not out.

Dogs following the recent decision to exclude all dogs on a Friday night it has been decided that for a trial period well behaved dogs on a lead are allowed on the patio area in fron of the clubhouse on a Friday evening. Dogs will not be permitted on any part of the playing area on Friday evenings.

Lastly as was mentioned a few weeks ago on Friday evenings can all parents please ensure that children do not play in the parking area between the main gates and the score box. Children who are not involved in coaching are free to play on the Flavells side of the ground.

Match Reports

Leamington First XI hosted fellow strugglers Walmley at Arlington Avenue on Saturday, but were unable to produce a winning performance as a meek effort with the bat saw them lose by 151 runs.

Batting first Walmley made a bright start before losing Carlos Prowse to Tom Warner for 16. Iandev Chauhan was joined by James Brocklebank and took the score into three figures before Chauhan was bowled by James Silk for 48. The rest of the innings saw veteran Leamington spinner Neil Smith pit his wits against Walmley’s batters. His variations accounted for each batsman one by one, as Brocklebank apart, all got starts but none played a match-defining innings. Brocklebank made 71 at a run-a-ball and Andrew Hendry and Dan Chaudhry both passed 30 as Walmley were bowled out for a testing 275. Smith ended with terrific figures of 8 for 35 in 13 overs.

Sadly Leamington’s batters were unable to match Smith’s exploits as only James Gilchriest of the top order made double figures. He made 22 before becoming the last of five victims for the excellent Aatif Ali. A defiant 46 from Tom Warner merely delayed the inevitable as Leamington slumped to 124 All Out. Ali’s figures were 5 for 54; he was well supported by Jordan Hoffman (3 for 35) and Jonathan Newis (2 for 27). Walmley move out of the relegation zone, whilst Leamington remain next to bottom of Division One.

The Second team’s run of recent goof form came to an abrupt end in the reverse fixture at Walmley as the hosts cantered to a five win. Batting first on a pitch that offered some help to the seamers early on, Leamington made a faltering start losing three early , principally through poor shot selection rather than unplayable bowling. Dave Hawkes was playing well amongst the mayhem, but he played on making 25. Karan Patra was joined by Rob Williams and they rebuilt slowly, with Patra in particular finding scoring difficult. Walmley’s young attack – featuring four Under 15s – gave little to go after. Williams made 50 before holing out to long-off, and Patra’s labourious 51 was ended in the last over by Nathan Hill, as Leamington were dismissed for 176, a score that seemed under par.

Despite probing spells from Joe Midgley and Rob Lord, Walmley’s openers made a steady start, until Lord snared Adam Nicholas for 14. Walmley rotated the strike well, something that Leamington had been unable to do efficiently, and although Leamington chipped away the hosts were always on top. Opener Callum Herron made 39 before becoming one of two victims for Dave Hawkes, whilst Tom Pike made 41. A breezy undefeated 38 for Roshan Venkataraman saw Walmley home by five wickets with seven overs to spare.

A better showing for the Club’s Cotswold Hills League sides saw two wins over Tanworth & Camp Hill on Saturday. The Third string compiled 222 -6 in their 45 overs with a healthy donation of extras from Tanworth supporting good knocks from Mark Reynolds, Jimmy Gethins and David Lord. Tanworth could only muster 162 in reply with Tim Smedley the pick of the Spa bowlers. Tanworth replace Leamington at the foot of the Premier Division, in what seems to be a four-way battle to avoid the two relegation places.

Paul Wilson’s fourth team got back to winning ways with a 30 run win over Tanworth on Flavels. Coincidentally, Leamington’s total matched that of their Third team, and again Tanworth were unable to reach a testing target, as veterans Shaun Williams and Mark Ryan worked their way through the visitors’ batting. The match ended with Tanworth all out for 192, as Leamington moved into the top half of Division Four.

Somra’s Sunday Sunrisers Leamington cantered to what became a straight forward victory at home to Harborne last Sunday. With the unpredictable weather, play was regularly interrupted in the first innings, with three rain delays, resulting in the match being cut to 36 overs a side. Harborne batted first and found batting relatively easy cruising to 198-2 - with Andrew Lloyd scoring 83. Wickets were taken by Jimmy Gethins (1-46) and Jack Hawkes (1-34). Leamington's reply began brightly with Cam Mitchell hitting three boundaries in the first over. Unfortunately he fell shortly after, but this was the only success Harborne were to have with the ball. Max Kenny (121*) batted aggressively, but in a responsible, controlled manner and never appeared to be in any bother what-so-over. He struck 21 boundaries along with four sixes, in a highly impressive display in which he dominated a good Harborne bowling attack. Kenny received good assistance from Leamington debutant Vishal whose 31* provided excellent support, as Leamington reached their target within 27 overs.

Upcoming Fixtures

Saturday 1st XI vs Shifnal (h) 12 Noon start (BDPCL Div 1) 2nd XI vs Shifnal (a) 12.30pm start (BDPCL Prem 2nd Div) 3rd XI vs Exhall and (a) 1.30 start (CHL Prem Div) 4th XI vs Blockley (h) 1.30pm start (CHL Div 4) Sunday XI vs Shirley (h) 2pm ( Arden Premier) U15 vs Wardens (h)9.45am ( WCB Premier)

Junior Cricket News

Leamington U15 113 for 8 beat Hampton & Solihull 84 for 8

Winning the toss and batting first Leamington came up against the strongest bowling attack they had faced so far this season and steadily lost wickets and were heading for a modest total. However, a good partnership between Louis Glover (45) and Joe Smith (21) helped Leamington reach a more respectable 113 for 8 in their 25 overs.

A brief rain delay reduced Hampton & Solihull's target to 100 off 22 overs. Tidy 5 over opening spells from Oli Horswill (1 for 8) and Abhi Gowda (1 for 16) left the visitors behind the rate. Louis Glover (3 for 14), Cam Mitchell (2 for 8) and some excellent catching helped ensure a 15 run victory and maintain the winning start to the season. Next up is the local derby against Kenilworth Wardens.

Summer Coaching Camps

The club are looking to run two junior coaching camps in the summer for children aged 7-13, 9am - 4pm daily. Week one : 17th - 20th July Week two : 24th - 27th July cost will be £20 per child per day or £70 for the 4 days (early start and late pick up are available at an extra cost) places are limited to 20 per week so please sign up quickly with Mark Davison to confirm a spot for further information or to book please contact Mark on davisonmark7@ aol.com

Playing Kit Our playing and leisure kit is once again being supplied by Sports and Gray Nichols. Orders for shirts caps hoodys and training kit can be made in store at 9 Swan Street Warwick or over the telephone on 01926 497676, or email [email protected].

Dates For Your Diary

9th June Friday night coaching . Minis 5pm. 6pm main session. Bar and BBQ 18th June VI at Arlington Avenue 10.30 start 9th July Warwickshire VI at Arlington Avenue 10.30 start 14th July Charlie and the Milvertones 20th August Warwickshire VI at Arlington Avenue 10.30 start 31st August Lords Taverner Wicketz fixture

History Series

The Hon Alfred Lyttelton

In the summer of 1895, as in the summer of 2017, the Prime Minister called a mid-term general election. However, on that occasion the voters of Warwick & Leamington were excused their trip to the polling stations. Earlier in the year there had been a by-election and so their newly elected member of parliament was returned unopposed.

The new MP was the Hon. Alfred Lyttelton, whose family had a base at Hagley Hall in . Alfred was the youngest of seven brothers – there were also four sisters – who distinguished themselves across a number of sports. Their father, had set a marker by gaining a cricket blue while at Trinity College, Cambridge in 1838. Bryon Butler describes the family as “ … large, celebrated and immensely talented.”

Alfred followed his father and all of his brothers to Trinity College, and while there gained five blues: cricket, association football, real tennis, athletics and racquets. In March 1876 Alfred played in the FA Cup Final for the Old Etonian side that included his brother Edward, drawing the first game with The Wanderers 1-1, before losing the replay 3-1. Both games were played at , the base of Surrey CCC secretary C W Alcock, who was also a leading member of The Wanderers and the driving force in the establishment of The Football Association. Twelve months later Alfred returned to The Oval as a member of the England team that was to lose 1-3 to Scotland. Edward played for England the following year, when England lost 2-7!

Alfred Lyttelton had a long and distinguished cricket career, playing 101 first class games including four test matches. He was essentially a wicket-keeper batsman. He, and the Australian Blackham, broke new ground by being the first to stand up to the wicket without the cover of a long stop. In the England v Australia test match at the Oval in August 1884, the visitors first innings of 551 (probably equal to 800 today) occupied the first day-and-a-half of the three day match. All eleven of the England team bowled, with Alfred keeping on his wicket-keepers pads as he took 4-19 bowling under-arm lobs. These were the best bowling figures of the innings and remain the best ever bowling figures for an English wicket-keeper in . England easily batted out the remaining day-and-a-half to win the series 1-0 and so retain the newly created Ashes.

Alfred’s talents spread beyond the cricket field. It was an age when so many combined skill on the cricket field with success away from it. C B Fry, whose sporting skills nearly matched Alfred’s, became a diplomat, Arthur Conan Doyle found time away from his general medical practice to play first class cricket and write some books. After he had finished playing for Sussex, C Aubrey Smith took both his cricketing and acting skills to Hollywood, to great effect. E W Hornung was a keen cricketer and took his interest in to his Raffles stories, one of many who combined unusual skills with slow left arm bowling. Alfred was also an able and successful barrister. Eventually he withdrew from first class cricket to concentrate on his work at the bar.

Now having only one interest, Alfred looked for another – and entered parliament. He had already worked in Whitehall as a barrister. At the time that he is elected as a member of parliament, he is also national real tennis champion, a position he held for ten years. Whether or not it affected his choice of constituency is not known, but Leamington is one of relatively few towns in England with a real tennis court and he becomes a member of The Leamington Tennis Court Club, a club that is not only a centre for the playing of the game, but also a gathering place for the “movers and shakers” of the town. As well as playing there, Alfred advises the club on its development.

In May 1898 Alfred Lyttelton becomes President of MCC. But the new president is the MP for a town without a “town” cricket club. In February 1899, the Mayor of the Royal Borough of calls the leading citizens to a meeting in the Town Hall where the motion “Let a club be formed” is past enthusiastically. Alfred does not attend the meeting, but the minutes record receipt of his letter promising support. At the AGM of 26th. March, 1900 The Hon A. Lyttelton, Q.C., M.P. is elected a vice president of the new club. This is the second occasion on which a MCC President who is simultaneously the local MP has instigated the creation of a town cricket club for Leamington. Half a century earlier Lord Heneage Guernsey had assisted George Parr and John Wisden in pulling together an assortment of teams to create one representative of the town as a whole. At that time the Tennis Court Club was the “administrative” centre for the cricket Club, it having been built a few years earlier with Lord Guernsey being the driving force. Guernsey had been a cricketer of “county” standard (although Warwickshire did not have a county team at the time).

Alfred’s political career develops well and in 1903 he becomes a member of the Cabinet as Colonial Secretary, in what might be termed “The Trinity Reshuffle”. The government is headed by A J Balfour, who is Lyttelton’s brother in law and will later become Master of Trinity. Joining the cabinet at the same time are Austen Chamberlain and Victor Cavendish, who were also Trinity men. It was said of Alfred “ … he had limited political experience but could hold his own in debate”. Clearly his experience at the bar was going to be valuable. Unfortunately he was caught up in a controversial incident concerning the importation of Chinese labour to work the Transvaal gold fields newly captured from the Boers. He was to lose his seat in parliament in the “Liberal Landslide” of 1906 (until 1997 the only time that the Conservative Party had not held the Warwick & Leamington seat).

On losing his seat, he left politics and returned to his law practice but continued in public office. Amongst other posts he was recorder of both Hereford and Oxford and Chancellor of the Diocese of Rochester.

He also continued playing cricket and played his last game in 1913 at the age of 56. He scored 89 in a match against Bethnal Green Tradesmen. Unfortunately he suffered a blow to the body and some days later he had an operation to remove an internal abcess. He never recovered. Shortly before he died, he is alleged to have whispered to one of his brothers “Don’t let them make too much of the cricket ball – just a piece of bad luck”. A full life had been cut short. Hon Alfred Lyttelton was surely the most impressive of Trinity College’s impressive list of cricketers.

Stephen Baldwin.