Clifton 1st XI v Tonbridge 1st XI Lord’s Nursery Ground 24 June 2014

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For more information visit cliftoncollege.com/admissions or call 0117 321 0342 May I extend a very warm welcome to you all to Lord’s today. The match marks the 100th anniversary of the first meeting here between Clifton and Tonbridge on July 27/28 1914. The contest between the two schools continued to be played at Lord’s until 1968, after which date the fixture moved around various cricket festivals until 1995. Clifton won that first game in 1914, by nine wickets; Tonbridge won the last game in 1995 by ten wickets, so there is all to play for today. You will find the full and fascinating history of the fixture later on in this programme. Of course we cannot and must not forget that the military conflict that was about to unfold took the lives of half of the players in that first match; seven from Clifton and four from Tonbridge. Among the Great War’s earliest casualties was A.E.J Collins, the Clifton schoolboy who still holds the record for the highest individual score in cricket, an extraordinary 628 not out. Mindful though we might be of those events one hundred years ago, let us also use today as an occasion to celebrate all that is good about school cricket. Enjoy the day; enjoy reminiscing about the games that you played in, and about the people you played with and against, and above all enjoy one another’s company. With best wishes,

Mr M. J. Moore MA Head of Clifton and Head Master of The Upper School

Tonbridge is honoured and delighted to be able to share with Clifton the centenary of their first contest at Lord’s, played on 27 and 28 July 1914. The poignancy of this date, just a week before the outbreak of the Great War, is made the more moving by the fact that four of the Tonbridge team were killed in that war – Rex Sherwell, Hugh Wilson, Ronald Lovelace and Eric Man. Sherwell was a schoolboy cricketing prodigy who was shot down less than two weeks after joining his squadron on the Somme, aged only eighteen. Tonbridge’s greatest pre-war cricketer, Kenneth Hutchings, who made 126 for England against Australia in Melbourne in 1907, was also killed on the Somme. Tonbridge is lucky to have a fine cricket ground, known as The Head, right in the centre of the school and first used in the 1840s. Many fine cricketers have developed their careers on this ground, including Colin Cowdrey, the most distinguished of them all. But Tonbridge cricket also prides itself on the depth of cricketers it nurtures, with up to twenty teams taking the field on Saturday match days. We are also proud of the Old Tonbridgian Cricket Club which has won the Cricketer Cup twice as many times as its nearest challenger, and is the current holder of the trophy. I am sure that all those playing today will remember their first match at Lord’s with great excitement and pride, and I wish both teams luck in the renewal of this historic school match. Mr Tim Haynes Headmaster of Tonbridge

3 Clifton College 1st XI

1. Tom Smith (Captain) 2. Hamish Matthews 3. Joel Barber 4. Jack Ellison (Vice Captain) 5. Tom Costley 6. Finn Trenouth 7. Jonathan Dilley 8. Tom Probert 9. Vir Lakhani 10. Dylan Trenouth 11. Jake Probert

Scorer: Alex Turco

4 Tonbridge School 1st XI

1. Cam MacGregor 2. Ed Hyde 3. Zak Crawley 4. Marcus O’Riordan 5. Harry Langham 6. Harry Fitzgerald 7. Hamish Nolan 8. Will Weston 9. Ben Earl 10. Jamie Monkhouse 11. Nick Winder (Captain) 12. James Alvey

Scorer: Alex Hume

5 Clifton v Tonbridge 1914–1968 Matches ended by mutual agreement when no result could be achieved are called ‘abandoned (time)’; only those played out to a draw are listed as such. [T] indicates variants in The Tonbridgian, [C] The Cliftonian, and [M] MCC’s printed Matches For The Season. The original Clifton scorebooks, where extant, have been checked against discrepancies in the printed reports. The MCC version has been followed in some cases of manifestly faulty arithmetic elsewhere. †Captain. *Not Out. 1914 at Lord’s, 27 & 28 July Tonbridge 55 (S.B. Morgan 6 for 18) and 242 [T] or 243 [C, M]; Clifton 266 (†G.W.E. Whitehead 78 / F.C. Man 6 for 51) and 33 for 1; Clifton won by 9 wickets 1915 at Tonbridge, 26 & 27 July Clifton 252 [C] or 254 [T] (R. Hawkes 62 / R.D. Lovelace 5 for 73) and 165 for 8; Tonbridge 191 (P.H. Fitzgerald 54*) and 133 for 5 (†R. Sherwell 69); Match abandoned (rain) 1916 at Clifton, 31 July & 1 August Clifton 342 (A.F. Bickmore 103) and 139 for 3 dec (Bickmore 86*); Tonbridge 242 (C.H. Evans 67) and 120 for 3; Match abandoned (time) 1917 at Tonbridge, 30 July (no play 31st) Tonbridge 135; Clifton 88 for 2; Match abandoned (rain) [1918 no match] 1919 at Lord’s, 28 & 29 July Clifton 173 (I.J.L. Saltmarsh 107) and 229 (C.J. Burton 56); Tonbridge 338 (†L.P. Hedges 163) and 65 for 1; Tonbridge won by 9 wickets 1920 at Lord’s, 26 & 27 July Clifton 185 (W.M. Hampton 81* / C.H. Knott 6 for 83) and 56 (Knott 7 for 27); Tonbridge 145 (H.C.A. Gaunt 53) and 100 for 1 (†E.P. Solbé 66*); Tonbridge won by 9 wickets 1921 at Lord’s, 25 & 26 July Tonbridge 199 (T.E.S. Francis 64) and 296 (H.C.A. Gaunt 177); Clifton 210 and 144; Tonbridge won by 141 runs 1922 at Lord’s, 31 July and 1 August Clifton 268 (O.M. Robson 62, D.E. Kennedy 69 / A.G. Greatrex 7 for 107); Tonbridge 92 (D.D. Homan 6 for 26) and 163 (Homan 6 for 64); Clifton won by an innings and 13 runs 1923 at Lord’s, 30 & 31 July Clifton 276 (R.F.P. Holloway 52) and 72 for 1; Tonbridge 207 (T.F. Mitchell 52); Match abandoned (rain) 1924 No play (rain) 1925 at Lord’s, 27 & 28 July Tonbridge 213 (†T.F. Mitchell 70 / †H.J.H. Alpass 6 for 118); Clifton 84 (J. McDermid 6 for 23) and 217 for 6 (G.G. Aslett 82); Match drawn 1926 at Lord’s, 27 July (no play 26th) Clifton 226 (†F.M.S. Tegner 113 / E.J.G. Tucker 5 for 97); Tonbridge 153; Match abandoned (time) 1927 at Lord’s, 25 & 26 July Clifton 149 and 222 (J.F. Cornes 61); Tonbridge 171 (J.A. Baiss 66) and 189 (Baiss 58, L.L. Armour 50); Clifton won by 11 runs 1928 at Lord’s, 30 & 31 July Clifton 77 and 233 (K.W. Nattle 100 / R.H. Rutter 5 for 61); Tonbridge 298 (L.L. Armour 108 / †A.M. Tilly 5 for 95) and 13 for 0; Tonbridge won by 10 wickets 1929 at Lord’s, 29 & 30 July Clifton 258 (B.O. Allen 86 / C.T. Orton 5 for 98) and 157; Tonbridge 169 and 249 (J.G.W. Davies 102, †T.A. Crawford 63); Tonbridge won by 1 wicket

6 1930 at Lord’s, 28 & 29 July Clifton 266 (K.C. Kinnersley 76, J.M. Northen 64) and 22 for 1; Tonbridge 172 (†J.G.W. Davies 52); Match abandoned (rain) 1931 at Lord’s, 27 & 28 July Clifton 208 (G.C. Tovey 99 / R.W.M. Morrison 6 for 45) and 195 for 5; Tonbridge 325 (H.R. Crouch 79, Morrison 69 / J.G. Harrison 5 for 59, J.A. Coachafer 5 for 105); Match drawn 1932 at Lord’s, 26 July (no play 25th) Clifton 179 (†K.C. Kinnersley 95*); Tonbridge 166 for 8 (R.W. M. Morrison 67); Match drawn 1933 at Lord’s, 31 July and 1 August Clifton 351 for 8 dec (N.I. Edelshain 53, C.G. Nuttall 71) and 131 for 3 (Edelshain 65); Tonbridge 224 (A.H. Leach 51, D.C.S. Ball 51) and 257 (G.C. La Fontaine 80, D.A.S. Day 60, Ball 65 / E.K. Scott 6 for 57); Clifton won by 7 wickets 1934 at Lord’s, 30 & 31 July Tonbridge 270 (D.A.S. Day 71, G.B. Salmon 77) and 221 (Day 130*); Clifton 224 (J. Weston 121) and 94; Tonbridge won by 173 runs 1935 at Lord’s, 29 & 30 July Clifton 255 (†M.H. Anderson 89) and 165; Tonbridge 160 and 264 for 9 (†T.C. Cobb 68, H.M. Clark 50, R.G. Hobbs 74) Tonbridge won by 1 wicket 1936 at Lord’s, 27 & 28 July Clifton 206 (J.L. Eberle 106*/ J.D. Parsons 5 for 53) and 21 for 4; Tonbridge 278 (Parsons 68) Match abandoned (rain) 1937 at Lord’s, 26 & 27 July Clifton 292 (A.R. Mutter 79, G.A. Gibbs 59) and 199 (Mutter 55); Tonbridge 194 (B.W. Cox 73) and 201 (†J.R. Thompson 68, E.C. Bousfield 62 / †E.K. Scott 7 for 71); Clifton won by 96 runs 1938 at Lord’s, 25 & 26 July Clifton 155 and 123 (†D.G.W. Yeats-Brown 5 for 28); Tonbridge 189 (P.G.C. Wood 62) and 91 for 2; Tonbridge won by 8 wickets 1939 at Lord’s, 31 July & 1 August Tonbridge 125 and 265 (J.M. Vernon 56 / A.K. Rees 5 for 69); Clifton 114 and 63 (M.P. Rose-Price 6 for 16); Tonbridge won by 213 runs [1940 no match] 1941 at Lord’s, 28 & 29 July Clifton 123 and 95; Tonbridge 121 (L.J. Lendon-Smith 67 / J.M. Josephs 6 for 29) and 101 for 5; Tonbridge won by 5 wickets and 4 runs 1942 at Lord’s, 27 & 28 July Clifton 198 (L. Briggs 57, P.V. Dodge 52) and 226 for 8 (I.F. Bishop 54, Briggs 60); Tonbridge 171 (J.D. Elmore 78) and 174 (J.P. Sainsbury 5 for 26); Clifton won by 79 runs 1943 at Lord’s, 26 & 27 July Tonbridge 128 (A. Gunn 5 for 32) and 118; Clifton 183 (L. Briggs 61, C.E. Dickson 53 / D.H.O. Allen 7 for 34) and 65 for 1; Clifton won by 9 wickets 1944 at Clifton, 31 July and 1 August Tonbridge 134 and 106; Clifton 219 (†J.P. Sainsbury 77) and 22 for 3; Clifton won by 7 wickets 1945 at Lord’s, 30 & 31 July Tonbridge 164 (G.P. Bowler 54 / P.G. Puddle 5 for 49) and 163 (Puddle 5 for 54); Clifton 221 (R.N. Exton 53; B. Thomas 85* / N.D. Hildreth 8 for 78) and 107 for 3; Clifton won by 7 wickets 1946 at Lord’s, 29 & 30 July Tonbridge 156 (M.C. Cowdrey 75 / †R.N. Exton 6 for 64) and 175 (D.K. Horton 51 / Exton 8 for 61); Clifton 214 (M.L. Green 56) and 115 for 9 all out (Cowdrey 5 for 59); Tonbridge won by 2 runs 1947 at Lord’s, 28 & 29 July Clifton 240 (P.M.V. Crawford 51, D.B. Bird 50); Tonbridge 75 and 127; Clifton won by an innings and 38 runs 1948 at Lord’s, 26 & 27 July Clifton 137 and 197 (†T.S. Penny 50); Tonbridge 77 and 119; Clifton won by 138 runs

7 1949 at Lord’s, 25 & 26 July Clifton 248 (C.W. Witt 69); Tonbridge 112 and 119 (J.D.C. Rees for for 15); Clifton won by an innings and 17 runs 1950 at Lord’s, July 31 & August 1 Clifton 201 (R.P. Rankine 80 / D.H.J. Hilary 5 for 54) and 102; Tonbridge 128 (A.J. Smith 5 for 31) and 176 for 6 (†M.C. Cowdrey 97); Tonbridge won by 4 wickets 1951 at Lord’s, 30 & 31 July Tonbridge 227 (P.H.C. Fuente 50, K.W. Pearce 63 / †M.B. Foyle 5 for 37) and 162; Clifton 226 (J.A.F.M. Moore 62 / Pearce 6 for 42) and 155 for 8 (Moore 55); Match drawn 1952 at Lord’s, 28 & 29 July Clifton 96 and 175 (J.F. Kitching 5 for 54); Tonbridge 190 (C.S. Fleetwood 55 / T.F.C. Hanson 5 for 52) and 83 for 3; Tonbridge won by 7 wickets 1953 at Lord’s, 27 & 28 July Tonbridge 223 (R.F. Crang 63, C.S. Fleetwood 66 / S.T.G. Morgan 5 for 59) and 10 for 0; Clifton 65 (R.M.K. Gracey 5 for 26) and 165 (J.E.A. Mocatta 56/ R.A. Clay 5 for 57); Tonbridge won by 10 wickets 1954 at Lord’s, 24 July (no play 26th) Tonbridge 320 (G.E. Godfrey 50, P.M. Odell 92); Clifton 100 for 7; Match abandoned (rain) * 1955 at Lord’s, 25 & 26 July Tonbridge 161 and 116; Clifton 116 for 9 dec and 79 (R.M.K. Gracey 7 for 16); Tonbridge won by 82 runs 1956 at Lord’s, 30 & 31 July Tonbridge 198 (C.J. Crang 54 / P.E.C. White 5 for 47) and 169 for 5 dec; Clifton 156 (J.R. Bernard 56 / M.H. Foster 5 for 56) and 103 for 9; Match drawn 1957 at Lord’s, 29 & 30 July Clifton 139 and 227 for 8 dec (†J.R. Bernard 104); Tonbridge 95 and 171 (†R.M. Prideaux 89); Clifton won by 100 runs 1958 at Lord’s, 4 & 5 August Clifton 267 (J.L. Freeman 87); Tonbridge 99 and 113; Clifton won by an innings and 55 runs 1959 at Lord’s, 26 & 27 July Tonbridge 136 [T] or 137 [C] (G.I. Arthurs 5 for 51) and 109; Clifton 325 for 8 dec (J.R. Stephens 125); Clifton won by an innings and 79 runs [C] or 80 runs [T] 1960 at Lord’s, 25 & 26 July Clifton 235 (†A.R. Windows 57) and 181 for 8 dec; Tonbridge 208 for 8 dec (P.W, Abelson 101) and 122 for 4 (Abelson 59*); Match drawn 1961 at Lord’s, 31 July and 1 August Clifton 195 (M.B. Gilmour 53, H.W.H. Alpass 61) and 186 (Gilmour 64 / N.H.D. Clough 6 for 54); Tonbridge 316 (G.C. Aylward 98, P.W. Abelson 57, D.P. Toft 81*) and 66 for 3; Tonbridge won by 7 wickets 1962 at Lord’s, 30 & 31 July Clifton 105 (P.J.C. Canney 6 for 27) and 127 (Canney 5 for 30); Tonbridge 185 (D.P. Toft 60) and 51 for 2; Tonbridge won by 8 wickets 1963 at Lord’s, 25 & 26 July Clifton 159 (D. Cottrell 50 / D.R. Aers 6 for 49) and 89 (F.J. Whidborne 5 for 16); Tonbridge 166 (H.R.St G. Hamersley 7 for 31) and 76 for 1; Tonbridge won by 9 wickets

*The fixture was moved forward to Saturday and Monday (Sunday cricket not yet having been invented), which meant that current pupils could not attend on the first day; and there was no play on the second

8 1964 at Lord’s, 27 & 28 July Clifton 145 (J.L.K. Rooke 7 for 45) and 156 (D.R. Aers 5 for 36); Tonbridge 193 (H.R.St G. Hamersley 5 for 65) and 109 for 7 (Aers 50); Tonbridge won by 3 wickets 1965 at Lord’s, 30 July [one-day match] Tonbridge 253 for 5 dec (J.L.K. Rooke 51, J.H. Ussher 60*); Clifton 221 for 7 (J.M. Capper 88); Match drawn 1966 at Lord’s, 25 & 26 July Tonbridge 172 (J.S. Rodd 53) and 107 for 4 dec; Clifton 169 (L.R. Harris 60, P.C. Hinton 52) and 94 for 5; Match abandoned (rain) 1967 at Lord’s, 22 July [one-day match] Tonbridge 197; Clifton 135 for 8; Match drawn 1968 at Lord’s, 15 July [one-day match] Tonbridge 184 for 7 dec (C.G.L. Jenkins 63); Clifton 121 for 8; Match drawn Match Results

Tonbridge win 19 (1919-21, 1928-9, 1934-5, 1938-9, 1941, 1946, 1950, 1952-3, 1955, 1961-4) Clifton win 15 (1914, 1922, 1927, 1933, 1937, 1942-5, 1947-9, 1957-9) Abandoned/drawn 18 (1915-17, 1923, 1925-6, 1930-2, 1936, 1951, 1954, 1956, 1960, 1965-8) Centuries Clifton Tonbridge

125 J.R. Stephens (1959) 177 H.C.A. Gaunt (1921) 121 J. Weston (1924) 163 L.P. Hedges (1919) 113 F.M.S. Teigner (1926) 130* D.A.S. Day (1934) 107 I.J.L. Saltmarsh (1919) 108 L.L. Armour (1928) 106* J.L. Eberle (1936) 102 J.G.W. Davies (1929) 104 J.R. Bernard (1957) 101 P.W. Abelson (1960) 103 A.F. Bickmore (1916 at Clifton) 100 K.W. Nattle (1928) 10+ wickets in match Clifton Tonbridge

14 for 125 R.N. Exton (1946) 13 for110 C.H. Knott (1920) 12 for 90 D.D. Homan (1922) 10 for 73 D.L.K. Rooke (1964) 11 for 57 P.J.C. Canney (1962) 11 for 124 E.K. Scott (1937) 10 for 103 P.G. Puddle (1945)

The one-day matches played in three of the last four years were single-innings ‘declaration’ format, not limited overs; so a win could only be achieved if the opposition innings had been closed

9 Old Cliftonian Society Cricket Week 2014 The Close – Clifton College

Monday 7 July, 6.00pm Contacts for the OC Cricket Society are: Old Cliftonians v Clifton Badgers CC Rupert Swetman – Captain Tuesday 8 July, 11.30am 07773 786004 Old Cliftonians v Steve Scott XI [email protected] There will be a BBQ on the Close for Will Greig – Secretary all players and spectators after the 07595 540680 match; all are welcome. [email protected] Wednesday 9 July 11.30am Old Cliftonians v Bedouins (Old Bristolians) CC Thursday 10 July 11.30am Old Cliftonians v Gloucester Gypsies CC Friday 11 July 11.30am Old Cliftonians v Free Foresters CC

10 Clifton and Tonbridge the Lord’s Years 1914-1968 ‘I never knew a boy worth anything who was not fond of cricket’ Dr Thomas Knox Headmaster of Tonbridge 1812-43

Clifton and Tonbridge are not obvious rivals. Quite apart from the geographical divide, there is no particular link in history or constitution, or among their guiding personalities. Nevertheless they joined the élite group of schools privileged with an annual match at Lord’s. The centenary of the first such encounter is marked today. Tonbridge is by far the older foundation, and cricket was played there long before Clifton’s Close was scraped from a muddy hillside. However it was only in the mid-19th century that Tonbridge developed into a major school, thanks to the transport revolution and an access of wealth from London property given by the founder. One benefit of the latter was the cricket field of legendary beauty first named after the ‘Head Eleven’ who played there, and then simply called ‘the Head’. Clifton by contrast sprang from its Victorian founders’ design fully armed with a fine playing ground. Competitive cricket therefore developed in both schools at about the same time. Clifton’s beginnings coincided with the golden age of Gloucestershire under the captaincy of W.G. Grace. From 1871 the Close was used as a county ground, and a good many Cliftonians also played for the county. Two of Clifton’s England players (E.F.S. Tylecote and C.F. Townsend) belong to this era; there would not be another until R.J. Kirtley in 1995. Tonbridge’s contribution to its county side has been steadier; it has also produced six Test players, two of whom made their Lord’s debuts against Clifton. Tonbridge had played its first ‘foreign’ match against Brighton College in 1856, and a regular XI was established two years later. For a while Brighton remained the only school opponent, but (being privately run) was thought not quite in the same league as an aspiring ‘public’ school. A correspondent in The Tonbridgian venturesomely proposed meetings with Winchester, St Paul’s and Charterhouse. Clifton was rather better-placed to pick its fights. An XI had been formed in the first summer term (1863). Two years later its successor met and drew with Sherborne, and this would become a regular fixture. The Cheltenham match, the local Derby, was first played in 1872. However for many years the majority of Clifton’s opponents were club sides or Oxford colleges, and the same was true of Tonbridge. Both were looking for more competition with their peers. Connecting The first detectable link between the schools is the long-serving Tonbridge House Master H.R. Stokoe, whose father had been Clifton’s first Assistant Master. Doubtless many bonds were forged at the universities and in the army. In the ‘Varsity Match of 1886 Oxford openers W. Rashleigh OT and KJ Key OC put on 243, which remains the highest 1st-innings partnership for either side in that contest. The story really begins in 1898 with a match on the Head between OTs and OCs, though the teams included the incumbent Tonbridge captain (W.E.C. Hutchings) and two of the Clifton XI (the brothers F.G. and P.G. Robinson). In the following year Tonbridge came to Clifton for a match which began ten days after A.E.J. Collins had completed his celebrated knock in a Junior game. Tonbridge did not have to face the wunderkind, though maybe the thought that Clifton did not select a chap who had just made

11 628* was even more daunting. As it was the home side won by eight wickets. There was a reciprocal visit to the Head in 1899, though The Tonbridgian’s report is almost wholly devoted to a concert given for the visitors (with special praise for a blindfolded xylophonist). All it said of the cricket was that it ended at 5.30 p.m. There were hopes of a regular fixture, but the logistics were too daunting. Lord’s Clifton had first been invited to Lord’s in 1871 (probably through the Grace connexion), and on that first occasion had beaten MCC by an innings and 61 runs. Tonbridge had a fixture with MCC from 1876, but this was always played on the Head. Inter-school cricket at Lord’s had started with Eton v Harrow in 1818; Rugby v Marlborough followed in 1855, and then (1893) Cheltenham v Haileybury. There was also a match between MCC and a combined schools XI, for which some Tonbridgians played. In 1913 a larger schools’ tournament began, with competition for places in the team to challenge MCC. Clifton’s match with MCC took place in the same week, and the idea emerged that in future Tonbridge should be their Lord’s opponents. It cannot have been so simple, but the official histories on either side say nothing more. It might be significant that a Clifton master, C.F.G. Swan, had moved to Tonbridge in 1913. A more likely matchmaker is the cricket enthusiast A.L. Bickmore, who had left the Tonbridge staff to found Yardley Court prep school, though he sent his sons M.H. and A.F. to Clifton. Indeed this cricketing dynasty is pivotal, as A.F. Bickmore would captain Clifton then play for Kent, and his son would captain Tonbridge. Another influential family represented in both camps were the Whiteheads. Rowland Whitehead of Wilmington Hall, Dartford, a member of the Clifton College Council, was uncle of J.H.E. Whitehad (XI of 1908-9) and his brother G.W.E. (XI of 1911, Capt 1914, whose 259* remains the highest innings for the school). Five more Whiteheads, presumably cousins, were at Tonbridge around that time, though none of them reached the XI.

1914-1918 Whatever strings were pulled and by whom, the two XIs met for the first time at Lord’s on 27 and 28 July 1914. Tonbridge won the toss and put themselves in - then collapsed in a nervous heap for 55, of which only 38 came off the bat. S.B. Morgan is said to have spun as well as swung the ball in taking 6 for 18. The Clifton opening pair of G.W.E.Whitehead and A.F. Bickmore made 94, and the Clifton innings closed for 266. Best of the Tonbridge bowlers was F.C. Man with 6 for 51. Although Tonbridge did much better at the second attempt (243), Clifton collected the 33 needed for victory without troubling to send in their first three batsmen. It is impossible to recall this occasion unmindful of the impending tragedy. On the day before the match Austria- Hungary had declared war on Serbia, starting a conflict 1914 G Whitehead Clifton Captain which would take the lives of half the players in that first Lord’s encounter – seven from Clifton and four from Tonbridge. The first to fall, before the schools met again in 1915, was 2nd Lt S.B. Morgan, Leicestershire Regiment. Lt G.W.E. Whitehead, RAF, was killed just before the Armistice. Lt F.C. Man, Hampshire Regiment, died of wounds early in 1919.

12 There would be no return to Lord’s during the war, but the fixture was played on the alternate home grounds, beginning on the Head in 1915. On that occasion the Clifton batsmen were troubled by R.D. Lovelace’s googlies (he took 5 for 73 in the 1st innings, and 4 of the 5 wickets to fall in the 2nd). S.G. Bassett of Clifton had learnt the same new trick (its pioneer, B.J.T. Bosanquet, was still playing for Middlesex). Wartime restrictions made transport progressively more difficult. In 1916 the match on the Close could not start until 3 p.m., and the following year Clifton took even longer to reach Tonbridge. These matches were also affected by rain, and unsurprisingly none produced a result. Despite hopes for an earlier start in 1918, there would be no meeting at all that year.

A. F. Bickmore 1917

Tonbridge 1914

13 Between the wars 1919 saw the return to Lord’s, a new and intimidating experience for all players. Clifton made a disastrous start, but were steadied by 107 from I.J.L. Saltmarsh, who thus became the first Cliftonian to score a Lord’s century. This was answered with interest by the charismatic Tonbridge Captain, L.P. Hedges, who made 163 and became one of Wisden’s Cricketers of the Year. The result was a crushing 9-wicket victory which gave Tonbridge revenge for their drubbing in 1914. The early matches were badly affected by the weather. The first day was lost in 1917, the second in 1926, and no play at all was possible in 1924. Altogether seven of the first twelve matches were drawn or abandoned because of rain. The two-day declaration format was immutable, so there was no mechanism for shortening the contest to the time available. The only option, suggested by The Tonbridgian was that the ‘inordinately long’ tea intervals might be cut in the interest of achieving of a result. Despite or because of these leisurely circumstances there was some solid scoring. Of the thirteen centuries made at Lord’s, eight came between 1919 and 1929. Hedges’ record for the highest score lasted only two years, until H.C.A. Gaunt hit 177 to win the 1921 match for Tonbridge. Having a touch of Ranjitsinjhi’s magic, he mesmerised the bowlers with unorthodox footwork, hitting freely towards the short boundary between Tavern and Mound. Top scorer in the winning Clifton side of 1927 was J.F. Cornes, a future Olympic Silver Medallist at 1500m and equally nifty over 22 yards. The twenties ended in the most dramatic fashion. With Tonbridge wanting one to draw and two to win off the last ball, R.P. Keun sent down a near-perfect delivery which for a moment looked to have saved the match for Clifton; then it streaked past batsman, wicket and keeper for four byes, bringing victory for Tonbridge.

14 The first day of the 1932 match was again lost to rain. This time some thought was given to playing a single innings, but as yet the laws knew ‘of no such accommodation’. For Trevor Howard (known as Howard-Smith in his Clifton days) this was his only appearance on the Lord’s stage, and his innings was brief. By contrast E.K. Scott was in the Clifton side for five years, the last two as captain, and he topped the bowling figures in his first and last matches. He would play for Oxford University and Gloucestershire before concentrating on rugby, following his father into the English XV and briefly leading it. B.O. Allen (XI of 1929-30), was to have a much longer association with Gloucestershire as player and captain. It is unfair to recall only the celebrities. The 1933 match saw the largest aggregate of runs (963), and the highest innings score (Clifton’s 1st of 351 for 8). Tonbridge’s reporter admired C.G. Nuttall’s 71 and F.M.N. Heath’s 33, but found the rest ‘rather ordinary’. Yet was a true team effort, with all but one of those who batted reaching double figures. Keeping calm and carrying on In the event Clifton could not travel to Lord’s in 1940, and Stowe took their place as Tonbridge’s opponent. For the next three years Clifton and Tonbridge resumed their customary meeting. The suspension of county cricket added interest to these schools’ fixtures. For Clifton it meant an even longer journey from Bude, to which the school was evacuated in January 1941. On the same day as that year’s meeting at Lord’s, OTs played OCs at Biberach POW camp in Germany, using a tennis ball and improvised equipment. The OTs made 23 then bowled out the 0Cs for 18. But they had an advantage of 11 men to 8, so re-calculation by a Duckworth-Lewis formula might produce a different result. In 1944, with London again menaced by aerial attack, Tonbridge came to play on the Close, conveniently vacated by US troops who had moved elsewhere on 6 June. As a result of those and related activities the war in Europe was over by the time that Clifton and Tonbridge played again in 1945. Clifton won by seven wickets and half an afternoon.

1939 Clifton fielding

15 Tonbridge 1948

Annus mirabilis In 1946 Tonbridge unleashed a new and devastating weapon in the unlikely shape of the 13- year old M.C. Cowdrey, whose very initials presaged the illustrious career which duly unfolded. He was and remains the youngest player to appear at Lord’s. Rumours of an infant prodigy had reached Clifton, but confidence of overcoming ‘that problem’ did not long survive first contact with it. Coming in at no 3, Cowdrey dominated Tonbridge’s 1st innings with 75 out of a total 156, and then took three vital wickets, though Clifton still reached 214. In the 2nd innings Tonbridge’s captain G.P. Bowler took command and hit 51; Cowdrey added another 44, matched by D.S. Kemp, but Tonbridge still managed only 175, so Clifton felt sure of making 118 to win. Cowdrey’s leg-breaks again turned the tables. Bowler wisely restricted him to short spells, and in one of these he took three wickets. He ended with 5 for 59, and Tonbridge won by 2 runs. The victorious XI included M.J. and J.A.D. Bickmore, sons of A.F. who had led Clifton in 1917. For the current Clifton captain R.N. Exton the match was a personal triumph, his 6 for 64 in the first innings and 8 for 61 in the second being the best bowling performance in the rubber. Cowdrey’s part in the next three matches was modest. In 1947 he was run out taking a chance on a mis-field, a classic error he doubtless never made again. This match and the next two went to Clifton. But on his last appearance (1950) he made 97 in the second innings, in the process passing 1,000 runs for the season, and led Tonbridge to a 4-wicket victory.

16 Clifton openers 1952 Prideaux batting 1956 Fifties The early 1950s were dominated by Tonbridge, with four wins and no losses between 1950 and 1956. P.M. Odell hit the top score of these years (92 in 1954), and R.M.K. Gracey’s 7 for 16 in 1955 was the best innings bowling for either side at Lord’s. In 1956 Clifton managed a heroic draw. Set 211 to win, they lost their first five wickets on the score of 10, and it was still only tea-time. But at 6.25 with an over to play and the last man in there was no breathless hush. It was July 31, and the ground was buzzing with reports from Old Trafford. Yet the newsboys’ shouts of Laker’s 19 wickets and the English victory were drowned by Clifton cheers as J. Cottrell struck a boundary through the nine men crowding him, and then successfully defended the final ball. Long before the world heard of the Ministry of Silly Walks, The Tonbridgian spotted the Silly Run-Up. ‘The long-legged John Cleese’ it observed in 1957, ‘gives the quaint impression of running on stilts’. Actually Cleese the bowler was no joke, and this was his best season, but he took no wickets in either of his appearances at Lord’s. He did however hold a couple of catches, and in 1957 helped Clifton to its first win of the decade. Captain J.R. Bernard led from the front with 104. He was W.G. Grace’s great-nephew, and had already begun his own career with Gloucestershire. Tonbridge’s captain R.M. Prideaux fought his ship to the last; third man in and last man out, his 89 (including 14 boundaries) held Clifton back for three hours. He then won his remove to cricket’s higher forms. The second half of the decade belonged to Clifton, with three successive victories. In 1959 they won by an innings and 79 or 80 runs (depending on which scorer you support), with J.R. Stephens making Clifton’s highest score in the series (125). Catches, however, win matches, and in this match Clifton held seventeen of them. It Clifton at Lord’s 1958 was to be their last burst of glory.

17 Sixties In 1960 Clifton could not build on advantages won by the batting of A.R. Windows and the off-breaks of S.K. Ali, and the match was drawn. In the following year Clifton made another good start, again set up by Windows but this time with accurate bowling (4 for 58 in the first innings). The spinners who followed lost control and Tonbridge charged away to 316. G.C. Aylward made 98, and D.P. Toft was left not out on 81 – the nearest in these matches to two centuries in an innings. The crowd’s hero, however, was M.J.C. Page, who put three balls of one over into the Grandstand. Clifton had no answer to this, and Tonbridge won by 7 wickets, the first of four successive wins. These owed much to the all-round abilities of D.G. Aers, still a colt when he played at Lord’s in 1962, who led Tonbridge to the victories of 1964 and 1965. The Cliftonian lamented a weakness in the College’s batting, attributed to the unfamiliar speed of the Lord’s wicket. Clifton’s declining years (as they must be called) were nevertheless punctuated by some impressive bowling figures, notably P.J.C. Canney’s 11 wickets in the 1962 match for just 57 runs. In the following year H.R. St G. Hamersley took 7 for 31 in Tonbridge’s 1st innings, with another seven over two innings in 1964. The last four matches were drawn, though some excitement was supplied by better hitting from Clifton. J.M. Capper’s 88 in 1965 was the last approach to a century, and the following year saw a dazzling 60 from L.R. Harris. The final half-century was hit by C.G.L. Jenkins in the otherwise low-scoring match of 1968. Close of play In its latter years the fixture was tinkered with, a sure sign of weakness. Although Lord’s had never been exactly full (and capacity was much lower than now), good attendance on the second day was assured because it was the end of term in both schools, and boys were released on the solemn understanding that they would attend the match, and nothing but the match. This was frustrated in 1954 and 1963 when MCC brought the event forward. On the second occasion Tonbridge responded gamely by ‘bussing the entire school to St John’s Wood, and was rewarded with victory on the field. Victory in the Secretary’s Office followed, as (after high-powered protests) the 1964 the match reverted to the traditional date. In the following year it was shortened to one day and single innings, though still played to declaration. Lord’s had to host two Test matches that summer, and needed to trim the lower end of the schedule. The full format was restored in 1966, only to be abandoned again for the last two encounters. When stumps were drawn on the evening of 15 July 1968 there was no indication that the Lord’s era had ended. MCC was about to be submerged in a political crisis, triggered by chance when Prideaux withdrew from the final Test of that summer’s Ashes series. His place at The Oval was taken by B.L. D’Oliviera, who duly made 158 and so staked a claim for the winter tour of South Africa. Except of course that D’Oliviera was a ‘Cape Coloured’, and the South African Government would not let him play alongside white men in his native country. MCC’s inept handling of the resulting rumpus provoked wide criticism, many members resigned, and control of English cricket was ceded to the TCCB. At the same time the Club was facing its worst financial deficit, and had to make more lucrative use of its ground. With two Tests to be played at Lord’s again in 1969, the schools’ matches (saving the oldest) were dropped to reduce wear on the square. Cricket was in any case losing its dominant place in the schools themselves. This is evident from the magazines, which had once devoted pages to match reports; by 1968 The Cliftonian gave Lord’s only a couple of lines, and The Tonbridgian printed just the scorecard. Other summer sports were gaining popularity, and schools cricket did not swing with the times. 1968 was a year of revolutions, and our Lord’s match was among many traditions cast aside. 18 Afterlife Before meeting Tonbridge in 1968 Clifton had played at Eastbourne, where the wicket was faster than the Close and so better preparation for Lord’s. When that venue was closed the contest was transferred to the Eastbourne Festival for much of the 1970s and again in the early 1990s. Tonbridge’s own Festival hosted the fixture in the early 1980s, and finally for a three-day match in July 1995. On that occasion Tonbridge won by 10 wickets, and so has the honour today.

Text C.S. Knighton (Principal Assistant Keeper of Archives, Clifton). With thanks to Mrs Matthews (Senior Librarian and Archivist, Tonbridge) and Mr D. Collins (Head of Communications, Tonbridge). Principal sources Clifton XI Score Books; The Cliftonian; The Tonbridgian; R.P. Keigwin in Centenary Essays on Clifton College, ed N.G.L. Hammond (1962); B. Orchard, A Look at the Head and the Fifty (1991); P. Bathurst, A Century of Cricket and Cricketers at Tonbridge School 1900-2000 (2005)

Captains 1949 D. B. Bird and M. C. Cowdrey 19 Clifton College 1st XI (2014 Season)

With the adverse weather affecting so much cricket in the first half of the summer term this has been a season where the 1st XI have struggled to develop momentum though when cricket has been played the side has shown great potential. An early pre-season trip allowed two matches to be played and establish what looked to be a strong side going into the traditional school season. In a match reduced to 20 overs because of the imminent rain there was a tie against Bromsgrove and then an excellent performance against Taunton School, winning by 88 runs. The MCC fixture was frustratingly abandoned with the school in a great position to chase down the 273 set by the MCC. The Monmouth fixture has been extremely close in recent years but this year the side outplayed Monmouth in all facets of the game, chasing down Monmouth’s 92 while losing 1 wicket and doing so in just 16 overs. The Clifton XI of 2014 is certainly well balanced in terms of batting and bowling and with so much cricket to play in the second half of the term I hope there will be many more strong Clifton performances. I know the players will relish the opportunity to play Tonbridge on the Nursery Ground and that the fixture will be a highlight of their cricket and sport at Clifton. It is also fitting to honour the memory of those lost in The Great War in such a way. Let’s hope that the gloomy skies of the early season are replaced with blue skies and days of sunshine to get the best out of the 2014 XI. John Bobby – Master i/c Cricket

Before the match starts both teams will assemble on the ground first Clifton v Tonbridge match at Lord’s on 27

20 Tonbridge School 1st XI (2014 Season)

Tonbridge have been very fortunate to complete all their matches in the first half of this term, despite the poor weather. We played ten matches (including four matches in the National Twenty20 competition) and won nine of them, marking a very successful first half of term. This has included three excellent victories against Eton, Harrow and Charterhouse in the Cowdrey Cup. This is an annual 55 over competition involving five other schools we regularly play, which we instituted in 2001 in honour of Lord Cowdrey. We also won the South East section of the Twenty20 competition, defeating Bede’s in a low scoring final. The 1st XI is a young side this year with eight of the boys in the final twelve returning next year. The boys are all thoroughly looking forward to the opportunity to play on the Nursery Ground at Lord’s against Clifton. This is a wonderful honour and unique opportunity to pay our respects to the cricketing history of our two great schools. Andrew Whittall – Master i/c Cricket

for a one minute silence to remember those who played in the /28 July 1914 and were killed in the Great War.

21 Lord’s 27 & 28 July 1914 Clifton G.W.E. Whitehead (SH) (Capt) killed in action 1918 B.H. Bevan-Petman (OH) A.F. Bickmore (OH) G.F. Briggs (NT) killed in action 1916 W.R. Gardiner (DH) G.C. Hodgkinson (SH) died of wounds 1916 D.C. James (NT) killed in action 1916 R.B.C. Kennedy (WiH) died while serving 1917 S.B. Morgan (BH) killed in action 1915 E.H. McKay (WiH) killed in action 1918 T.C.M. Taberer (WiH) Tonbridge S.T.S. Clarke (SchH) (Capt) E.S. Bingham (JH) N. Boucher (PH) G.P. Hedges (HS) R.D.W. Lovelace (SchH) killed in action 1917 F.C. Man (PS) died while serving 1919 F. Newcomb (SchH) R. Sherwell (PS) killed in action 1916 C.K. Tester (MH) G.V. Thompson (FH) H.V. Wilson (DB) died of wounds 1919

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