Played 4: Won 1, Lost 1, Drawn 2 Friday June
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1924 Played 4: Won 1, Lost 1, Drawn 2 Friday June 27 and Saturday June 28 v The School at Sherborne - Drawn Sherborne Pilgrims 119 (R G Forbes-Bassett 5-47) and 254-6 (J S Haines 112 not out, D C D Ryder 50); Sherborne School 329 (G C W Neve 99, J K Hill 72) Tuesday July 29 v Dorset Rangers at Sherborne - Lost by 5 wickets Sherborne Pilgrims 167 (G Peddie 95 not out; G G H Symes 4-69); Dorset Rangers 168-5 (J M Doulton 65 not out, R J Luffman 54) Wednesday July 30 and Thursday July 31 v Devon Dumplings at Exeter - Won by 9 wickets Pilgrims 220 (M E K Westlake 56; P Ashton 6-57) and 21-1; Devon Dumplings 94 and 145 (C B Sharpe 6-76) Friday August 1 and Saturday August 2 v Exmouth at Exmouth - Drawn Exmouth 222 (Col Hogg 51; S J Olivier 4-46, G Peddie 4-80); Sherborne Pilgrims 250 (D McDonald 89, Peddie 57; J N Goodwyn 6-73) Without a most opportunely stolid innings of 95 by G Peddie, the Pilgrims would have cut an exceedingly poor figure against Dorset Rangers in the first match on July 29: the home side's methods of defeating themselves were varied and vigorous - the author, for instance, singled out a would-have-been-wide for the invidious attention of second slip! The Rangers were much too adequate for some moderate bowling, though they might have had to fight harder if our “big noise”, C B Sharpe, had not been careless about a bee the day before, and thereby placed himself temporarily hors de combat. The two bright spots in our out-cricket were the bowling of Parry- Jones, and the incredible energy of Olivier’s fielding at the end of a very hot evening. So far from being dispirited at this setback, the Pilgrims arrived at Exeter with the resolution to make amends. Our captain, Col Partridge, had motored through the night to meet us, and won the toss on a perfect wicket. With better batting the side registered over two hundred. Chief credit goes to Westlake, who displayed contempt for the Dumplings bowlers to the tune of 56 runs; but by far the most notable, and stirring, achievement was the opening stroke of Parry-Jones’s innings - a crashing, cross-bat, straight drive for four, which evoked tumultuous applause from a keenly critical gathering of spectators. In fact, P-J had a splendid match; perhaps his bowling was not as successful in mere figures as against the Rangers, but the magnificent abandon with which he hurled himself hither and thither in the slips, galvanised the whole team to a display of truly terrific energy in the field, which, as a tone-colour for the highlights of Paddy Sharpe's bowling, proved altogether too much for our opponents, who were defeated by 12 o'clock the next morning by more than an innings. Another man who will probably cherish this match among the treasures of his memory is Graham Peddie. For was he not singled out from all his envious confreres by a particularly attractive young lady, and requested to sign his name in her autograph book? It is unkind to add that this stern petticoat-hater was momentarily so overcome that he complied with her request. On Wednesday evening some malign spirit informed us that we could do worse than entertain ourselves at the Exeter Hippodrome. It seemed a strange formula, but we sallied forth and were rewarded with two hours of excruciating torment. The majority of the team feigned some small interest, others, and blatantly P-J, were not content with mere passive protestation. They succeeded in producing a veritable tornado of din, by judicious discord of throat-clearing and programme rustling. However, we were finally released, and next day found ourselves at Exmouth. Our captain here failed to do his duty, and we spent a considerable time in the field - in fact till the rain came late in the evening. P-J turned out in his fourth pair of clean trousers since the tour began, but yet another Herculean effort in the slips sent them the same way as their predecessors - to the laundry! Spens again distinguished himself as a deep fieldsman. Peddie and the author took turn and turn about hunting in a most interesting, hilly, country in the direction of square leg. We dined early and very cheerfully with the prospect of Ian Stevens, that superb Devonshire comedian. We motored to Budleigh Salterton, and were not disappointed; the great man rose superior to the colossal heat of the room and produced such a show as none there was ever likely to see bettered. Then we staggered out, to be revived by the delightful and much appreciated hospitality of la famille Vincent Smith. We arrived back to find the hotel indulging in a grand ball. We men straightaway retired to bed, but a few members of the team "thought they would just have a glance!", and of course the combination of jazz and Exmouth belles proved too strong. The author for one enjoyed himself hugely to the indignant disgust of more than one gentleman, who had waded through the heavy formalities of introductions and programmes! Next day the rain interfered, and made a definite result to the match impossible. Our opponents’ first-innings score was passed, however, thanks to a particularly crashing innings by D Macdonald, who planted the ball with great ferocity and frequency well over the trees that surrounded the ground. G Peddie again compiled a large score. Then it was helter-skelter to reach the station. Our captain with his cheery and invariable manner of denotation should be able to look back on the tour with some satisfaction: he was not implicated in the debacle at Sherborne, and could not be held responsible for the rain at Exmouth, and he set an example in the field, which enabled us to rise superior to the paucity of bowlers. May he lead the team on many more occasions! The man who, perhaps above all others, deserves special mention on the tour was our scorer, John Vincent Smith, who was patriotic enough to travel some 40 miles for four days in succession, in order to mark down every ball bowled. His effort was thoroughly appreciated. Report by FHW. 1925 Played 4: Won 2, Drawn 2 Friday June 26 and Saturday June 27 v The School at Sherborne - Drawn Sherborne Pilgrims 165 (B C W Windle 79; C M G Moberly 6-33) and 146-1 (H G M Barton 85); Sherborne School 340-5 dec (R Eglington 189 not out, J.A. Nunn 77; R.G. Forbes-Bassett 4-108) Tuesday July 28 v South Wilts at Sherborne - Won by 7 wickets South Wilts 159 (J A Nunn 4-28); Sherborne Pilgrims 163-3 (W E Tucker 50 not out) Wednesday July 29 and Thursday July 30 v Exmouth at Exmouth - Drawn Sherborne Pilgrims 112 (H S Carter 6-38) and 268-9 dec (C H Cole 133); Exmouth 112 and 143-4 (G Knapman 55 not out, T J Eales 50) Friday July 31 and Saturday August 1 v United Services at Mount Wise, Plymouth - Won by innings and 97 runs Sherborne Pilgrims 450-9 dec (G Peddie 231, C H Cole 96, A W B Brakspear 60 not out; Lt Benstead 5-136); United Services 159 (Cdr Rapkin 64) and 194 (Capt Bray 55) The first match worked itself into what must be acknowledged as the ideal performance for such an occasion; to begin with, the opponents were almost all dismissed before lunch; and afterwards just the right people distinguished themselves - most conveniently because they thus provided such a splendid opportunity for those (and there were many), who could recall similar feats of the same persons at school, and feel the finer fellows for having themselves performed equal, and more brilliant, deeds than their other contemporaries. Our opponents were perhaps a trifle unlucky in that their super-batsman was sent back by a perfect display of juggling, such as the guilty fieldsman, R Forbes-Bassett, could certainly only have produced under the influence of Mr Ford's excellent luncheon strawberries. The opposition thus dispatched, there followed the gatherings of those jolly companies in which every Shirburnian counts it a privilege to participate. This is the time when the mighty monsters of the past bandy their hair-raising tales, like so many ping-pong balls, across the groaning table, while we youngsters of the brotherhood sit in awe-struck dumbness - and offer silent prayers of thanks for the rapid civilisation of the “public school system”! And afterwards there was no lack of entertainment, the principal artistes were an outrageous motorcycle, somebody else’s car, and a rider, Forbes-Bassett, who rivalled in daring and skill the world famed trapeze fiends of Olympic’s circus. It poured incessantly the next morning, and in addition our official umpire intimated that he had suddenly lost enthusiasm; doubtless he was chary of associating himself - and in a responsible position - with such a band of Pilgrims. But things (i.e. run-outs, leg-befores etc) would have gone ill for the team, had not our ever-ready-to-help E J Freeman stepped forward to fill the breach and the white coat. We found that the rain had ceased at Exmouth, but upon winning the toss, ourselves provided an excellent substitute in the stream of batsmen who poured in and out of the pavilion in rapid succession.