MITCHAM WICKET KEEPERS Mitcham Cricket Club Has a Long
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MITCHAM WICKET KEEPERS Mitcham Cricket Club has a long tradition of having fine wicket-keepers. It isn't known where this tradition originates - that is lost in the mists of time. But it may be that it dates from the end of the 19th and start of the 20th centuries. Around this time Mitcham was blessed with a series of county-class keepers: A.F. (Alfred Clarke), Herbert Strudwick, Ernest Bale and Dan Sullivan. Who was the best of them? That seems impossible to judge from this time distant. Maybe Strudwick. Both Bale and Sullivan were understudies to Strudwick at Surrey. And after all, he played 27 years for Surrey, 28 Tests for England, and held the record for dismissals in first-class cricket (1493) until this was finally surpassed by John Murray (1527) and Bob Taylor (1649). But then, Strudwick said that he "played very little for Mitcham for they had in A.F.Clarke a far better man than I could ever dream to be". Now, Struddy was noted for his modesty, so this accolade may be a slight exaggeration. Clearly, though, they must all have been pretty good! These four seem a good place to start. But having had a quick look at their careers, we will go back to look at a few of those who played for Mitcham in the 19th century and then at the careers of those who followed. And end with a few words on some others who have either represented Mitcham and on occasion donned the gloves, or who are renowned wicket-keepers known to have played on the Green. ALFRED FERRIER CLARKE Born 12 August 1865, Farnworth, Lancs Died 1935, Hastings Alfred Clarke was born in Farnworth, Lancashire, but moved to Mitcham as a boy. His parents were Irish, father James being a General Practitioner. In 1881, the family was resident in Baron Lodge, Mitcham. The facts that the household included no fewer than four servants and that Alfred, at the age of 15, was still at school, suggests a fairly comfortable background. Alfred followed his father into the medical profession and is recorded as playing cricket for Guys Hospital in the 1880s. He will be remembered, however, as an outstanding keeper for Mitcham from the late 1880s through to the early 1900s. A right-hand batsman and wicketkeeper, he had a brief first-class career, playing 8 games for Surrey between 1890 and 1892, taking 8 catches and 2 stumpings. Rarely batting above no.11, his top first-class score was 30, this came in a last wicket stand with Bobby Abel (151 not out) in a total of 425 against Middlesex. Herbert Strudwick expressed the view that he would have played very much more first-class cricket but for professional commitments. This is borne out by the fact that most of his games were either at the Oval or Lord's - he rarely travelled. Clarke married Emily Southerton in 1899, daughter of Sarah and the late James Southerton - he of Mitcham, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire and England fame. At the time of the 1901 Census Alfred and Emily were living in the Cricketers pub, opposite the Green, where Sarah was landlady. We don't know if Alfred had known James Southerton, but he may well have done - James coached many youngsters on the Green up to his death in 1880. By 1911, the Clarke family had moved to Colliers Wood. Alfred's medical career seemed to be over, and he was working as an insurance agent. ERNEST BALE Born September 1878, Mitcham Died July 1952 Carshalton Ernie Bale played initially for Mitcham Wanderers, and then Surrey second XI, before making his first-class debut for London County against Leicestershire in 1904. He played 1 game for Surrey the same year, but as understudy for Strudwick didn't get much further chance. In search of regular first-class cricket he therefore moved to Worcestershire and once qualified played regularly for them from 1908 to 1920. In 1910 he was reckoned by Wisden to be second only to Strudwick. His excellent keeping was instrumental in the high placing achieved by Worcestershire in the pre-war years. He was closest to playing for England in 1911 when he played two trial games for P.F. Warner’s XI against G.L. Jessop’s XI, and played for ‘The Rest’ against England at Lords. Bale’s wicket-keeping record was 251 catches and 90 stumpings, in 148 first-class matches, with a victims-per-game record of 2.31. According to Strudwick, “He was a great wicket-keeper, and was unlucky not to have played for England.” HERBERT STRUDWICK Born January 1880, Mitcham Died February 1970, Shoreham Born in Mitcham, Herbert Strudwick was baptised at St Peter and Paul Church. The family lived at Reeves Terrace. As a boy, Strudwick played cricket with other parish choirboys, supervised by the vicar’s daughter, Miss Wilson. Owing to his enthusiasm to be involved, she encouraged him to take up wicket-keeping. We have a lot to thank her for. He went on to play in 674 first-class matches, mainly for Surrey, but including 28 Tests for England. He trialled for Surrey in 1896, but was judged too young. He went back 2 years later and was taken on to the Surrey staff. His debut for the 1st XI came in 1900 against the West Indies, but he didn’t make his Championship debut until 1902 and established his position as a regular from 1903. He maintained that for the next 24 years. Strudwick was selected to play his first test in 1909/10 against South Africa. He went on to tour Australia four times, and South Africa with MCC two times. He retired from playing in 1927. He became a coach for Surrey and later scorer. He retained an affection for Mitcham Green and was a Vice- President and Life Member of the Mitcham Club. DAN (DENNIS) SULLIVAN Born 28 January 1883, Mitcham Died 28 December 1968, Harold Wood, Essex His first name is recorded in “Who’s Who of Cricketers” as Dennis, but he was known as Dan. Sullivan played 8 matches for Surrey between 1914 and 1921. As wicket-keeper he held 10 catches and made 2 stumpings. As understudy to Strudwick, his opportunities were limited. Moving to Wales, Sullivan played 115 matches for Glamorgan from 1922 to 1928, also representing Wales. He toured Jamaica with the Hon Lionel Tennyson’s XI in 1926-27 and 1927-28. In first-class matches he never managed a half century (highest score 47) and despite almost a third of his innings being not outs, his batting average was just 7.52. His career wicket keeping tally was 152 catches and 93 stumpings. JOHN BAYLEY Born May 1794, Mitcham Died November 1874, Mitcham Bayley was a hard-hitting right-handed batsman and good slow round-arm bowler for Middlesex and Surrey. However, 5 stumpings in his career statistics show that he must have been an occasional wicket-keeper as well. Bayley played on the Green for Mitcham against the Marylebone Cricket Club in a 2-day match, 31 July-1 August 1820. He bowled and took 1 wicket in MCC’s first innings. Bayley scored 9 and 11 for Mitcham who lost the game by 2 runs. Twenty six years later, aged 52, he was still playing on the Green, this time for Mitcham against Surrey Club. In a drawn game, he was more successful, taking 6 wickets with his bowling in Surrey’s first innings , though he didn’t make any runs with the bat. Bayley's first significant match was for the B's against England in 1822. From the following year he was on the staff at Lord's, and this is where he played most of his games, for the St John's Wood Club. His bowling was at its best in the late 1830s when he was over 40 years old. From 1839 to 1847 he appeared occasionally for Surrey, in just 5 matches, with a batting average of 36 as he was dismissed only once in 5 innings. His 83rd and last first-class game was for M.C.C. in 1850, at the age of 56. His career therefore spanned 29 seasons, with overall runs scored of 936 at an average of 7.37. His bowling shows 350 wickets, taking 5 in an innings 31 times and 10 in a match on 9 occasions. THOMAS SEWELL, Senior Born May 1806, Mitcham Died November 1888, Sevenoaks Sewell played 104 first-class games over his career, for a variety of sides, including Middlesex, Surrey, Kent and a combined Kent-Sussex XI. As a middle-order batsman he scored 1956 runs in 210 innings, at an average of 9.97 per innings. His expertise was as a good field, including sometime wicket-keeping - 4 stumpings over his career, and 56 catches, some of which were presumably behind the stumps. Thomas's Mitcham-born son, Tom jr, also played for Mitcham and as a professional for Surrey, and others. Tom jr is one of the Mitcham cricketers remembered on the Ruff Memorial Stone. DANIEL HAYWARD Born August 1808, Mitcham Died May, 1852, Cambridge Hayward played for Mitcham as early as 1825 when only aged 16, and for Surrey as a professional from 1839 to 1847, though in only 3 matches. He lived in Cambridge for most of his life, playing for the Cambridge Town Club between 1832 and 1851. He kept wicket some of the time. Thus, we know that he stumped one in his first match at Lord's, for Cambridge against Marylebone, in July 1832.