Playing Cricket at the Front

Cricket team of 2nd Battalion, Beds Regiment c.1900 [X550/1/105/4]

Thursday 1st July 1915: Signaller F. E. Green of 42 Wenlock Street, Luton, has written from France where he is serving with No. 3 Battery of the Lincoln Royal Field Artillery. Even at the Front our boys are finding opportunities for their favourite sports. He describes how on Sunday afternoon they had played a cricket match against the 2nd Battery, who it appears have had plenty of time to practice their batting and bowling skills. Signaller Green says “I am afraid we were hopelessly beaten, but they had the advantage of us in the fact that their team has had practice practically every night for three weeks. Anyway, we had a good game, and hope to give them a licking next time.” On another occasion his battery had played two innings against the “Howitzers” with better success. Not only did they win, but they had a county cricketer – Joyce of Leicester – out for just two runs. Of course, it is not all fun and games. While they play shells scream overhead into the village behind. The soldiers anxiously watch the weather, hoping that the wind will continue to blow in the direction of the German lines and preventing new gas attacks. Signaller Green suspects that a decisive action is imminent as the artillery on both sides is increasingly active. He ends with the news that his battery are about to leave their position, with little chance of finding another with such good cover.

Source: Luton News 1st July 1915

News from the Villages

Clapham Road Infants School class celebrates Empire Day, 1906 [Z912/21(18)]

Monday 7th June 1915: News from theVillages

Barton-le-Clay

A tea was given last month for the Belgian refugees of the district. About fifty, with friends, attended. As it was a fine day there were various pastimes in the gardens and the afternoon ended with a concert by the brass band. A vote of thanks was given by Mr. C. Marien, who gave a graphic description of their flight from Antwerp and the trials they had undergone on their way to England. He hoped that when the Germans have been evicted the band would come to Antwerp and take part in the celebrations. As the village correspondent says “how extraordinary it seems to write the above. If anyone had predicted a year ago that we should have been entertaining Belgian refugees at Barton, it would have seemed incredible”.

Clophill

The Cricket Club has decided to not play regular fixtures this season due to the war, though it is hoped that some scratch games may be arranged with so many soldiers around. Bert Royston, who has often helped the village team, went to the Front with the Canadian Scottish and has been taken prisoner.

Flitton and Greenfield

As the school was closed for Whitsuntide on Empire Day, May 24th, the children celebrated it early on Friday 21st. Prizes were given out by the Vicar, there were songs and flag-waving and a speech given by Miss Leach. Each child brought in one penny in order to send tobacco, chocolate and other comforts to our soldiers and sailors who are “fighting the greatest fight for honour and freedom the world has ever known.”.

Gravenhurst

The children of Gravenhurst also celebrated Empire Day on 21st May, when they saluted the flag, sang the National Anthem, and marched into the schoolroom singing patriotic songs. They were then given a half-day holiday.

Silsoe

Eggs are still being collected weekly for the wounded soldiers at Wrest Hospital and delivered to the hospital every Thursday by the Misses Jones. The eggs are much appreciated but they are currently being provided by only a small number of people and an appeal has been made for more parishioners to donate. The authorities at Wrest say they can make good use of as many eggs as the village can send them. Every little helps, even one egg a week!

Westoning

Forty three men who are either from this parish or closely connected with it have now joined the armed forces. Sergeant G. Gazely has been at the Front since the  beginning of the war and has now been wounded for a second time. 

Source: Monthly Magazine for the parishes of Barton-le-Cley, Clophill, Flitton and Greenfield, Gravenhurst, Silsoe, Westoning, June 1915 [P21/30/17]

Bedford Cricket League Suspended

Bedfordshire Cricket XI, 1906 [Z50/142/37]

Sunday 11th April 1915: The decision was taken last night at a meeting of the Management Committee of the Bedford and District Cricket League held at the Lion Hotel, Bedford, to suspend competition for the coming season. The Secretary had contacted the Public Works Committee to discuss the preparation of pitches in the Bedford parks and received the following letter from the Town Clerk in reply:

“Dear Sir, Your letter was considered by the Public Works Committee this morning, and I was instructed to inform you that, under the existing circumstances, especially considering that the Bedford Park is leased to the Military Authorities, and that Russell Park is from time to time used by the Military Authorities for drill and other purposes, it is not the intention of the Committee to prepare pitches in either Park during the coming cricket season.”

Without pitches it will not be possible for the Bedford Cricket League to complete a full fixture list. To ensure that the League continues the Secretary was instructed to arrange matches with the Public Schools and with the Bedfordshire Club. It was also hoped that the use of the Kempston ground could be obtained so that a trial game of League players could be held to select a team for these matches.

Source: Bedfordshire Standard, 16th April 1915

Arthur Owen Jones

Image: Arthur Owen Jones [Wikipedia]

Monday 21st December 1914: Even during the tragedy of a great European war it is sad to report the death of a sporting icon. Mr Arthur Owen Jones, the Cambridge University, Nottinghamshire and England cricketer died today at his brother's home, Lanark House, in High Street South, Dunstable, of tuberculosis at the age of 42. An otherwise fit young man he never recovered from pneumonia contracted on a tour of Australia in 1907/8 when captaining the English tourists.

He was born on 16th August 1872 at the rectory in Shelton [Nottinghamshire] and in 1881 went to Bedford Modern School, captaining the First XI in his final three years. He first came out for Nottinghamshire in 1892 and got his blue at Cambridge in that year and 1893.

He was a wonderfully free hitting right handed batsman, a useful bowler of leg-breaks and a magnificent fielder close to the wicket, the latter, perhaps, being his chief glory. He is said to have invented the position of gully and brought of many remarkable diving catches in that position. As a leader of men he was an all-impelling personality, leading an unfancied Nottinghamshire to the County Championship in 1907. On the back of this he was chosen to captain the England tourists to Australia the following winter. He had first played for his country as long ago as 1899, playing in all five tests on the Australia tour of 1901/02 and two tests in 1905. He only played in two tests of that 1907/08 tour because of the pneumonia he contracted and played twice more for England in 1909.

It may be fairly said that he failed at the highest level, but that failure sprang from a thoroughly unselfish attitude believing that, as captain, he should set an example and score his runs quickly leading to being out before he had got himself set.

An all-round sportsman A O Jones will be remembered by Bedfordians more for his rugby exploits. Whilst at school he played for Bedford and it was a very unfortunate turn of events for the club which caused him to throw in his lot with the Leicester Tigers. It was as a full back that he shone. He never managed to catch the eye of the England selectors at rugby. His rugby methods were characteristic of the man, marked by great keenness, enterprise and intelligent knowledge of the game.

In his first-class cricketing career he played in 472 matches, making 22,935 runs wit ha highest score of 296 at the commendable average of 31.54. he also took 580 catches and snared 333 wickets at an average of 32.81 with best bowling figures of 8/71. In his test career he made 291 runs at an average of 13.85 with a highest score of 34.

He played six matches in this last summer, the final one being against Hampshire on 8th-10th June. Though far from well Mr Jones captained the side and, going in at number nine, made a lively 33, second-highest score, before being caught by the wicket keeper Livsey off the bowling of medium pacer Remnant. The match was drawn.

Source: Bedfordshire Times 25th December 1914