Page:Jubilee Book of Cricket (Second edition, 1897).djvu/442

420 is no better man than he to go in when the wicket is bad or things are going wrong, though he does sometimes play forward to a straight ball with his eyes turned full upon the square-leg umpire— a stroke he repudiates, and never fails to use successfully once or twice an innings. As a man and a brother he is undefeated, and he is the best captain imaginable. No captain knows more of the game or uses his knowledge better. He has boundless enthusiasm, and the power of infusing a strong solution of it into others. What is more, he tries every ounce, and makes others try also. He thoroughly deserves his enormous popularity.

With the ball the two professionals, E. J. Tyler and G. B. Nicholls, in conjunction with their captain, have put in splendid work, Tyler with his insidious slows capturing 16 wickets in a match against Notts in 1892 and against Sussex in 1895; while Captain Hedley, too, has been of great assistance, one of his best feats being 8 wickets for 18 runs v. Yorkshire in 1895. Loyal support has been rendered to Somerset by the following: Mr J. B. Challen, Mr C. E. Dunlop, Mr G. Fowler, Mr L. H. Gay, Mr V. T. Hill, Mr A. E. Newton, Mr C. J. Robinson, Mr R. P. Spurway, the Rev. A. P. Wickham, and the Rev. G. R. Wood. The present president is the Hon. Sir Spencer Ponsonby Fane, K.C.B., the honorary treasurer Mr G. Fowler, and the joint honorary secretaries Mr H. E. Murray-Anderdon and Mr S, M. J. Woods.

As a county, Surrey's record can be traced to the prehistoric period of cricket. In 1747 a match took place between Surrey and All England, while on the Laleham-Burway ground, near Chertsey, Surrey defeated Kent by 35 runs in 1773, and in the return match, played at Bishopsbourne Paddock, near Canterbury, the same year, Surrey proved again victorious. This match has been immortalised by the Rev. J. Buncombe, in his famous poem, "Surrey Triumphant, or the Kentishmen's Defeat," a parody of "Chevy Chase," to which a reply was written the same year, "The Kentish Cricketers." In 1773, too, Surrey encountered Kent for the third time that season, the contest taking place on the Vine cricket-ground at Sevenoaks, Kent winning by six wickets. The following year Surrey tried conclusions with the celebrated Hambledon Club, and, according to the editio princeps of John Nyren's 'The Young Cricketer's