Page:Jubilee Book of Cricket (Second edition, 1897).djvu/443

Rh Tutor,' lent me by Mr Gaston, I find that the leading cricketers in the Hambledon Club at that period were Surrey men—viz., William Beldham ("Silver Billy"), Tom Walker ("Old Everlasting"), Harry Walker, and R. Robinson ("Long Robin"). The break up of the old Hambledon Club in 1791 gave Surrey a splendid opportunity, and three years later at Lord's Surrey defeated England by 5 wickets and 197 runs. In this very match William Beldham scored 72 and 102. According to Mr Thomas Padwick of Red Hill, one of the greatest authorities on early Surrey cricket, the county was so strong at the commencement of the present century that Surrey frequently had to contend against Fourteen of England. William Beldham ("Silver Billy") was one of the finest cricketers of his day. He was a farmer, his family consisting of not twenty-eight children (which is so frequently chronicled by writers) but three sons and one or two daughters.

Of other famous early Surrey cricketers I would mention "Lumpy," whose real name was Edward Stevens. To "Lumpy" we owe the introduction of the third stump in 1775. To "Shock" White of Reigate the limit in width (4¼ inches) of the bat. Tom Walker was one of the first to discard underhand bowling for round arm. Thomas Boxall in 1800 wrote the first book on cricket, a very scarce publication now, but a beautiful copy is still in the possession of Mr Alfred Lawson Ford of Lynmouth, Devon. William Lambert in 1816 issued his 'Cricketers' Guide.'

Lambert played his first great match at Lord's for Surrey v. England on July 20, 1801. He was born at Burstow, in Surrey, and when a young man used to walk up to Lord's and back, twenty-six miles each way, to participate in matches. In later years, when he was better off, he had a horse and rode to London. Lambert is ope of the very few cricketers who scored over 100 runs twice in the same match, which feat he performed in 1817 for Sussex v. Epsom, contributing 107 not out and 157 against two of the fastest bowlers of the day—viz., Mr E. H. Budd and Howard. He was also a famous single-wicket player.

In 1808 at the Holt Ground, near Farnham, in the Surrey v. England match, Lambert was responsible for 86 in the second innings; and two years later at Lord's for the Hon. E. Bligh's Eleven v. Lord F. Beauclerk's Eleven, he played a superb not-out innings of 132.

In the same year Lambert and Squire Osbaldeston played a memorable single-wicket match at Lord's against Lord Frederick