of the mainstays of the Surrey Eleven for half-a-dozen years.
His best years with the bat have been:
| Completed Innings. | Runs. | Most in an Innings. | Average. | |
| 1885 | 39 | 966 | 92 | 24.30 |
| 1886 | 42 | 1221 | 144 | 29.3 |
| 1887 | 42 | 1323 | 160 | 31.21 |
| 1888 | 38 | 1095 | 138 | 28.31 |
| 1889 | 30 | 914 | 151* | 30.14 |
Mr. Charles Alfred Absolom was born at Blackheath, 7th June, 1846. His height was 5ft. 10in.; weight, 13 st. As a batsman he had a peculiar style of his own. He held the bat very high up in the handle, and did not pay much attention to the pitch of the ball. Balls bowled to the off he hit to long-on in fact,, anywhere but where the bowler intended and hoped they would be hit to. It will be easily inferred that he did not trouble much about keeping up his wicket: all the same, he made some very good scores against the best bowling of his time; and more than once, like my brother E. M., I have seen him upset bowlers who had been bowling accurately against good players before he went in. He always played bareheaded, and without pads or gloves.
He bowled slow medium-pace round-arm, with a high delivery, varying it with an occasional fast one; and would go on for a whole day without any appreciable diminution of strength or accuracy. He could not be tired, either in bowling or fielding, and he was worthy of his place in any eleven for the excellent and stimulating example he showed of working heart and soul from beginning to end of a match, whether he was on the winning or losing side. A good illustration of it occurred in the M.C.C. v. Kent match at Canterbury on August 10th, 11th and 12th, 1876. He was never happier than when bowling, he said,
