SPORT by bowling twenty consecutive maidens in the match against Notts. Next year Kent was dismissed by M.C.C. for 25, Barnes claiming 5 for 12. A county so dependent as Kent on its amateurs naturally experienced considerable difficulty in collecting representative sides. Ill-health removed Messrs. Foord Kelcey, F. Penn and CunliflFe. A masterly exhibition in 1882 was that given by Rev. C. Wilson, subsequently Bishop of Melanesia, in his two great innings of 57 and 50 against the Australians. Mr. E. F. S. Tylecote played a memorable century. A famous stand was that made by Lord Throwley and Lord Harris of 208 for first wicket against Sussex in the same year. Wootton was a somewhat expensive but fairly efficient fast left-handed bowler. Of higher class was Mr. Stanley Christopherson, a really clever fast bowler. Mr. M. C. Kemp was a capital wicket-keeper. Mr. F. Marchant, a magnificent hitter of uncertain type, soon shared the captaincy with Mr. W. H. Patter- son, one of the most judicious and interesting batsmen who ever appeared. Mr. Rashleigh, a lively run-getter of very high class, and Mr. Leslie Wilson, who could score all round the wicket, played whenever possible. Martin proved a fine bowler with a lot of spin on his ball which was invariably dead on the wicket. With him was soon associated Walter Wright, who made up for loss of batting by effectiveness as a fast bowler. He is the only Kentish representative in the last thirty years who has appeared after having played regularly for another county. Two sound bats who were seen too little were Mr. A. Daffen and Mr. C. J. M. Fox. Major L. A. Hamilton showed masterly judge- ment in his 117 against the Australians in 1890. In 1884 Emmett bowled Lord Harris an over which yielded 3 wides and 15 runs off the four balls. In the next year the strong position which Lord Harris had taken up against the bowling of Crossland and Nash resulted in Kent declining to meet Lancashire. Wootton in 1888 claimed 5 of the Middlesex wickets for 8 runs, and Martin and Wright took 8 Notts wickets for 11 runs. Kent made a bold bid for the championship in 1893. A century by Mr. Rashleigh in the match against Notts at Canterbury was remarkable because the fast bowlers made the ball bump as high as his head. Straight from Winchester came Mr. J. R. Mason, the finest cricketer Kent ever had, superb in every department, an admirable captain and be- loved by every one. Mr. W. M. Bradley, a tear- away fast bowler, came to do yeoman service, and in 1896 appeared Mr. C. J. Burnup, one of the best bats of his inches in modern cricket. Style enabled him to command balls that beat men of six feet high. Mr. S. H. Day, always brilliant, made a centuryin his first county match. In 1895, after scoring a first innings of 470, Kent was beaten by 9 wickets by Gloucestershire, for which Dr. W. G. Grace, almost forty-seven years of age, obtained 257 and 73 not out. In 1896 at Trent Bridge, Shrewsbury and Mr. A. O. Jones scored 223 for first wicket, to which Mr. J. R. Mason and A. Hearne responded with 195. Lord Harris, returning to county cricket after six years in India, amassed 119 in his first match. With Mr. E. B. Shine, Mr. F. Marchant (144 not out) added 158 in an hour against Warwickshire. With the new century must be mentioned the Kent nursery formed in 1896 which, giving the county an exceptional army of capable professionals, reflects great credit on Mr. McAlpine, Mr. Pawley and above all Captain McCanlis. C. Blythe, who bowled Mr. F. Mitchell with the first ball he ever sent down for Kent, is the finest left-handed bowler discovered since Wilfrid Rhodes, whose successor he has become in Test Matches. Fielder, a capital fast bowler, set the seal on his fame by taking all ten wickets of the Gentlemen at Lord's for nine runs apiece in 1906. Seymour, a batsman almost as attractive as Tyldesley, is perhaps the best professional run-getter not yet selected for the Players at head quarters. Humphreys is a plucky hitter who can also get wickets. This quartette are only seniors among excellent juniors. Older than any is Huish, who has caught out 511 opponents in 243 matches and possesses an average never equalled by any wicket-keeper, for he has also stumped 1 14. So long as he was able to play regularly Mr. Mason was the mainstay of his side in every department, while as time went on he seemed able to come into county cricket at any moment with form which showed no diminution. Mr. E. W. Dillon for a while was absolutely the best left-handed bat of the day. Mr. Mason had given up the captaincy to Mr. Burnup, and on the depar- ture of the latter for Mexico, the old Etonian, Mr. C. H. B. Marsham — whose family had for generations been associated with the cricket of the county — admirably succeeded him. He is an excellent bat of a watchful type and the success of Kent in 1906 was greatly due to his capable direction. In that year Mr. K. L. Hutchings leapt to the front as a batsman of extreme brilliancy, and his form 511
