Reminiscences

I was never fond of cricket and, as a school boy, never played if I could avoid it. This was quite contrary to my father's wish. He was very fond of the game and, in summer, generally carried a ball in his pocket with which he used to knock down high thistles, and once killed a snake. I have a very hazy recollection of going with him to a match on the old ground on the Level, to the north of St. Peter's Church, and seeing Alfred Mynn, Felix and, I think, Box. My recollection of Mynn is that he was a very big, good-looking man, while Felix, who, I was told, was a school-master, was rather short and broad-shouldered. I went occasionally to see a match on Henfield Common in the early fifties. Mr. Laurence Smith at that time lived at Terry's Lodge, which was situated about a mile from Henfield Common, and his two sons, Alfred and Harry, played in the Sussex eleven. Alfred was always long-stop, and Harry bowled. Bushby, Mr. Smith's game-keeper, and Jack Penniket, who was the barber at Henfield and used to cut my hair, were also in the Sussex team, and also another very short, crook-backed man, whose name was, I think, Wood, so that the Henfield Club was very strong and good matches were played. William and Edwin Napper frequently played there. When the game was over we generally went back to Mr. Smith's to tea. Later on, Wisden played on that ground; he was a very thin short man, and looked, in his early days, like a somewhat delicate boy. Mr. Richard Lidbetter, who was fond of a little "chaff," said to him one day, as he was preparing to go in and putting on his pads, "What! are you going in? How many runs do you expect to make, a dozen?" Wisden said, "Yes, I hope I shall make that." Mr. Lidbetter replied: "Well, I will give you a shilling for every run you make over two dozen." I believe he made sixty.