I'd like to say to Kevin Telfer ('Allahakbarrie') that I am really enjoying reading his fascinating new book - 'Peter Pan's First XI' - which seems to have been published over a week early in the UK! The great depth of Kevin's research is evident and much appreciated, especially, for me, for the period 1903 to 1905 within which cricket matches were played in Surrey, based on Black Lake Cottage for a week each year, while my grandmother was Barrie's housekeeper and cook there. As well as feeding the guests she witnessed something of the comings and goings, the golf croquet and the socialising.
In the face of Kevin's knowledge and expertise I would venture to differ with just one piece of data: According to my information the Allahakbarries declared at 257 (not 247) for 5 in their last match against 'The Artists' on 3 July 1905, for this, according to the local newspaper's report, was the total for their innings. One might wonder at my quibbling at this minor difference but, having spotted it, I think the story behind this exceptionally high score, untold by Kevin (so far as I can see), is worthy of mention.
The newspaper report sets out the detailed statistics for the innings, from which we see that the opening pair for Barrie's team, F. Merick (sic) Jones and E. L. Marsden, scored 84 and 76 respectively. Yet, curiously, Kevin makes special mention only of S S Pawling who scored a respectable 47.
Kevin correctly informs us that the matches against the Frensham Artists in the two preceding years had been played at Frensham Ponds and had resulted in sound beatings suffered by the Allahakbarries. Like me in 2004/2005, however, he was unable to locate any evidence, such as scorebooks or press reports, to validate those results, nor to identify the names of any of the players in the Frensham Artists' teams.
It is my belief that, for reasons best known to Barrie (but speculated upon by me in my little book), JMB had beed determined to thrash the Frensham Artists this last time, in 1905. Why else would Barrie take the unusual step of playing no less than three former first class cricketers in his team?: The Revd. Frederick Meyrick Jones, who had played for the Allahakbarries previously, had been a player for Kent; Edward Marsden, who I don't think had played for Barrie's team before, had been a player for Middlesex; and Sidney Pawling, who also had played for Middlesex. Unless the opponents did likewise Barrie's team could hardly lose.
On a further point, Kevin, like me, seems to have gleaned from some Barrie biographies that the Allahakbarries played The Frensham Artists for a few years, until 1905, at a ground referred to as either Frensham or Frensham Ponds. I never managed to locate this ground positively. Interestingly, the Farnham Herald report of 8 July 1905 is headed 'MR J. M. BARRIE'S XI v. THE ARTISTS' C. C.'. Neither in this heading, nor in the body of the report, is any mention made of either the Allahakbarries or Frensham. I do find this a little strange. Furthermore, while Kevin writes that this match was played at Frensham Ponds, the Farnham Herald states that it took place in 'the Park', and for the purposes of my book I came to the conclusion that the venue was actually the cricket ground at Farnham Park.
This press report led me to wonder whether the biographers may have mistakenly concluded that this particular cricket match was against the Frensham Artists - and I have to say that it suited my story to go along with this! - and that it may instead have been against 'The Artists', a different team which the Allahakbarries normally played at locations elsewhere and at other times in the season.
Kevin: Any comments on all of this would be most welcome, please.
I hasten to conclude that my nitpicking comes purely from a personal desire to pin down a few facts insofar as they concern my grandmother's 'story', and that I unhesitatingly recommend Kevin's splendid book to all devotees of cricket history as well as those of JMB.
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