Eton Cricket 1916, by M. Llewellyn Davies

[Nicholas]

All material appears by kind permisson of Mrs Laura Duguid and the Provost and Fellows of Eton College.

Cricket 1916

We returned, little anticipating the rosy future which lay before the youths of my tutor's.  As time after time our opponents withdrew from the contest humiliated by the comparative ease in which the smallest members of our side outplayed them, we dared to raise our eyes to the emminence of Upper Club and to lift the curtains which hid the bright cup from our eyes.  We will pass over a minor defeat at the hands of College A, and now find ourselves in the final, matched against the swarthy veterans of R.H. de Montmorency's house, among whom were ranged no fewer than three of the lights of Upper Sixpenny.  Sadly enough for their multitude of supporters, our opponents failed to surpass the half-century in either innings, while our junior XI rose from a 60 in the first to 139 in the second. 
Thus it comes that he who looks may see the Junior Cricket Cup at Jordely's Place.  Those we have to congratulate are: Davies, Boden, Clutterbuck, Jenkinson, Gundry, Baillie, Bright, Witaker, Capper, Adam, Talbot.

In the House cricket we were less fortunate in drawing the ultimate winners, Mr Lubbock's, whom we resisted valiantly but in vain.  We should doubtless have gone far had we met with slightly inferior sides; we drew Mr Lubbock's because being the finalists for the Junior Cup it seemed politic to the Captain of the XI to dismiss our house XI early in the day. 
The House Eleven consisted of:- Sir A. Baillie, J.N.Cheney, J.H. Parrie, E. Martin-Holland, Sir H. Floyd, R.H.P. Senhouse, J.M.Graham, M.L. Davies, J.W. Boden, H.M. Clutterbuck, R.C.H. Jenkinson.
We most heartily condole with Baillie for not securing a higher place in the XI than he did (XIIth man).
Cheney was not accorded his twenty-two, although his bowling was brilliant in house matches.
Martin-Holland was also unfortunate in missing his lower club, which he richly deserved, by one place.  Davies got his Sixpenny.
There is every possibility of my tutor's junior doing every bit as well next year.
May they do better.

written for Sir Adrian Baillie
by M. Llewelyn Davies.

 

[andrew]

Very typical of Michael's easy, nonchalant style, aged just 16 (on June 16th 1916). Thanks so much for posting this, Nicholas...

[Nicholas]

There's more to come.  At least two more articles by Michael, and one by George.  I'll ask if there's an equivalent book for College to see if Peter wrote anything.  The Macnaghten house book I've been using runs  from 1899 to 1919.  The next book should have comments by Nico, and perhaps a reaction to Michael's death.