Golf Day 2024🏌️
The SUCC Annual Golf Day takes place on Friday May 3rd.
Save the date! More details to follow.
IT HAPPENED IN 1893-94... 130 YEARS AGO.
1. Introduction. 'Electoral' cricket begins. October 1893.
On 22 May 1893, the NSW Cricket Association unanimously passed a motion that "...local clubs should be established in and around Sydney to enable local cricket to be played" in the 1893-94 season, now 130 years ago.
The eight clubs which eventually played for the 'Hordern Shield' were: Easts (who were the first Premiers), Redfern, Glebe, Cumberland, Paddington, Canterbury, Manly and Sydney University.
'Electoral Cricket' was so named because club boundaries were based on the boundaries of the NSW Legislative Assembly's electorates. University's players, however, were initially permitted to represent Sydney University even though there was no electorate then known as 'Sydney University' and some players' connections to the University were, at best, tenuous.
The first matches of 'Electoral Cricket' (since called 'Grade Cricket' and now known as 'Premier Cricket') began on Saturday 7 October. University played against Glebe at Wentworth Park in a three-day game, spread over three Saturdays.
2. March 1894...Round 6.
The subject of this story is University's three-day match against Paddington at the 'Association Ground', now known as the 'Sydney Cricket Ground.' The match began on Saturday 3 March 1894, 130 years ago this month.
University had won three consecutive matches before this Round. Two players who had played in the previous match against Canterbury, however, were unavailable. Sam Jones, the former Test player, and AH Garnsey, later Warden of St Paul's College, were both unable to play. Jones had made his one appearance for University during the season in the match against Canterbury. His replacement was another former Test player, Reginald Allen, now aged 35 who had played his only Test Match for Australia in 1886-87 and who was now recalled to the University team for his only 1st XI match of the season.
University's captain was another 35 year old former Test player, Tom Garrett, who had been playing for University since the 1870s. When Garnsey informed Garrett that he could not commit himself to this three-day match, Garrett had an idea.
3. Garrett's bright idea.
In earlier days, Garrett had played for University in 1877-78 with a player named John Walter Fletcher. Fletcher's story was the focus of a previous essay on one of a small number who have played just one 1st Grade match for University.
In 1877-78, Fletcher had made steady runs with an admirably straight bat (128 runs @ 21.3) on unpredictable pitches. He had also kept wicket and occasionally bowled his "underarm slows." After this one season, Fletcher transferred to the Albert Club whose ground was situated in Redfern. In November 1881, he scored 39 against University and when Jones and Allen put on 231 for the 1st wicket, Fletcher was summoned to the crease, almost as an afterthought, to bowl his erratic underarmers. In an eventful eight overs, he took an extraordinary 6 for 36, including three Test players, Jones, Allen and Garrett.
4. Fletcher's peripatetic life.
JW Fletcher was born in 1847 to Harriet Amy Fletcher (1823-1904) and Sir John Rolt (1804-1871), one time Attorney General of the United Kingdom. His parents were not married to each other but his father ensured that young John was well provided for as he was educated at Redhill School, Surrey, and then Cheltenham Grammar School before going up to Pembroke College, Oxford University, from where he graduated BA in 1869 and MA in 1871. He then emigrateded to Australia and taught in schools in Mittagong and Katoomba. The depression of the 1890s forced him to close Katoomba College and to re-invent himself as a barrister living in Sydney when he was unexpectedly available to answer the surprising call of his old team mate, Tom Garrett and to play for the first time in sixteen years for University, this time in 'Electoral Cricket.' He was 46 years old, is still the oldest to make his debut for the club in Electoral, Grade or Premier Cricket. In 2002-03, Greg Matthews made his debut for the Club, aged 43.
5. Saturday 3 March 1894.
Fletcher was detained and could not get to the Association Ground until after the scheduled start of play. Wet weather, however, delayed the bowling of the first ball until 4pm and Paddington batted first on a treacherous pitch "to the delight of the University men." 24 year old Harrie Wood took five cheap wickets. 35 year old Tom Garrett took three wickets. 46 year old John Fletcher took two sharp catches. Paddington was all out for 62 and University went to stumps at no wicket for 2 runs with wicket keeper EA McTaggart and Medical student Graham Rutter in occupation. Rutter was to die in July 1897, only two years after graduation.
6. Saturday 10 March 1894.
Play was once again delayed by rain on the next Saturday. University's reply on a wet pitch was dismal. All out 54. Fletcher, SUCC 1st Grade cap no25, batting at number 8, made just 3 runs.
7. Saturday 17 March 1894.
In conditions that favoured the batsmen, Paddington batted through the day and ended with 9 for 314. Garrett ploughed through 39 overs and took 5 for 84. As Paddington batted on, Garrett threw the ball to Fletcher. His 5 overs cost 30 runs without success. He may have bowled underarm. He had played his first and last match of Electoral Cricket.
8. Three Questions.
Three questions remain for historians.
(i) What is JW Fletcher's intimate connection with The Ashes?
(ii) Why is JW Fletcher known as "the father of football in Australia"?
(iii) Is he the last to bowl underarm for Sydney University in a 1st XI match?
9. Conclusion.
130 years ago, in March 1894, a 46 year old made his debut in Electoral Cricket for Sydney University, bowling underarm.
James Rodgers
Dr. Donald Scott-Orr returned to No.1 Oval last Sunday to watch the SUCC Women’s 1st Grade match vs Sydney CC, competing for the Ann Mitchell Cup.
At 93 years of age, he is one of our oldest former 1st Graders.
Ist Grade - 1952- 1959
2210 runs and 65 wickets
He is a former SUCC 1st Grade Captain
Welcome back Don.
This is the story of the fourth and last SUCC player to have played just one Test Match for Australia, following Reginald Allen, Rowley Pope and Otto Nothling.
Beau Casson, SUCC 1st Grade cap no724, played for Australia just before representing SUCC. From 12th until 16th June 2008, at Bridgetown Barbados, Casson found himself replacing one SUCC player in the Australian team for the 3rd Test against the West Indies, while taking the field with another SUCC player.
Stuart MacGill had retired from Test cricket after the 2nd Test and Beau Casson became Australian Test cap no401. Stuart Clark joined Brett Lee and Mitch Johnson in making up the pace attack and Casson was selected to bowl his left arm wrist spinners, one of very few of this type of bowler to play for Australia. Before him,'Chuck' Fleetwood-Smith, Lindsay Kline, Johnny Martin, David Sincock and Brad Hogg had been selected mainly for their bowling. While Ken Eastwood, Michael Bevan and Simon Katich, all batsmen, also bowled left arm wrist spinners.
At Barbados, 1st innings scores were close. West Indies replied to Australia's 251 with 216. Casson was LBW to Fidel Edwards for 10 before he took 2 catches in West Indies' 1st innings but his 7 overs were expensive (0-43). Left handers Phil Jacques and Simon Katich then added 223 for the 1st wicket before the declaration left West Indies with an improbable 476 to win. Casson was given the ball with runs to play with and he responded to Steve Waugh's confidence. His 25 overs cost 86 but he took the wickets of Xavier Marshall, Dwayne Bravo and Sulleiman Benn. Australia won by 87 runs but Casson never regained his Test place.
Beau Casson was born 7 December 1982 in Perth. He was educated at Trinity College from 1991 until 1999 representing Western Australia at under 17 and under 19 levels before playing for the Australian under 19 side. At university, he graduated with a Bachelor of Health and Movement and a Diploma of Education.
After representing Western Australia in 1st class cricket from 2003, Casson moved to NSW in 2007-08 to search for greater opportunities in Sydney, where he initially captained the Gordon Club's 1st Grade side. His 2007-08 season with the NSW side (29 wickets and 486 runs, including his highest 1st class score, 99 vs South Australia at the SCG) ensured his certain selection for the West Indies tour as second slow biowler after Stuart MacGill.
In 2010-11, Casson joined SUCC and played in that season's 1st Grade Premiership side (the first of three premierships in the next four seasons) which defeated Randwick Peterham in the Grand Final.
A serious medical condition, however, a congenital heart defect, caused his retirement, aged only 28.
His 1st class career for Western Australia, NSW and Australia was impressive: 53 matches, 1500 runs, 123 wickets.
Casson's vast experience as a player, his university studies and his ability to engage and encourage players made him a much sought-after and ideal coach. He has been an assistant coach at The Scots College in Sydney, and at SUCC. More recently, he has been batting coach for NSW before returning to Perth where he has assisted with the highly successful Western Australian team.
JAMES RODGERS
Our oldest former player, Bert Alderson, celebrates his 99th birthday today. He is fit and well and suggests that he might even consider a comeback if the No1 wicket continues to be slow!
He is SUCC 1st Grade cap no381.
Bert first played for SUCC as an undergraduate in the early 1950s and then as graduate captain of 1st Grade in the early 1960s, interspersed with a long career for Cumberland (Parramatta). A few years ago, Parramatta CC named one of their grandstands after Bert. For his two Clubs, he scored over 10 000 1st Grade runs.
At a Club lunch in 2015, Bert was announced as captain of the SUCC Team of the 1960s and also among the ‘Living Luminaries of the Club’.
The Club salutes Bert Alderson on this auspicious day.
James Rodgers
POPE HELPS OUT.
Tuesday 10 June 1902.
The Fenners Ground, Cambridge University.
The Australians vs Cambridge University.
A bearded, greying batsman walks out to join wicket keeper Hanson Carter. Dr Roland James (Rowley) Pope is a former Test cricketer, playing his last 1st class game, more than seventeen years after appearing in his only Test Match.
A RETURN TO 1ST CLASS CRICKET.
It has been a diluted English summer filled with frequent rain showers interspersed with even heavier rain. The cold weather has seeped into the Australians' bones. Joe Darling and Bill Howell are in London, stricken with influenza. Monty Noble tries to recover in Brighton. Jack Saunders has quinsy and Dr Pope's instructions are that he be confined to bed. Hugh Trumble has not played a game on tour because of injury but he is pressed into service even though he is still not fit. The touring squad of fourteen is reduced to ten barely fit players. Dr Pope, the team's medical advisor, who has filled in on two previous tours (1886 and 1890, when he was studying Medicine at Edinburgh University) is persuaded to make an unexpected return to 1st class cricket.
On a showery Monday, in front of a meagre crowd, the Australians have dismissed the students for 106. Even though the weather is much brighter on Tuesday, the wicket is treacherous and Victor Trumper's masterful 128 in three hours stands out. On Monday, Victor's 5 for 19 were his best 1st class bowling figures. He is to total 2570 runs for the tour, one of his greatest seasons, especially in such sodden conditions. Cambridge's fielding is loose. Many chances are missed.
Pope strolls to the crease at 7 for 333 and takes guard. He hits a two from 21 year old slow left-armer Edward Maurice Dowson (Trinity College and Harrow School) before Carter is caught at slip by Frederic Wilson also of Trinity College. Ernie Jones, attempting to hit the next delivery out of the ground, is bowled by Dowson who takes his fifth wicket of the innings. Dowson's great grandson, Edward James Carpenter, also a slow left armer, will also play 1st class cricket, for Durham University 102 years later.
Trumble is still not fully fit and does not bat, The Australians lead by over 230. Cambridge's reply is abysmal - all out 46 - and Bert Hopkins picks up a hattrick in taking 7 for 10.
A RETURN TO TEST CRICKET?
With only four days until the beginning of the 2nd Test at Lords, there is real concern about the number of Australians who might be fit enough to take the field. There is even a suggestion that the team may have to call on Leslie Poidevin, the former Sydney University player, who is studying Medicine and playing county cricket. He was 12th man for Australia in the 1st Test of the 1901-02 series against England. Another extraordinary suggestion is that Dr Pope may also be needed, over seventeen years since his last Test. In the event, Noble, Darling and Saunders are all declared fit and Poidevin and Pope are not needed. Australia eventually takes the series two-one, one of the more memorable series in England, after pulsating results mixed with inevitable rain.
FROM CLUB CRICKET TO NSW SELECTION TO A TEST MATCH APPEARANCE...ALL IN A MONTH.
In 1884-85, Rowley Pope was the recipient of good fortune and happy coincidence. He had been playing for Sydney University since 1879-80 when he made his first appearance in the 1st XI, aged only 15, as a dashing batsman and an athletic fielder.
In the 1884-85 club season, Pope began with nondescript scores of 27 not out, 5 and 1. He could hardly have expected to be playing for Australia within a few months. Then came a game against a weak Carlingford side in December. In three hours, University rattled up 359. Pope's 118, including twenty fours, was chanceless, admittedly against bowling of vastly inferior quality. In the event, Pope's century earned him selection in the squad of XIII to play Victoria in Melbourne, beginning on 26 December. It was thought extremely unlikely that Pope would be selected in the final XI and that his presence in Melbourne was simply to give the 20 year old some experience. So, on Wednesday 24 December, Pope played for The Almanacs against East Melbourne and scored 38. Then on Thursday 25 December, he appeared for Melbourne IZingari against Richmond and made an extraordinary 170 not out. Thus, in his last three innings he had scored 326 runs for twice out. There were hurried discussions which led to Reginald Allen, also of Sydney University, being relegated to 12th man and Pope being chosen to make his 1st class debut. On Boxing Day, he made a confident and aggressive 47 before being stumped by Jack Blackham. NSW made 403 but lost by an innings when, batting again, they collapsed for 74. Pope made only 8 before being bowled by Joey Palmer.
Meanwhile, the 2nd Test of the 1884-85 series, the 18th Test since 1877, was due to begin in Melbourne on New Yrear's Day, in two days' time.
But...15 of Australia's players were unavailable to play.
The Australians who played in the 1st Test at Adelaide had been offered 30% of the gate recepts by the South Australian Cricket Association. Their captain, Billy Murdoch, demanded 50% of the gate and the game only went ahead when the SACA offered 450 pounds and a third of the profits.
Money remained a simmering issue.
Before the 2nd Test in Melbourne, Murdoch demanded 50% of the profits. In return, the Victorian Cricket Association offered 20 pounds to each player. A furious Murdoch then withdrew from the game as did the other ten who had played the 1st Test. In addition, another four players were either injured or unavailable. On 31 December, a vastly inexperienced XI was assembled by AG Major, the Victorian selector. The veteran Tom Horan was recalled and elected captain by the players of whom only Sammy Jones had any Test experience. Of the nine debutants, five, including Pope, were never to be selected again. Those five had played only twelve 1st class games among them, although the game was advertised as "The English Professionals" against "The Combined Australian Team." The designation "Test Match" would not be used for another decade and the players, as with others of the period, would only be described as "Test players" some time later. Nevertheless, Rowley Pope is now Test cap no37. His Test career was to last just four playing days.
1 JANUARY 1885
The Imperial Brass Band welcomed players on to the field just after Arthur Shrewsbury, the English captain, won the toss on a hot day before a surprisingly large crowd of 10,000 spectators. Australia's lack of experience told against them and England recovered from 7 for 204 to be 9 for 303 at stumps.
2 JANUARY 1885
On Saturday, Johnny Briggs scored his only Test century (in two hours) as he added a then record 98 for the 10th wicket with wicket keeper Joe Hunter. Pope was praised for his fielding. At stumps, Australia was a promising 3 for 151 with John Trumble and Affie Jarvis in occupation.
3 JANUARY 1885
Pope walked in at 4 for 190 to join Jarvis for his first Test innings. He played a few defensive shots until over-confidence caused him to sky a drive from Attewell to be caught by Flowers in the covers. He had made a duck on debut! The Australians were bowled out for 279 and were asked to follow on.
5 JANUARY 1885
After the day of rest on Sunday, Australia resumed at 2 for 66. At 4 for 83, Pope again joined Jarvis. He hit a 3 to the leg side from Billy Barnes. This was to be his only scoring shot in Test cricket. Left armer Bobby Peel turned one sharply from the leg stump to clip the top of the off stump. Pope was one of Bobby Peel's 101 wickets in Test Matches, and one of 1775 wickets he was to take in his 1st class career. Australia was beaten by 10 wickets. Pope, after a few more appearances for NSW, returned to club cricket and to the completion of his studies at Sydney University.
EPILOGUE
Rowley Pope graduated in 1885 and then travelled to Edinburgh University to do further study until he qualified as an ophthalmologist. He was a cultivated character who spoke French, Latin and Greek, was a patron of music and ballet and had an extensive art collection. When he returned to Australia in 1892, he resumed his 1st XI career with Sydney University (a 1st XI career of 890 runs @24.7, including 190 runs @63.3 in his last season in 1896) before finishing with Burwood in 1901 (399 runs @23.5). He was a fixture as 'medical adviser' to numbers of Australian sides which toured England until the 1930s.
When he died in 1952, aged 88, it was 67 years since his only Test.
Rowley Pope is ohne of seventy one Australian players to play just one Test; one of four players who have represented Sydney University.
James Rodgers
Wilf comes from Winchester College where he was 1st XI Captain and an outstanding batsman, and where he achieved outstanding academic results.
Old boys of Winchester are known as ‘Old Wykehamists’ because the school was founded, in 1382, by Bishop William of Wykham. One of the current prominent Old Wykehamists is the UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak. English cricket captain, Douglas Jardine, was educated there as was the Indian captain, the Nawab of Pataudi.
18 year old Wilf has already represented Hampshire 2nd XI; he scored 112 in SUCC 2nds vs Fairfield recently and is currently the leading run scorer for the club.
Wilfred Edward James La FontaineWilfr (1877-1948), Wilf's great great grandfather and after whom he was named, was born in what was then known as Constantinople, died in the same place but by that stage it was called Istanbul. He was a contemporary of Winston Churchill at Harrow School where they were both in the same Boarding House. He played 1st XI cricket for Harrow and was awarded a silver cup for the best catch of the season. In the annual game against Eton in 1895, he batted at no8, didn’t bowl and scored 0 and 0.
A cousin of his was Percy La Fontaine (1888-1914).
In the 1906 intercelated Olympics in Athens, Percy played for Smyrna FC, one of the Greek teams, and won a silver medal.
Two others who are probably related:
Henri La Fontaine, a lawyer, won the Nobel prize for peace in 1913.
Frederick La Fontaine was an Australian Rules player who represented Fitzroy in over 100 games, 1898-1907.
Wilf appears to be in distinguished company.
James Rodgers