Dublin University Cricket Club Match Programme 2012

By Ger Siggins ONEhundred years agoTrinity had a strong first XI, with several men who played for Ireland among the ranks as well as Queensland, MadrasEuropeans andLancashire. But it was a rugby star, Dickie Lloyd, who made all the head- lines in June 1912 when he played one of the most in- credible innings ever seen in College Park. Even the opponents that day signal that it was another era – Trin- ity were playing the Dublin Garrison of the British Army. On day one, Friday June 15th, playwas due to start at 2.30pm, but showers kept the players off until 3.45pm. The Garrison XI were dismissed for 100, with the top scoring among the military men Captain Brian Keenlyside of the Lan- cashire Fusiliers who made 36. Keenlyside was later a member of the British intelligence corps The Cairo Gang, and he was shot on the morning of Bloody Sunday 1920 but survived after his wife stood in front of himas the IRAmenmoved to deliver the coup de grace. Basil Ward – who seven years later took 18 wickets in a match for Trinity against the Military of Ire- land, took five Garrison scalps and Bernard Quinlan four. In the time left before close of play on Friday night the students amassed 89-4. Early on Saturday the fifth wicket fell, bringing Richard Averill Lloyd to themiddle. With Harry Read, Dickie Lloyd formed both the Trinity and Ireland half-back partnership. They were pioneers in rugby, as half backs up to then would share scrum and out half duties de- pending on which side of the field they found them- selves. Lloyd and Read in- vented the notion of a scrum half (Read) and out-half (Lloyd) and the rest of the rugby world soon fol- lowed. With the score at 93-5, Lloyd (aged 20) joined Arthur Blair-White, and quicklymade his intentions clear by hitting four fours and a single off the first over he faced. He raised his 50 in three-quarters of an hour be- fore accelerating wildly. When Blair-White was out for 68, Dickie Lloyd’s incredible innings 1912  100 years ago he scored 201 — before lunch!