King Edward's School, Birmingham Cricket Records

101 VIII. - MISCELLANEOUS ANCIENT 1864 1st appearance for KES of Mr T Collins (master) (see Chronicle 1872 No 4). He got his Cricket Blue for Cambridge in 1863. See his obituary in Wisden 1900-1940 p 1089 (died 16 March 1934, aged 93). Refers to Collins being no-balled in Varsity Match 1863 because of the height of his arm – influenced by instructions just issued directing umpires to attend to the height of the bowler’s hand. This had some influence on the eventual legalisation of overarm bowling in 1864. 1872 All matches played in 1872 were away matches. Chronicle No 4: Contains accounts of matches from 1863 to 1869. KES had no cricket ground. The old one was acquired (it seems) by the railway company. But a new ground is in prospect. Chronicle No 6 (Sept): A field has been procured in Bristol Road, at the corner of Eastern Road, but was not obtained in time for cricket in 1872. The Chronicle refers to the ground as ‘Bristol Road’ until after the First World War. Chronicle No 8 (Nov): The old field was near Hagley Road. 1873-5 No record of any matches played. 1875 Chronicle No 11 (March): Refers to the “large number of matches” lost during “the last few years”. The field laid for cricket at the beginning of last year (1874) was never in a condition such as to render it safe to play on. But it is to be relaid, and it is hoped that it will be fit to play on after Easter, Reference to the fact that “The Masters joined us last year” – so some matches were played, but presumably away matches. A new pavilion has been erected. Chronicle No 13 (May) contains a notice about joining the Cricket Club – “a game without which we have no right to call ourselves a school”. Chronicle No 19 (Dec): “As of late years we have done nothing in cricket”. 1876 Chronicle No 22 (April): “Last year the Cricket Club had only a nominal existence, all play being prevented by the state of the ground.” Chronicle No 23 (May) records the first game of the season, on 13 May: “After waiting for two or three years, we again possess a cricket field on which we can play.” However, this may not have been on the new ground, because Chronicle No 24 (June) says that the first match of the season was played on 27 May, “being also, we believe, the first that has ever been played on the School Ground.” This was an internal match. Chronicle No 24 records the first match played by KES against external opponents – v Winson Green on 17 June; KES won by 8 wickets and F Bond, the captain, took 7 wickets. There is no reference to the venue, but no suggestion that it was not played at Eastern Road, and in an article in the Old Edwardians Gazette, ‘Eastern Road: A 1976 Centenary?’ I suggested that this was the first external match played by KES at Eastern Road. However, the score of this match appeared on Cricket Archive some years later, provided by a non-KES source, and this states that the match was played at the Birmingham City Mental Hospital Ground. This may be supported by the fact that according to the Chronicle KES 2nd XI played Hall Green 2nd XI on the School Ground on 17 June. Thus KES v Queen’s College on 22 June may be the first match played at Eastern Road, on 22 June. Queen’s College batted all day for 255-8, so KES did not bat and the match was drawn. Declarations were not