A History of Cricket at King Edward's School, BIrmingham

8 and 6 give full coverage of the six matches played that year – two of which, both against Tettenhall, were won, as mentioned in the last chapter. Full averages are given for the first time: HE Parry made the most runs for the season (83), and also took 21 wickets, and CH Allcock and WN Shaw both took 18 wickets. Finally, from 1872 onwards we have a complete list of cricket captains down to the present day, commemorated on the captains’ board in the pavilion at Eastern Road. The captain for 1872 was AW Sunderland. Thus, signs of a revival were present. Even so, cricket at the School had to contend with adversity for a few years yet. The School Chronicle lapsed after one issue in February 1873 and did not reappear until March 1875. There is no evidence that any matches were played in 1873, 1874 or 1875, although we do have the names of the captains for those years: HE Parry in 1873, CH Allcock in 1874 and F Bond in 1875; and the Chronicle for March 1875 refers to the large number of matches that have been lost over the past few years, and also to the possibility of masters joining the boys in the side this year ‘as they did last’. A major reason for this state of affairs seems to be that Eastern Road may not have been fit to play on. The Chronicle of March 1875 notes that for the last few years it has been impossible for the players to have any thorough practice together, and that the field, though laid for cricket at the beginning of 1874, was never in a condition to render it safe to play on. However, the writer strikes a positive note, saying that ‘The Governors have kindly consented to have a portion of it relaid, and if all goes well, we may fairly hope to play upon it soon after Easter.’ However, says this writer, there was much still to be done. Subscriptions were needed to make the cricket club a going concern, and to fit up the new pavilion with the necessary appliances, and regular practice was required for success on the field. The writer is hopeful of something being done, and a team (with masters) being produced that will uphold the reputation of the School. It appears that the writer of the article was EW Floyd, the secretary, who later became the Rev EW Floyd, Headmaster of King Edward’s Aston. The writer’s hopes that ‘a game without which we have no right to call ourselves a school’ would be re-established in 1875 were dashed, because the ground remained unfit for play. However, in 1876 the ground was ready, and cricket could go ahead. Three elevens all played matches during this season. The School eleven’s first match of the season was against Winson Green on 17 June, and resulted in a victory for the School by 33 runs. F Bond, captain for a second successive season, took 7 wickets. Seven matches were played in 1876, and in addition to the Winson Green victory, there were two wins on first innings against Wolverhampton Grammar School. There were three losses. The other match, against Queen’s College, was not typical of the matches played in this period. Despite the conditions at Eastern Road, Queen’s College batted all day for 255 for eight, and Whitby scored a century. Stumps were drawn before KES could have their innings: declarations were not possible until 1889. Bond and WB Allcock (one of a large family four of whom played for KES at various times between 1866 and 1876) were the best bowlers, and W Brewerton batted better than anyone else. In an article in the Old Edwardians Gazette in 1976, I suggested that the Winson Green match was the first match played at Eastern Road. However, it now appears that this