Chapter IV: Cricket

_Your cricketer, right English to the core,
Still loves the man best he has licked before._

TOM TAYLOR in _Punch_.

Though, as has been said, Paul had no skill in cricket, he was jealous of the cricket reputation of the College. He knew the game thoroughly. His cricket "Bible," if I may use the expression, was Prince Ranjitsinhji's excellent "Jubilee Book of Cricket." He often accompanied the 1st XI for out-of-town matches, to act as scorer or reporter. His cricket reports in _The Alleynian_ make racy reading. The following is taken from a picturesquely-written account of a victory over Brighton at Brighton in May, 1914:

When A. E. R. Gilligan appeared at the wicket things became more
than merry. He was in fine fettle, and from the first made light
of the bowling, hitting all round the wicket with immense vigour.
The gem of the day was his treatment of D. S. Johnson's fifth
over. We seem to recollect reading in our childhood a work of P.
G. Wodehouse's, in which he remarks that "when a slow bowler
begins to bowl fast, it is as well to be batting if you can
manage it." Well, Johnson was--we think--originally a slow
bowler, and he tried to bowl fast. The result was that traffic
had to be suspended on the road running past the school. First
Franklin--who had replaced Shirley, brilliantly caught at
point--smote Johnson for a three. This brought Gilligan to the
batting end, and a horse passing outside the ground nearly had
its life cut short. The next ball just missed the railings, and
the next almost smashed the fanlight in a house across the road.
It was then that the police suspended the traffic. Gilligan
finally played inside a good length ball, and was most
unfortunately bowled when within two of his century. Hard luck!
He had been missed twice--once, we admit, badly--but on the whole
his smiting was admirably timed and placed. He hit three sixes
and fifteen fours. Franklin had meanwhile been busy, and scored
22, with three fours. Finally, Brown and Wood put on some 30
runs, the former being not out for a useful 16, and the latter
getting 13. Our score was 326 for eight when Gilligan declared.

Appended is a passage from his account of the match with Bedford on June 6 (in which Dulwich were victorious by 81 runs), describing a record achievement by A. H. H. Gilligan, one of three brothers who distinguished themselves in athletics in Dulwich:

A. H. H. Gilligan was now well over the 170 mark, and had
therefore beaten the previous school record for the highest
score. At 190, however, he just touched a short fast ball from
Cameron, and put the ball into the hands of Dix at second slip:
283-9-190. The innings closed for 284 in the next over, Paton
being run out. To score 190 out of 284 is an almost superhuman
performance. For a man who was only playing his second match this
season it was a positively marvellous achievement. Gilligan's
innings was a masterpiece, and at no time did he seem to be in
the slightest degree troubled by the bowlers, yet the latter were
distinctly good, as they proved by the fact that they got nine
men out for 94 runs or less. Gilligan's innings included a six
and thirty-two fours. The previous best score--against a weak
scratch side in 1911--was 171 by C. V. Arnold. Gilligan was at
the wickets in all only two and a quarter hours or so.

The following is from his report of the Sherborne match, which Dulwich won handsomely:

Had not the last few wickets been able to put on a few more runs
all earlier efforts might have been wasted, and certainly all
would have been altered had it not been for the amazing bowling
of Paton. His analysis was five for 6--a wonderful achievement.
The wicket was, indeed, to a certain extent favourable to him,
but he was able to make the ball swing with his arm and break
back in a fashion that was quite astounding. A. E. R. Gilligan
worked with his usual energy and bore the brunt of the bowling.
While he did not have the success of Paton, he bowled extremely
well, taking four for 30. All our team fielded so well that to
specify individuals would be unnecessary. The Sherborne team
brought off some excellent catches, though their ground-fielding
was not quite so good. Wheeler bowled very well, and Westlake was
in splendid form behind the wicket. After the match there were
the usual handshakings and so forth, and we started back for
London at five-thirty, getting to Waterloo at about eight
o'clock. Our visit was quite delightful, and we send our very
best thanks to our Sherborne friends for their kindness and
hospitality.

Of the match with St. Paul's School in July, 1914, in which Dulwich were badly beaten, he wrote:

We would have given much to win this match, in particular, but at
least there is the consolation that we lost to a really great
side which could hardly have been beaten by any school in the
country. The St. Paul's batting was so splendidly balanced that
every man could be sure of a 10 or 20, while Skeet and Gibb were
always certain of really good knocks; and in bowling the wizardry
of Pearson was in itself enough to conjure any team out.

St. Paul's knocked up 188 in their first innings. Dulwich were disposed of for 67, largely owing to the bowling of Pearson.

The Pauline "demon" had now got all our men into a terrible
"funk," and the result was that wickets began to fall at both
ends like ninepins: 44-9-3. Then came the best batting of the
game. Gilkes joined Brown, and quickly showed that he was not the
man to hide his head before foes, however strong. After smiting
Roberts to the leg boundary, he did the same to the off, and with
Brown playing his usually steady game--being particularly smart
in short runs--the 50 and 60 soon went up. But it could not go
on, for at 67 Brown, avoiding Scylla, fell into the jaws of
Charybdis--in other words, keeping Pearson out, was bowled by
Skeet: 67-10-11. His 11 was a most valuable piece of batting.
Gilkes, with 12 not out, was top scorer on our side--except for
Mr. Extras. He had really done extremely well, and played with a
straight bat at everything--therefore he did not get out. A most
plucky and useful bit of work this.

But what of our innings as a whole? Let the heavens fall in
confusion on us! We decline to discuss the matter. Pearson took
five wickets for 17, Skeet three for 21, Roberts two for 13. St.
Paul's fielded well, especially Skeet, Hayne and Gibb. It was
Pearson's cakewalk-tango bowling that undid us. Note, however,
that in a second innings we quite redeemed ourselves, Rowbotham
(31 not out), Paton (29), and Brown (29 not out) playing really
excellently. Why, oh, why! didn't we do it in the first innings?

His detailed and graphic reports were greatly appreciated by the members of the 1st XI, and read with relish by the whole school. Whenever opportunity offered Paul would visit the Oval for a great cricket match. Lord's not being so accessible, he seldom went to the M.C.C. ground. Though a poor cricketer himself, he loved the great summer game and admired those who excelled in it.