THE KING AS A CRICKETER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11686, 22 June 1901, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE KING AS A CRICKETER.

A very pleasant incident, recalling the King*? early cricketing exploits, occurred a. •qS-iuqnipH 01 jisiASiq fiuijnp -M'ap Is'M -IBSA when the" gatekeeper at the chief entrance at his uos.t's—the Duke of Biieekueh—residence was summoned to the palace tor an interview with the then Prince of W ales. Mr. Walter Mitchell, who is the gatekeeper in question, was naturally delighted to iind that the Prince had not forgotten the games of cricket on Dalkeith law v. in which they had together taken part, v.v.viy incidents in connection with these games km- recalled by the Royal player."who, although he was the proprietor of Kennington Oval, which property forms a \ onion of the estate of the Duchy of Cornwall, never attained, probably from want <>f practice, to a very great proficiency in the game. There is. we believe, only one occasion recorded in which the Kin;,' took part in a formal match, namely, when in 1866 he assisted 1 Zingari to defeat the Gentlemen of Norfolk, at Sandrmgkam, and was bowled bv the first ball he received.

Early in the sixties, when the professional cricketer attached to Ficon College was the, at that time, well-known Cambridgeshire player, 1". Bell, lie was not infrequently summoned to Windsor Castle to bowl to the Prince of Wales and the other young and Royal members of the household. But. alas"! it has to be recorded that on his return from one of these expeditious he made the direful announcement that he "couldn't make a job of 'em at all." The Dul-es of Clarence and York have both taken an active interest in the game: the latter, indeed, who as middy'" used to indulge in the game on the deck of the Bacchante, at- the conclusion of one days racing tit Goodwood a couple of years ago played in a match in Goodwood Park that was got tip between the guests at Goodwood House. The team included His Royal Highness and an eleven captained by M. Cannon, the famous jockey. The former is credited with having possessed one of .the most expensive bats in existence, the blaue being of walnut and the bat being mounted in silver. A peculiarity with regard to the King's favourite bat, by the way, lies in the fact that high up on the blade on either side of the splice appear the famous three feathers that forms the crest of the Prince of Wales.

The late Queen witnessed more than one cricket, match, but never one that may with accuracy be described as a first-class fixture. Ou August 5, 1366, the late Queen, together with the Prince and Princess of Wales and other members of the Royal family, witnessed a very close game at Osborne between the Royal Household at Osborne and the officers and men of the Royal yacht, which was won by the former by the narrow margin of twelve runs. The match was particularly interest for the reason that the late Prince Leopold undertook the duties of scorer, whilst figuring on the side of the sailors we find the late Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotka, one line of the score-sheet reading :—H.R.H. the Duke of 'Edinburgh, b Head, 10; c Cole, b Archer, 2.