The captain of the team sent me in first wicket down, a compliment which I keenly felt I had not justified; but I was on better terms with myself at the end of the match, after having bowled with success unchanged through both innings. In the first innings I took five wickets for 44 runs, in the second eight wickets for 40.
Ten days later I made my first appearance for the Gentlemen v. Players at the Oval, in response to the invitation of the committee of the Surrey Club. On that occasion I was placed eighth on the batting list, and scored 23 first innings, 12 not out second. Mr. R. D. Walker scored 92 the second innings; Mr. R. A. H. Mitchell, 53 first and 33 second: but we lost the match by 118 runs; and I realised that whilst there were as good batsmen in the Gentlemen's eleven as in the Players', the former were still much behind in bowling. It was the ninth time that this match had been played at the Oval, and on each occasion the Players had won rather easily. It was easy to understand that against such an array of talent as the Players then possessed, the Gentlemen had a formidable task before them to win one of the two matches that were now played annually between them. Our defeat was all the more annoying that the Players' eleven was not at all representative on that occasion; for the northern cracks Daft, Parr, Jackson, Hayward, Carpenter, Tarrant, and Anderson had all declined to come.
The return match, at Lord's, on the 10th and 11th July, was more encouraging to us; the Gentlemen winning it by eight wickets. It was their first win since the year 1854. Hayward, Carpenter, and Parr were amongst the Players, and this added considerably to our satisfaction in defeating so strong an eleven. I batted first, with my brother E. M., in both innings. Mr. B. B. Cooper made 70 for the Gentlemen, and Mr. R. A. H.
