He was tried several times in first-class matches, but rarely came off. Why he should have failed there, is a mystery to me; for he must have had occasional good balls to play in his long scores against second-class bowling; and it has always been a theory of mine that a player who can score over 100 runs in an innings as often as he has done, whatever the quality of the bowling, is good enough to play in any eleven. I should have liked to have seen him play oftener in first-class matches than he did. He played a good innings once or twice for Kent; but his finest performances were for the Royal Engineers. A score of 100 was not unusual with him; and in one match in 1875 he scored 285 not out. His average for his regiment in 1875 was a very fine one indeed: 21 innings played, average 50.
He was a fine field either at long-leg or coverpoint, covering a great amount of ground, and picking up and returning the ball very quickly and accurately. He played for the Gentlemen in 1873 and for a year or two afterwards.
Mr. Arthur William Ridley was born at Hollington, Newbury, in Berkshire, 11th September, 1852. His height was 6 ft. 4 in.; weight, 13 st. He was a good all-round man, and worth his place in any eleven, either for batting, slow underhand bowling, or fielding. For Eton v. Harrow he scored 117 runs in a single innings; and he was very successful at Oxford also, representing that University against Cambridge in 1872, 1873, and 1874, and bowling on each occasion with great success. He also played for Hampshire, Middlesex, and in the Gentlemen v. Players' matches. For the Gentlemen he scored consistently well, especially in 1876 at Lord's, when he made 103, against A. Shaw, Morley, and Emmett, in a free, sound style. His driving was particularly good; and he played forward with great
