Page:The Hambledon Men (1907).djvu/29

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A LABOUR OF LOVE
xxiii

bring up his work to date, and though he has had to encounter much opposition and numerous obstacles, he hopes yet to succeed. It may also be mentioned that he has worked at the Scores and Biographies "entirely and gratuitously" throughout, and solely on account of his love for the game, and for no other reason or object.

'As a batsman, his defence during the twenty years he appeared at Lord's, on the rough, bumpy, and often dangerous wickets, as used in his time, was considered to have been equal to any other cricketer of his day, especially against fast bowling, though his hitting was poor, entirely through lack of physical strength. From the age of eight to twelve (1833—1837) he was at Temple Grove School, East Sheen, Surrey, being part of that time under the care of Doctor Pinkney, who was succeeded by Mr. Thompson as head master. He went to Harrow School in September, 1839, and having formed one of the Eleven in 1842 and 1843, which contended victoriously at Lord's v. Winchester and Eton, he left that "nursery of amateur cricketers" in July, 1843, and it may be added that during the twenty years he played at Lord's he was never once late.

'He also claims for the Scores and Biographies that every line is a fact, and that no learned and verbose dissertations, or arguments, or tedious and minute theories, or penny a-line writing or averages, have a place in any part of the work of fourteen volumes. He has written several thousand letters for the necessary materials, his chivalry always was cricket, and in his day there were "no paid amateurs". Discrepancies, in the different published versions of all matches, combined with illegible writing in many accounts of scores obtained, have been the cause of