Harry Brown’s Match
Martin Chandler |Published: 2025
Pages: 16
Author: Musk, Stephen
Publisher: Red Rose Books
Rating: 3 stars
It has been a while since the second of Stephen Musk’s series of Monograph’s on North American cricket was published by Red Rose Books. And then we get the third, fourth and fifth all appearing at the same time. The reason is not a particularly interesting one, and was forced by circumstances beyond anyone’s control. But it does mean that enthusiasts, and I suspect anyone who wants to invest in one of these will want all three, can pick up a bundle of three monographs for £20, inclusive of UK postage and packing, rather than paying £8 for each one. That is an offer from the publisher, and as usual a few copies of each are also on their way to Roger Page.
Harry Brown’s Match was played in 1891, the hosts being the Gentlemen of Philadelphia and the venue the home of the Germantown club in the city. The visitors were an English touring team led by the Yorkshire captain Lord Hawke. Hawke wasn’t a bad batsman, but although he did play in five Tests for England, captaining the side in four of them, not even his greatest admirers would seek to suggest he was of Test class. All five appearances were in South Africa who were not strong in those days and, despite being a specialist batsman, Hawke’s test average ended up at just 7.85.
All of Hawke’s side were however First Class cricketers and one of them, the Australian all-rounder Sammy Woods, was a top class player. The party was comprised of amateurs only and most have modest records but two more, Herbie Hewett of Somerset, and Surrey’s Kingsmill Key, were good players and well worth their places in their county sides.
The match covered by Musk’s monograph was the first of the tour, and one of just two First Class contests. The tourists won the second of those encounters, but they were outplayed in the first and lost by eight wickets. In the way of such monographs Musk introduces all 22 of the players and uses contemporary sources to describe the play concentrating, as the title suggests, on the local orthodox left arm spinner Harry Brown, who had the match of his life.
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