Legends of Lymore – the summer when Montgomery beat England

The visit of the English United XI brought some of the stars of the Victorian age to Lymore to take on a team of Montgomery cricketers, bolstered by the addition of several players drafted in from rival clubs for the occasion.

The event was celebrated at the time, with the local newspaper writing ‘It is some time since, if ever, such deeds of valour have been enrolled upon the annals of the cricket field in the county of Montgomery as was achieved on the grounds of Lymore Park, Montgomery, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday last’.

Over three days in June 1882 Montgomery Cricket Club beat a team of English cricketing stars on their home pitch at Lymore.

The United XI of England. Harry Jupp, the first Englishman to face a ball in test cricket, is standing on the right, and W.G. Grace’s cousin Walter Gilbert is standing in the centre.

The United XI of England would later that year play against the Australian touring team that created the myth of the Ashes.

The team was captained by W.G. Grace’s cousin and regular opening partner at Gloucestershire, Walter Gilbert.

It also featured Harry Jupp, the first Englishman to face a ball in test cricket and the first to score a half century for his country.

There was also John Platts, who was the first man to score a century for Derbyshire, but who is mainly remembered as the bowler who bowled the ball at Lord’s in 1870 that killed Nottinghamshire batsmen George Summers.

Montgomery’s main advantage in the game was that their team consisted of 22 players.

Photograph of the Montgomery Twenty-Two who defeated the United XI. Frank Cobden, the famous gentleman player, is the tall man in the middle of the back row.

Nine of these were regular players for the club, with the team was strengthened by cricketers from other teams in the area.

Seven of these had experience of playing county cricket for Shropshire or Worcestershire, including the Welshpool player Harry Baines who had also played for England Colts in 1877.

There was also the Worcestershire professional Arthur Millward, who went on to umpire at the highest level, including the Headingley Ashes Test in 1921, and Frank Cobden who was a famous gentleman cricketer who had once taken a hat-trick for Cambridge to secure victory in the annual varsity match against their old rivals Oxford.

The event itself was a grand occasion with refreshment tents provided by the Chequers Hotel and the Bricklayers Arms.

A photograph showing the Twenty-Two of Montgomery in the field with the refreshment tents and a small stand in the background.

A grandstand was provided by Potters of Welshpool, and the Newtown Brass and Reed band provided musical entertainment.

Montgomery batted first and scored 120 runs, with Frank Cobden top scoring with 30. By the end of the first day the Montgomery bowlers Arthur Millward and local man C.B. Williams had claimed four wickets, including both Walter Gilbert and Harry Jupp.

The next day the United XI’s innings collapsed to 76 all out and Montgomery batted again, this time scoring 115 runs.

On the last day, after strong middle order batting, the United XI’s tail collapsed and Montgomery were victorious by 62 runs.

A photograph showing Walter Gilbert about to bowl with Harry Jupp standing at mid-on. The batsman is the Montgomery captain Harry Evans and the wicket keeper is Charles Kennedy of Sussex.