This much talked of match came off on Thursday, to the great satisfaction of all the lovers of batting. There were some six or seven hundred spectators, among whom were a great many ladies.-The Missouri Republican, November 22, 1858
Mr. Giles, of the Mound City Club, bolled exceedingly well. Mr. Philips, too bolled and batted to the great satisfaction of himself and to the great execution of his opponents.
Mr. Gorman, of the Jackson Club, bolled down nearly all the wickets, for which he received great applause from the lookers on. We admired Mr. James Flood and Patrick Conran's batting better than any I have ever seen. In one inning these two gentlemen made the large score of forty-seven aces.
Being a stranger in the city, it afforded me great pleasure to see that the citizens of St. Louis have become acquainted with this noble game, and ere long, I think, that the Jackson Club will beat any club in the world. I say this from seeing them play, and from the manner of their batting and bolling. They beat the Mound City Club thirty-seven aces in one inning to their two.
Less than a year after this cricket match was played, the New York game would take hold in St. Louis and its growth and success, in many ways, was built upon the infrastructure of the cricket and town ball clubs that already existed in the city. To better understand what was taking place in 1859, it's important to take a look backwards and see what existed in the way of bat and ball clubs in St. Louis and what the athletic environment was like at the time. This article from the Republican, written by, Ballyn Slown, certainly shines a bit of light on that.
No comments:
Post a Comment