SPORT – Cricket Redcar & Coatham v The Clowns

Accreditation the Redcar and Saltburn News 03/09/1874.

CRICKET
REDCAR AND COATHAM  v  CASEY AND
ROBSON’S CLOWN CRICKETERS.

            A two day’s match was played on the Courtroom Cricket Ground, on Monday and Tuesday (31/08 & 01/09), by twelve members of the local club, against fourteen of Casey and Robson’s Clown Cricketers. The weather in the early part of Monday was showery, but cleared up prior to the time of the wickets being pitched, and continued fine during the day. An immense concourse of spectators assembled on the ground. The Clowns went first to the wickets, and in their first innings made 131 runs; and at the time the wickets were drawn, the home team had scored 21 runs, with a loss of two wickets. On Tuesday morning the weather seemed again rather unsettled with a high wind (though fortunately, it continued fine throughout the day), and a large number of persons gain assembled on the ground. Play was resumed at 12 o’clock by the “not outs” of Monday, and the first innings of the Redcar and Coatham closed with a score of 62. After a brief interval, the Clowns went in for their second innings, in which they scored 71 runs. Time would not allow of Redcar and Coatham completing their second innings, and the match was decided by the first in favour of the Clowns, they having beaten their opponents by 69 runs. The bowling of Hope and Garner for the Clowns, and that of Gibson, Dickins, Walton, and Elliott for Redcar and Coatham was very good; as was also the batting of A. Smith, W. Slater, and T. H. Ritter for the former – that of the whole team being decidedly below the average. The antics of the Clowns in the field caused much amusement.

The Clowns also gave their popular concert and entertainment in the Central Hall, which was crowded to excess each evening, and the frequent outbursts of applause testified to the appreciation of the audience. It should be mentioned that Mr J. Hikeley, of the Lobster Hotel, arranged for the visit of the Clowns, and the is to be congratulated on the satisfactory manner in which the arrangements have been carried out, and on the deserved success which has been achieved.