Madras Cricket – Home and Away in the 19th Century

“This match was commenced on the Chepauk ground yesterday morning. The Madras Captain won the toss and elected to send in his team for the cricket match. The first few wickets fell rapidly. However, a good stand was made by Mr GG Arbuthnot and Mr Walter Morgan. With support from those who followed, they brought the total to 96 before the ninth wicket fell (one being absent). Bangalore then went in. The first few men played well and quickly matched the Madras score. However, the tail collapsed. The last wicket fell just one run ahead of Madras.

The match will be resumed tomorrow at 11.30 am sharp. At 4 pm, the Volunteer Band will begin playing. The Committee of the Club informs us that the Pavilion (upstairs) will be opened for the use of the ladies.”

The Story Behind GG Arbuthnot

That brief report from 1875 offers many threads for a historian. GG Arbuthnot became the last member of his clan to live in Madras. He later led his family’s business house. Over time, he rose to become Chairman of the Madras Chamber of Commerce. He also served as President of the Madras Club and eventually received a knighthood. However, his career ended in disgrace. Speculation and financial trouble brought down his firm in 1906. The collapse affected thousands of investors. Among them was Sir Arthur Lawley, Governor of Madras and President of the MCC, who had to declare insolvency.

A court sentenced Sir George G Arbuthnot to two years’ imprisonment. After serving his term, he left for England. With his departure, the Arbuthnot connection with Madras ended. In many ways, this also marked the end of that phase of the MCC

Early Cricket Beyond Madras

Madras did not play only against Bangalore. The team also faced sides from mofussil regions such as the Kolar Gold Fields, Trichinopoly, and the plantation districts. In fact, the first inter-state match—possibly even India’s first first-class game—was played against the Calcutta Cricket Club in 1864. HL Linton, Head Assistant Collector of the Godavari District, captained the MCC in this early representative match.

The team featured players with names like Hutchins, Brandt, and Breeks. Many were Oxford Blues. They also held official positions such as Assistant Head Collector from Cuddapah, Judge from Cumbaconum, and Agent from Ganjam.

The Journey to Calcutta

Details of this historic match come from the memoirs of Sir Philip Hutchins, who was then Private Secretary to Governor Sir William Denison. The idea for the match came from JW Breeks, later commemorated with a school in his name at Ootacamund. Travel arrangements were unusual. Lady Denison planned to travel to Calcutta by steamer to join her husband, who was then officiating as Governor General.

The cricket team decided to accompany her, along with other ladies. They also planned to pick up HL Linton and Francis Brandt at Machilipatnam. However, plans changed abruptly. When the women learned that artillery and gunpowder were to be carried as baggage on the same steamer, they refused to travel. As a result, the cricket team had the vessel entirely to themselves.

Struggles to Form a Team

Even assembling the team proved difficult. As Hutchins recalled, “at the last moment, Plumer, our best batsman and a lob bowler, refused to go.” With little time left, Hutchins had to urgently contact replacements. He even used his authority as Private Secretary to send messages during the Christmas period. Despite these efforts, the team had to be completed as best as possible.

The Plumer in question was Charles George Plumer, a civil servant. He had earlier played first-class cricket for the Marylebone Cricket Club in 1860.

The Match in Calcutta

The team arrived in early January. They found the Calcutta side unprepared. When the match was eventually played, it ended decisively in Madras’s favour. As Hutchins noted, “in each innings we led by a substantial number of runs.” He also made an interesting observation.

All eleven players from Madras were Government servants—either civil or military. In contrast, most of the Calcutta team belonged to what was then called the “interloping community.” This term referred to entrepreneurs and “boxwallahs,” who were often seen as inferior to those in official positions. Ironically, the MCC itself would later see increasing membership from the same commercial ranks.

Aftermath and Official Indifference

The authorities in Madras were pleased with the victory. As Hutchins remarked, several players had been away from their official duties for quite some time. Yet, no objections were raised. “One was Judge at my old Court at Vellore. His Court must have been without a Judge for over a fortnight, but neither Government nor the High Court raised any objection.”

Clearly, success on the cricket field outweighed administrative concerns. As Hutchins dryly observed, “doubtless they were all pleased at our winning the match.”

This article appeared in Madras Musings-https://madrasmusings.com/vol-35-no-22/madras-cricket-home-and-away-in-the-19th-century/

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