1896

Back in England the series reverted back to three matches. WG was back as captain, so Stoddy reverted to the ranks. He did not play in the third Test.

1st Test  22nd, 23rd, 24th June at Lord’s.

Grace completed 1000 Test runs in front of 30,000 spectators on the first day. The fourth wicket partnership between the Australians Trott and Gregory  of 221 in 161 minutes was a new record for any wicket in Test matches, the former scoring a hundred on his debut as captain.

Stoddart opened with Grace scoring  17 and 30no. Australia were skittled for 53 in the 1st knock. Richardson taking 6 for 39 and Lohmann 3 for 13, there being only one extra.

Scores: Australia  53 and 347. England 292 and 111 for 4. England won by 6 wickets.

In this match, Stoddart was joined by  an early Middlesex  Legend, John Thomas Hearne, b Chalfont St Giles, Bucks 3 May 1867. d, Chalfont Giles, Bucks. 17 April 1944.

 J. T. Hearne played in 12 Tests taking 49 wickets. His 5 for 76 in the second Australian innings in this match, supported the first innings bowlers and set up the win.

 He was the cousin of  another Middlesex Legend of a later era, John William Hearne b. Hillingdon, Middlesex  11 Feb 1891 d. West Drayton, Middlesex  14 Sep 1965.

 J.T.Hearne took 2093 wickets for The Middle and is second only to Freddie Titmus in the County’s all time list of wicket takers.

2nd Test 16.17.18 July at Old Trafford.

‘Ranjii’, the first Indian to play Test cricket, became the second batsman after Grace to score hundred on debut for England . He was the first player to score a hundred before lunch in a Test match. Australia won this  match by three wickets.

Scores Australia 412 and 125 for 7. England 231 and following on 305.

Stoddart opened with Grace making 15 and getting out for 41 when looking well set in the second dig. His 41 in the second innings was Stoddart final  Test match innings in England.

Australian George Giffen became the first to complete the Test career double of 1000 runs and 100 wickets – in his 30th and penultimate match. All of his appearances were against England.

3rd Test  Oval 10,11,12 August.

5 players threatened strike action before the start over match fees.  Abel, Hayward and Richardson relented but Gunn and Lohmann refused to play. It is thought that Stoddart had some sympathy with the latter two and stood down from this match.

At any rate, England won  by 66 runs and took the series 2-1. A major contribution was made by J.T.Hearne, who took 10 wickets in the match. 6 for 41 (career best) and 4 for 19 which added to Peel’s 6 for 23, meant goodnight Australia.

Scores England 145 and 84. Australia 119 and requiring 111 were bowled out for 44.

1897/98

This tour was Andrew Ernest Stoddart’s swansong as a Test match cricketer. There were 13 in the party. Stoddart was restored to the captaincy.

The remainder of the party being A C MacLaren,  K S Ranjitsinjji, J R Mason, N F Druce, T W Hayward, G H Hirst, E Wainwright, W Storer, J Briggs, J H Board J T Hearne and T Richardson.

1st Test SCG 14, 14,15,16,17 December 1897

MacLaren deputised for Stoddart whose mother had died, scored a hundred in his first Test as captain.

Ranjitsinjhii, who had not fully recovered from a bout of quinsy, emulated H.Graham by scoring a hundred in his first Test in Australia, having also done so in England. His 175 stood as a record for England until the 1903/4 series.

Darling, had the distinction of being the first left-hander to score a hundred in a Test match.

As to the match itself: England won by nine wickets. Their only success in the series.

Scores: England 551 and 96 for 1. Australia: 237 and following on 408.

Notes: On December 8th a cable was delivered to Andrew Stoddart telling him his mother was dead. He was grief stricken to the point of collapse, expressions of sympathy poured in and he withdrew to the solitude of his room.

Elizabeth Stoddart, was buried in the shadow of the parish church at Radford, Coventry.

To Drewy, the son who spoke of her often, the cricket tour on the other side of the earth had lost all meaning.

2nd Test MCG 1,3,4,5 January 1898

England lost this match by an innings and 55 runs. Stoddart was still melancholy and MacLaren continued as captain.

The Australian fast bowler Jones was the first to be called for throwing in a Test match…..umpire Phillips called him once.

Scores: Australia 520. England  315 and 150.

3rd Test Adelaide Oval 14,15,17,18,19 January.

After a month out of the game and with a warm up game at Ballarat under his belt. Stoddart returned to the fray in the Adelaide Test as captain.

In this match: Darling became the first batsman to score two hundreds in the same rubber. (MacLaren equalled this feat later in the same match.), and the first to reach his century with a six, which in those days, involved hitting the ball right out of the ground as opposed to over the boundary. Over the boundary counted 5.

This was the first six hit in Test cricket without the aid of overthrows.

As to the match itself: Australia won by an innings and 13 runs.

Scores: Australia 573. England: 278 and 282.

Stoddart batted at 8 in this match scoring 15 and 24. Though he did make his Test best bowling with figures of 4-1-10-1.

J T Hearne returned an analysis  44.1 -15-94-2.  A worthy effort .

4th Test MCG 29, 31 Jan, 1, 2 Feb.

Stoddart remained as captain and continued batting at 8. Australia won by 8 wickets securing both the match and the series.

Scores: Australia 323  (of which Clem Hill made 188) and 115 for 2. England 174 and following on 263.

Stoddart’s contributions, being 17 and 25. J.T Hearne put in a shift in a losing cause in the Australian first knock.

35.4-13-98-6.

Sadly this was to prove to be Stod’s last Test.. He stood down for the 5th Test at Sydney. The captaincy reverted to A C MacLaren, England lost the match and the series 4-1.

Result a win for Australia by 6 wickets. Scores: 35 and 178. Australia 239 and 276 for 4. This despite a massive effort by the giant Surrey bowler Tom Richardson. Who in  Australia’s 1st innings recorded 36.1-7-94-8.

A pretty good swansong, as he finished his Test career with his best analysis.

Epilogue.

1898 was to be Stoddart’s last full season with Middlesex, and statistically his best. Vice-captain this year when the county first had an official cap, and leading the side when A J Webbe was absent, he clearly stood at the head of the batting averages with 52.

Yet this man already had it in his mind to finish with the game. It mattered not that he was batting better than ever. He was tired of it all. To the despair of his hordes of admirers, he dropped out in the Spring of 1899 before the Australian Touring Party arrived.

1899

This year saw Stoddart back in the club ranks with Hampstead. He exceeded 1000 runs easily hitting 7 centuries and taking 60 wickets.

He did do the American tour at season’s end. Sailing from Liverpool in the liner ‘Etruria’. He enjoyed several matches against The Gentlemen of Philadelphia, before returning in October.

1900

There were changes at Middlesex in 1900. A J Webbe became Secretary, and Plum Warner, conscious of the heritage and of responsibilities ahead, became vice-captain of the county.

One unusual statistic glittered like jewel in 1900. Stoddart’s last innings for The Middle. He was still playing for Hampstead pretty successfully.

However, John Thomas Hearne took the Somerset match at Lord’s over Whitsun, as his benefit match.

Andrew Stoddart, as a compliment to the great bowler, made a re-appearance for the county.

Stod made only 12 in Middlesex’s first up 172.  Next day, Middlesex went in 69 behind, the Hampstead pair Stoddart and Hayman opening.

The day was fine but cool. The wicket was firm and fast. And on that wicket for over four hours, Stoddart entertained 10,000 people.

He raised 151 with Hayman and Nicholls helped add 152.

Stoddart’s cutting and straight-batted driving were sumptuous, but even to the short rising deliveries, he drew back and calmly did what he wished with the ball.

As he passed 200, his condition began to flag and finally seeking his 37th boundary was stranded and stumped for a magnificent 221. A fine way to end his county career, with a career best.

A Sad End To a Hero's Story 

Stod in his pomp 

In his final years, Stoddart became a club cricketer and businessman. He also married in October 1906. She was an Australian girl, he had met on his first tour 19 years earlier.

Later he became Secretary to Queen’s Club in Barons Court. There he filled in time with idle talk with the members.

His health was extremely poor by April of 1915. His finances were insecure, his marriage was uninspired, and his nerves in ruinous condition.

On Easter Saturday, April 3rd, the Stoddart home in Maida Vale was depressed by foreboding.

Andrew Stoddart had been out all day. Now in the quiet of the evening, he took along pistol from his pocket and placed it on the table. He told his wife he was tired of everything, and was going to end it all.

After a struggle with his wife, he left the room. Said goodnight and went upstairs.

At midnight Mrs Stoddart found him in bed with blood trickling down his cheek.

That was the end of ‘My Dear Glorious Stod’. He had taken the road of Albert Trott, who had ended things, in similar fashion in a Willesden flat the previous year.

Stod was buried in Coventry. The Coventry Blitz in November 1940 damaged the grave, leaving only the base of the gravestone.

On a personal note: Stod was reckoned by his peers to be the best Middlesex batter of the 1880 and 90’s. Plus he was also an amateur, MCC member and Ashes winning captain.

I find it strange that no recognition of this is to be found at Lord’s. I am not sure, but I don’t think he features on our ‘Middlesex All Time Greats’ line up either.

With his record, (plus he also played only for Middlesex), if true, is an omission which should be corrected IMHO.

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