The boys have gone to all the winds of heaven, except the
town boys and the eleven, and the few enthusiasts besides who have asked
leave to stay in their houses to see the result of the cricket matches.
For this year the Wellesburn return match and the Marylebone match are
played at Rugby, to the great delight of the town and neighbourhood, and
the sorrow of those aspiring young cricketers who have been reckoning
for the last three months on showing off at Lord's ground.
The Doctor started for the Lakes yesterday morning, after an interview
with the captain of the eleven, in the presence of Thomas, at which he
arranged in what school the cricket dinners were to be, and all other
matters necessary for the satisfactory carrying out of the festivities,
and warned them as to keeping all spirituous liquors out of the close,
and having the gates closed by nine o'clock.
The Wellesburn match was played out with great success yesterday, the
School winning by three wickets; and to-day the great event of the
cricketing year, the Marylebone match, is being played. What a match it
has been! The London eleven came down by an afternoon train yesterday,
in time to see the end of the Wellesburn match; and as soon as it was
over, their leading men and umpire inspected the ground, criticising it
rather unmercifully. The captain of the School eleven, and one or
two others, who had played the Lord's match before, and knew old Mr.
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