Hornby Albert Image 5 Lancashire 1892

Description

Blackburn, Lancashire born Albert “A.N.”, better known as “Monkey” Hornby was one of the best known sportsmen in England during the nineteenth century excelling in both rugby and cricket. He was the first of only two men to captain the country at both rugby and cricket but is also remembered as the England cricket captain whose side lost the Test match which gave rise to the Ashes, at home against the Australians in 1882. Additionally, he played football for Blackburn Rovers in their first match.

Whilst at Harrow, his family had moved to Shrewbridge Hall, Nantwich, Cheshire, and he first played cricket for that County in 1862, playing in 20 matches for Cheshire between then and 1876. His club cricket was for the East Lancashire Club, Blackburn and he was first tried for Lancashire County Cricket Club in 1867. It was with his County that he was to play his finest cricket. He went on to play for Lancashire for 33 years, 17 of those as captain (in 1879-1893 and 1897-1898). For many years he provided an ideal attacking foil to the careful defence of his opening partner, Dick Barlow, with whom he was immortalised in one of the best known of all cricket poems, At Lord’s by Francis Thompson which contains the following lines:

It is little I repair to the matches of the Southron folk,
Though my own red roses there may blow;
It is little I repair to the matches of the Southron folk,
Though the red roses crest the caps, I know.
For the field is full of shades as I near a shadowy coast,
And a ghostly batsman plays to the bowling of a ghost,
And I look through my tears on a soundless-clapping host
As the run stealers flicker to and fro,
To and fro:
O my Hornby and my Barlow long ago!

His lack of stature and excess of energy earned him the nickname “Monkey” whilst at school and this stuck, while his players called him “The Boss”, for his martinet approach to captaincy. In all cricket sources, however, he is referred to by his initials, and never by a nickname. His prowess as a forceful front-foot player, was matched by his fielding abilities. Between 1870 and 1881 he was the only player for Lancashire to reach a century for the club, which he did on seven occasions, and in 1881 he topped the national averages with his 1,531 runs including three centuries.

Hornby was unable to carry his County form with the bat into the Test arena, his 3.50 average being a testament to this fact. On his debut Test at Melbourne in January 1879 on the 1878–79 Australian tour (during this tour, Hornby was caught up in the Sydney Riot of 1879) he lost his wicket in both innings to Spofforth; this was to be repeated in his next Test in 1882. The Test match in 1882 was a one-off game played at The Oval in London, England, and the English cricket team lost it to Australia by seven runs. In response, the Sporting Timesprinted the following “obituary” to English cricket:

In Affectionate Remembrance of ENGLISH CRICKET, which died at the Oval on 29th AUGUST, 1882, Deeply lamented by a large circle of sorrowing friends and acquaintances R.I.P. N.B. – The body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia. 

Thus was born the greatest rivalry in cricket which to this day is known as The Ashes.

AN Hornby captained England in only one more Test (his last), standing in for Lord Harris (who had stood out in protest) in the first Test of 1884. The match was played at Old Trafford on 10, 11 and 12 July 1884 and was drawn. Hornby avoided Spofforth but his 0 and 4 in the two innings remained undistinguished. His highest Test score was 9.

In addition to his County and country, he also played first class cricket for Marylebone Cricket Club between 1873 and 1898. Aside from his playing for Lancashire, Hornby also held the posts of Lancashire Chairman from 1878 to 1898, and Lancashire President from 1894 to 1916.

In all Hornby played 437 first class matches between 1867 and 1906 and scored over 16,000 runs at an average of 24.07. His top score was 188, with 75 half centuries and 16 centuries. He also took 12 wickets in first class cricket as an occasional bowler, including one in a Test match, and a best return of 4-40. He also held 313 catches and stumped 3 batsmen when playing as an emergency wicket keeper.

Hornby first played rugby for the Preston Grasshoppers and thence on to Manchester Football Club. His first game for England was on 5th February 1877 under the captaincy of Edward Kewley, a fellow Lancastrian. This match was the first 15-a-side international and was between England and Ireland at the Oval. He played as a three-quarter and despite being 30 years old, kept his place. He was present in the team in 1878 but due to his overseas international cricketing commitments in 1879 was unable to play rugby for his country that year. He was recalled to the side in 1880 as a full back and it was in this position that he was called upon to captain his country in 1882. The game was played in Manchester on 4th March 1882 against Scotland who won by 2 tries to nil. When, later that year, Hornby led the England cricket team out at the Oval to play the Australians he became the first man to captain his country in both sports and this in his 36th year. He is one of only two men to have captained England at both these sports, the other being Andrew Stoddart.

As well as becoming captain of the national side for both cricket and rugby, Hornby was also selected to play for Blackburn Rovers in their inaugural game at Alexandra Meadows, against Partick Thistle on 2nd January 1878. He played for them in a few subsequent matches.

His brothers Edward and Cecil also played a small number of matches in first class cricket. His son Albert (A.H.) Hornby played for Lancashire between 1898 and 1914, also captaining the County.