Pope helps out
Sydney University Cricket Club | February 01, 2024
By James Rodgers
Tuesday 10 June 1902.
The Fenners Ground, Cambridge University.
The Australians vs Cambridge University.
A bearded, greying batsman walks out to join wicket keeper Hanson Carter. Dr Roland James (Rowley) Pope is a former Test cricketer, playing his last 1st class game, more than seventeen years after appearing in his only Test Match.
A RETURN TO 1ST CLASS CRICKET.
It has been a diluted English summer filled with frequent rain showers interspersed with even heavier rain. The cold weather has seeped into the Australians' bones. Joe Darling and Bill Howell are in London, stricken with influenza. Monty Noble tries to recover in Brighton. Jack Saunders has quinsy and Dr Pope's instructions are that he be confined to bed. Hugh Trumble has not played a game on tour because of injury but he is pressed into service even though he is still not fit. The touring squad of fourteen is reduced to ten barely fit players. Dr Pope, the team's medical advisor, who has filled in on two previous tours (1886 and 1890, when he was studying Medicine at Edinburgh University) is persuaded to make an unexpected return to 1st class cricket.
On a showery Monday, in front of a meagre crowd, the Australians have dismissed the students for 106. Even though the weather is much brighter on Tuesday, the wicket is treacherous and Victor Trumper's masterful 128 in three hours stands out. On Monday, Victor's 5 for 19 were his best 1st class bowling figures. He is to total 2570 runs for the tour, one of his greatest seasons, especially in such sodden conditions. Cambridge's fielding is loose. Many chances are missed.
Pope strolls to the crease at 7 for 333 and takes guard. He hits a two from 21 year old slow left-armer Edward Maurice Dowson (Trinity College and Harrow School) before Carter is caught at slip by Frederic Wilson also of Trinity College. Ernie Jones, attempting to hit the next delivery out of the ground, is bowled by Dowson who takes his fifth wicket of the innings. Dowson's great grandson, Edward James Carpenter, also a slow left armer, will also play 1st class cricket, for Durham University 102 years later.
Trumble is still not fully fit and does not bat, The Australians lead by over 230. Cambridge's reply is abysmal - all out 46 - and Bert Hopkins picks up a hattrick in taking 7 for 10.
A RETURN TO TEST CRICKET?
With only four days until the beginning of the 2nd Test at Lords, there is real concern about the number of Australians who might be fit enough to take the field. There is even a suggestion that the team may have to call on Leslie Poidevin, the former Sydney University player, who is studying Medicine and playing county cricket. He was 12th man for Australia in the 1st Test of the 1901-02 series against England. Another extraordinary suggestion is that Dr Pope may also be needed, over seventeen years since his last Test. In the event, Noble, Darling and Saunders are all declared fit and Poidevin and Pope are not needed. Australia eventually takes the series two-one, one of the more memorable series in England, after pulsating results mixed with inevitable rain.
FROM CLUB CRICKET TO NSW SELECTION TO A TEST MATCH APPEARANCE...ALL IN A MONTH.
In 1884-85, Rowley Pope was the recipient of good fortune and happy coincidence. He had been playing for Sydney University since 1879-80 when he made his first appearance in the 1st XI, aged only 15, as a dashing batsman and an athletic fielder.
In the 1884-85 club season, Pope began with nondescript scores of 27 not out, 5 and 1. He could hardly have expected to be playing for Australia within a few months. Then came a game against a weak Carlingford side in December. In three hours, University rattled up 359. Pope's 118, including twenty fours, was chanceless, admittedly against bowling of vastly inferior quality. In the event, Pope's century earned him selection in the squad of XIII to play Victoria in Melbourne, beginning on 26 December. It was thought extremely unlikely that Pope would be selected in the final XI and that his presence in Melbourne was simply to give the 20 year old some experience. So, on Wednesday 24 December, Pope played for The Almanacs against East Melbourne and scored 38. Then on Thursday 25 December, he appeared for Melbourne IZingari against Richmond and made an extraordinary 170 not out. Thus, in his last three innings he had scored 326 runs for twice out. There were hurried discussions which led to Reginald Allen, also of Sydney University, being relegated to 12th man and Pope being chosen to make his 1st class debut. On Boxing Day, he made a confident and aggressive 47 before being stumped by Jack Blackham. NSW made 403 but lost by an innings when, batting again, they collapsed for 74. Pope made only 8 before being bowled by Joey Palmer.
Meanwhile, the 2nd Test of the 1884-85 series, the 18th Test since 1877, was due to begin in Melbourne on New Yrear's Day, in two days' time.
But...15 of Australia's players were unavailable to play.
The Australians who played in the 1st Test at Adelaide had been offered 30% of the gate receipts by the South Australian Cricket Association. Their captain, Billy Murdoch, demanded 50% of the gate and the game only went ahead when the SACA offered 450 pounds and a third of the profits.
Money remained a simmering issue.
Before the 2nd Test in Melbourne, Murdoch demanded 50% of the profits. In return, the Victorian Cricket Association offered 20 pounds to each player. A furious Murdoch then withdrew from the game as did the other ten who had played the 1st Test. In addition, another four players were either injured or unavailable. On 31 December, a vastly inexperienced XI was assembled by AG Major, the Victorian selector. The veteran Tom Horan was recalled and elected captain by the players of whom only Sammy Jones had any Test experience. Of the nine debutants, five, including Pope, were never to be selected again. Those five had played only twelve 1st class games among them, although the game was advertised as "The English Professionals" against "The Combined Australian Team." The designation "Test Match" would not be used for another decade and the players, as with others of the period, would only be described as "Test players" sometime later. Nevertheless, Rowley Pope is now Test cap no37. His Test career was to last just four playing days.
1 JANUARY 1885
The Imperial Brass Band welcomed players on to the field just after Arthur Shrewsbury, the English captain, won the toss on a hot day before a surprisingly large crowd of 10,000 spectators. Australia's lack of experience told against them, and England recovered from 7 for 204 to be 9 for 303 at stumps.
2 JANUARY 1885
On Saturday, Johnny Briggs scored his only Test century (in two hours) as he added a then record 98 for the 10th wicket with wicket keeper Joe Hunter. Pope was praised for his fielding. At stumps, Australia was a promising 3 for 151 with John Trumble and Affie Jarvis in occupation.
3 JANUARY 1885
Pope walked in at 4 for 190 to join Jarvis for his first Test innings. He played a few defensive shots until over-confidence caused him to sky a drive from Attewell to be caught by Flowers in the covers. He had made a duck on debut! The Australians were bowled out for 279 and were asked to follow on.
5 JANUARY 1885
After the day of rest on Sunday, Australia resumed at 2 for 66. At 4 for 83, Pope again joined Jarvis. He hit a 3 to the leg side from Billy Barnes. This was to be his only scoring shot in Test cricket. Left armer Bobby Peel turned one sharply from the leg stump to clip the top of the off stump. Pope was one of Bobby Peel's 101 wickets in Test Matches, and one of 1775 wickets he was to take in his 1st class career. Australia was beaten by 10 wickets. Pope, after a few more appearances for NSW, returned to club cricket and to the completion of his studies at Sydney University.
EPILOGUE
Rowley Pope graduated in 1885 and then travelled to Edinburgh University to do further study until he qualified as an ophthalmologist. He was a cultivated character who spoke French, Latin and Greek, was a patron of music and ballet and had an extensive art collection. When he returned to Australia in 1892, he resumed his 1st XI career with Sydney University (a 1st XI career of 890 runs @24.7, including 190 runs @63.3 in his last season in 1896) before finishing with Burwood in 1901 (399 runs @23.5). He was a fixture as 'medical adviser' to numbers of Australian sides which toured England until the 1930s.
When he died in 1952, aged 88, it was 67 years since his only Test.
Rowley Pope is one of seventy one Australian players to play just one Test; one of four players who have represented Sydney University.
