Richard A.H. Mitchell

MR. RICHARD ARTHUR HENRY MITCHELL died at his residence, at Woking, on the 19th of April. Born at Enderby Hall, near Leicester, on the 22nd of January, 1843, he was in his sixty-third year. A special notice of Mr. Mitchell, from the pen of Lord Harris, appears in another part of Wisden, and Mr. R. D. Walker has drawn attention to what he did as a member of the Eton and Oxford elevens. In 1866-the year after he left Oxford-Mr. Mitchell became an assistant master at Eton, and for over thirty years he was the ruling spirit of Eton cricket, acting as chief coach down to 1897, when he retired from duty. In recognition of his invaluable services, he was presented with a silver bowl bearing the inscription Presented to Mr. R. A. H. Mitchell by the Captains of he Eton Elevens, 1866-1897. The bowl was presented to Mr. Mitchell, in the Pavilion at Lord"s, on the second day of the Eton and Harrow match, in 1898. Lord Harris, speaking on behalf of the subscribers, drew attention to the fact that, with the one exception of Mr. E. O. H. Wilkinson- captain in 1872- who was killed in the Zulu war, all the captains were then living. A portrait and biography of Mr. Mitchell appeared in Baily"s Magazine, for July, 1865-the last season in which he was able to play regularly in first-class matches. After he became a master at Eton he practically restricted himself to the Canterbury Week, but it is worthy of mention that he took part in the Gentlemen and Players match, at Brighton, for the benefit of the late John Lillywhite, in 1871 and, being practically as good a bat as ever, scored 50 and 37 against the bowling of J. C. Shaw, Martin McIntyre, and Southerton. Playing in his young days against Jackson, Tarrant, and Willsher, Mr. Mitchell at the end of his career once met Spofforth. The match was I Zingari against the Australians, at Scarborough, in 1882, and Mr. Mitchell scored 32. For purposes of record a list of Mr. Mitchell"s scores of over 70, in first-class matches, is appended:-