Herbie Hewett
Encyclopedia
Herbert Tremenheere "Herbie" Hewett (25 May 1864 – 4 March 1921) was an English amateur
cricketer
who played for Somerset
, captaining
the county from 1889 to 1893, as well as Oxford University
and the Marylebone Cricket Club
. A battling left-handed opening batsman, Hewett could post a large score in a short time against even the best bowlers. Capable of hitting the ball powerfully, he combined an excellent eye with an unorthodox style to be regarded at his peak as one of England's finest batsmen.
Hewett was educated at Harrow School
, won a Blue at Oxford in 1886 and played for Somerset from 1884. As an inconsistent middle-order batsman he made little impact during this period. Even so, he was appointed captain of Somerset in 1889. Over the next two years, his leadership and performances as an opening batsman were instrumental in the county regaining first-class status
and admission to the County Championship
in 1891. He remained Somerset captain for a further three seasons, usually opening the batting with Lionel Palairet
. In 1892, they shared a partnership
of 346 for the first wicket, of which Hewett scored 201. The stand remains the county's highest first-wicket partnership.As of February 2011. In that season, Hewett made 1,405 runs at an average of more than 35, and was named as one of the "Five Batsmen of the Year
" by Wisden
. England did not play any Test matches
at home in 1892, or else Hewett would probably have won a Test cap
; instead his highest accolade was being selected to play for the Gentlemen against the Players
at Lord's
in 1894. A disagreement over whether play should take place on a sodden pitch in the match against the Australians in 1893 led to Hewett's departure from Somerset at the end of that season.
He played first-class cricket for three more years, during which time he scored centuries against both Oxford and Cambridge Universities
, appearing for a variety of amateur and representative sides. Having been selected to captain an "England XI" at Scarborough in 1895, Hewett was involved in another incident caused by a wet pitch. Feeling insulted by shouts of derision from the crowd, he left the match at lunch-time on the first day. He made only one further first-class appearance: playing for the Marylebone Cricket Club against Oxford University in 1896. Hewett practised as a barrister
, having been called to the Bar
at the Inner Temple
.
, near Taunton
on 25 May 1864, the only son of William Henry and Frances M Hewett. Although he was the couple's only son, they had at least four daughters; in 1871 two older sisters, Emily Louisa and Helen G are listed in the census, along with one younger sister, Florance Ethel. By 1891, Mary W is also listed as a younger sister, although by this date both older sisters are no longer registered at the address nor their father William Henry. He was initially educated at Hillside, Godalming where he was captain of the cricket and rugby
teams. On leaving Hillside in 1879 he went to Harrow School
. In 1881 he had a trial for the school cricket eleven mainly on the strength of his bowling, having taken all ten wickets for 22 runs in a house
match. Hewett was part of the school's cricket first eleven in 1882 and 1883, and appeared in the annual contest
against Eton College
in both years, but did little on either occasion, his highest score being six, made in the first-innings in 1882. In all matches for Harrow he had a batting average of just 7.4 in 1883 and 9.5 in 1884 while his bowling average in 1884 was 32.10. Hewett also appeared in the school association football eleven in 1883. On completion of his studies at Harrow, he attended Trinity College
, Oxford University. In his reminiscences, W. G. Grace
suggests that Hewett "first won some little renown in Public School and 'Varsity cricket, but it was not until he joined Somersetshire that he forced himself to a prominent place in County Cricket."
at Tunbridge Wells, when he was 20 years old. Against Kent
in late August, he scored 14 and 0 batting as part of the middle order
, and claimed his only two wickets in first-class cricket. He made one other appearance in 1884, against Lancashire.
In 1885 Hewett played in a trial match at Oxford without success. He did, however, play in four of Somerset's six first-class matches that summer. In his first game of the season for Somerset, in mid-July, Hewett scored his maiden half-century; he remained 50 not out
in the second-innings of a five-wicket victory over Hampshire
. He passed 50 for Somerset on two more occasions during 1885, and finished the season with 247 runs at a batting average of 35.28, one of seven seasons in which his average was in excess of 30.
He started the 1886 season well, scoring 151 for his college and 164 not out for Perambulators against Etceteras. An 1893 write-up in Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
said: "early in the season of 1886[Hewett] showed signs of the brilliant hitting which has since made him famous". Although he top-scored in the Seniors Match, he was not selected for the eleven until the university's third game. He made scores of 49 and 77 in successive matches for Oxford University
against Lancashire
and gained his Blue, scoring 0 and 7 in the University Match
against Cambridge
. He finished the season fourth in the Oxford University batting averages with his 160 runs being scored at 22.85, and was described in James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual
as being: "Sometimes a most dashing left-handed hitter, but not at all dependable; hard-working field."
Poor results in 1885 saw Somerset lose their first-class status for the following seasons. Somerset played just six matches in 1886 of which Hewett played two, top-scoring with 69 against Devon. An injury to his hand prevented him from playing all but one match for the university in his final year at Oxford, 1887, when "he would have had a good chance of retaining his place in the University eleven", according to Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, although he was fit enough to score a century with a broomstick in a college match. During 1887, in a second-class match for Somerset against Warwickshire
, Hewett scored 98 to help Somerset to an innings victory, scoring the first 92 runs in less than an hour, an unusually high rate of scoring.
The next year, 1888, he scored successive half-centuries for Somerset early in the season against Warwickshire and Staffordshire
before making his debut for the Marylebone Cricket Club
(MCC). Facing Oxford University, Hewett made zero and eight for the London club. The same summer, Hewett was selected to play for an England XI against the touring Australians, and in a ten wicket win for the tourists, he scored 12 and 1. Between 1884 and 1888 Hewett had limited success at the first-class level, establishing a reputation as a useful, if erratic, hard-hitting middle-order batsman. He played a lot of club cricket, being a regular for Harrow Wanderers, and scoring 201 not out for Senior Common Room against Christ Church in 1888.
. He scored three half-centuries in the season: two against Warwickshire, and one against Staffordshire. He comfortably headed the Somerset batting with an average of 38 in matches against the other second-class counties. In his history of Somerset cricket, Sunshine, Sixes and Cider, David Foot describes Hewett's selection policy as captain as being one that was more dependent on the cricketing ability of the player than "of[the player's] social charm and ability to drink into the early hours"—unlike some of his predecessors.
In 1890, his side were unbeaten against county opposition, winning the "Second-class County Championship". In an early season first-class appearance for A. J. Webbe's XI, Hewett scored his maiden first-class century, reaching 114 against Cambridge University. Later in May, for the MCC against Oxford University, he scored 71. Hewett top-scored with 65 in the second-innings of Somerset's opening county match of 1890, and two matches later scored 64 during a first-wicket partnership of 115 with Lionel Palairet against Leicestershire
. A string of lower scores followed for just under a month before Somerset hosted Staffordshire at Taunton. Having dismissed the visitors for 43, Hewett remained 203 not out when he declared
the Somerset innings closed, scored in four hours, "a remarkable display of powerful and well-timed hitting". He did not pass 100 again that season, but came close during the Scarborough Festival
, being bowled for 99 in the second-innings for the Gentlemen of England. Hewett led Somerset's batting averages in 1890, during which the club won twelve and tied one of their thirteen matches against county opposition. Due to this record the county were admitted to the County Championship
for 1891 after a unanimous vote, regaining their first-class status.
While Red Lillywhite
assessed him as "a dangerous left-hand bat, very free, but somewhat uncertain; good point", after the 1889 season, a year later he was described as "one of the very best left-hand bats in England, hitting hard all round; excellent point. Captain in 1889–1890, which post he filled with wonderful judgement." At the end of the 1890 season he was presented with a handsome silver flask by members of Somerset County Cricket Club.
. Lionel Palairet, Bill Roe and Sammy Woods
were all missing for various reasons, leaving Hewett with a depleted side and only two real bowlers; Ted Tyler
and George Nichols
. Surrey reached 449, and then bowled Somerset out twice, for 37 in each innings. When Surrey travelled to Taunton later that season, most likely expecting an easy win to secure a second consecutive championship, Hewett top-scored for his team with 55 in the first-innings as Somerset reached 194. Woods, Nichols and Tyler then secured a 40 run first-innings lead for the home side who added another 331 runs in their second-innings, Hewett contributing 42. The same trio of Somerset bowlers proceeded to bowl the champions out for a second time, the final wicket falling two minutes from the close of play, and their team recorded a 130-run victory. Hewett had a quiet season with the bat, in addition to his 55 against Surrey he passed 50 on only one other occasion; against Middlesex two weeks later. He totalled 514 runs during the season at an average of 19.76; his lowest average when playing eight or more innings in a season.
, Hewett was part of Lord Hawke
's party
which toured North America, playing six matches in the United States of America and two in Canada
. Sammy Woods wrote that Hewett, along with Charles Wreford-Brown and George Ricketts, became very seasick on the journey there. The first two matches were first-class fixtures against the Gentlemen of Philadelphia
. Hewett scored 30 and 49 in the first, an eight wicket loss which Woods blamed on taking place too soon after their arrival, claiming the team "had hardly found our land-legs." The first match had yielded an aggregate of 861 runs, the second contained only 352, of which Hewett scored 10 and 29. His captain, Lord Hawke, was the only other batsman to reach double figures in both innings as the touring side won by four wickets. None of the remaining fixtures on the tour had first-class status, and not all were eleven-a-side contests. Hewett scored 113 against the sixteen man All New York on Staten Island
, a match in which he was standing in as captain due to Lord Hawke being ill. Woods rated Hewett, along with Lord Hawke and Brown, as the best batsmen on the tour.
, Hewett scored 201 out of a partnership of 346, establishing a record for the first wicket in first-class cricket, surpassing W.G. Grace and Bransby Cooper
's 1869 total of 283. Although their record has since been beaten in first-class cricket, it remains Somerset's record partnership for any wicket. Their partnership was described as "Pure grace at one end, sheer force at the other", in H.S. Altham
and E. W. Swanton
's A History of Cricket. At the time, The Daily Telegraph
reported that the pair remained together for three and half hours, during which Hewett scored 30 fours.
Hewett finished the season with 1,047 runs for Somerset, making him the only batsman in England to score 1,000 runs in county matches. In total he scored 1,407 first-class runs, the most by any batsman, and was third in the amateur batting averages. He was named as one of the Five Batsmen of the Year by the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack in 1893, in which it was claimed that "had it been necessary last August[1892] to put a representative England eleven into the field, Hewett would undoubtedly have been given a place." Under Hewett's captaincy, Somerset won eight, drew three and lost five matches in 1892, finishing third in the County Championship
, which would remain their highest position for over 100 years, until the county were runners-up in the competition in 2001. The Times
praised the county's achievements during the year, and reserved special praise for Hewett; "Somerset's many brilliant feats, and the fine play of Messrs. Hewett and Palairet in particular, were a marked feature of this year's cricket." After the close of the County Championship, Hewett appeared in three representative matches, captaining the West to victory over the East, and appearing under the captaincy of W.G. Grace for both the South and the Gentlemen v Players
.
replaced him as a substitute
. In July 1893, the touring Australians played Somerset at Taunton for the first time since 1882, when both the ground and the county team were barely established. After the success of the 1892 season, and because talented, Australian-born Sammy Woods was playing for Somerset, the match was eagerly anticipated. Thousands arrived in Taunton for the match, but after overnight torrential rain, the umpires
inspected the pitch at 11:00 and abandoned play for the day. In his history of the county club, Roebuck suggest that they may have been put under pressure by the Australians or by Hewett himself. The Somerset fans and members were angry at the decision, but the Australians packed picnic baskets and after exchanging strong words with the locals, departed for the Quantock Hills
. Hewett, along with Woods and Vernon Hill
, arranged to play golf in Minehead
. The crowd continued to show their dismay at the decision, and eventually the Somerset officials asked the umpires to take another look at the ground. Woods supported this decision in his reminiscences, claiming that "the decision not to play was premature." At 14:00, after their second inspection, the umpires retracted their previous decision and announced that play could start. Hewett reacted angrily, and argued unsuccessfully against the decision with the Somerset committee. The Australian players were recalled from their picnic, and play began at 16:00, although neither team particularly wanted to play. Roebuck recorded that "Hewett, in particular, was in high dudgeon and... he threw away his wicket for 12 runs, having been dropped once." David Foot offered a more tempered opinion, saying simply that Hewett's "mind wasn't on the game." No play was possible on the second day, and on the third, Australia won the match by six wickets. Hewett felt let down by the Somerset committee, who he felt had undermined his authority, prompting him to say that "if a captain can't lead at Taunton, this is no place for him." Although friends thought he was overreacting, he declared that he would resign from the captaincy and the club at the end of the season. Both Foot and Roebuck suggested that Hewett reacted in an over-sensitive and extreme manner, but that his lack of self-control may have limited his long-term captaincy prospects.
In his five further games for Somerset before the end of the season Hewett hit two centuries. He reached 120 runs against Nottinghamshire
and against Gloucestershire
, on his final appearance for the county, he scored 112 runs in just under two hours; according to James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual
, it "was a splendid display". He scored 1,092 runs in total during 1893, of which his 669 for Somerset in the championship were scored at an average of 31.85, topping the county's batting charts. During his five seasons of first-class cricket for Somerset, he played 51 matches and scored 2,592 runs at an average of 30.85.
against the Players. Unlike his first appearance, made at Hastings
, the match was played at Lord's Cricket Ground
, which was generally considered to be the more prestigious Gentlemen v Players fixture of the season, being the more representative. These matches were keenly contested during the 1890s, and were considered to be second in prestige only to gaining a Test cap. Batting at number three, Hewett scored 12 runs out of the Gentlemen's total of 254, before Stanley Jackson
and Hewett's former Somerset colleague, Sammy Woods
, bowled the Players out for 108 and 107. He appeared 11 times in 1894, scoring 579 runs at an average of 34.05, higher than the previous season. Woods described Hewett as being "in splendid form" when he played, and lamented that he was no longer playing for Somerset. He scored his only century of the season for A. J. Webbe's XI, reaching 110 after opening the innings against Oxford University. He continued his form with the bat into 1895, twice scoring centuries for the Gentlemen against the universities, making 109 against Cambridge, and 102 against Oxford. During this season Hewett appeared in his first match for the amateur side I Zingari
, who had strong links with both Harrow School
and Somerset president Sir Spencer Ponsonby-Fane
.
Hewett played all three matches of the 1895 Scarborough Festival; he opened the innings for the MCC against Yorkshire, and then captained the South in their loss against the North. In the third match, Hewett was named captain of an England XI, a compliment for the former Somerset captain. However, rain meant that the start was delayed. Unlike a couple of years earlier, Hewett was happy to ignore the puddles in the field and start the match at the scheduled time. The umpires disagreed with him, and the crowd, wanting cricket, blamed Hewett for the delay and lack of sport. When he belatedly led his side onto the field, the spectators threw insults at him until the Yorkshire captain, Lord Hawke, shouted "Keep quiet or I'll think about calling the game off". Hewett did not bother with such threats, and left the field, got changed and departed from the ground, taking no further part in the game. Fred Spofforth
replaced him in the match which the England side went on to win by nine wickets.
During the English winter of 1895–96, Hewett once again toured with Lord Hawke, travelling to South Africa
. Arriving too late to take part in the first match of the tour, he then played the next four matches, but was summoned back to England by important business. The tour included three matches against a South African national team which were deemed to be Tests
, but by this stage of the tour Hewett had left South Africa, and he thus completed his cricket career without any Test appearances. He played his final first-class match in 1896, scoring 86 for the MCC against Oxford University. In this match, for unknown reasons, he appeared as "Mr. H Herbert".
, Hewett was living in Westminster
. He was listed as head of the household, the only other resident being a servant.
Hewett practised as a barrister
, having trained at the Inner Temple
, where he passed at least one exam in 1890. During the First World War, he served in the Territorial Force Reserve
as an Assistant Provost Marshal
, an appointment which he held from 7 September 1915 until 24 May 1918. He died in Hove
, Sussex
on 4 March 1921, and his funeral was held in Norton Fitzwarren four days later. His obituary in The Times
describes only Hewett's cricket career, and does not give any details about his later life. It does not mention a spouse or any children. The notice of his funeral in the same paper says: "The whole village [of Norton Fitzwarren] was in mourning and among those present at the graveside were Mr H. E. Murray Anderdon, president, and Mr S. M. J. Woods, secretary of the Somerset Cricket Club."
's From Sammy to Jimmy, he offered a similar portrait of Hewett's batting style, adding that "he saw it as his task to conquer". Hewett's batting received praise in H. S. Altham
and E. W. Swanton
's A History of Cricket, where he is described as a "singularly determined and venomous" batsman who "hit the ball in unexpected and demoralizing directions." He frequently scored his runs rapidly, as described by the Reverend R.S. Holmes, who wrote of his batting against Nottinghamshire
; "the Captain scored at his usual rate – three out of four runs notched, represent his pace. Against Surrey he got 61 out of 81, this time 60 out of the same total. That's the kind of example every captain should set - a run a minute, or thereabouts." In summary of the 1892 season The Cricket Annual notes that "the Somerset player, in fact, had established the reputation of being the most punishing batsman and rapid scorer of the day, and on last season's form no representative eleven could be considered complete without him." Sammy Woods claimed that Hewett disliked fielding, but offered the view that he was good at point. Woods also related how Hewett would chew on a toothpick, which he always had in his mouth when fielding, when his team was losing.
As evidenced by the manner in which Hewett left Somerset and walked off during the Scarborough Festival of 1895, he possessed a short fuse. Team-mate Frederic John Poynton
characterised his captain as a player who suffered "from a deep, difficult nature, which once upset, took long to recover". He was a strong leader who was both respected and feared by his colleagues. In 1885, Somerset County Cricket Club had failed to field eleven players for some of their first-class contests, and in most of their other matches were a poor side. Hewett took on the county captaincy in 1889, and in his second year led his side unbeaten against fellow county opposition to win the 'Second-class County Championship', and gain re-admission to the first-class game. Hewett's batting and captaincy were aided by the emergence of Woods and Palairet, both of whom were named as Wisden Cricketers of the Year between 1889 and 1893. In 1891, Somerset finished joint fifth among the nine first-class counties, while the subsequent year they rose to third. Hewett's final season at Somerset was the county's least successful under his captaincy, winning just four of their sixteen matches to finish in eighth.
History of English amateur cricket
The history of English amateur cricket describes the concept and importance of amateur players in English cricket.-Co-development of amateur and professional cricket to 1800:...
cricketer
Cricketer
A cricketer is a person who plays the sport of cricket. Official and long-established cricket publications prefer the traditional word "cricketer" over the rarely used term "cricket player"....
who played for Somerset
Somerset County Cricket Club
Somerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Somerset...
, captaining
Captain (cricket)
The captain of a cricket team often referred to as the skipper is the appointed leader, having several additional roles and responsibilities over and above those of a regular player...
the county from 1889 to 1893, as well as Oxford University
Oxford University Cricket Club
Oxford University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team, representing the University of Oxford. It plays its home games at the University Parks in Oxford, England...
and the Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
. A battling left-handed opening batsman, Hewett could post a large score in a short time against even the best bowlers. Capable of hitting the ball powerfully, he combined an excellent eye with an unorthodox style to be regarded at his peak as one of England's finest batsmen.
Hewett was educated at Harrow School
Harrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
, won a Blue at Oxford in 1886 and played for Somerset from 1884. As an inconsistent middle-order batsman he made little impact during this period. Even so, he was appointed captain of Somerset in 1889. Over the next two years, his leadership and performances as an opening batsman were instrumental in the county regaining first-class status
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
and admission to the County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
in 1891. He remained Somerset captain for a further three seasons, usually opening the batting with Lionel Palairet
Lionel Palairet
Lionel Charles Hamilton Palairet was a famous cricketer of the so-called "Golden Age" of English cricket before the First World War...
. In 1892, they shared a partnership
Partnership (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, two batsmen always bat in partnership, although only one is on strike at any time. The partnership between two batsmen will come to an end when one of them is dismissed or retires, or the innings comes to a close In the sport of cricket, two batsmen always bat in...
of 346 for the first wicket, of which Hewett scored 201. The stand remains the county's highest first-wicket partnership.As of February 2011. In that season, Hewett made 1,405 runs at an average of more than 35, and was named as one of the "Five Batsmen of the Year
Wisden Cricketers of the Year
The Wisden Cricketers of the Year are cricketers selected for the honour by the annual publication Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, based primarily on their "influence on the previous English season"...
" by Wisden
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom...
. England did not play any Test matches
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
at home in 1892, or else Hewett would probably have won a Test cap
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
; instead his highest accolade was being selected to play for the Gentlemen against the Players
Gentlemen v Players
The Gentlemen v Players game was a first-class cricket match that was generally played on an annual basis between one team consisting of amateurs and one of professionals . The first two games took place in 1806 but the fixture was not revived until 1819. It was more or less annual thereafter...
at Lord's
Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
in 1894. A disagreement over whether play should take place on a sodden pitch in the match against the Australians in 1893 led to Hewett's departure from Somerset at the end of that season.
He played first-class cricket for three more years, during which time he scored centuries against both Oxford and Cambridge Universities
Cambridge University Cricket Club
Cambridge University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team. It now plays all but one of its first-class cricket matches as part of the Cambridge University Centre of Cricketing Excellence , which includes Anglia Ruskin University...
, appearing for a variety of amateur and representative sides. Having been selected to captain an "England XI" at Scarborough in 1895, Hewett was involved in another incident caused by a wet pitch. Feeling insulted by shouts of derision from the crowd, he left the match at lunch-time on the first day. He made only one further first-class appearance: playing for the Marylebone Cricket Club against Oxford University in 1896. Hewett practised as a barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
, having been called to the Bar
Call to the bar
The Call to the Bar is a legal term of art in most common law jurisdictions where persons must be qualified to be allowed to argue in court on behalf of another party, and are then said to have been "called to the bar" or to have received a "call to the bar"...
at the Inner Temple
Inner Temple
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
.
Early life
Herbert Tremenheere Hewett was born at Norton Court in Norton FitzwarrenNorton Fitzwarren
Norton Fitzwarren is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated north west of Taunton in the Taunton Deane district. The village has a population of 2,325.-History:...
, near Taunton
Taunton
Taunton is the county town of Somerset, England. The town, including its suburbs, had an estimated population of 61,400 in 2001. It is the largest town in the shire county of Somerset....
on 25 May 1864, the only son of William Henry and Frances M Hewett. Although he was the couple's only son, they had at least four daughters; in 1871 two older sisters, Emily Louisa and Helen G are listed in the census, along with one younger sister, Florance Ethel. By 1891, Mary W is also listed as a younger sister, although by this date both older sisters are no longer registered at the address nor their father William Henry. He was initially educated at Hillside, Godalming where he was captain of the cricket and rugby
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
teams. On leaving Hillside in 1879 he went to Harrow School
Harrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
. In 1881 he had a trial for the school cricket eleven mainly on the strength of his bowling, having taken all ten wickets for 22 runs in a house
House system
The house system is a traditional feature of British schools, and schools in the Commonwealth. Historically, it was associated with established public schools, where a 'house' refers to a boarding house or dormitory of a boarding school...
match. Hewett was part of the school's cricket first eleven in 1882 and 1883, and appeared in the annual contest
Eton v Harrow
The Eton v Harrow cricket match is an annual cricket match between Eton College and Harrow School. It one of the longest-running annual cricket fixtures in the world. It is the last annual school cricket match played at Lord's Cricket Ground...
against Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
in both years, but did little on either occasion, his highest score being six, made in the first-innings in 1882. In all matches for Harrow he had a batting average of just 7.4 in 1883 and 9.5 in 1884 while his bowling average in 1884 was 32.10. Hewett also appeared in the school association football eleven in 1883. On completion of his studies at Harrow, he attended Trinity College
Trinity College, Oxford
The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in the University of Oxford, of the foundation of Sir Thomas Pope , or Trinity College for short, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It stands on Broad Street, next door to Balliol College and Blackwells bookshop,...
, Oxford University. In his reminiscences, W. G. Grace
W. G. Grace
William Gilbert Grace, MRCS, LRCP was an English amateur cricketer who is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest players of all time, having a special significance in terms of his importance to the development of the sport...
suggests that Hewett "first won some little renown in Public School and 'Varsity cricket, but it was not until he joined Somersetshire that he forced himself to a prominent place in County Cricket."
Oxford and Somerset (1884–1888)
After appearing in The Freshman's Match in 1884, during which he scored zero and eight and took two wickets, Hewett made little impact in his first season at Oxford and was not selected for the University eleven. His debut in first-class cricket came later that season for Somerset County Cricket ClubSomerset County Cricket Club
Somerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Somerset...
at Tunbridge Wells, when he was 20 years old. Against Kent
Kent County Cricket Club
Kent County Cricket Club is one of the 18 first class county county cricket clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the county of Kent...
in late August, he scored 14 and 0 batting as part of the middle order
Batting order (cricket)
In cricket, the batting order is the sequence in which batsmen play through their team's innings, there always being two batsmen taking part at any one time...
, and claimed his only two wickets in first-class cricket. He made one other appearance in 1884, against Lancashire.
In 1885 Hewett played in a trial match at Oxford without success. He did, however, play in four of Somerset's six first-class matches that summer. In his first game of the season for Somerset, in mid-July, Hewett scored his maiden half-century; he remained 50 not out
Not out
In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress...
in the second-innings of a five-wicket victory over Hampshire
Hampshire County Cricket Club
Hampshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Hampshire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1863 as a successor to the Hampshire county cricket teams and has played at the Antelope Ground from then until 1885, before moving to the County Ground where it...
. He passed 50 for Somerset on two more occasions during 1885, and finished the season with 247 runs at a batting average of 35.28, one of seven seasons in which his average was in excess of 30.
He started the 1886 season well, scoring 151 for his college and 164 not out for Perambulators against Etceteras. An 1893 write-up in Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom...
said: "early in the season of 1886
Oxford University Cricket Club
Oxford University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team, representing the University of Oxford. It plays its home games at the University Parks in Oxford, England...
against Lancashire
Lancashire County Cricket Club
Lancashire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Lancashire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1864 as a successor to Manchester Cricket Club and has played at Old Trafford since then...
and gained his Blue, scoring 0 and 7 in the University Match
The University Match (cricket)
The University Match in a cricketing context is generally understood to refer to the annual fixture between Oxford University Cricket Club and Cambridge University Cricket Club...
against Cambridge
Cambridge University Cricket Club
Cambridge University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team. It now plays all but one of its first-class cricket matches as part of the Cambridge University Centre of Cricketing Excellence , which includes Anglia Ruskin University...
. He finished the season fourth in the Oxford University batting averages with his 160 runs being scored at 22.85, and was described in James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual
James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual
James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual was a cricket annual edited by Charles W Alcock the secretary of Surrey County Cricket Club between 1872 and 1900. It is generally referred to as Red Lillywhite because of colour of the cover. It was published by James Lillywhite, Frowd & Co...
as being: "Sometimes a most dashing left-handed hitter, but not at all dependable; hard-working field."
Poor results in 1885 saw Somerset lose their first-class status for the following seasons. Somerset played just six matches in 1886 of which Hewett played two, top-scoring with 69 against Devon. An injury to his hand prevented him from playing all but one match for the university in his final year at Oxford, 1887, when "he would have had a good chance of retaining his place in the University eleven", according to Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, although he was fit enough to score a century with a broomstick in a college match. During 1887, in a second-class match for Somerset against Warwickshire
Warwickshire County Cricket Club
Warwickshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Warwickshire. Its limited overs team is called the Warwickshire Bears. Their kit colours are black and gold and the shirt sponsor...
, Hewett scored 98 to help Somerset to an innings victory, scoring the first 92 runs in less than an hour, an unusually high rate of scoring.
The next year, 1888, he scored successive half-centuries for Somerset early in the season against Warwickshire and Staffordshire
Staffordshire County Cricket Club
Staffordshire County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Staffordshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy...
before making his debut for the Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
(MCC). Facing Oxford University, Hewett made zero and eight for the London club. The same summer, Hewett was selected to play for an England XI against the touring Australians, and in a ten wicket win for the tourists, he scored 12 and 1. Between 1884 and 1888 Hewett had limited success at the first-class level, establishing a reputation as a useful, if erratic, hard-hitting middle-order batsman. He played a lot of club cricket, being a regular for Harrow Wanderers, and scoring 201 not out for Senior Common Room against Christ Church in 1888.
Second-class county
Hewett's appearances for Somerset in 1889 were more successful. Having previously appeared in the middle-order, Hewett switched to opening the innings at the start of the season, and took on the captaincyCaptain (cricket)
The captain of a cricket team often referred to as the skipper is the appointed leader, having several additional roles and responsibilities over and above those of a regular player...
. He scored three half-centuries in the season: two against Warwickshire, and one against Staffordshire. He comfortably headed the Somerset batting with an average of 38 in matches against the other second-class counties. In his history of Somerset cricket, Sunshine, Sixes and Cider, David Foot describes Hewett's selection policy as captain as being one that was more dependent on the cricketing ability of the player than "of
In 1890, his side were unbeaten against county opposition, winning the "Second-class County Championship". In an early season first-class appearance for A. J. Webbe's XI, Hewett scored his maiden first-class century, reaching 114 against Cambridge University. Later in May, for the MCC against Oxford University, he scored 71. Hewett top-scored with 65 in the second-innings of Somerset's opening county match of 1890, and two matches later scored 64 during a first-wicket partnership of 115 with Lionel Palairet against Leicestershire
Leicestershire County Cricket Club
Leicestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Leicestershire. It has also been representative of the county of Rutland....
. A string of lower scores followed for just under a month before Somerset hosted Staffordshire at Taunton. Having dismissed the visitors for 43, Hewett remained 203 not out when he declared
Declaration and forfeiture
In the sport of cricket a declaration occurs when a captain declares his team's innings closed and a forfeiture is when a captain chooses to forfeit an innings. Declaration and forfeiture are covered in Law 14 of the Laws of cricket...
the Somerset innings closed, scored in four hours, "a remarkable display of powerful and well-timed hitting". He did not pass 100 again that season, but came close during the Scarborough Festival
Scarborough Festival
The Scarborough Festival is an end of season series of cricket matches featuring Yorkshire County Cricket Club which has been held in Scarborough, on the east coast of Yorkshire, since 1876. The ground, at North Marine Road, sees large crowds of holiday makers watching a mixture of first class...
, being bowled for 99 in the second-innings for the Gentlemen of England. Hewett led Somerset's batting averages in 1890, during which the club won twelve and tied one of their thirteen matches against county opposition. Due to this record the county were admitted to the County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
for 1891 after a unanimous vote, regaining their first-class status.
While Red Lillywhite
James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual
James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual was a cricket annual edited by Charles W Alcock the secretary of Surrey County Cricket Club between 1872 and 1900. It is generally referred to as Red Lillywhite because of colour of the cover. It was published by James Lillywhite, Frowd & Co...
assessed him as "a dangerous left-hand bat, very free, but somewhat uncertain; good point", after the 1889 season, a year later he was described as "one of the very best left-hand bats in England, hitting hard all round; excellent point. Captain in 1889–1890, which post he filled with wonderful judgement." At the end of the 1890 season he was presented with a handsome silver flask by members of Somerset County Cricket Club.
County Championship cricket
Hewett led his side in their first County Championship match starting on 18 May 1891. Although the club had played first-class cricket a few years earlier, the championship had only been formed the previous season. Their debut in the competition was interrupted by rain and finished a draw; Hewett top-scored in Somerset's only innings with 31. Somerset's next match was against reigning county champions SurreySurrey County Cricket Club
Surrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions...
. Lionel Palairet, Bill Roe and Sammy Woods
Sammy Woods
Samuel Moses James "Sammy" Woods was an Australian sportsman who represented both Australia and England at Test cricket, and appeared thirteen times for England at rugby union, including five times as captain. He also played at county level in England at both soccer and hockey...
were all missing for various reasons, leaving Hewett with a depleted side and only two real bowlers; Ted Tyler
Ted Tyler
Edwin James Tyler was a cricketer who played first-class cricket for Somerset County Cricket Club between 1891 and 1907...
and George Nichols
George Nichols (cricketer)
George Benjamin Nichols was a professional first-class cricketer who played 134 matches for Somerset, after starting his career with five first-class appearances for Gloucestershire...
. Surrey reached 449, and then bowled Somerset out twice, for 37 in each innings. When Surrey travelled to Taunton later that season, most likely expecting an easy win to secure a second consecutive championship, Hewett top-scored for his team with 55 in the first-innings as Somerset reached 194. Woods, Nichols and Tyler then secured a 40 run first-innings lead for the home side who added another 331 runs in their second-innings, Hewett contributing 42. The same trio of Somerset bowlers proceeded to bowl the champions out for a second time, the final wicket falling two minutes from the close of play, and their team recorded a 130-run victory. Hewett had a quiet season with the bat, in addition to his 55 against Surrey he passed 50 on only one other occasion; against Middlesex two weeks later. He totalled 514 runs during the season at an average of 19.76; his lowest average when playing eight or more innings in a season.
Touring North America
Following the close of the 1891 County Championship1891 County Championship
The 1891 County Championship was the second officially organised running of the County Championship, and ran from 18 May to 27 August 1891. Surrey County Cricket Club claimed their second successive title by winning 12 of their 16 games.-Table:...
, Hewett was part of Lord Hawke
Martin Hawke, 7th Baron Hawke
Martin Bladen Hawke, 7th Baron Hawke of Towton , generally known as Lord Hawke, was an English amateur cricketer who played major roles in the sport's administration....
's party
Lord Hawke's XI cricket team in North America in 1891–92
In the English winter of 1891–92, Lord Hawke led a touring party of English amateur cricketers on a tour of North America. During their tour they played eight matches, six in the United States of America and two in Canada. The tour contained two first-class fixtures, both contested against the...
which toured North America, playing six matches in the United States of America and two in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Sammy Woods wrote that Hewett, along with Charles Wreford-Brown and George Ricketts, became very seasick on the journey there. The first two matches were first-class fixtures against the Gentlemen of Philadelphia
Philadelphian cricket team
The Philadelphian cricket team was a team that represented Philadelphia in first-class cricket between 1878 and 1913. Even with the United States having played the first ever international cricket match against Canada in 1844, the sport began a slow decline in the country. This decline was...
. Hewett scored 30 and 49 in the first, an eight wicket loss which Woods blamed on taking place too soon after their arrival, claiming the team "had hardly found our land-legs." The first match had yielded an aggregate of 861 runs, the second contained only 352, of which Hewett scored 10 and 29. His captain, Lord Hawke, was the only other batsman to reach double figures in both innings as the touring side won by four wickets. None of the remaining fixtures on the tour had first-class status, and not all were eleven-a-side contests. Hewett scored 113 against the sixteen man All New York on Staten Island
Staten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
, a match in which he was standing in as captain due to Lord Hawke being ill. Woods rated Hewett, along with Lord Hawke and Brown, as the best batsmen on the tour.
Batsman of the Year
Hewett's first three matches of the 1892 season were for representative sides against the universities. He reached double figures in each of his six innings, and scored a half-century for the Gentlemen of England against Cambridge. On returning to Somerset, he did not score a half-century until his third match, making 54 against Oxford University. He passed 50 on twelve occasions during the season, the most during any season of his career. In late August, playing YorkshireYorkshire County Cricket Club
Yorkshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Yorkshire as one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure....
, Hewett scored 201 out of a partnership of 346, establishing a record for the first wicket in first-class cricket, surpassing W.G. Grace and Bransby Cooper
Bransby Cooper
Bransby Beauchamp Cooper was a member of the Australian cricket team that played in the inaugural Test match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 1876–77...
's 1869 total of 283. Although their record has since been beaten in first-class cricket, it remains Somerset's record partnership for any wicket. Their partnership was described as "Pure grace at one end, sheer force at the other", in H.S. Altham
Harry Altham
Harry Surtees Altham, CBE, DSO, MC was an English cricketer who became an important figure in the game as an administrator, historian and coach. His Wisden obituary described him as "among the best known personalities in the world of cricket"...
and E. W. Swanton
E. W. Swanton
Ernest William Swanton CBE is chiefly known for being a cricket writer and commentator under his initials, E. W. Swanton. He worked as a sports journalist for The Daily Telegraph and as a broadcaster for BBC Radio for 30 years. He was a regular commentator on Test Match Special, easily recognised...
's A History of Cricket. At the time, The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
reported that the pair remained together for three and half hours, during which Hewett scored 30 fours.
Hewett finished the season with 1,047 runs for Somerset, making him the only batsman in England to score 1,000 runs in county matches. In total he scored 1,407 first-class runs, the most by any batsman, and was third in the amateur batting averages. He was named as one of the Five Batsmen of the Year by the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack in 1893, in which it was claimed that "had it been necessary last August
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
, which would remain their highest position for over 100 years, until the county were runners-up in the competition in 2001. The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
praised the county's achievements during the year, and reserved special praise for Hewett; "Somerset's many brilliant feats, and the fine play of Messrs. Hewett and Palairet in particular, were a marked feature of this year's cricket." After the close of the County Championship, Hewett appeared in three representative matches, captaining the West to victory over the East, and appearing under the captaincy of W.G. Grace for both the South and the Gentlemen v Players
Gentlemen v Players
The Gentlemen v Players game was a first-class cricket match that was generally played on an annual basis between one team consisting of amateurs and one of professionals . The first two games took place in 1806 but the fixture was not revived until 1819. It was more or less annual thereafter...
.
Departure from Somerset
Hewett began the 1893 season in good form, reaching his half-century in each of his first three matches for the county, including a total of 94 against Oxford University in late May. Hewett missed most of the match against Kent shortly after, returning to Taunton due to the death of his brother-in-law, during which time George WoodGeorge Wood (Somerset cricketer)
George Robert Wood played first-class cricket for Somerset in 1893 and 1894. He was born at Reading, Berkshire and died at Lyme Regis, Dorset.-References:...
replaced him as a substitute
Substitute (cricket)
A substitute in the sport of cricket is a replacement player that the umpires allow when a player has been injured or become ill after the nomination of the players at the start of the game...
. In July 1893, the touring Australians played Somerset at Taunton for the first time since 1882, when both the ground and the county team were barely established. After the success of the 1892 season, and because talented, Australian-born Sammy Woods was playing for Somerset, the match was eagerly anticipated. Thousands arrived in Taunton for the match, but after overnight torrential rain, the umpires
Umpire (cricket)
In cricket, an umpire is a person who has the authority to make judgements on the cricket field, according to the Laws of Cricket...
inspected the pitch at 11:00 and abandoned play for the day. In his history of the county club, Roebuck suggest that they may have been put under pressure by the Australians or by Hewett himself. The Somerset fans and members were angry at the decision, but the Australians packed picnic baskets and after exchanging strong words with the locals, departed for the Quantock Hills
Quantock Hills
The Quantock Hills is a range of hills west of Bridgwater in Somerset, England. The Quantock Hills were England’s first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty being designated in 1956 and consists of large amounts of heathland, oak woodlands, ancient parklands and agricultural land.The hills run from...
. Hewett, along with Woods and Vernon Hill
Vernon Hill (cricketer)
Vernon Tickell Hill was a cricketer who made 140 first-class appearances for Somerset and Oxford University between 1891 and 1912. He first played for Somerset during their successful 1890 season. He made his top-score of 116 against Kent in 1898, sharing a seventh wicket partnership of 240 with...
, arranged to play golf in Minehead
Minehead
Minehead is a coastal town and civil parish in Somerset, England. It lies on the south bank of the Bristol Channel, north-west of the county town of Taunton, from the border with the county of Devon and in proximity of the Exmoor National Park...
. The crowd continued to show their dismay at the decision, and eventually the Somerset officials asked the umpires to take another look at the ground. Woods supported this decision in his reminiscences, claiming that "the decision not to play was premature." At 14:00, after their second inspection, the umpires retracted their previous decision and announced that play could start. Hewett reacted angrily, and argued unsuccessfully against the decision with the Somerset committee. The Australian players were recalled from their picnic, and play began at 16:00, although neither team particularly wanted to play. Roebuck recorded that "Hewett, in particular, was in high dudgeon and... he threw away his wicket for 12 runs, having been dropped once." David Foot offered a more tempered opinion, saying simply that Hewett's "mind wasn't on the game." No play was possible on the second day, and on the third, Australia won the match by six wickets. Hewett felt let down by the Somerset committee, who he felt had undermined his authority, prompting him to say that "if a captain can't lead at Taunton, this is no place for him." Although friends thought he was overreacting, he declared that he would resign from the captaincy and the club at the end of the season. Both Foot and Roebuck suggested that Hewett reacted in an over-sensitive and extreme manner, but that his lack of self-control may have limited his long-term captaincy prospects.
In his five further games for Somerset before the end of the season Hewett hit two centuries. He reached 120 runs against Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Nottinghamshire, and the current county champions. Its limited overs team is called the Nottinghamshire Outlaws...
and against Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Gloucestershire. Its limited overs team is called the Gloucestershire Gladiators....
, on his final appearance for the county, he scored 112 runs in just under two hours; according to James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual
James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual
James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annual was a cricket annual edited by Charles W Alcock the secretary of Surrey County Cricket Club between 1872 and 1900. It is generally referred to as Red Lillywhite because of colour of the cover. It was published by James Lillywhite, Frowd & Co...
, it "was a splendid display". He scored 1,092 runs in total during 1893, of which his 669 for Somerset in the championship were scored at an average of 31.85, topping the county's batting charts. During his five seasons of first-class cricket for Somerset, he played 51 matches and scored 2,592 runs at an average of 30.85.
Later cricket career and life
After leaving Somerset, Hewett did not continue in county cricket at all, opting to play first-class cricket only for amateur and representative sides. At the tail-end of the 1893 season, he played three times for the South, scoring two half-centuries. In July 1894, Hewett made the second of his two appearances for the GentlemenGentlemen v Players
The Gentlemen v Players game was a first-class cricket match that was generally played on an annual basis between one team consisting of amateurs and one of professionals . The first two games took place in 1806 but the fixture was not revived until 1819. It was more or less annual thereafter...
against the Players. Unlike his first appearance, made at Hastings
Central Recreation Ground, Hastings
The Central Recreation Ground, Hastings was a cricket ground in Hastings, Sussex. The first recorded match on the ground was in 1864 and the last in 1996, following which Priory Meadow Shopping Centre was built on the site...
, the match was played at Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
, which was generally considered to be the more prestigious Gentlemen v Players fixture of the season, being the more representative. These matches were keenly contested during the 1890s, and were considered to be second in prestige only to gaining a Test cap. Batting at number three, Hewett scored 12 runs out of the Gentlemen's total of 254, before Stanley Jackson
Stanley Jackson
Sir Francis Stanley Jackson, GCSI, GCIE, PC, KStJ , known as the Honourable Stanley Jackson during his playing career, was an English cricketer, soldier and Conservative Party politician.-Early life:...
and Hewett's former Somerset colleague, Sammy Woods
Sammy Woods
Samuel Moses James "Sammy" Woods was an Australian sportsman who represented both Australia and England at Test cricket, and appeared thirteen times for England at rugby union, including five times as captain. He also played at county level in England at both soccer and hockey...
, bowled the Players out for 108 and 107. He appeared 11 times in 1894, scoring 579 runs at an average of 34.05, higher than the previous season. Woods described Hewett as being "in splendid form" when he played, and lamented that he was no longer playing for Somerset. He scored his only century of the season for A. J. Webbe's XI, reaching 110 after opening the innings against Oxford University. He continued his form with the bat into 1895, twice scoring centuries for the Gentlemen against the universities, making 109 against Cambridge, and 102 against Oxford. During this season Hewett appeared in his first match for the amateur side I Zingari
I Zingari
I Zingari are English and Australian amateur cricket clubs.-History:...
, who had strong links with both Harrow School
Harrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
and Somerset president Sir Spencer Ponsonby-Fane
Spencer Ponsonby-Fane
Sir Spencer Cecil Brabazon Ponsonby, later Ponsonby-Fane, GCB ISO was an English cricketer and civil servant.He was born in 1824 in Mayfair, the sixth son of John Ponsonby, 4th Earl of Bessborough.-Cricket:...
.
Hewett played all three matches of the 1895 Scarborough Festival; he opened the innings for the MCC against Yorkshire, and then captained the South in their loss against the North. In the third match, Hewett was named captain of an England XI, a compliment for the former Somerset captain. However, rain meant that the start was delayed. Unlike a couple of years earlier, Hewett was happy to ignore the puddles in the field and start the match at the scheduled time. The umpires disagreed with him, and the crowd, wanting cricket, blamed Hewett for the delay and lack of sport. When he belatedly led his side onto the field, the spectators threw insults at him until the Yorkshire captain, Lord Hawke, shouted "Keep quiet or I'll think about calling the game off". Hewett did not bother with such threats, and left the field, got changed and departed from the ground, taking no further part in the game. Fred Spofforth
Fred Spofforth
Frederick Robert "Fred" Spofforth , also known as "The Demon Bowler", was arguably the Australian cricket team's finest pace bowler of the nineteenth century and was the first bowler to take 50 Test wickets, and the first to take a test hat-trick in 1879...
replaced him in the match which the England side went on to win by nine wickets.
During the English winter of 1895–96, Hewett once again toured with Lord Hawke, travelling to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. Arriving too late to take part in the first match of the tour, he then played the next four matches, but was summoned back to England by important business. The tour included three matches against a South African national team which were deemed to be Tests
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
, but by this stage of the tour Hewett had left South Africa, and he thus completed his cricket career without any Test appearances. He played his final first-class match in 1896, scoring 86 for the MCC against Oxford University. In this match, for unknown reasons, he appeared as "Mr. H Herbert".
"When Mr 'Herbert' came in to bat ... many of the spectators in the free seats did not recognise him, but after he had sampled an over or two, an old gentleman, who had shown some knowledge of the game, hit the nail on the head when he remarked: I don't remember to have seen this Mr 'Erbert' before but he's 'class'."He continued to play cricket for the Harrow Wanderers, MCC and I Zingari until 1901. At the time of the 1901 Census
United Kingdom Census 1901
A nationwide census was conducted in England and Wales on 31 March 1901. It contains records for 32 million people and 6 million houses, It covers the whole of England and Wales, with the exception of parts of Deal in Kent. Separate censuses were held in Scotland and Ireland...
, Hewett was living in Westminster
Westminster
Westminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...
. He was listed as head of the household, the only other resident being a servant.
Hewett practised as a barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
, having trained at the Inner Temple
Inner Temple
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
, where he passed at least one exam in 1890. During the First World War, he served in the Territorial Force Reserve
Territorial Force
The Territorial Force was the volunteer reserve component of the British Army from 1908 to 1920, when it became the Territorial Army.-Origins:...
as an Assistant Provost Marshal
Provost Marshal
The Provost Marshal is the officer in the armed forces who is in charge of the military police .There may be a Provost Marshal serving at many levels of the hierarchy and he may also be the public safety officer of a military installation, responsible for the provision of fire, gate security, and...
, an appointment which he held from 7 September 1915 until 24 May 1918. He died in Hove
Hove
Hove is a town on the south coast of England, immediately to the west of its larger neighbour Brighton, with which it forms the unitary authority Brighton and Hove. It forms a single conurbation together with Brighton and some smaller towns and villages running along the coast...
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
on 4 March 1921, and his funeral was held in Norton Fitzwarren four days later. His obituary in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
describes only Hewett's cricket career, and does not give any details about his later life. It does not mention a spouse or any children. The notice of his funeral in the same paper says: "The whole village [of Norton Fitzwarren] was in mourning and among those present at the graveside were Mr H. E. Murray Anderdon, president, and Mr S. M. J. Woods, secretary of the Somerset Cricket Club."
Personality and style
When Hewett was named as one of the Five Batsmen of the Year by Wisden Cricketers' Almanack in 1893, the publication described him as "the finest left-handed batsman in England". He played in an unorthodox but attractive fashion, which prompted W.G. Grace to praise "his dashing and fearless hitting", while remarking that he had an awkward style. In Somerset, Cider and Sixes, David Foot described that he was "possessed of an eagle eye, considerable meat and the ability to make his forcing shots attractive." In Peter RoebuckPeter Roebuck
Peter Michael Roebuck was an English cricketer who achieved later renown as an Australian newspaper columnist and radio commentator. A consistent county performer with over 25,000 runs, and "one of the better English openers of the 1980s", Roebuck captained the English county side Somerset...
's From Sammy to Jimmy, he offered a similar portrait of Hewett's batting style, adding that "he saw it as his task to conquer". Hewett's batting received praise in H. S. Altham
Harry Altham
Harry Surtees Altham, CBE, DSO, MC was an English cricketer who became an important figure in the game as an administrator, historian and coach. His Wisden obituary described him as "among the best known personalities in the world of cricket"...
and E. W. Swanton
E. W. Swanton
Ernest William Swanton CBE is chiefly known for being a cricket writer and commentator under his initials, E. W. Swanton. He worked as a sports journalist for The Daily Telegraph and as a broadcaster for BBC Radio for 30 years. He was a regular commentator on Test Match Special, easily recognised...
's A History of Cricket, where he is described as a "singularly determined and venomous" batsman who "hit the ball in unexpected and demoralizing directions." He frequently scored his runs rapidly, as described by the Reverend R.S. Holmes, who wrote of his batting against Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Nottinghamshire, and the current county champions. Its limited overs team is called the Nottinghamshire Outlaws...
; "the Captain scored at his usual rate – three out of four runs notched, represent his pace. Against Surrey he got 61 out of 81, this time 60 out of the same total. That's the kind of example every captain should set - a run a minute, or thereabouts." In summary of the 1892 season The Cricket Annual notes that "the Somerset player, in fact, had established the reputation of being the most punishing batsman and rapid scorer of the day, and on last season's form no representative eleven could be considered complete without him." Sammy Woods claimed that Hewett disliked fielding, but offered the view that he was good at point. Woods also related how Hewett would chew on a toothpick, which he always had in his mouth when fielding, when his team was losing.
As evidenced by the manner in which Hewett left Somerset and walked off during the Scarborough Festival of 1895, he possessed a short fuse. Team-mate Frederic John Poynton
Frederic John Poynton
Dr. Frederic John Poynton M.D., F.R.C.P. was an English physician who studied rheumatism in children while practicing at Great Ormond Street Hospital and University College Hospital...
characterised his captain as a player who suffered "from a deep, difficult nature, which once upset, took long to recover". He was a strong leader who was both respected and feared by his colleagues. In 1885, Somerset County Cricket Club had failed to field eleven players for some of their first-class contests, and in most of their other matches were a poor side. Hewett took on the county captaincy in 1889, and in his second year led his side unbeaten against fellow county opposition to win the 'Second-class County Championship', and gain re-admission to the first-class game. Hewett's batting and captaincy were aided by the emergence of Woods and Palairet, both of whom were named as Wisden Cricketers of the Year between 1889 and 1893. In 1891, Somerset finished joint fifth among the nine first-class counties, while the subsequent year they rose to third. Hewett's final season at Somerset was the county's least successful under his captaincy, winning just four of their sixteen matches to finish in eighth.