C C Morris – Career

C. C. Morris Career

By Dr. A. H. Graham

Reprinted, in part, from The American Cricketer, Vol. LI, November, 1927 (issued June, 1928).

Section 1, pre-1900

C. C. Morris has perhaps enjoyed a more varied and interesting cricket career and probably played in more cricketing tours that any man in this or perhaps any other cricketing community. At different times representing the Friends’ Select School, Haverford College, Merion Cricket Club, Pilgrims, Gentlemen of Philadelphia and the United States, his cricket activities have led him to England a number of times, Canada, Bermuda and various cities of the United States outside of Philadelphia. He has toured England with Haverford College, Merion Cricket Club, Pilgrims and the Gentlemen of Philadelphia, and on a number of occasions has represented English Clubs in matches in England, as he did during 1925, playing a number of times for the Incogniti.

Mr. Morris has always been an attractive bat to watch, scoring quickly, hitting freely and yet possessing a thorough knowledge of the game and a good defense. He has always been a big match player, the higher the stakes, the better he played, and has often appeared to great advantage against strong invaders from abroad. He has thoroughly established his class as a bat, his 164 against Nottingham alone entitling him to that distinction. He has always been a good fielder, thoroughly sage and reliable and at times has bowled with quite considerable degree of success.

He opened his career as a member of the Junior organization of the Merion Cricket Club, enjoying the coaching afforded by that organization. His father had been a cricketer, first playing for Delian, and then for Dorian, Haverford College organization, and with his other brothers, H.H. and J.P., he inherited his love of the game.

In 1896 he appears first as playing for Friends’ Select School, playing a number of games, his best score, 17, being made against Westtown School. He also this year played for Merion Juniors a number of times, making 11 not out against Belmont Juniors, and 15 against Wayne Juniors.

In 1897, he against appeared for his school, making 15 against Central High School and 11 against Episcopal Academy. He also played twice for the Juniors, making 1 against Radnor, and then his top score up to this date, a well played 49 against Belmont. The total for the side was 115 runs, and among those on his team were F. C. Sharpless, W. H. Sayer and L. W. Hurst. W. Graham was the Belmont bowler to cause his dismissal.

In 1898 he played a great deal of cricket, his first good score being a 30 for Friends’ Select School against Haverford III. Against Philadelphia Juniors he made 41 and was out trying to hit a slow ball after playing the very fast ones of Tingley very well. A 38 against Belmont Juniors and a 34 against Germantown Juniors attracted sufficient attention to cause his promotion to Merion Second Eleven, and he made some good scores for them, getting 29 against Belfield Second and 46 not out against Radnor Second. His first score over 50 was made for the Merion Juniors against Radnor Juniors, when, before falling a victim to the bowling of Patton, he made 68 runs.

In 1899 he played 39 innings and made some very good scores, a 34 for his school against Haverford Grammar School, a 61 against the Class of 1902 of Haverford College, a 31 against Drexel Institute, a 62 against Haverford Third Eleven, 50 against Hamilton School, 30 against Central High School, and then for the first time hit up a century making 102 against Drexel Institute. This year he played 8 innings for Friends’ Select School and averaged 51.50 per innings. He also played 8 innings for Merion Juniors, being second in the averages with 27 runs per innings, his best score being 63 and 53 against Radnor and 48 against Belmont Juniors.

He also made a number of good scores for Merion Summer XI, and altogether had a very good season in all matches, playing 31 innings and making 530 runs.

He also did very well in Second XI games, being second in the averages 48.25 for 5 innings, his first good score being a 45 against Radnor in a remarkable match in which Merion made 405 runs and dismissed Radnor for 9. Against Philadelphia Second he made 57, top score of the side, 46 against Belmont Second, and 32 against Germantown Second. He also was quite active with the Summer XI, his best score being a 79 against Belmont.

This year, Mr. Morris made his first appearance in International cricket, playing for the Philadelphia Colts against Ranjitsinhji’s XI, but did not distinguish himself, getting 0 and 1. His total of runs for the year was 1141, a notable number for so young a cricketer.

Section 2, 1900 – 1905

In 1900 he opened the season with Friends’ Select School, making 33 against Haverford Junior Class and then 34 against Haverford Third Eleven, 48 against Moorestown Academy and then wound up his school career with a 74 retired against Drexel Institute. His school cricket had been highly successful, covering five years, in which he had made the following figures:
Innings 44, Not Out 1, High Score 102, Runs 759, Average 17.65.

This year he began to appear for Merion’s Halifax Cup Team–in his first appearance against Germantown, making 16 runs and being caught in the slips off the bowling of P.H. Clark. His first good Halifax Cup innings was a 23 against Belmont, this time falling victim to Cregar; also in the slips.

This summer he accompanied Haverford College to England, his first tour, but only played in three innings, his best score being 12 against Shrewsbury School. At home again Morris played for the Summer, Second and First Elevens, playing a fine 47 against Belmont Halifax Cup Team, the total for the side only reaching 95 and J.L. Evans, with 15 being the only other double figure score. His best innings of the year was against Philadelphia, when he got 91 runs. In this innings he went in first with Muir, who was out for nothing, then S.W. Morris 32, H.C. Thayer 8, brought the score to 90 for 3, of which Morris had over 40. Then W.N. Morice hit up 32, and the score was carried to 171 for 4 wickets, when Morris was was caught in the slips off A.G. Scattergood for a brilliant and hard hit 91.

His fine work this year caused his selection to play for the United States against Canada, and he made a brilliant appearance in this, his first big match, by making top score in both innings, 37 and 32. In the second innings United States needed 109 runs and lost their first 5 wickets for 38. Morris then went in and his 32 quickly helped to turn the victory toward the United States Team.

In 1901 Mr. Morris had an exceedingly active season, playing in 50 innings and making nearly 1500 runs. Big scores were numerous, 2 centuries and 10 scores of over 50, with 6 other scores between 40 and 50.

He started off the season by playing for the Freshmen at Haverford, against the Juniors, making 26, then for the same team a 25 against De Lancey School, and 37 against Penn Charter. Later, playing for the Varsity, he made a brilliant 61, his first good score for the College XI.

Against Harvard he made 49 out of a total of 101 for 4, being bowled by S.W. Mifflin. After the College season he played for the Merion Summer XI and Halifax Cup Teams, his first good score the the latter being a 45 against Philadelphia.

Against Belmont he went in first with J.L. Evans, putting on 63 runs before the stand was broken. Morris leaving for 49 with the total at 101, caught and bowled King.

Against Philadelphia he made 71 and was out, when the batsman at the other end made a hard hit to Mason, who was bowling, the ball glancing off his hand onto the the wicket and Morris, who had taken a lead, being run out.

For the Summer XI he also hit up some big scores, making a century against Wissahickon, and following it on the next Saturday with a 63 against the same team. Against Radnor he also scored heavily, making 79 and 89, in both cases top score for the side, and on September second, scored his second century of the season, 101 against Staten Island. He was then selected to play for the Philadelphia Colts against the English Gentlemen, captained by Bosanquet, and batted in fine style, getting top score in the first innings, 30 and 34 in the second innings. Then making his appearance the the Gentlemen of Philadelphia in Inter-National cricket, he played in both matches against Bosanquet’s XI, getting scores of 19, 12, 55 and 17. His 19 was the second highest score of the side, the total only reaching 103. His 55 was a fine performance; going in first with F.H. Bohlen, they put on 93 runs for the first wicket, Morris scoring much more rapidly than his partner, and being the first to go for a fine 55.