by Abhishek Mukherjee
The House Match of the Clifton College was being played between the Classical and Modern. The names had nothing to do with formats of cricket – for let alone T20s, even Test cricket was not around in 1868.
Batting first, Modern were bowled out for exactly a hundred. One of the Classical bowlers, who took three wickets, would go on to become an excellent wicketkeeper. In fact, he would become one of the first to do away with the long-stop, a regular position till then.
It was a one-innings match, but according to an agreement, the team batting second was allowed to bat on till they were bowled out. So, after losing a wicket on Day 1, the Classical raced to 340/5 on Day 2. At the crease was our hero, unbeaten on 199.
Despite the situation (the Classical had already won), there was a lot of interest around the third day's play. Back in 1837, one Alfred Adams had scored 279 for Saffron Walden against Bishop's Strotford. That had remained a world record score in any recorded form of cricket.
The record was duly broken. he soon became the first man to score 300, then 400. The captains decided to call the match off when he was on 404. His innings included 87 ones, 42 twos, 39 threes, 21 fours, 5 fives, and a seven. The record had been improved by a considerable margin.
Edward Tylecote went on to score over 3,000 First-Class runs, mostly for Kent. He also played 6 Tests, scoring 152 runs and effecting 10 dismissals. He also taught mathematics, and had a much-acclaimed collection of butterflies.
Eight years later WG Grace scored 400 not out (399, actually, but that is another story). Tylecote's record stood till 1881, before one William Roe scored 415 not out for Emmanuel College, Cambridge Long Vacation Club against Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge Long Vacation Club.
Less than two years after Roe broke his record, Tylecote became part of Ivo Bligh's team that won the first ever Ashes series.
Tylecote will forever be remembered as the first man to score a recorded 300 or 400. His name has also been immortalised on the Ashes urn:
When Ivo goes back with the urn, the urn;
Studds, Steel, Read and Tylecote return, return;
The welkin will ring loud,
The great crowd will feel proud,
Seeing Barlow and Bates with the urn, the urn;
And the rest coming home with the urn.
Edward Tylecote was born on 23 June 1849.