New biography about Old Brutonian William Donne - Olympic Gold Winning Cricketer

Oliver Frost, the Captain of Cricket, is pictured clutching a newly published volume entitled Larger Than Life, a biography of William Donne O.B., penned by Barry Phillips. It is just the sort of book one imagines finding in the library of a country house, strategically placed between a history of the Napoleonic Wars and a manual on trout fishing.

William Donne, born in 1876 into a prosperous Castle Cary family whose fortunes were securely bound up with flax, was one of those energetic Englishmen who seem to have regarded idleness as a personal affront. Cricket and rugby captured his imagination early, though fate had not equipped him to dominate either game from the field of play. His talents lay elsewhere. While others scored the runs and dotted down the tries, Donne organised, encouraged, presided, and generally kept the wheels turning with such efficiency and good humour that he became a considerable figure in both sports.

In rugby he rose to become President of Somerset County RFU from 1905 to 1934, and later President of the England RFU itself. One gathers that committee meetings brightened noticeably whenever he entered the room.

Cricket, however, remained a particular passion. At Castle Cary Cricket Club he became the moving spirit behind a succession of summer tours which carried cheerful bands of cricketers to every corner of the British Isles and, on occasion, to more exotic destinations such as Ireland and Holland. These expeditions combined sport, camaraderie, and the occasional logistical challenge with a success that reflected Donne's gift for organisation.Yet it was the 1900 tour to Paris that secured his place in sporting folklore.

The touring side bore the somewhat grand title of the "Devon County Wanderers", though a substantial contingent hailed from Castle Cary. The team proceeded to win all three of its matches, including one that at the time appeared merely an agreeable fixture advertised as Match de Cricket, France contre Angleterre. As it happened, Paris was simultaneously hosting the Olympic Games. The competitors themselves were probably more concerned with the state of the wicket than with posterity, but many years later the International Olympic Committee reviewed the matter and decided that the France-versus-England encounter should be recognised as an official Olympic event.

Thus, by one of those delightful quirks in which history occasionally indulges, the Devon County Wanderers found themselves transformed from touring cricketers into Olympic gold medallists.

And there the matter rested. Cricket promptly vanished from the Olympic programme and remained absent for more than a century. Consequently, the Wanderers continued, quite unchallenged, as the reigning Olympic cricket champions of the world—a title they have held since Queen Victoria occupied the throne.

Only in 2028, when cricket returns to the Olympic Games in Los Angeles, will their astonishing reign finally come to an end. Few champions, one imagines, have managed to retain their title for quite so long while doing absolutely nothing to defend it.

Andrew Leach - School Archivist

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