{"id":261031,"date":"2025-07-13T07:44:19","date_gmt":"2025-07-13T07:44:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/261031\/"},"modified":"2025-07-13T07:44:19","modified_gmt":"2025-07-13T07:44:19","slug":"britains-most-famous-authors-form-a-cricket-team","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/261031\/","title":{"rendered":"Britain’s most famous authors form a cricket team"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"A<\/p>\n

JM Barrie, second right, bowls as part of his all-star author cricket team [Supplied]<\/p>\n

On a summer’s day in 1887, in the middle of a Surrey village green, you may just have heard the men behind Sherlock Holmes, Peter Pan and Winnie the Pooh crying in unison: “Howzat?!”<\/p>\n

It could seem far-fetched to imagine some of Britain’s most celebrated authors lined up in a slip cordon, but it was entirely possible as Peter Pan author JM Barrie had enlisted fellow writers AA Milne and Arthur Conan Doyle to join his cricket team.<\/p>\n

And on a cricket pitch near Shere, Barrie’s band of illustrious authors came together for the first time for their joint sporting pursuit.<\/p>\n

But while their writing lives on for generations, their cricketing ability, by their own account, left much to be desired.<\/p>\n

“They got absolutely trashed,” said Andrew Baker, a Shere historian.<\/p>\n

“Everyone else took it seriously and they came along being much less serious.<\/p>\n

“Some of them didn’t get a lot of runs or wickets. Barrie was very proud of occasionally scoring one run.”<\/p>\n

‘Heaven help us’<\/p>\n

Formed by Barrie, the team was named the Allahakhbarries, a play on the Arabic phrase meaning “God is great” and the author’s surname.<\/p>\n

Pointing to his humour and recognition of his cricketing ability, however, the name reportedly came from a mistaken belief that the phrase actually meant “heaven help us”.<\/p>\n

In their first game, on a pitch in Albury Heath, Barrie and his band of authors were beaten by the landlord of The White Horse in Shere, who as a handy cricketer scored many of the opposition’s runs and took many of their wickets.<\/p>\n

The Allahakbarries, regarded by some as the first celebrity cricket team, originally included Barrie and Conan Doyle alongside Jeeves and Wooster creator PG Wodehouse.<\/p>\n

AA Milne joined later and unsuccessful attempts were made to recruit Rudyard Kipling and HG Wells.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

AA Milne, middle row first left, and JM Barrie, middle row third left, lined up in a team photo [Supplied]<\/p>\n

Of the group, Conan Doyle stood out for his sporting aptitude. Having also featured for the Lords-based Marylebone Cricket Club, the Sherlock Holmes’ writer’s ability towered over that of his teammates.<\/p>\n

On Barrie, Mr Baker said: “He wasn’t an athletic man, he was short, asthmatic and wore glasses.<\/p>\n

“There’s a picture of him bowling left handed where his arm is not quite at the vertical.”<\/p>\n

Writing in a booklet on the team, Barrie recalled the tails of the team, including allegedly only learning on the way to a game that a new player did not know which side of the bat to use to hit the ball.<\/p>\n

The team played semi-regularly until the outbreak of World War One, when they disbanded.<\/p>\n

In his diary, Barrie reportedly wrote: “The Last Cricket Match. One or two days before war declared \u2013 my anxiety and premonition \u2013 boys gaily playing cricket at Auch, seen from my window.<\/p>\n

“I know they’re to suffer. I see them dropping out one by one, fewer and fewer.”<\/p>\n

Follow BBC Surrey on Facebook<\/a>, on X<\/a>, and on Instagram<\/a>. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk<\/a> or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.<\/p>\n

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