Shields' and the Cricket Cup
The story begins with an introduction to the school cricket team at Wrykyn, where Clephane, the captain of the second eleven, is determined to lead his team to victory against their rivals, Day's. The match between Shields' and Appleby's is a closely contested one, with Clephane's men emerging victorious by an innings and fifty-three runs. The story then shifts to the semifinal match between Shields' and Spence's, where Clephane's team faces off against Jackson, the star player of Spence's. The match is intense, but in the end, Shields' emerges victorious, sending them to the final against Day's. In the final match, Day's batsmen make a strong showing, scoring two hundred and fifty runs. However, Clephane and Mansfield put up a good fight for Shields', making ninety-eight runs before being dismissed. The follow-on is then introduced by Henfrey, who leads his team back to the field to bat again. The match becomes increasingly one-sided, with Day's scoring another two hundred and fifty runs. Shields' are left with four hundred and twelve runs to make in order to win. However, just as it seems like all hope is lost for Clephane and Mansfield, they receive news that every member of the Day's team except two kids is ill due to a bad rabbit pie. Clephane sees this as an opportunity to take advantage of the situation and decides not to wait for the Day's team to recover. He and Mansfield open their second innings, with Clephane making a century and eventually winning the match by nine wickets. The story ends with a description of the aftermath of the match, where the Day's team is left to drown their sorrows in the School Shop. The score sheet of the match is also mentioned, with Clephane's three hundred and one not out being described as a "masterly exhibition of sound yet aggressive batting."
By P. G. Wodehouse · First published 1920 · Genre: Humor, Sports fiction, Adventure · 3,640 words
First lines
The house cricket cup at Wrykyn has found itself on some strange mantelpieces in its time. New talent has a way of cropping up in the house matches. Tail-end men hit up fifties, and bowlers who have never taken a wicket before except at the nets go on fifth change, and dismiss first eleven experts with deliveries that bounce twice and shoot. So that nobody is greatly surprised in the ordinary run of things if the cup does not go to the favourites, or even to the second or third favourites. But one likes to draw the line. And Wrykyn drew it at Shields'. And yet, as we shall proceed to show, Shields' once won the cup, and that, too, in a year when Donaldson's had four first eleven men and Dexter's three.
What this Textopian page supports
Shields' and the Cricket Cup is listed on Textopian as a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, dated 1920 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: P. G. Wodehouse
- Date: 1920 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Humor, Sports fiction, Adventure, Drama
- Length: 3,640 words
- Structure: 1 section, 60 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Shields' and the Cricket Cup by P. G. Wodehouse
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering Shields' and the Cricket Cup?
- How does this short story by P. G. Wodehouse fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Humor first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
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Genres
- Humor — The writing style of P. G. Wodehouse is typically humorous and entertaining, appealing to the reader's sense of fun.
- Sports fiction — The title suggests the plot is related to cricket, indicating that it may revolve around a sporting event or competition.
- Adventure — P. G. Wodehouse's works often feature a series of entertaining and complex events and situations that can be considered adventures.
- Drama — Wodehouse's books usually involve interpersonal conflicts and dramatic turns of events.
Tags
cricket · humor · comedy · British literature · sports · novel · friendship · competition · adventure · romance · class differences · satire