Playing for England

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” — from Matthew 6

In 1879 Charlie went to Cambridge University. He studied a little and played cricket a lot! In 1883 he became captain of the Cambridge team, just as Kynaston and George had been before him.

The summer of 1882 was his best ever. A team from Australia came to England. Its fast bowler, Fred Spofforth, was so frightening that the newspapers nicknamed him the Demon. But Cambridge beat the Australians, and Charlie scored 118 runs. That August he scored a thousand runs and took a hundred wickets in one season. Only one man had done that before: W. G. Grace, the most famous cricketer in the world. And the records say Charlie’s hundredth wicket was Grace himself!

At twenty-one, Charlie was chosen to play for England against Australia at the Oval in London. It was a nail-biting game. England needed only 85 runs to win, but Spofforth kept taking wickets. Charlie was sent in near the end. He stood ready at his end of the pitch, but before he had faced a single ball, the last English batsman was out. Australia had won by seven runs.

A few days later a newspaper made a joke. It said that English cricket had died, and that its ashes would be taken to Australia. That winter Charlie and George sailed to Australia with an English team that set out to win the ashes back, and they did. Matches between England and Australia are still called the Ashes today.

But something was wrong. Charlie was a Christian, and he kept it to himself. He said later that cricket had taken first place in his life, and that he had given God almost nothing. For about six years his faith stayed in a quiet corner.

Jesus said, Seek God’s kingdom first. Games are good, and God is glad when we play and enjoy them. But nothing, not even the thing we love most, should take God’s place in our hearts.

Dear God, thank you for games and fun. Please help me to put you first in my life, before everything else. Amen.