1889 diary Cricket match analysis and drinking

[Wiggy]

You seem to have it  sorted Deskman - 'hire' seems possible now in context - and if you put a comma after 'fellows', it reads better so maybe he just didn't use much punctuation.     

[ShaunJ]

"...Last match in which Stuart Anthony & Bryan were the only two Culmington fellows. These two on their own responsibility hired a “pro” which will cost 10/- which the treasurer refuses to pay."

[CarolA3]

"The other evening they had a great carpet beating here & afterward a “drunk" [/i]OR ”drink" on perry. I met 3 men staggering about – arm in arm on my way to..."

I suggested 'innings' rather than 'evening' in a vague attempt to sound crickety, but you're probably right
(Is carpet beating a traditional rustic entertainment?  My mother did it annually, but never for fun.)

I'll stick with "drunk" though.  'Going on a drunk' in my younger days meant an evening (or more) of dedicated imbibing; 'going for a drink' pales by comparison.  The image of '3 men staggering about - arm in arm' brings back memories of those heady days

Carol (lately of more temperate habits!)

Added:  The number of up-and-down strokes also suggests 'u' more than 'i'.

[Karen McDonald]

"...Last match in which Stuart Anthony & Bryan were the only two Culmington fellows. These two on their own responsibility hired a “pro” which will cost 10/- which the treasurer refuses to pay."

That looks very plausible! Our writer does have a habit of scribbling down his thoughts with little or no punctuation.  Makes it fun for us, though!

[Karen McDonald]

(Is carpet beating a traditional rustic entertainment?  My mother did it annually, but never for fun.)

There is a vulgar usage of the term carpet beating which, despite being an Essex Girl, I am not going to go into detail on here  . 
I have no idea if it was used back in the writer's days, though.

[Deskman]

Thanks again everyone,

I now have this text
"Last match in which Stuart Anthony & Bryan were the only two Culmington fellows these two on their responsibility hire a “pro” which will cost 10/- which the treasurer refuses to pay. Im sorry for Anthony, The other evening they had a great carpet beating here & afterward a “drunk" on perry I met 3 men staggering about – arm in arm on my way to..."
what a difference!

There is punch line to the drinking
"...I was delighted to see them come to grief at the plank bridge over the brook. I don’t think Davies should have let them have so much. On my return about 10.30 nearly stumbled on one lying in orchard."

Thanks for posting the match reports from Culmington Winstanstow Journal  and Culmington Winstanstow News. Both titles are new to me.

The diary entry is dated 2nd August. The disastrous evening match against Winstanstow was on the Thursday 3rd. As this is the last para of the entry it would seem that it was the Winstanstow match and written about the 5th August. The next entry is dated 7th Aug.
The previous Culmington match was away on Saturday 27th July against Bedstone / Heath House. They lost by an innings and 19 runs, being the match with the pro?

Culmington had thrashed (aka a carpet beating?) Winstanstow away on 8th June 9 (but then Easton was playing).

Shall we pull stumps?

[Deskman]

and here's a good carpet beating game
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02qssyn

[Karen McDonald]

We don't know how good we have it these days..!

Interesting that I could open the link - we can't normally access the Beeb here. 

[ShaunJ]

Thanks for posting the match reports from Culmington Winstanstow Journal  and Culmington Winstanstow News. Both titles are new to me.

Sorry - that's just my own short titling of the two snippets. They are both from the Wellington Journal and Shrewsbury News