John Guise      

John Lindsay Guise, who died at Eastbourne on June 29, 1991, aged 87, added to the select few who have achieved fame through one big performance. In Guise's case it was his innings of 278 for Winchester against Eton on Agar's Plough in 1921, the largest score in a public schools match. Winchester had been bowled out for 57 in their first innings on a rain-affected pitch, and Eton, benefiting from the improving conditions, had taken a lead of 198. By the close of day, Guise, who had opened the batting, was 86 not out and the score 130 for 3; next day he took complete charge, farming the bowling "like a veteran" bofore being run out with the score 381. He had batted throughout the innings, had hit 45 fours, and given one possible chance. Eton, needing 184 to win, made light of their task, getting home by seven wickets.

Though no great stylist, Guise possessed all the solid virtues, watching the ball right on to the bat and playing very late. His leg-side play was said to be superior to that of all his contemporaries, and one good judge suggested that his "ringcraft" was his main asset. He had already shown his promise by making a hundred against Harrow in 1920, and in 1921, helped by his great innings, he made 924 runs for an average of 54.35. He was also a bowler of no little skill, sending down slow-medium deliveries of beguiling innocence which floated gently either way and, like the sirens, lured batsmen to destruction. He picked up 63 wickets in his last two years at school. His commanding form in 1922 made him an automatic choice for the representative matches in Schools Week at Lord's.

No Freshman could have had a more disheartening time at Oxford than Guise had in 1923. He missed the whole of May through illness and, after hitting 120 against the West Indian tourists, he was prevented from playing against Cambridge by a last-minute injury. However, he played for Middlesex in a few matches, none more remarkable than that against Kent during Canterbury Week. At the beginning of Kent's second innings, he dismissed four of their first five batsmen at a personal coast of 9 runs, his victims being J. L. Bryan, Seymour, Woolley and Ashdown, and although Woolley had made 270 (c Allen b Guise) in the first innings, Kent were beaten by seven wickets. In 1924 Guise showed splendid form, averaging 38.18 for Oxford and playing a quite superb innings of 154 not out against Surrey at The Oval. At Lord's, his unusual bowling brought him four for 19 in the University Match, and later, in the Championship, his second-innings hundred helped Middlesex to a 27-run win at Trent Bridge after they had followed on more than 200 runs behind. He captained Oxford in 1925, batting solidly and much better than an average of 24 would suggest. His innings of 58 was his second half-century in the University Match. After going down from Oxford, he went to India, but back in England in 1929 he played in twelve matches for Middlesex. Thereafter, having returned to Winchester to teach, he could play in only a handful of matches each year, and his last first-class appearance was in 1934. In 94 matches, 57 of them for Middlesex, Guise made 3,775 runs at 26.21, took 68 wickets at a cost of 28.11, and held 53 catches.
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack