Mission Impossible Trivia Quiz

Answer: Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar (the toga clad one) was the leader of the Roman world from 49 BC until 44 BC.

The other Julius Caesar was born in 1830 and become one of the founding members of the Broadwater Cricket Club (Sussex, England). He managed three centuries and a little under five thousand runs for both Surrey and Lancashire in a career that spanned 194 first class matches. Sadly he took his own life oon 6th March 1878, nine days before the Ides of March.

Answer: Robert Kennedy

Robert John Kennedy made his Test debut against Zimbabwe in 1996 and acquitted himself well in their opponent's first innings, taking three wickets for 28 runs. A miserly bowler, he was able to extract movements both ways through the air. However, the pressures of playing at the highest level soon impacted on his control and he faded from New Zealand's senior team after only four Tests and seven One Day Internationals. He retired with 91 first class wickets to his name with a best haul of six wickets for 61 runs.

Robert Francis Kennedy was the brother of US President, John F. Kennedy and was the Democratic senator for New York. He was assassinated in June 1968.

Answer: David Livingstone

Born in Glasgow, David Livingstone had the honour of representing Scotland on 25 occasions. A right arm off spin bowler he had the distinction of taking ten wickets in a match against Ireland in 1957. He also managed a haul of six for 93 against the touring Australian team in 1964.

The other David Livingstone was a missionary who explored Africa during the mid-19th century. His now famous meeting with Sir Henry Stanley gave rise to the often quoted phrase "Dr Livingstone, I presume".

Answer: William Shakespeare

William Harold Nelson Shakespeare played 26 first class games for Worcestershire and would eventually succeed as the President of the club. He was a little less successful as batsman managing only 789 career runs with his two highest scores, 62 and 67 not out, coming in 1919, both against Warwickshire.

The other Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564 and was responsible for writing classic plays such as "Hamlet" and "Romeo & Juliet", many of which were performed at the Globe Theatre.

Answer: Joseph Lister

Joseph Lister played in 21 matches for Worcestershire between 1954 and 1959. During this period he managed to score 796 runs while recording a half century on four occasions. In 1955 he came within a whisker of scoring his maiden first class hundred, being dismissed on 99 in a match against Kent. Joseph would later move into the administrative aspects of the game and he is best remembered as the Club Secretary who guided Yorkshire through some of its leanest years in the competition.

Sir Joseph Lister was born in 1827 and promoted the ideal of antiseptic surgery with the introduction of carbolic acid (phenol) as a means to clean wounds and sterilise surgical instruments.

Answer: George Eastman

George Eastman acquitted himself as the Essex wicketkeeper for five seasons from 1926 to 1929. In the 48 matches that he played he took 29 catches and made 21 stumpings. A worthy effort considering that this was one of the low periods in Essex's cricket history and their bowling attack was not one of its strongest. Batting, however, was not George's best attribute, scoring only 265 career runs at an average of just under seven runs per innings.

His namesake was the founder of the Eastman Kodak Company and the roll film that he pioneered was central in bringing photography into the mainstream market.

Answer: Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens, the cricketer, played only four matches for his province after which there are no further reports of him. He appeared to be a batsman of some ability, which is evidenced by him scoring one century (105) in one match and registering a half century in another. Ironically, in a match that he played against Orange Free State he was bowled by a gentleman named Keats.

Dickens, the author, was responsible for such illustrious works as "A Tale of Two Cities", "Oliver Twist" and "The Pickwick Papers".

Answer: Thomas More

Thomas Jasper Mytton More was born in Shropshire (1872) and spent most of his cricket career playing in the Minor Counties. He did manage a few games with the MCC but, for the most part, lived in the shadow of his celebrated brother, Richard, who scored three centuries in a solid career with Middlesex.

St. Thomas More (the Lord Chancellor) published his work "Utopia" in 1516, was beheaded for treason in 1535 and beatified in 1886.

Answer: George Bernard Shaw

One wonders if George's (the cricketer) parents had a sense of humour. Both he and (the writer) George bear exactly the same name. As a cricketer Shaw plied his off breaks with Glamorgan for 16 matches. The highlight of his career came against the Combined Services team in 1952 where he took five wickets in each innings with a best return of five wickets for 38 runs.

George Bernard Shaw, the Irish playwright, wrote the story "Pygmalion" in 1912, which would became the motion picture "My Fair Lady" (1964) starring Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison.

Answer: Robert Peel

Bobby Peel was a left arm slow bowler who would regularly take a hundred wickets in a season for his beloved Yorkshire. He was also an exceptional fieldsman and a punishing batsman. He made his Test debut against Australia in 1884 and achieved the rare feat of taking five wickets in his maiden Test. In all he played twenty Tests for England, secured 101 wickets and held 17 catches for his country. He also managed 427 runs with a highest score of 83.
In first class matches he took to the field 436 times, scored over 12,000 runs and took 1775 wickets.

The other Bob is Sir Robert Peel who served as Great Britain's Prime Minister from 1834 to 1835 and again from 1841 to 1846. He was responsible for establishing a form of police force during his tenure hence the reason why police officers in England are affectionately known as "bobbies".

I did find record of a Robert Redford playing cricket, but only for a London social team called Drovers. There is a George Robert "Bob" Stephenson who kept wickets for Hampshire and Derbyshire between 1967 and 1980 and there is also a record of a Robert Frost playing one first class game for Norfolk. None of Britain's Prime Ministers, however, have been christened with these names.