• Born Unknown
• Died Unknown
• Educated
• Occupation Employed at the Viceregal Lodge, Dublin
• Debut 4 September 1856 v United England XI at Phoenix CC
• Cap Number 22
• Style Batting hand unknown
• Teams United Ireland XI, Viceregal XI

A Price, as his name appears on contemporary scorecards, has proved a very difficult player to track down. He is described as having been an Englishman working at the Viceregal Lodge in an official capacity, but no other details have been found.

It is possible that he is to be identified as Augustus William Price who was born in 1836 and educated at Cheltenham College where he was two years in the XI before becoming an Army officer in 1857. However there are several objections to this, not the least one being his age. Thus the cricketer who is the subject of this notice is referred to here as AP. We would be most interested to learn of any details which might help us to fill in the gaps shown above.

AP's first recorded appearance in a major match in Ireland came in a three day match beginning on 11 August 1856 for Charles Lawrence's United Ireland XI against XXII of Dublin at Phoenix.He was clearly already a cricketer of some note to be selected by Lawrence, but he had little impact on the match. Opening the batting he made 5 run out in the first innings and ad reached 11 in the second before he was bowled by Army officer Frank Northey, who almost 20 years later was to die in the Zulu War. Northey and Arthur Samuels were too much for most of the United batsmen, but the XI eventually scraped home by 2 wickets.

Two weeks later AP turned out for XVI of the Viceregal Lodge against the MCC, who, under the name of Gentlemen Of England, had just lost to Ireland. They proved too strong for the hosts, the bowling of Joseph McCormick proving almost unplayable. AP was dismissed for 8 in the first innings, second top score to Fred Marshall's 11, before falling for 2 to the bowling of VE Walker, one of the famous Southgate brotherhood in the second. MCC had little problem in winning by 6 wickets.

AP's only match for Ireland came at Phoenix a fortnight later against the powerful United England XI, Ireland laying as an XVIII. The match deserves a special place in our cricket history, as the professionals, were defeated by 6 runs in an epic finish. Batting at 11, AP was bowled by John Wisden a 5 foot 4 inches paceman, in Ireland's first innings of 116, the Almanack's founder taking 7-32. The United men gained a 10 run lead, with McCormick, now in Irish colours,taking 6-48, Wisden top scoring with 29. He then bowled Ireland out for 71. AP then played a vital part in Ireland,s second innings, his 10 being one of only three double figure scores, Wisden taking 7-25. Mc Cormick and Lawrence then struck back, the visitors were dismissed for 55 to see Ireland to a famous victory,

That match concluded AP's Irish career. Further, unless he was indeed Augustus Price, who can be found in at least two other matches over the next decade, it also seems to have concluded his career in major cricket.