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CRICKET
servative folk and many prominent cricketers vigorously opposed wliat was to a great extent a creation of tlie sporting press. Popular opinion could not, however, be withstood, and it became presently evident that the interest of the public was most keenly aroused over the championship, although the notion of a trophy in commemoration of the annual achievement was universally scouted. Finally the recognition of the county championship was forced upon the Committee of the M.C.C., who laid down the rule that “ one point shall be reckoned for each win; one deducted for each loss. Unfinished games shall not be reckoned. The county which, during the season, shall have, in finished matches, obtained the greatest proportionate number of points shall be reckoned the champion county.” The old way, prior to this enactment, had been simply to regard the county which lost fewest matches as champions, taking no account of proportion. The actual result has been to concentrate not only popular attention but the best efforts of the foremost cricketers on county fixtures. Therefore, the interest in the first-class fixtures of the M.C.C. as well as other scratch teams has enormously diminished. Indeed, so important had county cricket become that it was thought necessary at the meeting of the secretaries in December 1895 to propose a motion pledging the first-class counties to give up any players required to represent England in the test matches. The list of champion counties is :— Played. Won. Lost. Drawn. 1 /Notts 7 5 1 2 Gloucestershire 6 4 0 1 1874 Derbyshire 4 3 0 3 1875 Notts 10 6 1 3 1876 Gloucestershire 8 5 0 1 1877 Gloucestershire 8 7 0 3 1878 Middlesex 6 3 0 6 12 5 1 1879-/Notts 4
Lancashire
10 5 1 3 1880 Notts 10 6 1 3 1881 Notts 13 10 0 3 12 8 1 S89/Notts 3
Lancashire
14 10 1 7 1883 Notts 12 4 1 1 1884 Notts 10 9 0 5 1885 Notts 12 6 1 7 1886 Notts 14 7 0 2 1887 Surrey 16 12 2 1 1888 Surrey 14 12 1 1 (Surrey 14 10 3 1 1889 4 Lancashire 14 10 3 3 [Notts 14 9 2 2 1890 Surrey 14 9 3 2 1891 Surrey 10 12 2 1 1892 Surrey 16 13 2 1 1893 Yorkshire 16 12 3 1894 Surrey 16 13 2 A tie 5 1895 Surrey 26 17 4 7 1896 Yorkshire 26 16 3 7 1897 Lancashire 26 16 3 7 1898 Yorkshire 26 16 3 14 1899 Surrey 26 10 2 12 1900 Yorkshire 28 16 0 6 1901 Yorkshire 27 20 1 We now come to the performance of the counties. Notts has a great record. Daft and Oscroft with the bat, and Shaw and 'n Morley, perhaps unrivalled as a pair of bowlers, left County traditions well supported by Gunn and Shrewsbury, cricket. ^w0 exceptionally able batsmen. With them was associated Scotton, most patient of “ stonewallers,” whilst Barnes, Flowers, and Attewell did splendid service (the last-named being a remarkably steady bowler, keeping a good length, which gave him an abnormal number of “ maidens ”), and Sherwin was an excellent successor to Plumb and Wild at the wicket. Latterly Mr J. A. Dixon, for many years a vigilant captain, has seen a considerable decline in the fortunes of the county, the slow play of the home side alienating popular support at Trent Bridge until the advent of a dashing batsman in Mr A. 0. Jones. With Shrewsbury, the latter scored 391 v. Gloucestershire in 1899, that being a “record ” for first wicket. From 1873 to 1902 Notts won 155 matches, lost 90, and drew 109. Gloucestershire, founded in 18/1, and so long known as the county
of the Graces, at the outset played an entirely amateur team. Apart from the prowess of the three famous brothers—E. M., W. G., and G. F. Grace—many fine cricketers have appeared on the side, such as in the earlier days Messrs F. Townsend, W. R. Gilbert, and J. A. Bush, a notable stumper ; in the middle period, Midwinter, Mr J. Cranston, Mr O. G. Radcliffe, and Woof; more recently the colonial importations, Messrs J. J. Ferris and C. O. H. Sewell, and latterly that tremendous “slogger,” Mr G. L. Jessop, and Mr C. L. Townsend, a remarkable left-handed batsman. From 1871 to 1902 Gloucestershire won 115 matches, lost 164, and drew 114. This county can boast the only cricketers who have scored 2000 runs and taken 100 wickets in the same season, namely, Dr W. G. Grace (1873), Mr C. L. Townsend (1899), and Mr G. L. Jessop (1900). Lancashire, founded in 1864, has been directed by one of the hardest of hitters and best of captains, Mr A. N. Hornby. With his name will always be associated that of the patient Barlow. The bowling of Crossland, Nash, and Watson aroused discussion and evoked legislation on the nature of a fair delivery. The four brothers Steel did noble service when able to play, Mr A. G. Steel especially uniting marvellous skill with consummate theoretical knowledge. Briggs proved a clever left-handed bat, who gradually became one of the principal bowlers in England. Sugg, who migrated from Yorkshire and Derbyshire, was a very aggressive baq and Pilling was the finest English wicket-keeper. A great professional bat of the defensive type is Albert Ward, and the present captain is the famous Harrovian, Mr A. C. MacLaren, who played in such magnificent form as to be chosen to occupy that post for England in the four last test matches with the Australians in 1899. He made the highest individual score in a first-class match, 424 against Somerset at Taunton in 1895. The success of Mold as a fast bowler, the excellent cricket of Cuttell, and the batting of Baker and Tyldesley, have alike proved invaluable. From 1873 to 1902 Lancashire won 228 matches, lost 106, and drew 105. Yorkshire, whose county club was founded in 1861, was at one time a team of professionals, but of late years Lord Hawke has been the captain. Its team, always good, has played the best and most attractive cricket, culminating in the highest honours in 1900, when the side went through a programme of twenty-eight fixtures without sustaining a reverse. In the earlier period Ulyett, Hall, and Lockwood were the most notable bats, Bates and Emmett valuable all-round men, with Freeman and Hill as straight fast bowlers. As wicket-keeper, Finder was succeeded in turn by the capable brothers Hunter. In recent cricket Brown and Tunnicliffe have become famous for their partnerships. In 1898 v. Derbyshire, at Chesterfield, their stand of 554 runs is a world record, whilst v. Surrey in 1897 they scored 328 for the first wicket. Tunnicliffe has also caught out more batsmen than any other fieldsman. Hirst and Wainwright have been efficient all-round men, of value to any side ; Haigh is an excellent fast bowler, and Mr Ernest Smith a useful bat. Wilfrid Rhodes has also made a great name with the ball very early in his career, and in 1900, in county matches alone, he took 206 wickets for 12 runs apiece. The admirable all-round cricket of Mr F. S. Jackson has been of immense value, and Denton has done creditable work both with the bat and in the field. In earlier times Mr Sellars, Lee, and Preston were all successful, and Edmund Peate in his prime was never surpassed as a bowler. The county record to 1902 was 257 victories against 114 defeats and 131 draws. Middlesex was founded in 1868 on the initiative of the renowned family of the Walkers, seven brothers, the record of whose prowess has been latterly written by Mr W. A. Bettesworth. The county team was subsequently controlled by Mr A. J. Webbe, a notable old Oxonian. Pre-eminent in a team relying much on amateur talent was Mr A. E. Stoddart, one of the grandest bats of any period and a shrewd judge of the game, whose retirement from county matches was universally lamented. Sir Timothy O’Brien in his prime was also very sound, and his performance with Mr G. F. Yernon against Yorkshire in 1895 will live in the annals of the game. The triumvirate of Studds—Messrs J. E. K., G. B., and C. T.—did fine work in the ’eighties, and a number of other university cricketers have assisted the metropolitan county: Messrs J. G. Walker, P. F. Warner, M. R. Jardine, E. A. Nepean, E. H. Buckland, F. J. N. Thesiger, B. J. T. Bosanquet, F. H. E. Cunliffe, F. G. J. Ford, W. J. Ford, A. F. J. Ford, J. Douglas, E. Lyttelton, R. N. Douglas, C. M. Wells, P. J. de Paravicini, P. J. T. Henery, C. I. Thornton, W. H. Hadow, and A. W. Ridley, may all be cited. Nor must the work of Messrs T. S. Pearson, S. ML Scott, E. M. Hadow, and J. Robertson be forgotten, and the lengthy services of Mr A. J. Webbe will be memorable in county annals. After the retirement of Mr Alfred Lyttelton, no stumper of ability could be found until the appearance of Mr Gregor MacGregor, the finest amateur wicket-keeper and a good captain. The attack—led by J. T. Hearne, most willing of good-length bowlers, and the spirited Australian, A. E. Trott, with such useful changes as Rawlin and Roche—is formidable. Trott both in 1899 and 1900 performed the hitherto unprecedented feat of scoring over
