Cricket's Historians

196 The World of Cricket of Worcestershire’s county opponents has a page devoted solely to Worcestershire performances against that county – such items as batsmen who have hit 1,000 runs for Worcestershire v that county, or bowlers to take 100 wickets etc. This all in addition to the usual records found in a yearbook. Assisting with the yearbook was A. Ross-Slater, who, unlike most others in his position, was the county’s Hon Scorer. He began with the County Second XI in 1961, but quickly moved to the First XI. Educated at Uppingham and Cambridge, he had spent his working life as a prep school master. He died in February 1981 aged 79. Yorkshire Edited by the County Club Secretary, J.H.Nash, the Yorkshire Yearbook, unusually was hardback. It ran in 1961 to 424 pages, dwarfing all its 16 rivals. However 208 pages of the book contained the names and addresses of the members. The cost was five shillings to members or 7s 6d to non- members. A comprehensive Record Section is 60 pages in length. Full scores of both First XI and Second XI matches are given, but no match reports – the yearbook retained the page size it had been since it began in the 1890s (i.e. the same size as Wisden ) As has been mentioned the birth and death dates of all Yorkshire players are given, as well as career records – no one is credited with keeping the Record Section up to date. To describe the annuals issued by the Minor Counties, the various Leagues and some major clubs is clearly beyond the scope of this book. Some do contain statistical Record Sections and on occasion historical essays. However the progress of a national annual for Scotland is deserving of note. In 1962 The Scottish Cricket Annual , edited by James Cowe, with Assistant Editors A.M.C.Thorburn and Bill Heeps, was published for the first time. This annual succeeded the tiny (3 ½'' x 2 ¼'') Scottish Cricket Record , published by R.W.Forsyth Ltd, the Scottish clothing retailers. This had printed a complete list of Scottish International players, but the new annual added to that data, the list of all major matches played by Scotland since 1865, with potted scores. James Cowe died in 1964 with Thorburn and George G.Lawrie taking