Cricket's Historians

The Influence of W.G.Grace largest library of cricket books in the world by the time of his death in March 1923. Other books by both Gaston and Taylor will be noted later. Although Sussex was not the most productive of counties regarding the publication of statistics during the 19 th century, the county does boast one very unusual item, Sussex County Cricket Scores from 1855 to 1878 . It also includes Gentlemen of Sussex matches and some other Sussex related scores, but no bowling at all. No author, publisher or printer is given, though it is believed it was printed in India and compiled by George Ewbank and that only four copies were issued. The work runs to 288 pages and is hardback-bound. Ewbank, who was born in India, played a handful of matches for Sussex commencing 1855; he died in South Norwood in April 1885. Middlesex, the last of the first-class counties of the time, was the only one not to have a 19 th century publication containing the county’s statistics, although technically it should be noted that the County’s first book of scores was published in 1900! Outside the leading 1890 counties, Derbyshire’s first annual appeared in 1885 edited by E.Elliott and T.Thornhill; Norfolk had a very good annual, which appeared under various editors between 1889 and 1898, giving detailed scores of county matches and county trials, as well as a long list of cricket clubs based in Norfolk. Somerset’s first annual commenced life in 1890. It also gave county scores, but was published by the County Club – the annual continued, with some breaks to 1967. Northamptonshire had a 30 page annual in 1887, but this did not reach a second edition. Three years later, a very comprehensive annual of 84 pages, edited by Arthur Daniell, was published but sadly it too survived for one issue only (1890). Staffordshire was more fortunate, the first issue being 1891, then apart from the two World Wars, production continued without a break. Hampshire’s annual commenced in 1892, as Hampshire County Cricket Club Guide , edited, until his death in 1908, by the County cricketer, Edward Lee Ede. Warwickshire’s attempts at the publication of a yearbook, as opposed to an annual report have been very chequered, whilst Worcestershire have 56