Cricket's Historians

Test Match status is defined and Overseas Publications multiply season progresses, he alludes very aptly to related past happenings and players. Holmes first book on cricket, Surrey Cricket and Cricketers 1773 to 1895 was published by the magazine Cricket in 1896. The work is in the main statistical and supplements De Lugo’s book of 1888. In 1897 his second statistical work was issued – The County Championship 1873 to 1896 , Arrowsmith of Bristol being the publishers. At 168 pages it is comprehensive. A section lists each county with total runs and wickets, for and against, season by season. Then follow the results of matches, county by county. TeamTotals over 400 are listed as are those under 50. Individual hundreds, ‘spectacles’ and large partnerships are also featured. Finally for bibliophiles a list of books previously published for individual counties is added. However, just as Holmes had built his Surrey record book on De Lugo’s pioneering work, he built his Championship volume on the work of Alfred Gibson, whose similar, if not quite so comprehensive, book on the Championship was issued the previous summer – an updated version of Gibson’s work was published in 1896. Holmes was however a pioneer in the compilation of a history of Yorkshire cricket. His book was published in 1904 and will be commented upon later. Holmes died as the result of a traffic accident, being knocked down by a lorry, near his home in Herne Hill on January 13, 1933. Irving Rosenwater believed Holmes to be one of the greatest of cricket historians. Alfred Gibson was a complete contrast to the Rev Holmes. Gibson was a professional sports journalist. Though born in Scotland, in 1860, he came to London, where he was employed by The Morning Leader and lived in Camberwell. His best known sports book, which is highly sought after today is Association Football and the Men Who Made It. , published in four volumes in 1905. He used the pen name ‘Rover’ and as such was editor of the Star and Morning Leader Cricket Manual which first appeared in 1895. This and the Athletic News Cricket Annual , founded in 1888 and Manchester based, were to kill off the Lillywhite Annual , being very much cheaper publications. C.W.Alcock was not averse to using the press in general to promote 63