punctuated by acrimony. Quarrels involving the All-England Eleven, George Parr and the north-south schism spilled over into the counties. They did not meet in 1863 and ill-feeling followed Surrey’s one-wicket victory in 1865. Parr was still refusing to play at The Oval and his absence tilted the balance. Surrey needed 14 when Sewell, the last man, joined Stephenson and Notts were incensed when he was given not out when they felt he was clearly stumped. As a consequence they declined to meet Surrey during the next two seasons. Fences were mended and by the eve of the Bank Holiday tradition their lengthy association was re-established. Nottinghamshire were on the threshold of a golden era. Richard Daft had retired, a pay strike clouded 1881 but Arthur Shrewsbury, William Scotton, William Gunn, William Barnes, John Selby, Wilfred Flowers, William Attewell, Alfred Shaw and the wicket-keeper Mordecai Sherwin formed the backbone of a formidable combination. By contrast Surrey were in something of a trough. Notts won both of the 1882 games, Morley taking ten wickets in a Trent Bridge fixture of low scores, but it was a different story at The Oval, where the visitors made 352 for two in front of a large August Bank Holiday Monday crowd. Oscroft was caught at 26 but Shrewsbury and Barnes survived chances to add 289 for the second wicket before Barnes fell to a catch at short leg when he had made 130. Shrewsbury, 182 overnight, went on to 207 and a total of 501 was enough to bring victory by an innings, Flowers and Shaw doing the damage with the ball. The match ended on Wednesday 9 August 1882; on Tuesday 29 August – the second day of the match - Australia defeated England by seven runs at The Oval, the famous spoof obituary placed in The Sporting Times by Reginald Brooks giving rise to the birth of The Ashes. These were halcyon days for Nottinghamshire. They beat Surrey by an innings in two days at Trent Bridge in 1883 in spite of a brave effort from Bobby Abel, run out for 45 in a first innings’ total of 87. Alfred Shaw, Nottinghamshire’s captain, could do little wrong: top score with 33 and seven for 22 in the visitors’ second innings of 43. In 1884 Nottinghamshire’s nine victories from ten fixtures left the outcome of the unofficial Championship in no doubt. The draw was at The Oval, when Nottinghamshire were in a strong position after a hundred from Shrewsbury. The spectators flocked in; 15,663, 10,126 and 2,839 on the three days and, on Whit Monday, 8,000 at Trent Bridge. Surrey, however, were emerging as Nottinghamshire’s principal rivals. In 1885 rain prevented any play before 4pm on Whit Monday and The Oval game was also drawn, where large crowds - 15,000 on Monday – had to tolerate some tedious batting. Muscles were being flexed and although Notts were acknowledged as unofficial champions for the fourth consecutive season in 1886 it was seriously disputed south of the Thames. They were unbeaten in 14 matches, winning seven of them while Surrey had 12 wins in 16 with three defeats. Least- lost suggests Nottinghamshire, a contemporary opinion shared by Wisden and James Lillywhite’s Cricketers’ Annual , but Cricket listed Surrey. The southern county’s match-winning ability gives their argument a sound basis yet Notts had the best of things when the teams met. Rain affected the Trent Bridge match, where Surrey made 282 before some fine bowling by George Lohmann (six for 69) had the home side on the rack. Nine were down for 180 when Sherwin joined Scotton, who had opened, and the pair added 43, Scotton remaining undefeated with 110. So to The Oval, with Nottinghamshire unbeaten and Surrey having lost only once. “Probably no county match had ever been looked forward Clash of Titans 28