Chapter Twelve Best of Enemies Neighbourhood rivalry forms an ancient cricketing tradition almost as old as the game itself and such matches are often cornerstones of the county and club fixture list. It took time for these to become established over the holiday periods, although by the outbreak of the 1914-18 war a pattern was emerging. A typical example was Leicestershire, who met Derbyshire on a few occasions before being upgraded to first-class in 1894. They then began a series of fixtures against Essex with a victory at Leyton, the game being a triumph for their allrounder Dick Pougher. He was a more than useful batsman but it was as a medium-paced bowler with a high delivery and wicked break back that he became best known. In the 1894 Whitsuntide game at Leyton he made an undefeated 109 and took six for 29 and eight for 60. A year later it was the turn of Arthur Woodcock, who, for a time, was considered to be the fastest bowler in the country after Kortright. This was the match in which Pickett took all ten in Leicestershire’s first innings, earning himself a collection of £20 on Whit Monday. Leicestershire struggled from the start, Mat Chapman labouring for 70 minutes over 14 but Woodcock made 20 in boundary strokes and the total reached 111. Six of Pickett’s victims were bowled, four caught and he operated unchanged to return 27-11-32-10, Mead conceding 50 runs in 21 overs and Kortright 24 in six. Cricket ’s contemporary account recorded: “Essex supporters took advantage of the Bank Holiday on Monday to visit Leyton to the number of about 8,000. The feature of the day was the remarkable achievement of Pickett. Though helped by the ground, which was very fast and somewhat fiery, his success was due to grand bowling.” Woodcock and Pougher struck back with five wickets apiece and although Kortright took eight for 63 in the second innings, Chapman made 56 to leave Essex 199 for victory. Woodcock’s pace prevailed with seven for 62 and Leicestershire won by 75 runs. In 1896, Walter Mead’s slow-medium off breaks brought him nine for 75 in Leicestershire’s second innings and a match analysis of 14-132 at Leyton and it was Kortright’s turn at Grace Road in 1897 with five for 58 and six for 86. Kortright then demonstrated his skill with the bat in 1898. The Whitsun game was ruined by rain after a record attendance of 10,724 packed the Leyton ground on the Monday and during the August Bank Holiday match at Leicester Kortright (112) and Herbert Carpenter (133), helped Essex to a total of 515. Kortright was undefeated with 60 at the close of Monday’s play, when Essex were 413 for seven, and he completed his hundred on the second day. His two wickets in the Leicestershire first innings cost 101, and it was the final day crowd which was treated to the full, explosive effect: six for 41 in the follow-on, five clean bowled, as Essex won by an innings. The Grace Road spectators saw the developing power of the Essex batting in the August match of 1899. Frederick Fane (207) and Perrin (132) added 235 for the second wicket and McGahey weighed in with 99. Their total of 673 brought victory by an innings, despite a typically determined hundred from Albert 50