Cricket 1884

“ Together joined in cricket’s man ly toil.”— Byron. No. 7 4 . VOL . III. Registered (or Transmission Abroad. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1884. PRICE 2d W IL L IA M A T T E W E L L . I n an analysis of the performances of the prin­ cipal cricketers of 1884 special prominence will have to be given to the doings of the young Nottingham professional, William Attewell, It is high praise no doubt, but he may certainly be described as one of the most promising all-round players of the day. Attewell was born at Keyworth, in Nottinghamshire, on June 12, 1861, and is consequently now in his twenty- fourth year. His cricket, at an early age, must havebeen above the average as when only seventeen he was attached as pro­ fessional to theNottingham Commercial Club. This first engagement brought him directly under the notice of the County executive, and he was not yet twenty when he was selected as one of the Twenty-two Colts to oppose the Not­ tinghamshire Eleven, in the Eastertide trial match of 1880. On this occasion, though he failed to score in his first in­ nings, he batted in very promising style indeed in the second for fifteen not out. As a bowler he had only a small chance, but his five overs were delivered for one run and a wicket, and that a good one, of a very dangerous batsman, W. Flowers. He was not chosen as one of the eleven Nottingham Colts to oppose the Yorkshire Colts in the following May, nor were, his services again utilised until the trial match of 1881. Then he was only able to score eight runs |in his two innings, but again he showed great promise with the ball, bowling fifteen overs for five runs and one wicket that of Barnes. The defection of several of the leading professionals of Notts, during 1881, gave oppor­ tunities for the trial of several young­ sters who might not otherwise have had a chance. One of these was Attewell, and he was just twenty when he made his first appearance for the County, on June 9, at Lord’s, against Middlesex. Two useful scores of ten and twenty-one were the result of his opening match, but his earliest 8uccess as a bowler was achieved in the next fixture against Surrey, at Nottingham, and in the second innings five wickets fell to him at a cost of only forty-five runs. At Brighton, a few weeks later, he made his mark decisively as a bowler, and on this occasion he was credited with an excellent performance, taking in the two innings of Sussex thirteen wickets for 134 runs. So far he had been more successful as a bowler, but at Clifton, against Gloucestershire, at the end of the season, he proved his capa­ bilities as a batsman, and his 46 not out, the highest score on the side, was an excellent display of cricket on a difficult wicket. The return of the disaffected professionals into the Nottinghamshire County Eleven in 1882, left no room for the younger players, and during that season he only figured in three matches for the County. On these three occasions, though, his bowling was of great service, and the success which attended him in the two matches in which he played for the Notts Castle Club against M.C.C. and Ground, no doubt was instrumental in his attainment of a place among the ground bowlers at Lord's in the follow­ ing year. He was of considerable use to the Marylebone Club as a bowler during 1883, and in one match against Felstead School at Felstead, he did a rare performance, with the bat, scoring the highest individual score ever made on the School ground, besides taking ten wickets for 56 runs. It was, no doubt, in a measure Morley’s break down which brought Attewell more prominently to the front in Notting­ ham cricket in 1883, and he took part in twelve of the fourteen matches arranged by the county for last season. His best score was a well- plsyed twenty-five against Lancashire in his first engagement of the year, but he was not very successful on the whole with the bat and his average for seven­ teen completed innings was only eight. The Sussex eleven again furnished his chief success withthe ball, but although in this match at Nottingham he took five wickets for twenty-one runs he was not altogether so successful as was ex­ pected, his bowling summary showing 330 overs for 304 runs and 17 wickets, an average of over 19 runs. During the season just ending, Attewell has done several remarkable performances, besides on occasion showing form much above the average as a batsman. His excellent all-round cricket had much to do with the very creditable show made by a scratch Eleven against the Australians at Huddersfield early in July, and on that occa­ sion he not only scored eighty-four in the one innings, but he had ten Australian wickets at a cost of only 71 runs, Aa a bowler throughout