Cricket 1884

“ Together joined in cricket’s man ly toil.”— Byron. Registered for Transmission Abroad. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1884. p r i c e 2d. T H E L A T E F R E D E R IC K M O R L EY . T hree or four years ago no eleven of England would have been considered thoroughly re­ presentative without the fast bowler who for some seasons rendered such efficient service to the Notts County team. For a time, indeed, he was beyond a doubt the best bowler of his kind in the country, and there was no one of sufficient pretentions either among amateurs or professionals to dispute his claims to pre-eminence in his particular line. Like more than one of his professional comrades who have helped to maintain the reputation of Nottinghamshire cricket, Morley was born in the little village of Sutton- in-Ashfield. Within its limits J. C. Shaw and Barnes, as also Briggs and Crossland, who have done such good ■workfor Lancashire of late, were reared, and there Morley first saw the light on Dec. 16, 1850. The Notts Commercial Club has acted as sponsor at various times for some of the best young pro­ fessionals in the County, and Morley’s first engagement was, as far as we can learn, with that society in 1869. His cricket then was evidently of some promise, for the end of that season found him included in the Twenty Two Colts chosen to oppose the County eleven, in the second match of the year onthe Trent Bridge Ground. It was not a very successful debut, as he failed to score in either innings, and the only satisfaction he had was that of bowling a moderate batsman, W. Price. An engagement with the Bolton Club kept him hard at work during the seasons of 1870 and 1871, though he had another trial in the Notts Colts’ match of the former year with only small success. In the spring of 1872 he was again selected to represent the Colts in the Easter­ tide Colts’ match, but owing to unpropitious weather the contest had to be deferred until the end of the season. A mcnth later, though, he had even a better public trial as one of the Fifteen Colts of England at Lord’s, and it was this match which really laid the foundation of his reputa­ them that of Mr. W. G. Grace. The form he showed then evidently impressed the County authorities most favourably, and the season of 1872 found him regularly installed as a member of the Nottinghamshire eleven. His opening match for the County was against Yorkshire at Trent Bridge on June 27 of that year, but he failed to score in either innings, and was only credited with two wickets. The extra contest between the two great Northern shires at Prince’s on July 18 gave him his first real chance of dis­ tinction, and his very effective bowling on that occasion—he took eleven wickets for 100 runs—had very much to do with the brilliant victory of Notts by six runs. The absence of several of the leading Players in the first match of the Canter­ bury week of 1872 gave Morley and Andrew Greenwood, of Yorkshire, the opportunity of making their debut on the 8t. Lawrence Ground, for the North against the South, in the memorable match wherein Lillywhite was credited with all ten wickets of the North. Fortunately both proved successful,and while Greenwood showed excellent cricket for his 52, Morley in the second innings of the South was credited with an excellent bowling performance, taking five wickets at a cost of only 50 runs. J. C. Shaw and Alfred Shaw were the recognised bowlers of Notts in 1873, but Morley had already proved himself a dangerous rival for the former and he fairly beat him in the bowling averages of the year, taking 24 wickets at an aggregate cost of 375 runs. The season of 1874 found Morley attached to the ground staff of the Marylebone Club as successor to Wootton, and he took part in the opening match of the year at St. John’s Wood against the sixteen Professionals who had never played before at Lord’s. His bowling proved particularly effective against the two Universities during that summer, but perhaps his best performance in connection with the Marylebone Club was in the opening match of the Canterbury week for the Rest of England against Kent and Gloucestershire, with eight of wnose wickets he was credited in the first; tion as a cricketer. The eleven of the Maryle­ bone Club and Ground to which he was opposed on this occasion, though not an exceptionally strong one, included such players as little John Smith of Cambridge, Alfred Shaw and Wootton, in addition to Mr.W. G. Grace, who was just about that time the terror of all bowlers. The Marylebone team was therefore quite good enough to test the merits of the Fifteen Young Players, and Morley came out well, scoring fifteen runs in his two innings besides deliver­ ing 148 balls for 54 runs and five wickets, one of Next issue of Cricket Dec. 25,