Cricket 1886

Beglatered°lor'TranamiSBixm Abroad. THURSDAY, JUNE 24, 1886. PRICE 2d “ Together joined in cricket’s man ly toil.”— Byron. JAM ES W O O T TO N . T hb steady improvement in the cricket of the Kent eleven, during the last few years, has been in a great measure due to the variety of the bowling. In the attainment of the prominent position it occupies at the present time among the Counties Kent has been in no small degree indebted to its acquirement of two young bowlers of more than average merit. A comparison of the perform­ ances of Wootton and Alec Hearne would be out of place here, and is foreign to our intention now. Of the pair, though, Wootton has what, to some enthusiasts in County Cricket, would constitute a stronger claim to the sympathies of the men of Kent. He can in fact boast not only that he was born within its limits but that his cricket education was learned on Kentish grounds. Born at Sutton-at- Hone, near Dartford, on March 9,1860, Wootton lived in that village until he was sixteen years of age. There was no cricket club at the time in Sutton, and Wootton’s only chance for practice was with some school­ masters who received permission to play in a paddock attached to the residence of a gentleman living in the parish. His first appearance in public was when he was four­ teen years of age, for the Famingham Club, in a match against Bickley Park. A fair amount of success with the ball on this occasion led to his participation in other matches for Farningham, and until 1877 he did good service against Sevenoaks Vine, Chislehurst, and other Clubs of im­ portance in the neighbourhood. His work prevented him playing at all in 1878, but this did not suit his inclina­ tions, and an offer of an engagement for the following season at Yelding, near Maidstone, led to his adoption of cricket as a profession. The Erith Club was fortunate enough to secure him as its ground bowler for 1880, and it was during this connection that he was brought prominently be­ fore the notice of the Kent authorities. His bowling for Erith in 1880 was very successful, and the records of the Club show that he took seventy-four wickets at the very low average of four runs. Chiefly on the recommendation of A. Hickmott he secured a trial in the Kent Colts’ Match, and here, as for the Kent against the Surrey Colts at the Oval just afterwards, performance. On the whole his bowling in 1880 quite came up to expectations, and as the summaries of the year showed, his thirty-eight wickets only cost an average of a little over 12 runs. During 1881 and 1882 he had to do a considerable amount of bowling for Kent, and perhaps his best performance was in the latter season against Lancashire at Manchester, when he was credited with twelve wickets for an aggregate of 91 runs. Tho summer of 1883 was not a very successful one for him, though some of his achievements towards the end were noteworthy. One in particularproved his ability as a bowler unmistakeably. In the return match with Lancashire, played at Gravesend late in August, he took on a hard ground thirteen wickets for 84 runs, and it was in a great measure this brilliant perform­ ance which enabled Kent to gain a most creditable victory with only 21 runs to spare. Lord Harris’ influence secured him an engagement the fol­ lowing summer as one of the ground bowlers at Lord’s, a position he holds at the present time. Much of the success which attended the Kent eleven in 1884 was due to Wootton’s consistentlyeffective bowling. During that season as many as 112 wickets fell to his arm, more than double the number secured by any other of the Kent bowlers. Of many good per­ formances for the County his best, perhaps, was that against Surrey at Maidstone, where he was credited with elevenwickets in the two innings for 92 runs. At the end of the sum­ mer he was selected to represent the South of England in both matches against the Australians, but only moderate success attended his efforts at Gravesend as well as the Oval. Wootton, A. Hearne, and Mr.Christo- herson had to bear the brunt of the owling for Kent in 1885 as in 1884, and though the first-named had not as many wickets to his credit his average was on the whole better, his 73 wickets being got at a cost of less than fifteen runs apiece. In both matches against Hampshire he was very successful, particularly in the return at Southampton. Alec Hearne and Wootton, on that occasion, dismissed Hampshire in the first innings in fifty minutes for 26 from the bat, and such was the mastery of the ball that six of the eleven failed to score. This season, though, as a rule he does not get into his be3t form until the summer has advanced, Wootton he proved very effective with the ball, taking in the first innings of the former seven wickets for only sixteen runs. Kent was just at the time sadly in want of a new bowler, and Wootton’s form was deemed of sufficient promise to warrant an early trial. His opening match for the county was against Sussex at Brighton on July 12, 1830, and for a first appearance his figures—six wickets for 102 runs—were by no means discreditable. In the match at Canterbury—Thirteen of Kent against Eleven of England—in the following month, his bowling, too, was very good, and for a youngster so inexperienced to take eight wickets at an expense of only 78 runs on a batsman’s wicket like that at Canterbury, and against such a strong side, was an excellent