Cricket 1886

“ Together joined in cricket’s manly toil.”— Byron. B«gistered°for TninsmiBsion Abroad. THURSDAY, AUGUST 26, 1886. PRICE3d. ter, and in the following year 114 for the Northamptonshire Club against Rugby. Though generally successful with the ball for Northants, some of his performances were particularly noteworthy, and in one week of 1883, he took twenty wickets for an average of only four runs, including seven for 27 runs against the Uppingham Rovers, and nine wickets in one innings against Essex, the latter feat being the more re­ markable from the fact that the tenth batsman was run 6ut. As a batsman, too, on several occasions he was of great value to Northants, and once against Essex, at Brentwood, he literally pulled the match out of. the fire, going in sixth wicket down and carrying out his bat for a very well got score of 73. Bowley’s introduc­ tion to Surrey cricket was in 1883 when he joined the ground staff at the Oval, though it was not until after the expiry of the period of two years required to establish a residen­ tial qualification, that he was able to take his place in the Surrey Eleven. Meanwhile he had acquitted himself so well on behalf of the Surrey Club, that the executive were fully im­ pressed with his abilities. Both as a batsman and a bowler, indeed, he was able to show a good record, and among several praiseworthy performances may be instanced his score of 111 not out for the Surrey Club against Char­ terhouse School in 1884. The com­ mencement of 1885 saw his first ap­ pearance in the Surrey eleven, and his opening match against Essex at the Oval, on May 11, 1885, was a dis­ tinct success, at least with the ball. Though he failed to score in the one innings he had, he proved at once his capabilities as a bowler, going on first with Barratt and taking six of the ten Essex wickets at acost of only twenty- four runs. In the return match at Ley­ ton, too, when Essex went in the first time he was strangely enough credited with the same number of wickets as at the Oval, and at precisely the same cost, bowling with Mr. Horner, un­ changed throughout the innings. Despite these good performances, though, he was not played regularly in the Surrey team throughout the season, and his absence was the more noticeable considering that his was really the best bowling average for the County, though only credited with thirty- three wickets against 154 to Lohmann and 123 to Beaumont. Though he did not represent the service of Northamptonshire, during which time he showed consistently good form both with bat and ball. For three successive summers, in fact, he was at the head of the bowling averages of the County, besides making himself conspicuous on several occa­ sions by long scores. In 1880, he made 102 for Northampton Britons against Towcas- THOMAS BOWLEY. O ut of the fertility of its resources Notting­ hamshire has been able to furnish cricketers who have been of material value to several other Counties. Notable instances of late years will readily present themselves to the memory of C ricket readers. Lancashire has had reason to be grateful for the help of W McIntyre, Crossland, and Briggs Brown has left the County of his birth to aid Cheshire; Bean has just quali­ fied by residence to play for Sussex, and Surrey has, this year, profited considerably by the excellent bowling of another player hailing from Notts, theprofessionalwhoseportraitappears on this page. Born at Old Basford, on Feb. 28, 1857, Bowley is now in his thirtieth year. The Old Basford Park C.C. gave him his first real introduc­ tion to the cricket world, and from the time he was fifteen years of age he was not only actively connected with, but did good service for the local club. During the early part of his career he was better known as a bats­ man. Indeed, it was not until some time after he first went out as a professional that he began to develop any great ability as a bowler, and he was twenty-four years of age before he was selected to participate in the Colts’ match, played annually on Easter Monday, under the auspices of the Notts County Club. His first engagement as a professional cricketer was in 1876, with the Formby Club, but he only remained there one year, and the next summer saw him installed as coach at the Gram­ mar School, at Doncaster. An engage­ ment with Mr. Herbert Peel, at Ab­ bot’s Hill, in Hertfordshire, in 1878, gave him, perhaps, his first real oppor­ tunity for developing his abilities as an all-round player. Mr. Peel en­ couraged him in every way, and Bow­ ley, indeed, attributes in a great measure the success which subse­ quently attended his efforts to the kindly counsel and advice given him by that gentleman, a liberal supporter of cricket, it may be added. During his stay at Abbot’s Hill Bowley played frequently, also, for the King’s Langley Club, and his record for the year, both with bat and ball, was a very creditable one. His average for fifty-four innings was fourteen, and in addition he did good service with the ball for King’s Langley taking thirty-five wickets in the seven matches in which he represented that Club. After a summer with Tettenham College, at Wolver­ hampton, he accepted a berth on the ground of the Northamptonshire County Club, at Northampton, a position which brought him still more prominently before the notice of the cricket public. During the season of 1880, and two following years, he remained in