Cricket 1889

“ Together joined in cricket’s manly toil.”— Byron. No. 208. v o l . v i i i . TTTTT’R R D A Y M A Y 2 3 1 8 8 9 p r ic e 2d Registered for Transmission Abroad. J.X1 U J., H i i i l 4 0 , J.OOJ7. m u s * za THOMAS HENRY WARREN . Since the visit of the first Australian team to England in 1878, Leicestershire has been slowly but surely improving its position in county cricket. During the eleven years that have elapsed since Wheeler and Mr. Sankey immortalised themselves by putting on 113 runs for Leicestershire’ s first wicket against the bowling of Spofforth, Allan, Garrett and Boyle, the whirligig of time has brought with it more than one notable revenge in the posi­ tions of some of the leading shires. W ith equal foot county cricket has advanced steadily and increasingly in public favour until it has been found necessary to divide the claimants, for honours for purposes of comparison, in two distinct grades, first and second class. Just at present, too, the asses­ sors are a little troubled to determine the positions of some of those who are hovering on the line of demarca­ tion. The Hanging Committee have to settle no easy question in deter­ mining what position artists such as Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Warwick­ shire, Somersetshire, and Essex have to occupy on the walls of county cricket. Of late years Leicestershire has shown as bold a front as any of its competitors of a similar grade, and its three victories over Surrey at Lei­ cester in the course of the last four years have justly brought it into special prominence. Among the cricketers who have contributed to the marked advance of Leicestershire during the last few summers Pougher, Rylott, and Warren have played a conspicuous part. And though it may with reason be urged that it is more for their out-cricket that the Leices­ tershire eleven have latterly shown themselves to be formidable, still the batting at more than one important crisis has proved reliable and full of life. In Warren, whose portrait we give this week, Leicestershire has been fortunate in possessing a bats­ man who has generally been safe for runs, a consistent scorer against every kind of bowling. This summer is the seventh of his connection with county cricket, and it is worthy of remark that he has taken part in every match for Leicestershire since he was first included in the eleven. Born on Oct. 8 , 18(50, at Hathern, near Loughborough, where he now lives, Warren’s association with that village has been uninterrupted for just on twenty-nine years. There he learned his cricket, and to such purpose, that when he was only sixteen years of age he was able to score 140 (not out) for the local club against Loughborough on the Hathern Ground. An engagement with the Soar Valley C.C., lasting from 1880 to 1884, brought him more prominently before the notice of the Leicester­ shire Committee, and in 1882 he had his first chance of making his mark in County cricket. He took part in the memorable match against the Australian team in July of that year, at Leicester, when Parnham’s extraordinary success brought him for a time into pro- ?■[£}: minence as a bowler, raising hopes which were not unfortunately destined to be ful­ filled. The ground on that occassion was all against the batsmen, and Warren, who did not get a run in either innings, was only one of many who failed. His first performance of any real merit was against Eleven of Yorkshire at Leicester, in 1883, and in this match he showed to great advantage, scoring 49 and 47 by excellent cricket. Against Surrey, too, at the Oval his batting was of a high order of merit, for in the second innings he went m second wicket down and carried his bat an ,extremely well got score of 54. On the whole Warren was successful as a batsman in 1884, and among several good Jg“ ngs were 96 against M.C.C. & G. at Lord’s, 5o (not out) against Surrey, 34 against Lan­ cashire, and 32 against tha Australians, all the three last at Leicester. The season of 1885 was not a fortunate one for the men of Lei­ cestershire, individually or collectively, and Warren, though he headed the batting averages, had to be content with a score of 59 against M.O.C. & G. at Lord’s as his best effort. In 1886 though his highest contribution was even of smaller value, it was one of great utility, as he made 62 out of 107 against Surrey, and his innings contributed greatly to Leicestershire’s memor­ able victory by ten wickets. By far the most fortunate season though for Wnrren was that of 1887, and his performances for his county were very much above the ordinary. His average of over twenty runs for twentv-two completed innings showed that his batting had been most con­ sistent, and indeed he was, on his form of 1887, in the front rank of batsmen. In Autrust in particular he was in a remarkable vein for run-getting, and within eight days ho was credited with two scores of over a hundred at Leicester, 137 against Warwickshire, and 108 (not out) against Essex Last I year, too, though he had no very long innings he was always to be relied on for runs. The Surrey bowlers again found to their cost, as they had before, that he is generally at home on the Leicester ground. Out of a first total of 121 he contributed no less than 54, and again his batting proved to be no unimportant factor in giving Lei­ cestershire another hard earned vic­ tory by eleven runs. Warren has been so consistently successful as a batsman for Leicestershire that it is open to question whether he might not have had a trial in better cricket before last week, when he represented the North against the' South at the Oval. He is, indeed, very much above the average as an all-round cricketer. Full of' confidence, he stands up to every kind of bowling without fear, and when set is a dangerous batsman, hitting all round with equal freedom. He is also a good field, and can bowl (medium pace) if wanted. For the last two summers he has been employed at the County Ground, Lei­ cester, having spent the three preceding seasons