Cricket 1889

GEORGE BEAN . T h e village of Sutton-in-Ashfield has been of no small use to Nottinghamshire as a training ground for some of its leading cricketers in the past as well as the present. Many of the best players who have done duty for Notts during the last twenty years can claim to have been born as well as reared within its narrow limits. The 'two left-handed bowlers, the late,Fred Morley and J. C. Shaw, who has also gone where the wickets cease to trouble—a pair with few, if any, superiors early in the seventies— both hailed from the same place. Among, professionals of to-day it is easy, too, to recal another brilliant exponent of the game who not only first saw the light but learned his cricket at Sutton, to wit, William Barnes, whose all-round play has been of such inestimable value to Notts during the last fifteen years. It is not to Nottinghamshire alone, though, that Sutton has supplied players who have made reputations in the highest kind of cricket. Lancashire has good reason to be grateful to it for that merry little sportsman John Briggs, Sussex for the useful help it has received during the last three or four years from another of its sons, George Bean, Bom at Sutton-in-Ashfield on March 7,1864, Bean also learned his early cricket there. Joining the Albion Club when he was only four­ teen, he soon showed to advantage, and two years later had not only the best bowling but also the highest batting average among its members. His first engagement as a profes­ sional was in 1882 with the Notts Commercial Club, but this was only for a season, for the next summer found him with the Oldham Club in Lancashire. Meanwhile, he had taken part in the annual trial of the Nottinghamshire Colts with the most satisfactory results. He was, in fact, the highest run-getter in each innings of the Colts in April, 1883, and his two scores of 44 and 27 against Alfred Shaw, Wright, Attewell, Mills, and Flowers gave substantial proof of his ability as a batsman. His all-round form was of sufficient promise, at least, to attract notice outside Notts, and an offer of an engagement with the Sussex County Club at Brighton for the summer of 1884 was accepted. Though he did not play very much at Brighton during his first season he had plenty of chances with the Earl of Sheffield’s team at Sheffield Park, and his aggregate for the six innings he had on that most picturesque of grounds was 344. Playing for the Sussex C. &G. against the Marylebone C. & G. at Brighton, his all-round cricket, too, created the most favourable impression. On that occasion in addition to. a useful score of 24 not out, he took twelve Marylebone wickets at a cost of 77 runs, a performance which, no doubt, had a good deal to do with the invita­ tion he accepted at the end of the season to take up his residence at Sheffield Park. His first appearance in a County match was for Notts against Sussex at Nottingham on May 14,1885, but he did not show to great advan­ tage that year, and the seven innings he had in the five matches in which he took part only realised 68 runs, with 27 against Surrey at the Oval in the August Bank Holiday match as his best score. This, though, formed the extent of his connection with Notts cricket, as having duly qualified by residence for Sussex he declined an offer to assist his native County in six matches in 1886, since which time he has been one of the regular members of the Sussex team. Taking his place in the Eleven in the opening match of 1886 against the Maryle­ bone C. & G., he did good service throughout the season with both ball and bat, though he was not able to show at his best during the latter part owing to a severe strain. Against Notts at Brighton early in the year he took eight wickets for 63 runs, but by far his most note­ worthy performance was against Gloucestershire at Brighton in the match for H. Phillips’ benefit, when he made 108 by good all-round hitting, and also got five wickets for 53 runs. Though throughout the season of 1886 his all-round cricket was distinctly above the average he was several times cre­ dited with noteworthy performances with the ball, one in particular for Lord Sheffield’s Eleven against the Kev. F. F. J. Greenfield’s team, on April 30, when he got nine wickets at a cost of only four runs deserving special record. Though he began the summer of ’87 well as a bowler with five wickets in Lancashire’s first innings at Manchester for 38 runs, he was more successful as a batsman. By far his best show was against the Yorkshire bowling at Bradford, and his score of 105 not out there was one of the best inn­ ings of the year. He was batting on that occasion' for two hours ana fifty minutes, and nothing like a chance could be urged to his dis­ credit during his lengthy stay at the wickets. A brilliant commence­ ment, too, in 1888 at Lord’s led to the belief that he would be in better form than ever that year. His all­ round cricket, indeed, was the chief factor in a thoroughly earned vic­ tory over M.C.C. & G. His was, in­ deed, an exceptionally good performance, for he not only scored 32 and 90 out of totals of 123 and 266, but in addition got five wickets for 71 runs. At the end of the same week he was chief scorer in the first innings v. Notts with 39 out of 97, but the effects of a recent accident proved so severe that he was not able to take further part in the game and, indeed T o g e t h e r jo in e d in c r i c k e t ’s m a n l y t o i l . ”— Byron : No. 214. v o l . v i i i . T H U R S D A Y .TTTTiV 4 1 8 8 9 p r ic e 2d R e g iste re d fo r T r a n s m is sio n A b roa d . 1 H U H O U A J . , O U JL ± O O J 7 .