Cricket 1890

“ Together joined in cricket’s manly toil.”— Byron . BegiatereS for^^'anetSsaionAbroad. T H U R S D A Y , S E P T E M B E R 1 1 , 1 8 9 0 . PRICE 2d. MR . CH AR LE S EDMUND TR A F FO RD . DE T h o u g h the eleven have hardly been quite as successful on the field during the last two seasons as their promise of 1887 led their supporters to expect, still Leicestershire has a side which is able to make a good show with even the best of the leading Counties. It has certainly, too, enhanced rather than diminished its repu­ tation as a cricketing shire, under the guidance of the keen, all­ round sportsman who has latterly captained the team. As his name suggests, Mr. De Trafford is a Lancashire man by birth. A son of the late, and brother of the present Sir Humphry De Trafford, he first saw the light at Trafford Park, Manchester, within hail al­ most of the ground of the Lanca­ shire County C.C., which is the property of the family. Born onMay 21, 1864, he is one of the youngest of County captains. Educated at BeaumontCollege,Windsor,his capa­ city as a cricketer soon brought him to the front. For four years, from 1880 to 1883 inclusive, he figured in the eleven there, and with evident success, to judge by the fact that he was soon after the close of his School career deemed worthy of a trial in County oricket. His initiation in a County match was in the fixture be­ tween Lancashire and Derbyshire, at Old Trafford, commenced on Aug. 4,1884. The dreaded cipher, though, was his fate on that occa- .| sion, and as he has not represented the County since, this is, so far, the head and front of his offending in Lancashire cricket. An interval \i of two years elapsed before he again ; came conspicuously on the cricket scene. It was not until the summer of 1887, at least, that his name began to be familiarwith cricketers. ^ That season he played regularly for the Marylebone Club, and his scoring throughout was quite out of the ordinary run. His best innings was his 194 against Richmond, and only nine days before he had made 157 against Epsom College. These, though, were only the most notable of several noteworthy per­ formances. He rarely failed, indeed, to make a good score, and his batting was so consistent that at the end of the seasonhe had an average of 66, the highest of the year for M.C.C. Qualified under the residential qualification for Leicestershire, the same summer of 1887 found him associating himself with its cricket. It was the match between the Gentlemen of Leicestershire and the Parsee team, in the latter part of August, 1887* whioh gave him his earliest opportunity. His first actual County match for Leicestershire, indeed, was not until the 16th of June in the following year, when he was selected to play against the Yorkshire team. Though he was only mode­ rately successful, still the Leicestershire committee were evidently fully satisfied of his capabilities as a cricketer. Their judgment moreover has been shown to have been singu­ larly correct, and Mr. De Trafford, who has played regularly for Leicestershire ever since, has proved himself to be of the greatest service to the County, not only as an all-round cricketer, but in his capacity of Captain. Just at the outset he was not particularly successful as a run-getter, and though he took part in twelve innings in 1888, his best contribution above two scores of eleven was one of 64 against Essex at Leicester in the middle of August. Still the cricket he showed on that occasion was auite good enough to give every promise of still further development. His batting in the early part of 1889, too, fully realised these expectations. His free hitting at the Oval at the commencement of the season fairlv demoralised the Surrey bowlers. Lohmann, Beaumont, ana Sharpe were all treated to severe punishment, and in seventy minutes Mr.De Trafford, with Warren’s help, had put on 110 runs. His 68 in this match, though, was not his highest score of the year. His best aggre­ gate (117) was against M.C.C. and Ground, at Lord’s, and his second score of 69 very nearly decided the match in favour of the County, who only lost by 17 runs. At Leicester, singularly enough, he was less suc­ cessful. Even there he rarely failed to get double figures,though his only really noteworthy innings was one of 67 against Warwickshire. The death of his brother kept him away from the cricket field for over a month this yeur to the great loss of the County. From July 9 to Aug. 11 he was not able to take charge of the Leicestershire team, so thathisvalu­ able guidance was lacking just at the neight of the season. His absence,too,was more to be regretted as he was generally inexcellent form. Surrey and Essex furnished him again with his best opportunities, and his first innings of 59 against t the former, at Leicester, was one of no small merit. He was unlucky enough to be dismissed without making a notch in the one innings he had against M.C.C, and G. at Lord’s, and against the Australian team at Leicester, as well as against Derbyshire, at Derby, he did not reach double figures either time. These though were his only failures in a generally successful season. In the first match with Derbyshire he had shown his partiality for that County’s bowling, and his 74 was his highest score of the year. Most of his best performances, too, during this summer were on the Leicestershire ground. He again punished the Surrey bowlers to the tune of 59 in his second knock, but perhaps