Cricket 1891

M A N U F A C T U R E R O F C R I C K E T B A T S A Cricket, Football, and Lawn Tennis Outfitter (Wholesale, Retail, and for Exportation), 140, LEWISHAM HIGH ROAD, LONDON, S.E. “ T o g e th e r jo in e d in c r ic k e t ’s m a n ly to il.5’— Byron . No 275. v o l . X. T T T T T R sn A V TTTT.V Q 1HQ1 gistered for Transmission Abroad. I I l U I i O L ' i l l , O U U ± L O V L, P R IC E 2 d . MR. GH.ORGE BRANN. A r d i n g l y C o l le g e , some few years ago, was a fruitful source of supply for S u ssex cricket. The u a m e s of four good players who gradu­ a ted in one way or another at that establish­ ment will at all events be familiar- The Sussex eleven have at different times found valuable recruits in the persons of Messrs. W. A . Bettesworth, W . Blackman, now alas ! no more, W. Newham, and last, but rot least, the excellent all­ round athlete whose counterfeit presentment is given on this page. Ardinglv has, too, special reason to be proud of Mr. George Brann as a cricketer of its own rearing. Born at Eastbourne on April 23,1865, he is essentially a Sussex cricketer by the double right of birth and educa­ tion. His career at Ardingly, in­ deed, extended from his entry there as a boy in 1877 until he severed his connection on joining Shrewsbury’s team bound for Australia in the autumn of 1887. Of the ten years of his stay at Ardingly, for the last five at least he had been a central figure in the athletic records of the School. Though he had not entered until 1877, he soon made his mark, and his name is to be found in the cricket eleven of the following year. It was not until the summer of 1882, however, that he came at all prominently before the public. His performances that summer were, too, quite out of the common. On no less than fiv e occasions did he make over 100 in an innings, and in fact his run-getting was so note­ worthy that a list of his scores will b e of interest:— Ardingly Coll. v. Rest of School 200 „ v. Brighton Teachers 175a „ Sooth v. North Wing 116a v. Crumpets ......... 115 ,, r. Maida Hill ...........102 Youngster as he was, for he had then only seen seventeen birthdays, his school reputation was deemed sufficient to justify his trial in the Sussex eleven. This was not, how­ ever, until the following summer, when, we believe, he had been promoted to the more im­ portant duties of a mastership at Ardingly. Still, his responsibilities did not affect his crioket there, on the contrary, two big innings of 176 against M.C.C. & G., and 181 agaiust the Brighton Teachers, led the Sussex execu­ tive to think more highly of his capacity hs a cricketer. Still they were not confident enough to give him a long trial. At the same time, his first match (against Hampshire at Brighton), it must be admitted, was not of a very encouraging kind. He was in fact bowled the first ball he received, and, singularly enough, in the next chance he had two years later, against the very same County, he failed to score, being beaten by the second ball he had. Since 1885, though, until the present time, with the exception of last year, when he was not played, his aotive con­ nection with Sussex cricket has remained unbroken. Perhaps his best year was that of 1886, and two at least of his scores, 219 against Hampshire, and 104 against the Australians, both at Brighton, will be remem­ bered by those who follow cricket closely. Mention has been made of his tour in the Coloni s with Shrewsbury's team in the w nter of 1887-88. The Australian wickets, moreover, just suited his style of batting, and he came out second in the averages of a good r n-getting side. Several times his free cricket was of great use, and his 118 against Victoria, at Melbourne, helped materially to break the bowling and to lay the foundation of a huge total of 612. After his return from Australia, for a time Mr. Brann was out of luck, at least in important matches. The season of lfr88 was so far uneveatful that he failed to get an innings of three figures, and though the next year he scored largely for the Streatham Club, for which for the last thr<e summers he has been a consistently heavy run-getter, in County Cricket for­ tune frowned rather than smiled on him. Though he played for Sussex in the latter pait of 1889 he was not particularly successful, and the effects were visible by his absence from the Sussex eleven during the following season. So far as this year has gone, though, the County authorities have the best reason for satisfaction with the success of his reappearance. His brilliant per­ formance recently against Cam­ bridge University, in the great run- getting match at Brighton, w»ll be fresh in the recollection of C r ic k e t readers. His scores of 88 and 161 H not out were, indeed, exceptionally fine displays of free and resolute cricket, and these have been since supplemented by a very useful inn­ ings against Kent last week Up to the present time he has made 331 runs for Sussex in seven completed ii nings, and, in fact, his batting has in a great measure assisted to produce the marked improvement in Sussex crioket this season. Mr. Brann when he is in form is a most dangerous batsman, as he hits all roundwith equal freedom and when set scores at a great pace. He is, also, a fair change bowler, as well as a good field. Mr. Brann’s reputation is as high, t o, in the football as in the cricket world. He is one of the best Association forwards, and has represented England in its Interna­ tional matches for several years. As an athlete, he w as a conspicuous figure at Ard­ ingly, and for three years in succession held th Victor Cup there. He also threw the rioket ball 115 yds. 1 ft. in the School Sports of 1882. . A brilliant innings of his, at