Cricket 1891

JAN. 27, 1891 CRICKET: A WEEKLY EECORD OP THE GAME. 8 NOTTS COUNTY CLUB. There was a large attendance of the mem­ bers of the Notts County Club, on the occasion of the annual meeting held on Saturday last, at the George Hotel, Notingham. Mr. R, L. Starkey, the president, was in the chair. The annual report, which was as follows, was r e a d Y o u r committee beg to reportthat the club now consists of 960 paying members, showing an increase of 57 on the previous year. The gate receipts, exclusive of Aus­ tralian matches, were £1496 last season, com­ pared with £1387 the year before. The balance due to the bankers on the pavilion loan ac­ count is now £4078 19s. 9d. At the last an­ nual meeting it stood at £4878 4s. 4d. In the season of 1890 the County Eleven played fourteen first-class matches, of whicn five were won, five lost, and four were drawn. The county also played two matches with the Aus­ tralians, and won them both. Of the home- and-home matches played with Derbyshire one was won by Notts and the other drawn. Your committee have arranged matches for the com ing Beason with seven first-class counties, also home and home matches with Derbyshire and one match with the American team visiting England, making nine matches on the Trent Bridge Ground, exclusive of the Colts’ match. The committee wish to call attention to the extent to which this county suffers from prominent county players being engaged to play for other counties,'permanent engagements being offered them both in sum­ mer and winter, and the committee cannot refrain from expressing their fears that the interest in county crioket will be seriously impaired if this practice is continued. A benefit match was played for Fred Wild, and after paying expenses of the matoh the fund will realise about £270, as far as at present can be ascertained, the fund not being yet closed.” The balance-sheet showed the expenditure and receipts for last year to have been as under:— INCOME. £ s. d. £ s. d. To Balance brought forward from Dec. 31st, 1889 ... 546 16 11 To Members’ Subscriptions, 1890 ................................... 1017 9 0 To Members’ Subscriptions (arrears 1888-89) ............. 43 1 0 To Match receipts Colts’ ............................. 64 13 6 Sussex .............................79 14 0 Surrey .......................... 736 6 1 Australians ............... 288 12 6 Kent ............. ... 41 5 6 Middlesex.............................86 15 0 Gloucester ............... 103 3 0 Yorkshire...........................156 10 6 Australians ............... 235 4 6 Derbyshire ............... 46 7 0 ------------ 1838 11 7 To balance owing at bank....................... 4073 19 9 £7519 18 3 EXPENDITURE. M atch E xpenses . £ a. d. £ s. d Colts, at Nottingham ... 31 5 1 Sussex at Nottingham... 105 3 6 Surrey at Nottingham... Ill 19 3 Middlesex at Lord’s ... 58 12 0 Kent at Gravesend ... 70 10 0 Sussex at Brighton ... 86 15 0 Australians at Notting­ ham ........................ 131 19 7 Australians’ sharo of gato ........................ 106 3 9 Yorkshire at Sheffield ... 67 10 0 Kent at Nottingham ... 86 19 6 Midddlesex at Notting­ ham ........................ 95 17 6 Derby&hire at Derby ... 68 0 0 Gloucestershire at Not­ tingham ..............91 17 6 8urrey at O v a l............. 68 4 0 Yorkshire at Notting- ham ........................ 85 6 7 Gloucestershire at Clif- . t?n ........................69 10 0 Australians at Notting- . Jam ........................116 8 9 Australians’ share of r ........................... 95 0 0 Lancashire at Manches­ ter ...................... 58 0 0 £ ar a. £ Derbyshire at Notting­ ham ...............................78 1 6 Colts’ trial matches ... 34 0 0 ------------ 1707 By salary of assistant secre­ tary ..................................... 100 0 0 By interest on loan and bank commission ...97 18 0 By part repayment of loan 100 0 0 By building, painting, and repairs ........................... 2789 11 By rates, taxes, and insur­ ance...................................... 94 0 6 By printing an.d stationery41 12 0 By material and sundry ex­ penses ........................... 77 9 1 By petty cash payments ... 1450 11 ----------- - 934 By liability on loan account transferred to this ac­ count ........................ S. d. 3 6 4878 10 5 4 4 £7519 18 3 Capt. Oates mentioned that the club had not reduced the pavilion loan account by the amount stated this year. It had been brought about by throw ing the current account and the pavilion account together, and as they had a balance of £450 that made the differ­ ence, and saved them a wonderful amount of interest. At the conclusion of the report he said he thought he need say very few words except to congratulate the club upon getting a little ahead every year. They were getting more members, and they were certainly pay­ ing their way better than they had done, and as they were begining to reduce the capital debt, they would be able to do still m ore for young players than they had done. It had been suggested to him that it would be very desirable to play a match on Bank H oliday in N ottingham. It was a very difficult thing to get the counties to play in Nottingham on that day, as they were all looking after their own interest, and Notts were playing Surrey at the Oval. H e had written to Mr. Alcock, suggesting that there should be a m atch on W hit-M onday at the Oval, and one at N ot­ tingham on Bank Holiday, between the second elevens of the counties. H e thought that that would be the best opportunity they would have of bringing out young players, and he felt sure that the county would not suffer. He should have to submit that proposal to the comm ittee, and he hoped they would adopt it. He had to announce the death of the County Cricket Council, with which he had had something to do. He (Captain Oates) thought that a m eeting of the small counties with the first-class ones would do good, and that the form er would be put o j a better footing through being able to ai r their differences. They, however, got from bad to worse, there could not possibly be any agreement among them , for they were all trying to get at the top of the tree whether they were worth it or notj and the last meeting ended the Council. He agreed with Dr. Grace, who said, “ Show your form and you will be put up without ask­ ing for it.” A ll the small counties voted against them except Somersetshire, who were really at the top of the small counties, and they expressed satisfaction with the treatment they received. Therefore in the m idst of absolute chaos he seconded Mr. W ebbe’s amendment for the suspension of the Cricket Council sine die . He therefore expected they would hear no more of it. He hoped they would now be able to bring out young players. The sub-committee for the retention of players was going to pay some extra m oney to two clubs on the Trent Bridge Ground, and two Attewells and Baggaley had been retained for the year. They could not compete with Surrey or Lancashire with the enormous amounts they were now paying, but if they (Notts) tried to keep back two or three of the best they would be any rate making some pro­ gress. The Chairman said that by virtue of the office he had the honour to hold, and in accordance with the usual custom it was his pleasant duty to propose the adoption of the reports which had been read to them both by the hon. secretary and the secretary to the club. The report of each of them spoke for themselves, and it would not there­ fore be necessary for him to detain thein at any length in asking the m eeting to receive them . There was no doubt that the finances of the club were becom ing in a better position than they were in times past, and that was certainly a subject for congratulation— (hear, hear)—but as a cricketer, and one who was connected w ith Nottinghamshire, he did not look altogether with the same com placency upon the position they held in the cricketing world. H e should like to see them higher up in the list of counties. H e was afraid they had lost ground during the past year, but what he knew of the crioketers of N otting­ hamshire, and what he had seen since he had resided among them , made him feel that there was a strong feeling of emulation among the players, and that they would do their best to get back to that proud position they occupied some years ago. N o aoubt it would require great energy on the part of their players, and perhaps some re-arrapge- m ent in various form s. H e would not say anything about that, because others would speak who knew more about N otts cricket in the past than he did, but he was persuaded the matter only required to be impressed upon those who were forward in cricket in Nottinghamshire to see if they could not wrest the laurels from the counties who had obtained them during the past year. (Hear, hear.) There was one paragraph in the report which to some extent bore on what he said,but as he believed L ord Belper would say something on that, he (the chairm an) must not anticipate what his lordship would say. He would only say, and speaking generally, that he thought that the qualification o f resi dence was somewhat too restricted and lim ited. H e often thought that the tw o years qualification was too little. H e should be sorry, however, to see a professional player debarred from earning a certain portion of his livelihood at any particular tim e, but at the same tim e he thought they had to consider the interest of the cricket in the counties. Captain Denison seconded. Lord Belper, Captain Denison and Mr. J . Robertson also strongly advocated on the advisability of making arrangements ^to prevent prom ising players from seeking engagements outside the county. Mr. B» Turner spoke at length on the subject of benefit matches for their professionals. H e suggested that each of the eight regular nlayers should have a benefit year after vear according to their seniority, and that after­ wards a definite system should be settled by which a player on entering his oounty should know almost to a certainty when he would be entitled to a benefit. Capt. Oates said the comm ittee had decided to do everthing they possibly could to bring forward the oasee of players who were deserving of benefits, those who had served a long tim e and were getting to the end of their tether. H e thought it would be better to let the m atter rest there. T o make an absolute rule as to benefits would be in his opinion a great mistake. Col. H enry Denison,of Babworth,was elected President, and Mr. Sands, the Mayor of Nottingham , Vice-President for the ensuing year. Dr. W illiam s, Messrs. H. Turner and C. W . W right were chosen to fill vacancies in the committee. It was settled that a m eeting of members should be called at the close of the cricket season to consider the matches for the following year. The Fixtures for 1891 are as under. May 7 —Nottingham, v. Derbyshire May 18 -Nottingham, v. Surrey June 8—Lord’s, v. Middlesex June 11 —Nottingham, v. Yorkshire June 15—Derby, v. Derbyshire June 25 —Nottingham, v. Lancashire July 9 —Brighton, v. Sussex July 13 —Sheffield, v. Yorkshire July 16 —Nottingham, v. Sussex July 23 —Tonbridge, v. Kent Aug. 3—Oval, v. Surrey Aug. 6—Nottingham, v. Americans Aug. 13 - Manchester, v. Lancashire Aug. 20 —Nottingham, v. Kent Aug. 24 —Clifton, v. Gloucestershire Aug. 27 —Nottingham, v. Middlesex NEXT ISSUE, FEBRUARY 26,