Cricket 1893

36 CBICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OP THE GAME. MARCH 23, 1893 CRICKET_NOTCHES. B y the B e v . R. S. H olm es . NOTTS CRICKET AND CRICK­ ETERS. In course of time I purpose giving a synopsis of the cricket played by all the first-class Counties during their entire history: it has never been attempted, perhaps because the task is herculean. Notts shall have the place of honor ; not that I am a Notts man, or have ever resided in that county; but three reasons have operated in this decision:— (1) the second oldest match on record was played by Nottingham; (2) Notts have taken part in County cricket for more than fifty years, and with results unapproached by any other County; (3) the literature of Notts cricket is so prolific that I naturally looked first to that county that could furnish the most valuable help in a labor of this kind. With ungrudging praise would I acknowledge the splendid services rendered by such compilers (or publishers) as A. K. Sutton, E.G. Spybey, E. Browne, and G. Richards. 1771 is the date of the first recorded match played by Notts. We shall never know now whether matches took place earlier ; the destruction of the Pavilion at Lord’s in 1825 robbed us of many price­ less documents bearing on the beginnings of cricket. But 122 years are surely enough to enable us to pronounce judgment on the cricket genius of a County. Cricket, however, in those days was wholly different from what it is now. True, the wickets were placed 22 yards apart then, indeed as far back as 1700. But in 1771 there were only two stumps, one foot high by two feet wide : the middle stump was not added before 1775, and then the stumps measured 22 inches by 6. There were no scoring sheets in 1771—simply a piece of wood notched for every run ; the bowler’s name was not given unless the ball hit the wicket. A batsman could not be out “ lbw ” or “ hit wicket,” not until the years 1775 and 1795 respectively. Wides were not reckoned before 1827, nor no­ balls before 1830. Whilst the luxury of the printing press and scoring cards was unknown till 1836. (Charles Box is responsible for this last date, which Fred Lillywhite assigns to 1848). Nottingham v. Sheffield is the title of the first match, at Nottingham, the return being played in the year following at Sheffield. The names of the com­ petitors are given, but not their scores, the totals only appear. In the first match Sheffield had three innings, which totalled 248; Nottingham two only, 188; and then from some cause or other—probably a dispute—-“ Sheffield left the field.” The return match never got beyond one innings apiece, Nottingham scoring 14, Sheffield “ near ” 70. “ Nottingham gave in.” The sides numbered respectively six and five players in each match. It was virtually a county contest, and was doubtless fought as keenly as any of the later matches between the “ Counties of the bowlers.” It is only when the spirit of rivalry runs high, that, in the absence of clearly defined laws, a match is broken up. Was that match prophetic of sundry schisms and misunderstandings that have in more recent times constituted a dark chapter in the history of Notts cricket ? Anyhow this match was dropped till 1800, and then again disappears until 1822 ; that is to say, we have no record of any matches between those dates, though they may have been an annual fixture. As late as 1864, Eleven of Nottingham played Eleven of Sheffield (Mackenzie Club) ; in the former team were many county players, but none in the latter. Omitting this, then,these rival towns met for the last time in 1857. The summary of their matches reads thus:— Total matches played 26: Nottingham won 14, Yorkshire won 9, and 3 were drawn. Nottingham’s largest innings in the whole series was 277 in 1843, to which Charlie Brown, the well-known stumper, contributed 107 : their lowest, 14, in 1772: Sheffield’s highest, 379, in 1826, though with the aid of Leicester. Tom Marsden made history in this match by his famous innings of 227, though the great lob-bowler, William Clarke, was playing for Nottingham. Sheffield's low­ est, 24 and 22 in the match of 1800. Leicester and Nottingham first met in 1789. As in the matches against Sheffield, so in these : Nottingham were contented to have but eleven representatives—only once, in 1822, had they twelve—but both Leicester and Sheffield, every now and again, numbered 15, 16, and even 22 players on their sides. The match against Leicester lasted until 1829. Nine in all were played, of which Nottingham claimed 5, Leicester 4. Nottingham’s highest score was 184 in 1829 ; lowest, 24, in 1821; Leicester’s highest, 127, in 1821; lowest, 15 and 8 in the match of 1800. All the above matches seem to have been played in sportsmanlike fashion, though money may have been added. In fact, in 1800, the Sheffield match was played “ for 200 guineas a-side.” Other matches in the earlier years of cricket were often advertised to be played for so much a-side; 500 guineas then were a trifle. I very much question the genuine­ ness ofthe financial side of these contests ; that they were a “ draw ” nobody would deny,butit is quite another matter whether the players got any share in the sums ostensibly staked. Let’s hope that they played for honor and for love. Cricket and gambling have never been happily mated. In 1791, M.C.C. first figure on the Nottingham programme. And a mighty crowd assembled on the “ King’s Meadows ” to welcome the premier Club, then only four years old. Nottingham had 22 representatives, but even then lost both the matches played that year against M.C.C; In 1792, one match—11 v. 22— was played; then it was dropped until 1843; was resumed in 1869 ; and though since then there have been sundry blank years, M.C.C. v. Notts is now, more or less, a regular fixture. Notts Castle have several times since 1880 played M.C.C., but with this we have nothing to do here. Altogether Nottingham and M.C.C. have met 22 times; Notts have won 8 matches, M.C.C. 12, and 2 have been drawn. As in the case of Kent, Surrey, and Sussex, Notts have been opposed by an England Eleven on several occasions; 1817 is the date of the first match, though Nottingham then played 22 men. In 1842, the County was strong enough to meet England on equal terms, though the latter won; in 1845, with 14 men the County scored a victory. In all other matches there had been eleven aside. The last of these matches was played in 1885. All told, out of eleven matches Notts have just held their own with six wins as against five losses. In these matches against England, Notts’ highest score was 312 in 1885; lowest, 50, in 1817. England’s highest, 228 in 1842; lowest, 48 in 1853. In the matches against M.C.C., Notts’ highest score was 307 in 1880 ; lowest, 21 in 1891. M.C.C.’s highest, 240 in 1870 ; lowest, 40 in 1880. But however important and interesting the above matches were, they cannot compare for an instant with the County engagements in which Notts have played no inconspicuous part since the year 1835. 1 know well enough that the County Club proper was not formed before 1859 ; that fact, however, does not prevent our including in the summaries that follow earlier matches against Sussex, Kent, and Surrey, in which the best cricketers all took an active part, and which pro­ voked as keen a rivalry as that which now obtains in the County contests. In 1834, Eleven of Nottingham met Eleven of Cambridge, and the former won both matches, the first by 152 runs, the second bv an innings, “ with 114 notches to spare." These were, for all practical purposes, genuine County engagements —both sides being very strong, and con­ taining many well-known players. The next match— this time Nottinghamshire v. Cambridgeshire, took place in 1862. Writing of the year 1834, mention might perhaps be made of two quite unique matches : Nottingham v. 13 of Binghim, the latter being allowed four innings in each match to their opponents’ two. Even with this advantage they had twice to acknowledge defeat at the hand of the County town. The ball being thus started, other counties were soon taken on : Sussex in 1835, Kent in 1840, Surrey in 1851, York­ shire in 1863, Middlesex in 1866, Lanca­ shire in 1868, Gloucestershire in 1871, Derbyshire in 1874, Somersetshire in 1892. Let us now draw up sundry tables, which will tell nearly all that requires to be said about these important matches played by Nottinghamshire against other first-class counties :— T able N o . 1. M tchs Won by 1st by Opponents Plyd. Notts. Notts. D m . t Cambridgeshire ........... 10 ... 7 ... 2 ... 1 2 Sussex ................... 40 ... 32 ... 6 ... 2 3 Kent ........................... 32 ... 18 ... 5 ... 9 4 Surrey ........................... 66 ... 34 ... 23 ... 10 5 Yorkshire ................... 60 ... 24 ... 18 ... 18 6 Middlesex ................... 42 ... 18 ... 5 ... 19 7 Lancashire ................... 33 ... 13 ... 8 ... 11 8 Gloucestershire ........... 40 ... 16 ... 9 ... 15 9 Derbyshire ................... 8 ... 7 ... — ... 1 10Somersetshire ............. 2 ... 1 ... 1 ... — Total 332 170 76 86