Cricket 1895

M ay 2, 1895. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 109 TWELVE YEARS OF SURREY CRICKET. (1882-1893). Continued from last week's issue , page 95. The first four matches on the pro­ gramme in 1889 were won easily enough. Essex went down in an innings, Lohmann scoring 105, and, helped by Sharpe, put­ ting on 149 runs for the last wicket. Ox­ ford was also beaten in an innings at Oxford, Mr. Key scoring 176, not out, against his old University, and Sharpe, the new bowler, actually taking five wickets for five runs in the first innings. Then Leicestershire suffered defeat by 144 runs, W. W. scoring 177 in his two innings, and Gloucestershire by 250 runs, in a match in which the closure rule was first applied in first-class cricket. Henderson made 93 for once out for the winners, Maurice Read and Lohmann also batting w ell: W. G. scored 94 and 34 for the losers. Then came a terrible beating from Notts, who, with all the luck of the wicket, won by an innings and 153. Gunn scored 118, and Shacklock took 10 wickets for 45. Four more victories and then another beating. Cambridge was beaten in an inn­ ings ; Middlesex by six wickets, Mr. K. J. Key, who had been in grand form thus far, scoring 20 and 121, both not out, and Mr. Evan Nepean, for the losers, batting well for 108 for once ou t; Derbyshire by an innings and 223, Maurice Read making 103 and Lockwood 81, Sharpe and Beau­ mont adding 118 for the last wicket; Oxford by an innings and 367, Surrey running up 614—Abel 138, Maurice Read 136, W. W. 91, Mr. F. Fielding (Wood’s substitute at the wicket) 7a, Lockwood 53, not out, and Mr. Shuter 40—andLoh mann taking 11 wickets for 95. After such form as this an innings defeat from Lancashire at Manchester, chiefly brought about by the bowling of Mold and Watson, seemed disastrous. For a fortnight or so after this the team seemed somewhat rocky, for although Yorkshire was beaten by nine wickets, Maurice Read scoring a first innings of 90, the Sussex match at Brighton was only pulled off by three wickets, chiefly owing to Lohmann’s fine bowling (15 wickets for 98), and the return with Derbyshire found Surrey only 48 runs to the good at the finish. Then, however, the old form returned, for both Leicester­ shire and Sussex were beaten in an inn­ ings, Abel and Mr. Shuter putting on 104, W.W. and Lockwood 106, while together, against the latter county, and Beaumont and Bowley bowling well. At Blackheath Kent was beaten by seven wickets; and then came the greatest victory of the year, that over Notts, who had previously boasted an undefeated record. Lockwood (80) and Abel (59) put on 140 while together in Surrey’s second innings; Mr. Shuter closed that innings, at some risk, just in the nick of time; Lohmann took six wickets for 22 when Notts went in again ; and Surrey won by 134 runs. Middlesex Was buaten in an innings, W. W .’s 115 (his only century of the season for Surrey), Abel’s 85, Mr. Key’s 85, and Mr. Stoddart’s 72 and 35 the best show for the losers. Two defeats followed; one, quite un­ expected and extremely unwelcome, from Essex, for whom Pickett and Mr. F. A. Bishop bowled wonderfully w ell; the other, by eight wickets, from Lancashire. A small-scoring match with Kent was won by ten wickets, Lohmann and Beaumont bowling unchanged for their side ; and then Yorkshire was beaten by two wickets in the famous Gaslight Match, when Henderson’s pluck and steadiness under the most trying circumstances proved so invaluable to his side. The season finished up with innings victories over poor Hampshire, both at the Oval and Southampton. Lockwood scored 117 not out, on the last-named ground. Surrey’s 1889 record was hardly up to the records of the last two years. This was mainly due to the deterioration in batting strength of the team. Mr. W. W. Read was hardly the great batsman oithe last four years, although he scored 1,033 runs with the good average of 30. He was beaten both in average and aggregate by his namesake and Mr. Key, whose innings produced 34 each. Mr. Shuter was off colour, too ; and Abel was hardly so good, though he, with Henderson, Lock­ wood, and Lohmann all averaged over 20. Lohmann (179 wickets) and Beaumont (113) did most of the bowling; but Sharpe and Bowley also took over 60 each, and the worst average of the four was under 15. Lockwood and Sharpe, both “ rejected of Notts,” proved very valuable additions to the strength of the side. IY. The first three matches in 1890 were all against second-class counties, and were all won. Hampshire, as usual, lost in an innings. Mr. Read scoring 102, and Sharpe taking five wickets for two runs in the losers’ first innings. Leicestershire also went down in an innings, the match last­ ing only one day, and Sharpe securing 12 wickets for 35. Surrey had to follow on against Essex, but won in the end by 136, Mr. Shuter scoring 117. Mr. F. E. Rowe played an innings of 98, not out, for Essex. Then came two defeats, the Australians winning by eight wickets, and Notts by 108 runs. W.W. played an innings of 87 and Blackham one of 75 in the first match; Gunn scored 82 and 35, Shrews­ bury 41 and 38, and Lohmann 34 and 35, both not out, while Shacklock took 10 wickets for 145 in the Trent Bridge game. No fewer than sixteen more matches were played before another defeat was experienced—as long a run, probably, as the county ever had. Gloucestershire was beaten in an innings, Maurice Read scoring a fine innings of 135. Derbyshire, for whom William Ohatterton played an innings of 86, only lost by 28 runs at Derby, Messrs. Shuter, Read, and Key being absentees. Against Leicestershire Mr. Roller (whose form this season was not equal to that he had shown before ill- health obliged him temporarily to give up cricket) had his one success of the year, scoring 120; Lockwood made 168, the two putting on 214 while together. Mr. A. Lorrimer, making his first appearance for the home county, playing an innings of 109, and Warren scored 62 and 71; but Surrey won by ten wickets. Lohmann and Sharpe bowled unchanged at Manchester, the former taking 13 wickets for 54; and Lancashire lost by 61 runs. A drawn game was played with the Cantabs at the Oval, time alone saving Surrey from defeat; Gloucestershire at Bristol ancj Middlesex at the Oval were each beaten in an innings ; Louis Hall’s benefit, the Yorkshire match at Sheffield, was entirely, spoiled by rain ; Sussex went down by an innings and 91 runs at Brighton; and the return with the Australians was drawn, most of the Surrey men batting well, and the county having much the, best of the game. A score of 541 (Mr. Key 137, Hender­ son 96) was made against Derbyshire, for whom Chatterton (77) in the first innings and Mr. L. G. Wright (122) and Walter Hall (64, notout) in the second, batted uncommonly well, and a victory by an innings and 58 runs gained. Sussex was beaten in the return by an innings and 165, Abel scoring 79 and Mr. R. N, Douglas 72. Then the return with Notts was won by seven wickets, Lockwood scoring 66 and 28, and Sharpe taking eleven wickets for 89 : and a drawn game was played with Kent at Canterbury. Abel’s fine batting was the feature of the next two games. He had not been in very great form earlier; but now he scored in successive matches 151, not out, against Middlesex at Lord’s (carrying his bat right through the innings), and 146, v. Lancashire at the Oval. Both matches were won in an innings with plenty of runs to spare. So far only Notts among the first-class, counties had beaten Surrey. Yorkshire now managed to do this (in spite of the long stand made by Mr. Key and Lock­ wood, who, scoring respectively 98 and 102, put on 189 while together), winning one of the pluckiest of fights by 15 runs, after having to follow-on. What was practically a second eleven of Surrey played a draw with Hampshire at Southampton, young Ayres on his first appearance for the county carrying his bat through for 53. Then Kent beat Surrey at the Oval by eight wickets, and the season ended with a defeat of Essex by 55 runs, after a good fight. Mr. C. D. Buxton scored 30 and 92, Lohmann 88 and 15. Decidedly one of Surrey’s best years was this. The batting was good and level throughout. Abel, with 1040, was the only man to total four figures; but Mr. Read, Abel, Lockwood, Mr. Key, Maurice Read, Lohmann, and Mr. Shuter all averaged from 31 to 20 each. Two men did nearly all the bowling, Sharpe, who was in grand form, taking 179 for twelve each, and Lohmann (for once in a way playing second fiddle) 154 for thirteen. Beaumontand Bowley practically dropped out of the team, after short but useful periods of service. The first seven matches in 1891 were won right off the reel. Leicestershire was beaten by 73 runs; Hampshire by an