Cricket 1896

“ Together joined in Cricket’s manly toil.”— Byron. jto . 4 1 5 . v o l. xv. THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 1896. p r ic e aa. F R A N K SUGG. It is pretty safe to say that when Sugg walks to the wicket there is no one among the spectators who does not feel a pleasurable excitement. For everyone knows that he is not only likely to make some splendid hits, but a good many of them. Like his brother Walter he is a splendid field, especi­ ally in the country. He began his career as a first - class cricketer by playing for York­ shire. At that time it was a rule that no one who was not bom in the county could play for Yorkshire, but so strongly was Sugg recommended to the committee by Mr. Strat­ ford, one of its members, that a point was stretched in his favour. Since then he has played for Derbyshire, the county of his birth, as well as Lancashire. In club cricket he generally scores largely, and he probably looks back with a good deal of pleasure on three days’ work a few ears ago, when in succession e made 213, 114 and 125. In their boyhood Frank bowled and his brother kept wicket, while a little later Walter bowled and Frank kept wicket. At the present time neither of them does much of either, but both are considered remark­ able fielders. It will perhaps be news to some cricketers to know that Frank has gained a great deal of renown as a footballer. In the days when matches be­ tween Sheffield, London, and Glasgow were considered of the highest importance he was in the Sheffield team. He played centre forward for Sheffield Wednesday and captained the team. Afterwards he was captain of Derby County when the club was just beginning its career. Again, as centre half-back, he captained Burnley, and finally was in the Bolton Wanderers’ team in the same position. When he opened his now well- known business in Lord Street, Liverpool, some six years ago, he gave up football, but still plays golf and other outdoor games, in order to become thoroughly in­ timate with the tools used in them. The result has proved very satisfactory, and the business increases year by year. He has recently patented a cricket bat which seems very likely indeed to be a great success. It is somewhat odd that Sugg, who is certainly at the present time one of the best throwers in the world, should have been unable to throw at all when he was a boy. “ I used to bowl in the style which seems to be common to girls,” he said, “ and when I tried to throw in I used precisely the same action. Never­ theless I was said to be a most promising bowler, and Mr. Hobbis, a schoolmaster at Sheffield, told me that I should be in the first flight. Whether this would have been the case or not if I had continued to bowl in the same way it is impossible to tell, for when I was fourteen I became so tired of being continually chaffed, that I made up my mind to learn to throw some­ how or other. I succeeded, but from that time I lost my bowling entirely. I was then playing for thePitsmoor club, in whose eleven were Mr. Harry Service and Mr. Betts, the father of the noted Sheffield Wednesday football player.” “ But you still bowl occa­ sionally for the County ? ” “ Yes, but they make me bowl lobs. The first time I went on with them was against Gloucestershire, and a good deal to my surprise and contentment I took two wickets—Mr. W. W.F. Pullen and a local batsman. Next year I was fortunate enough to get Barnes and Gunn out in the Notts match. Barnes said it was impossible to for­ give me for such a deed, and he still says so. When he got out he told me that he had come to the conclusion that it was quite time he gave up cricket.” Sugg’s first appearance in good cricket was for the York­ shire Colts when he was about seventeen years old, and in the following season he played once or twice for the county. On the recommendation of Tom Armitage, who often gave him words of encouragement, he pliyed for Mr. W. R. Gilbert’s team against X X II. of Matlock and District, and made top score. After this he played for Yorkshire five or six times. “ But,” he said, “ I was generally put in very late and never given a chance of going in early, even when I FRANK SUGG. From a Photo by J. Wilkinson , Burnley.