Famous Cricketers No 77 - W.L.Murdoch

widespread doubt if there would be time for one over. In the words of The Cricket Field , “ Murdoch soon settled that by going out with a smile on his face amidst a hurricane of applause”. With time for only one over, Jessop took a quick single from the third ball via a push to Grace, fielding point for Ranjitsinhji who had changed thinking the game finished. This was the second successive match in which Sussex had left their opponents one run for victory. In the Yorkshire game at Hastings, Murdoch was hit on the head while fielding at point and carried off unconscious. Not for the first time, Alfred Shaw was probably not among Murdoch’s admirers. On his first appearance of the season at a bitterly cold Trent Bridge, he bowled 100.1 overs while his old colleagues ran up a total of 726. Two days later, though suffering from a strain to the ball of his foot, he was unchanged for another 58 overs at Old Trafford. Rested for three games, he came back for Middlesex at Hove and contributed another 42 overs while Middlesex totalled 566. Judging by his biography Shaw, perhaps understandably, felt ill used. “It was with great difficulty that I succeeded in walking home. I saw at once that it would be risking permanent injury to play again so I retired, this time without hope or wish of resurrection”. In fact Shaw was being more than a little economical with the truth. In 1897 he resurrected himself to play for Nottinghamshire against the touring Philadelphians, bowled 50 overs and took 3-75. He also played minor cricket, was still coaching in 1902 and umpired until 1905. Murdoch’s version of their relationship might make fascinating reading. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct St Total Total 223. Sussex v MCC, Lord’s, May 9, 10, 11 (MCC won by 19 runs) * c A.Knowles b A.Hearne 31 219 293 b J.T.Hearne 9 385 330 224. Sussex v Nottinghamshire, Trent Bridge, May 16, 17, 18 (Nottinghamshire won by an innings and 378 runs) * c and b A.Wilkinson 3 170 726 c and b J.A.Dixon 15 178 225. Sussex v Lancashire, Old Trafford, May 20, 21, 22 (Lancashire won by seven wickets) * b A.W.Mold 0 194 293 b A.W.Mold 25 157 59-3 226. England v Surrey, Kennington Oval, May 27, 28, 29 (England won by an innings and 75 runs) c R.Abel b T.Richardson 19 363 85 1 203 227. Sussex v Gloucestershire, Hove, June 3, 4 (Sussex won by six wickets) * b H.Wrathall 21 213 151 2 c W.G.Grace b F.G.Roberts 13 86-4 146 228. Sussex v Somerset, Hove, June 6, 7, 8 (Match drawn) * c V.T.Hill b L.C.H.Palairet 94 518 465 1 c V.T.Hill b G.B.Nichols 0 243-9d 118-3 229. Sussex v Middlesex, Hove, June 13, 14, 15 (Match drawn) * b J.T.Hearne 5 362 566 c J.T.Rawlin b J.T.Hearne 19 331-8 230. Sussex v Cambridge University, Hove, June 20, 21, 22 (Sussex won by an innings and 100 runs) * b E.B.Shine 226 592 236 256 231 Sussex v Oxford University, Hove, June 24, 25, 26 (Match drawn) * c C.B.Fry b F.H.E.Cunliffe 32 487 651 c H.K.Foster b J.C.Hartley 31 272-8 232. Sussex v Kent, Catford, July 1, 2, 3 (Sussex won by 45 runs) * c F.Marchant b J.R.Mason 12 141 319 c J.R.Mason b F.Martin 23 345 122 1 233. Sussex v Yorkshire, Hastings, July 4, 5, 6 (Yorkshire won by nine wickets) * b G.H.Hirst 38 189 257 c G.H.Hirst b F.S.Jackson 0 178 112-1 234. Sussex v Hampshire, Hove, July 8, 9, 10 (Match drawn) * c H.F.Ward b H.Baldwin 32 282 290 not out 89 258-3 357-9d 235. Gentlemen v Players, Kennington Oval, July 11, 12, 13 (Match drawn) * b T.Richardson 27 320 292 c G.A.Lohmann b J.T.Rawlin 31 225 225-5 34