James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annaul 1897

T H EC O U N T I E SIN 1 8 9 6. 8 7 (4) Essexv. Warwickshire. Leyton, June 29 and 30. The batting of the Warwickshire Eleven , with two exceptions , was very disappointing . Winning the toss , Walter Quaife (96) and Mr. Bainbridge (29) madeapromising commencement for them. After them came a collapse so complete that none of the remaining batsmen got double figures . The scoring ofthe Essex menwas muchmore even. Carpenter was chief scorer with 80, and Russell (46) and Mr. Perrin (41) gave him useful help . Warwickshire's second innings was worse than the first . Diver , who made 56, contributed one- half of the total from the bat. In the matchCarpenter scored 105 for once out. Essex won by six wickets . Essex , 249 and 40 (4 wickets ) ; total , 289. Warwick- shire , 168 and 118; total , 286. Mr.Bull(1st innings Warwickshire) M e a d(2nd innings Warwickshire) Overs. Maidens. Runs. Wickets. 24.1 20.3 7 1 0 6 1 5 3 6 6 (5) Essexv. Yorkshire. Leyton, July 13, 14 and 15. Mr. F. S. Jackson , Mr. Ernest Smith, and Brownwere playing at Lord's in the Gentlemenv. Players match, andtheir absence weakened Yorkshire's all- round cricket very considerably . Eventhen the Northerners had a strong all- round side , andas they wonthe toss their defeat was a creditable performance for Essex. In the first hands there was only a difference of two runs , and that wasin favour of Essex, Denton's 53 was the highest score for Yorkshire ; Russell's 60, Mr. Perrin's 50, Mr. McGahey's45 the best for Essex. Mr. C. E. M . Wilson, of the Cambridge Eleven, who made his first appearance for Yorkshire in this match, had to retire hurt in the second innings , so that Essex hadonly ten batsmen to get out, and of these Denton(34) wasagain the chief contributor . With 132 to win Essex began badly , Messrs . Fane, Perrin , and McGaheyonly scoring twelve between them. Carpenter (30), who opened the batting , took the edge off the bowling, and Mr. Owen(54) and Russell (23), who wereboth not out, gave Essex a well -deserved victory by four wickets . Essex, 205 and 134 (6 wickets ) ; total , 339. Yorkshire , 203 and 133 ; total , 336. 3 7 3 7 Overs. Maidens. Runs. Wickets. Mr.Bull (1st innings Yorkshire 21.2 (6) Essexv. Warwickshire. Birmingham, July 16, 17 and 18. Ahigh scoring match throughout . Altogether 1,220 runs were scored for 32wickets , which gives an average of just over 38 runs . ThoughEssex began with abig total of 395 , Warwickshire had all the best of thedraw,wanting only 55 to winwith eight wickets in hand. Mr. Perrin (139) madehis first hundred for Essex, but his aggregate was outdone by Diver, who scored 67and112 (not out) for Warwickshire, and W. G. Quaife made182 for the same side without being out in either innings . Essex, 395 and 242; total , 637. Warwickshire, 347 and236 (2 wickets ); total 583. (7) Essexv. Hampshire. Leyton , July 20 and 21. T h ewicket did not play at all well, so that the scoring all round was below the average . Essex was the first to bat, but barring Carpenter (54) nonegot over 30 runs . On the other side three of the eleven exceeded this number-Barton (48), W e b b(37), and Captain Bradford (32). TheCaptain hada good deal to do with Hampshire success , as he was in whenthe winning runwasmade, having scored 35 (not out) of 61 for two wickets . Hampshirewon by eight wickets . Hampshire , 188 and 61 (2 wickets ); total , 249. Essex , 160 87; total , 247. Soar(2nd innings Essex) Overs. Maidens. R u n s. Wickets. 2 2 - 3 4 3 8 8