James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annaul 1897

9 0 LILLYWHITE'SCRICKETERS' ANNUAL. G L O U C E S T E R S H I R E . OFFICERSFOR 1896.-President: D u k eof Beaufort, K.G. Treasurer: W . H . Harford. Captain : W. G. Grace. Secretary : E. M. Grace. Committee : J. W. Arrowsmith, H. W. Beloe , H. J. Boughton, E. Lawrence, J. A. Bush, E. G. Clarke, T. B. Johnston, E. B. Haygarth, W. D. L. Macpherson, T. G. Matthews, R. FentonMiles , G. Norman, Rev. C. H. Ridding , Arthur Robinson, E. J. Taylor , F. R. Alderwick , H. E. Thomas, H. V. Page, W .O. Moberly, W .M. Brownlee. THOUGHtheir cricket all round was by no meansof an encouraging character , the Gloucestershire Eleven were capable of better results than they obtained . Withits full strength the County had a useful side , and one that, under favourable conditions , might be heavy run-getters . But the bowling on good wickets was very weak. Mr. C. L. Townsend , who was in quite the fore -front of bowlers in 1895 , was in the earlier matches utterly out of form , and this madeall the difference to the team. Later on he got his length better ; but still , with only Roberts , Mr. W. G. Grace, and, during the latter part of the season , Mr. Jessop , there was little or no bowling to get batsmen out on ordinarily favourable wickets . W h e nall told , Gloucestershire was fairly strong in batting . Mr. W. G. Grace was even moreuseful to Gloucester- shire thanin 1895. Hisaverage of 53 wasa great performancefor a cricketer approaching 50 years of age. Mr. Sewell, whenable to play, did excellent service , andMessrs. Rice, Hemingway, and Jessop were such a useful trio that it wasa pity they were not always available . Mr. Townsendplayed excellent cricket onm a n yimportant occasions , and Wrathall and Board hit with great success . The fielding was at times faulty . In Mr. F. H. B. Champain, the CheltenhamCaptain, the County has a likely all -round cricketer if he is only able to play first-class cricket at all regularly . R e s u l t so f M a t c h e s . Matches played , 18 ; won, 5 ; drawn, 3 ; lost , 10. Club. Opnts. Opponents. Where played . Whenplayed . 1st 2nd 1st 2nd W o nb y. Ins. Ins. Ins. Ins. Matches W o n(5) . (3) K e n t G r a v e s e n d M a y18,19, 20 347 *48 210 183 9 wkts.; *1w d (8) Somersetshire T a u n t o n J u n e29, 30 392 119 190 Inns. &8 3runs (13) Sussex B r i s t o l A u g .3, 4, 5 551 250 178 Ins. & 123 runs (1 4) Middlesex Clifton A u g .6, 7,8 (15) Notts Bristol A u g .1 3,1 4 343*170 279 231 6wkts; *4 w d 1 9 6 262 99 52 307 runs Matches Drawn(3) . R e m a r k s . (5) Sussex Brighton M a y25, 26, 27 463 *88 246 +420 *7wd; +3wd,in.c . (6) Warwickshire Birmingham June8, 9, 10 160 222 342 (17) Surrey Clifton A u g .24,25,26 157 180 *36*3wd Matches Lost (10). L o s tb y. (1) Somersetshire Bristol M a y7,8, 9 153 155 258 173 123runs (2) Yorkshire Bristol M a y1 4,1 5 131 158 234 *57 9wkts. *1 wd (4) Surrey O v a l M a y21, 22,23 125 261 380 *7 (*)Middlesex L o r d ' s J u n e18,19,20 (7) Lancashire B r i s t o June25, 26, 27 143 230 450 133 238 389 10wkts.; *now d Inns. & 77runs Inns. & 18runs (9) Warwickshire risto July9, 10,11 178 251 312 #118 (1 0)Notts Nottingham July 20,21 ,22 168 119 277 *12 (1 1) Yorkshire Sheffield July27, 28 7 9 92 141 296 5 wkts ; *5 w d 9 wkts ; *1 w d 266runs (12) Lancashire Manchester July30, 31 122 220 3 1 3 01 wkts.; *now d (1 6) K e n t... (1 8) Australians Bristol J u n e4, 5, 6 Cheltenham A u g .17,18,19 202 141 190 178 25runs 1 1 0 181 2 8 2 Inns, & 91 runs (19) Australians Cheltenham Aug.20,21,22 133 17 204 Inns. &54runs (*) H a sbeentreatedinreviewof M.C.C.