James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annaul 1897

9 4 LILLYWHITE'SCRICKETERS' ANNUAL. (12) Gloucestershire v. Lancashire. Manchester , July 30 and 31. Getting all the best of the wicket on going in first Lancashire outplayed their opponents . All the first nine batsmen scored fairly , although Mr. McLaren (56) and Tyldesley (52) were the only ones to get over 40. Gloucestershire had to bat on the second day on a wicket affected by rain, and Briggs bowled so effectively that the highest score was 29 not out. This was b y Mr. Jessop , who hit in brilliant style in the second innings , making his 81 in the same number of minutes . U pto a certain point Gloucestershire seemed likely to make a good total , but the tail failed so completely that the last six wickets only added 71 runs. Lancashire wonby ten wickets . Lancashire , 313 and30 (nowicket) ; total , 343. Gloucestershire , 122 and 220; total , 342. Overs. Maidens. R u n s. Wickets. Briggs (1st inns . Gloucestershire ) 26.2 9 (13) Gloucestershire v. Sussex. Bristol , Aug. 3, 4 and 5. 5 9 7 Sussex bowling gave Mr. W. G. Grace his two best innings in 1896. At Brighton he carried his bat through for 243 , and at Bristol he outdid this by 58. Messrs . Rice (81) and Kitcat (77) lent him most assistance , and he saw eight of his side out . Going in against a large total of 551 Sussex did only moderately well . Mr Newham(63 not out) and Marlow (57) were the leading scorers in the first , and K. S. Ranjitsinhji's 54 was far andawaythe best display in the second innings . Gloucestershire won by an innings and 123 runs. Gloucestershire , 551. Sussex , 250 and 178; total , 428. (14) Gloucestershire v. Middlesex. Clifton , Aug. 6, 7 and 8. Middlesex, opening with a useful total of 279, seemed likely , up to an advanced stage of Gloucestershire's innings , to have the best of the first hands. Instead , the Gloucestershire team played up so well that the home team got a lead of 64 runs. Forthis they were chiefly indebted to Messrs . Sewell (88), F. H. B. Champain (53), and Jessop (44). Some free cricket by Sir T. С. O'Brien (who made124 in the match) and Lucas (68 not out) was the chief feature of the second innings of Middlesex . Owing to rain Gloucestershire at the finish hadonly alittle over two hours in which to make168 runs . Thatthey got themin time was due chiefly to the vigorous hitting of Mr. Jessop (60), Wrathall (29), and Board (20). Gloucestershire w o n by six wickets . Gloucestershire , 343 and 170 (4 wickets ); total , 513. Middlesex , 279 and 231 ; total, 510. (15) Gloucestershire v. Notts. Bristol , Aug. 13, 14 and 15. Without Shrewsbury and G u n nthe batting of Notts was weakened considerably , and as, in addition , the side hadall the worst of the wicket each time, they fared very badly. W .G., as it happened, was unsuccessful , and Messrs. Sewell (0 and 104), Rice (68 and 11), and Jessop (10 and 71) did most of the run-getting for Gloucestershire . The wicket was all in favour of the bowlers whenNotts were batting , and Brown's first score of 40 was the only oneover 20 in the two innings . Gloucestershire wonby 307 runs . Gloucester- shire , 196 and262 ; total , 458. Notts, 99 and 52; total , 151. Mr.Townsend (Gloucestershire ) Overs. Maidens. R u n s. 8 7 3 0 . 1 6 Wickets. 1 2