James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Annaul 1897

7 8 LILLYWHITE'SCRICKETERS' ANNUAL. (10) R u g b yv. Marlborough. July 29. TheMarlborough Eleven were over-matchedat all points , so muchso that thematchwascompleted in one day. ThoughMarlborough hadfirst use of a goodwicket the batting was very poor , W.Prest being responsible for 32 of 90 got from the bat . Rugby in their turn began badly , and it was mainly to afree innings of71 by G. H. Welford that their total reached 181. Marlborough never looked like getting even the 79 required to save the innings . N. Fletcher andE. R. Wilsonbowled unchanged, and the highest score was H. Ettinger's 14. Rugbywonby aninnings and 33 runs . Wilson(Rugby) Fletcher (Rugby) Overs. 3 1 3 7 Maidens. 1 4 1 7 R u n s. 4 3 W i c k e t s. 9 5 3 8 (11) Middlesexv. Lancashire. Aug.13, 14 and15. Arun-getting match, lost by Lancashire , after an up-hill game, " on the post." Mr. F. G. J. Ford made a welcome appearance for Middlesex . It was asuccessful one, too , as Sir T. C. O'Brien (58) and he (77) scored 135 of 218 fromthe bat in the first innings of Middlesex . In the second the samebatsmen eachmade61, but this time both were beaten by Mr. Bromley-Davenport, who hit in brilliant style for 69 not out. The Lancashire Eleven, who were 76 behind at the end of an innings , were at the finish left with 433 to win, and five hoursleft for play . Their chance, of course , was a draw, and so well did Mr. McLaren(59 and 53), F. H. Sugg (53 not out), and Tyldesley (50) play that it looked as if they might succeed . Unfortunately Mr. Bardswell , when thoroughly set andwell in with Sugg, wasrunout, and this turned the scale . Middlesex won by 196 runs . Middlesex, 229 and 356 (8 wickets , innings closed) ; total , 585. Lancashire, 153 and 236 ; total , 389 . Overs. Maidens. 1 5 Mr. C. M. Wells (Middlesex) 50 (12) Middlesexv. Sussex. Aug. 24, 25 and 26. R u n s. Wickets. 8 5 8 Rainlimited the cricket on the first dayto less than an hour, and inter- fered subsequently with the progress of the game to such an extent that it was impossible to finish it. Sussex gained an advantage in going in first , and Middlesexdid muchbetter than might have been expected to head themon thefirst innings . Killick (61 and 13 not out), K. S. Ranjitsinhji (28 and 42 not out), andMr. C. B. Fry were the best scorers for Sussex , Mr. H. R. Bromley- Davenport (44) for Middlesex . The match was drawn . Middlesex , 166 and 44 (2 wickets , innings closed ); total , 210. Sussex, 163 and 120 (2 wickets , innings closed ) ; total , 283. Tate(Sussex) O v e r s. 4 5 Maidens. R u n s. Wickets. 1 7 (13) Middlesexv. Kent. Aug.27, 28 and 29. 6 9 8 Middlesex were without their captain , Mr. A. J. Webbe, and Sir T. C. O'Brien; Kent without Lord Harris , Mr. W. H. Patterson , andWright. Going in first Middlesex always had slightly the best of the game, and at the end a substantial margin. In the first hands the batting generally presented few features of interest excepting the good cricket of Mr. P. F. Warner (74) and Rev.W .Rashleigh , for Middlesex and Kentrespectively . Thebest performance inthe matchwas byMessrs. Stoddart (127) andDouglas (65), w h oput on 166 for the first wicket in the second innings of Middlesex. At the finish Kent were left with 313 to win, but never looked like getting them, and were beaten by149runs. J.T. Hearnetook 12 wickets in the matchfor 137 runs. Middlesex , 206and287; total , 493. Kent, 181 and163 ; total , 344.