James Lillywhite's Cricketers' Companion 1885

1G6 Cricket Curiosities. SEASON OF 1884 was an unusually dry one, and large scores B were far more frequent than small ones. Still at times there were ridiculously small innings as well as very high ones. A remark­ able number of instances of big hitting took place in first-class matches' and these have been dealt with in another part of the Companion. Here it is merely attempted to give some noteworthy achievements with bat and ball, which-would not see the light in the usual way. The Graves- end Club are credited with the largest aggregate of the season; it amounted to G7G for nine wickets, and was made on August 7, against Town Mailing, J. Bigwood contributing 1G8, and W. Hurst 112. Even more extraordinary was the performance of Sheffield Park against Hr. R. T. Ellis’s eleven, on August 19. The team, which included several members of the Sussex eleven, were batting all day, and scored 665 for the loss of only five wickets. A. Payne made 176, W. Humphreys 156, A. Huggett 124 (not out), G. Bean 87, A. Blackman 41, W. Tester i2 (not out), W. Payne 11, and there were 58 extras. On June 5, Blair Lodge School obtained 557 for four wickets against Campsie. W. F. Holms (303 not out) and H. L. Fleming (1G8) went in first and raised the score to 333 before tl^ey were parted. It is worthy of note that this same school made 472 for four wickets in the previous season. A total of 485 was hit up by Skipton against Keighley Albion at Keighley (Yorks) on Jun6 4, R. H. Sidgwick, who lias played several times for the County, making 203 (not out), and W. Cartman 150. At Melbourne, Australia, in a match played on seveial successive Saturdays, the South Melbourne Club put together 543 for eight wickets .against Richmond. The first three batsmen all scored over a hundred runs, J. Slight contributing 150, J. W. Trumble 131, and F. Walters, 174. For many years famous for their run-getting abilit 3 r, the Royal Engineers are this season credited with a total of G74, which was made at Portsmouth against the Royal Marines. Captain Young and Lieut, Dumbleton, \vho became partners at the fall of the third wicket, put on the enormous number of 464 runs before they were parted. The former scored 204, and the latter 325. On August 14, against the Derbyshire Friars, the Buxton Club totalled 619. Later in the same month 601 runs were obtained by the Free Foresters against the Aldershot Division, 322 being contributed by the first two batsmen—Mr. A. J. Webbe (214) and Mr. C. R. Seymour (108). A second instance of remarkable scoring comes from Sheffield Park, where Lord Sheffield’s eleven obtained 536 on July 8 against the Brighton Rangers Football Club, Huggett getting 156, A. Payne 108, and Mr. R. T. Ellis 105. Abbott’s Langley, on July 26, scored 440 for four wickets against Stanmore, Mr. E. Sainsbury contri­ buting 242 to the number. Mention must also be made of the match between Victoria and South Australia, at Adelaide, on February 27, 1,307 runs being scored for 36 wickets—an average of over 36 runs per wickc •. By far the greatest individual performance in a small match that of Mr. J. Shuter, for Bexley, against Emeriti, on the ground of 11