Lives in Cricket No 19 - Frank Sugg

his cricket experience. The Hull club was formed in 1853 though it did not become firmly established until the late 1860s by which time it was one of the leading sides in the East Riding. Between 1875 and 1879 the club hosted four first-class games at its Argyle Street ground in one of which, in 1876, W.G.Grace had scored 126 out of a total of 159 for the South against the North. Apparently it was primarily for his wicketkeeping that Sugg was taken on, ‘a position which he filled with credit,’ but it was with the bat that Frank made his mark. Batting in ‘a free and vigorous manner’ and taking full advantage of the small ground, he averaged over 30 for Hull Town in the 1882 season. 26 Frank’s various successes registered with Yorkshire and during the 1882 season he was chosen to appear for Yorkshire Colts. He found the cricket more demanding than anything he had encountered so far. In one match at Bramall Lane, playing for the Colts against the First XI, Frank was bowled by Ted Peate for a duck, dropped a simple catch, and was bowled by Allen Hill in the second innings for another duck. Then in the First XI’s second innings he dropped Louis Hall, to the annoyance of the crowd who were, as usual, displeased by Hall’s slow scoring. After this chastening experience, Frank must have wondered whether he would be better advised to think more seriously of a legal career. Nevertheless, Frank was one of a number of promising players to whom Yorkshire were looking to strengthen their team in 1883. He was one of four Yorkshire players nominated to play for the Colts of the North against Colts of the South at Lord’s in the opening 24 Sporting Beginnings Some trial! The full county side included six Test players. Six colts went on to play first-class cricket, some only briefly. 26 Quotations from Weekly Times , 1893.