Lives in Cricket No 19 - Frank Sugg

the Gentlemen for 76 and 61, needing only half an hour on the final morning to finish the job. Peel and Barnes in the Gentlemen’s first innings, and Lohmann and Briggs in the second, were the Players’ chief destroyers. In the words of one report, ‘the Gentlemen’s play was quite unworthy of the occasion’. But Frank Sugg could feel that he had again made a useful mark in difficult batting conditions in a match that mattered and, with England about to fail in the First Test, the timing could not have been more helpful. Meanwhile the County Championship was well under way. Lancashire had won two and lost only one of their first six matches, putting them in second place to unbeaten Surrey. Between the end of the First Test and the date when the team for the Second Test at Kennington Oval would be announced, Sugg played in three county matches for Lancashire. As so often in that dreadful summer, all were affected by rain and the damaged wickets made batting difficult. In the first of the three, against Yorkshire at Old Trafford, Lancashire were all out for 79 in their first innings, Peel taking five for 32. Sugg scored 27 in what Cricket described as ‘an excellent display in the circumstances’. When Yorkshire batted, Johnny Briggs went one better than his Yorkshire rival spinner, taking six for 24 in the Yorkshire total of only 51. Peel then took seven for 31 as Lancashire were dismissed for 82 in their second innings. After a loss of early wickets Yorkshire eventually scored the 111 needed for victory with two wickets remaining. Briggs had to be content with two for 32 in this innings but the bowling figures are sufficient testimony to the demands made upon the batsmen of both sides. The next match was against Gloucestershire at the Aigburth ground in Liverpool and again the conditions were heavily in favour of the bowlers. Lancashire made 108 in their first knock, to which Frank Sugg contributed only eight, and then dismissed Gloucestershire for a paltry 33, Briggs taking six for 13. In their second innings, Lancashire stumbled to 97, of which Sugg made a belligerent 23, and the visitors were then bowled out for 56, Briggs this time taking six for 32. The third of the three matches brought the unbeaten Surrey side to Old Trafford. The wretched weather ruined what had been expected to be a keenly fought contest. The match was all over in a single day. Lancashire were shot out for 35 and 63, leaving Surrey victors by an innings and 25 runs. George Lohmann took 13 wickets in the day, eight for 13 in Lancashire’s first innings. Only four Lancashire batsmen reached double 54 Early Seasons with Lancashire