Lives in Cricket No 19 - Frank Sugg

August, when either county could have gone on to win the Championship, was one of the most thrilling of Roses matches. Before a record crowd of 25,000 on the first day, Lancashire were bowled out for 64 on a treacherous wicket, and Yorkshire in reply for 58, Briggs and Mold, almost as usual, sharing the wickets. Lancashire could only muster 50 in their second innings but with Johnny Briggs on song, Yorkshire were dismissed for 51 in their second innings, leaving Lancashire victorious by five runs. Frank Sugg’s contribution in this match was scores of three and nought. Sugg played in 15 of the 16 championship matches, scoring 858 runs at the excellent average of 34.32, just behind Ward in the Lancashire list. He made three centuries, 169 not out against Sussex, 127 against Nottinghamshire, and 127 against Gloucestershire, and four fifties. Several of the tallish stories attributed to Frank Sugg involve matches against Gloucestershire. One was in the 1893 match at Old Trafford and, not for the only time, it involved W.G.Grace. When Sugg came to the wicket, Fred Roberts, the Gloucestershire opening bowler, asked for a fielder to be placed on the square-leg boundary. Grace refused, instructing Roberts to bowl on the off side so that he could not be hit. After Sugg had reached his century, W.G. left the field for some refreshment and the acting captain, possibly E.M., immediately put Roberts on and gave him the requested fieldsman on the leg side. Sugg hit the first ball he received straight to the fielder and was rewarded by Roberts with a brandy and soda at the close of the innings. 69 In another match with Gloucestershire, Frank Sugg tells how when his score was above 50 and he was approaching 1,000 runs for the season, a shower of rain left Arthur Mold’s footholds half full of water and ‘a great trial’ to the batsman. With help from his wife, two small boys were persuaded, in return for half a crown apiece, to purchase two sponges at a local chemist’s shop which were then stamped into the footholds to absorb some of the moisture. Dr E.M. Grace (whose lob bowling had been plundered by Frank on a number of occasions) saw what was going on, raced out of the pavilion, and bundled the boys off the ground with a minimum of ceremony so Frank ‘never reaped the full fruition of his ingenuity.’ 70 Although Lancashire Stalwart 75 69 Sporting Chronicle , 1 August 1916, and Bearshaw, op.cit ., pp 110-111. 70 J.A.H.Catton, Wickets and Goals , pp 39-40. Catton reports the story was told to him by Frank Sugg. Frank gave further currency to the story in an interview in Sporting Chronicle , 25 July 1916.