Lives in Cricket No 19 - Frank Sugg

other three. For Lancashire, Sugg and Ward put on 131 for the second wicket but wickets fell steadily after that and Lancashire’s final total was 231, Sugg having contributed almost half the runs with sustained aggressive batting. Somerset did a little better in their second innings, scoring 132, but leaving Lancashire easy winners by an innings and 68 runs. Mold took six for 50 in that innings, giving him match figures of 13 for 60. The return match with Somerset at Taunton a week later was drawn. Batting first, Lancashire scored 260 for two wickets on the first day, with Sugg 157 not out and having despatched six deliveries into the neighbouring churchyard, when rain prevented any play on the second day. In search of victory, MacLaren declared the innings closed. Somerset were put out for 168, Briggs taking seven for 71 and Mold three for 89, but no further play was possible. Sugg had the satisfaction in 1894 of adding to his number of wickets in first-class cricket. Against Nottinghamshire in the match in which MacLaren took on the captaincy, Sugg bowled 11 overs of his slows and captured two wickets for 34 runs. His victims were celebrated ones indeed, William Gunn 72 and William Barnes. According to Sugg, ‘Barnes said it was impossible to forgive me for such a deed, and he still says so. When he got out he told me that he had come to the conclusion that it was quite time he gave up cricket.’ 73 He was joking of course. The County Championship was increased from nine counties to fourteen in 1895 with the addition of Derbyshire, Essex, Hampshire, Leicestershire and Warwickshire. (Lancashire had included Derbyshire and Leicestershire among their first-class fixtures in the previous season, before they were admitted to the Championship.) Lancashire had an excellent season, finishing second to Surrey in the Championship. The key to their success was the continuing outstanding bowling of Mold and Briggs. Mold had his best-ever season, taking 182 championship wickets for 13.71, and Johnny Briggs was not far behind with 119 wickets at 15.10. The dependence of the side on these two bowlers is illustrated by the fact that the next highest wicket-taker was the newcomer A.W.Hallam with 28 wickets. Another newcomer was J.T.Tyldesley who was to be a leading batsman for the county in the coming seasons. Lancashire Stalwart 78 72 Sugg took Gunn’s wicket twice in first-class cricket, the only batsman to suffer this indignity. 73 Cricket , 26 April 1896.