Lives in Cricket No 19 - Frank Sugg

match in 1893 against the touring Australians. 87 During his final season with Lancashire, Frank was apparently approached by W.G.Grace’s London County club, but if an offer was made he did not take it up: perhaps the distance from Liverpool and his business commitments ruled out such a venture. After finishing with the first-class game, Frank played regularly for Birkdale until 1904 – the club amalgamated with Southport in 1902. 88 He scored four centuries for the club, 112 against Birkenhead Victoria in 1901, 102 not out against Bootle in 1902, 101 against Wallasey in 1903 and 108 not out against Neston in 1904, in which season he was the club’s vice-captain and Walter the club captain. Frank and his brother Walter played a prominent part in the club’s affairs in these years; for example they persuaded the young Derbyshire fast bowler Arnold Warren to become Birkdale’s professional in 1901 – Warren was to play in one Test, in 1905 – and they arranged for a Derbyshire XI to visit the club in 1903. 89 Later Frank played for various other local club sides. To give just a few examples, in 1905 he scored 161 for Bootle against Huyton out of a score of 258 for eight with the next highest score 35; in 1908 he toured Ireland with Birkenhead Victoria and scored 406 in six innings, including 107 against Phoenix; in 1910 he toured Ireland again, this time with Birkenhead Park and scored 215 not out against Pembroke and 105 against County Wicklow; in the same season, back home, he scored 79 not out for Bootle against Birkenhead Park; also in 1910 he played again for Wavertree, the club history commenting ‘whilst he was in his late forties, he must have been a great asset to the club’ but giving no scores. 90 As this comment suggests, Frank Sugg’s reputation for big hitting and fast scoring made him a big draw in any of the matches in which he appeared after retiring from the first-class scene. Frank was not a stranger to Ireland when he joined the tours in 1908 and 1910. While still at Lancashire, he had been engaged as professional and coach at Clongowes Wood College, a boarding school for boys near Clane in County Kildare and one of the oldest Catholic schools in the country. Frank, who was not a Catholic 90 Away From Old Trafford 87 Don Ambrose, Liverpool and District Cricketers: 1882-1947, ACS Publications, 2002. 88 The club’s ground is one of Lancashire CCC’s present ‘outgrounds’. 89 I am grateful to Michael Braham of the Birkdale-Southport club for the information on Frank Sugg’s time with the club. 90 151 Years: History of Wavertree CC , 2006, p 29.