Lives in Cricket No 2 - Johnny Briggs

And although the club’s records were poorly documented at the time of Johnny Briggs’ spell at Widnes, it is safe to assume that he didn’t even win minor honours with the newly-created team. Widnes, at that time, were not playing in a league system and, although of a relatively high standard, they were considered to be below the rank of top-flight rugby. Briggs probably made his debut in Widnes colours before his sixteenth birthday, but it is known that he played in the three-quarters and his 5ft 5in frame was described as ‘round but resilient’. It has been reported that his rugby career was brought to a premature end when he fractured one of the bones in his right arm after falling in a pre-match warm-up at Sale on 2 December, 1882. Several newspaper reports described this as a wake-up call to young Briggs, sending out the message to him that he ought to sacrifice his amateur, unpaid rugby career for a cricketing one that would bring much-needed cash to his hard-pressed family. However, despite these considerations, Steve Fox, Widnes Vikings RLFC historian, says he has discovered that Briggs was still an active playing member at Widnes for three more years after his injury. In fact, he played until 5 December, 1885 when he turned out at Failsworth. Briggs had earlier been appointed captain of Widnes, but because of his cricket commitments on the 1884/85 tour to Australia, he was unable ever to take the field as Widnes skipper. Similarly, Joe Briggs was also appointed captain but never took up the role in a playing capacity either. It was during the summer months of his sojourn at Widnes that young Briggs’ cricketing career began to make real progress. In 1878, he signed for the Northern Club at Seaforth in Liverpool, a club founded 19 years earlier, and his performances marked him out as a player of promise. As a professional and at the age of 15 he was earning 35 shillings (£1.75p) a week. He did well against two of the other strong teams in the area, Anfield and Rock Ferry. Against Anfield, he scored 77 and took seven wickets, and in the return game scored 47 and captured six wickets. He followed up with 66 not out against Rock Ferry and ended the season with a batting average of 24 and more than 100 wickets at only five runs each. He again featured for Northern in the following year, 1879, but by then had been spotted by Lancashire, playing in a benefit match for a former Lancashire professional, James Unsworth, with two 14 From Widnes to Old Trafford