Lives in Cricket No 2 - Johnny Briggs

Chapter Thirteen Slipping alarmingly ‘With a wicket to help him he could be a terror. He was a cheery, podgy soul, full of humour who perhaps played a little to the gallery, but never gave anything away.’ Lord Hawke In the wake of the tour, the 1898 domestic season saw Briggs’ form slip alarmingly with both bat and ball. He scored 507 runs at an average of only 16.90 and failed to hit three figures as a wicket-taker with only 80 victims at a much higher rate than was his norm – 24.17. More alarmingly, in Lancashire’s last 12 matches, Briggs took only 24 wickets at an inflated average of 38.16. They finished sixth of 14 in the championship. Lancashire’s bowling attack was badly hit by injuries and illness, especially the season-long absence, through pneumonia, of Hallam. The situation was so desperate that the committee took the unusual step of asking Alec Watson, then 51 and having been retired for five years, to help them out. Wise counsel prevailed and Scottish-born Watson turned down the request. Watson did, however, turn out for Buckinghamshire seven years later! He was by then 59 and played his sole game against Bedfordshire at Osborne Street, Wolverton. He wasn’t a success, taking 2 for 104 in 35 overs and scoring four and two, batting at No.11. He bowled Rev R.H.Moss and caught and bowled the Bedfordshire professional George Wharmby, who played six matches for Lancashire and also played for Nottinghamshire. Buckinghamshire went down to a heavy defeat, losing by an innings and 61 runs. Because of his poor form, he wasn’t invited to play in the ‘big match’ of the season, the Gentlemen v Players game at Lord’s in July, which was arranged to coincide with W.G.Grace’s fiftieth birthday. At the end of the season he did play two further matches, both at the Hastings Festival, one of which was a reunion for Stoddart’s Australian side, but he contributed little in either game. 77