Lives in Cricket No 7 - Richard Daft

time at Trent Bridge, against his favourite foes, Gloucestershire. He fell lbw to W.G. for one. Gloucestershire had to follow on. W.G. had a lesson to teach his opponents and the sequel must have been hard labour for Richard and his colleagues as W.G. dominated bowlers and fieldsmen on his way to 182, which was the highest individual score up to that date in a county match at Trent Bridge, while the Gloucestershire score climbed to 483 and Notts’ first- innings advantage was forgotten. In the Lancashire match, Notts had introduced no fewer than seven replacements for absent members of their side: only the youthful William Gunn, William Oscroft, Richard’s successor as captain, Mordecai Sherwin and Richard remained from the eleven of 1880. There had been a profound dispute between Captain Holden and the Notts committee on the one hand and Arthur Shrewsbury, Alfred Shaw and five other prominent players, Barnes, Flowers, Morley, Selby and Scotton, on the other. The cause arose after the Bradford cricket authorities had asked Shaw and Shrewsbury to take a Notts side to play a Yorkshire eleven at Horton Park Avenue, Bradford. The two Notts professionals had inaugurated the ground the previous year with a match between their side and the Australians. In 1881, however, things were not the same – Captain Holden objected to their proposed match, only to be told (what he already knew) that Richard had organised a similar match without objection from the Notts executive. The entrepreneurial duo might have added that Richard had raised sides including Notts players on at least four earlier recorded occasions in recent years. Richard’s warm relationship with Holden had guaranteed acquiescence in these matches, but with his retirement, Holden, a domineering personality at the best of times, took a totally contrary line with Shrewsbury and Shaw. They played for the county in the annual Colts’ match, but stalemate ensued when, following Holden’s rejection of their request, the two in turn refused to meet him. Holden thought that he would exact revenge by sending new forms of contract to the principal Notts professionals. They realised that if they signed up they would be committed to play 12 three-day matches for the county to the exclusion of other paid employment, but the county committee would be under no obligation to select them. All seven regular players were included in the team for the opening fixture against Sussex at Trent Bridge on 26 and 27 May – only two days were needed as Notts won by an innings. Then the committee Triumph and Tribulation 103