Lives in Cricket No 7 - Richard Daft

versus South, Richard’s total did not reach 30. At Lord’s again, where MCC were hosts to Notts, Richard ‘hit much freer than usual’, with a six, a five and four fours in his 49. Up to the end of June, Notts had played only one county match. At this stage came Yorkshire to Trent Bridge, and Richard, so appropriately in his benefit year, began a purple patch. He opened the innings with Arthur Shrewsbury, and both men, taking their time, began by scoring 60 in the first hour. By lunch, they had moved the total to 130, with Shrewsbury on 78 not out and Richard on 46. In the afternoon they played fluently on until, at 183, Clayton hit Richard’s middle stump. The partnership had lasted three hours ten minutes and was, at the time, the highest for the county for any wicket. In his 81 he had hit six fours, six threes and 29 singles. Shrewsbury took his score to 118, but the innings subsided to 298 all out. Yorkshire’s response left the home side 100 minutes to get 86 runs. Mystery hangs over Notts’ performance of their mission. Shrewsbury was stumped at 23 and Oscroft and William Barnes followed. Richard himself batted an hour for only 12, and then Notts played out time with 29 runs for victory. What had stopped them in their tracks? The answer lies perhaps in the minutes of the Yorkshire Committee, who resolved ‘that £1 be given to each [Yorkshire] player for the determined stand they made at Nottingham where the match was drawn’: further, ‘a sum of £5 should be subscribed to Richard Daft’s benefit match.’ Entraining south for The Oval, he captained the Players against the Gentlemen. Summer weather and the usual excellent Kennington wickets favoured the match, and 16,000 spectators were present over the three days. Richard’s score reached 48, joint top scorer, and the Players totalled 237. After Emmett bowled W.G. for nought, they gained a lead of only eight; Richard again played admirably to top-score with 61, and the Gentlemen finished with six wickets to fall and 65 runs to get. At Lord’s, when the two sides met again, W.G. had things all his own way, amassing 169 in the Gentlemen’s total of 449. In reply, the Players could not get enough runs in the face of their inexorable opponent, who also had nine wickets in the match, which the Gentlemen won by an innings and 98 runs. Richard did his bit, scoring 28 as opening bat and going in lower down next time, finishing undefeated on 39. A week later, Middlesex entertained Notts, who had much the best of the match, enforcing the follow-on and needing only 55 to win: yet, this match, too, Benefit in Kind 73