Lives in Cricket No 7 - Richard Daft

Money came in from other sources: MCC £25, the Notts Club £25, and many others, and also gifts of silver. A week later, Notts entertained Gloucestershire at Trent Bridge. This was one of the visitors’ finest seasons, and their all-amateur team was unbeaten up to this match; they remained undefeated at the season’s end. W.G. had a wonderful time for the county, amassing 890 runs in 11 completed innings, and he received such support from his colleagues that Gloucestershire won this match comfortably by six wickets. Richard continued his good form, scoring 35 and 30, but Notts’ lead of 10 on the first innings was not enough: they collapsed to 97 in their second. W.G. made all the difference: his 60 in Gloucestershire’s first effort was remarkable. Until he was finely caught at point by Oscroft, when the Gloucester score stood at only 75, he had not given a semblance of a chance. Notts’ next opponents were Surrey, who were easily defeated by 10 wickets; Richard’s contribution was 24 in the first innings. To score only four for the United North against the United South at Anlaby Road, Hull, was a disappointment, particularly when W.G. followed 126 in his first innings with 82 in the second. Notts were to see much more of him yet. After a ten-day break, they took the train south to Bristol where, on the Clifton College ground, he humbled them. Gloucestershire totalled 400 – W.G. 177: Notts, 265 and 165, just avoided an innings defeat, as W.G. ensnared eight of them for 69 in the second attempt. Richard (62) and Oscroft (84) made a splendid response in an opening stand of 151, but otherwise only John Tye, with 48 in the second innings, made much of a show. Their demolition was enlivened by what ‘ Green Lilly’ regretted to report as an unpleasant incident, in which ‘the only amateur playing for Notts [was] most unwarrantably assailed with language, the very reverse of gentlemanly by one who should have known very much better.’ This arose after Tolley, the Notts amateur, took a single off W.G.: the fielder missed the wicket and they ran an overthrow. The report continues: ‘Unhappily, the gentleman amateur (Tolley) tried to hit the overthrow ball as it passed him but did not succeed; G.F. appealed for hitting the ball twice, but it was turned down as the ball had not been hit.’ There was then two minutes’ play left that evening. Tolley put his bat down and stooped to adjust his pads: he took so long over this that W.G. swore at him. Benefit in Kind 75