Lives in Cricket No 7 - Richard Daft

Another wet season gave little or no opportunity for Richard, or anyone else, to recover their form. For the tenth time, W.G. topped the first-class averages and he scored most runs, but his total was 880 at 35.20: no-one reached the thousand. Richard’s figures in eleven first-class matches were 174 runs at 10.23, with a highest score of only 52. Notts had a prosperous season, losing only once and winning five out of their twelve county matches: almost all the unfinished games were in their favour. Lancashire, who had identical results, were linked with Notts by most authorities as joint champions, though Wisden placed Notts first. At Trent Bridge in July, Notts showed their bowling strength when, after scoring 159 in the first innings of the match, Shaw and Morley despatched Derbyshire in 86 balls for only sixteen runs. Often the art of Richard’s captaincy lay in winding up his two great bowlers and leaving them on. When he did not travel to Canterbury at the beginning of June, William Oscroft led the side . After contributing a marvellous innings of 140 to Notts’ total of 384, he saw Morley, Barnes and a newcomer, Walter Wright, bowl out Kent for only 126. When they followed on, he opened the bowling with Morley, and at the other end, to the general astonishment, put on Barnes, whose fast bowling did all that was required. Barnes’ Eighteen Seventy Nine 88 Nottinghamshire’s side of 1879 shared the title with Lancashire. Standing (l to r): F.Morley, H.Holden (honorary secretary), R.Daft (captain), W.Barnes, W.Oscroft, E.Browne (assistant secretary). Seated: W.Flowers, A.Shrewsbury, A.Shaw, F.Wyld (wk), W.Wright, W.F.Story. On the ground: J.Selby.