Minor Counties Championship 1895

7 Of the 308 players taking part in the 1895 competition, 108 have been identified as past, present or future first-class cricketers. THE BOOK The Match Scores The match scores differ from the standard format as used in the ACS’s First-Class Match Scores series in a number of respects. These include professionals being identified by their initials following their surname; falls of wicket and bowling analyses being listed immediately after the relevant batting analysis, not at the end of the score; innings bowling analyses being totalled; notes being used in greater detail to identify achievements and matters of interest not covered by the scorecard; and sources used to compile the scores being given, as are details of missing data which ideally are required to complete the score. It is hoped that perhaps at least some readers will be encouraged to search out other sources unknown to the compilers to see if some of the missing details can be located. Only two scorebooks have been found for the 1895 season. They cover Durham and Hertfordshire – and the latter is almost certainly a copy and is sadly lacking in many fall of wicket details. Otherwise, newspapers have been the main source of information. Well over 120 different titles have been examined in detail by the county statisticians and by other colleagues. Where an obvious newspaper source is not listed, it may be because it has not been possible to access the volume due to its fragile condition at the British Newspaper Library at Colindale, London and it is not held by the relevant county library or record office. The full bowling analysis for only one innings in one match has not been found – Match 28: Worcestershire v Oxfordshire at Dudley – and here the bowling analysis has been derived from the averages as explained in the notes to that game. The coverage for later years is unlikely to be so complete. Match Scores Methodology Each county has a county statistician whose main role is to collect scores for their particular county from local sources. The score is then submitted to the central clearing house whose role is to take the two submissions and produce a revised score that irons out the differences that inevitably occur in the scores submitted. To seek to fill in gaps, the clearing house will look at additional sources not readily available to the county statisticians. A revised score will then be returned to the two relevant county statisticians for their consideration, comment and subsequent agreement. Scores can sometimes ‘yo-yo’ between the various parties several times before a final score is agreed. Common sense or checking against team averages can help iron out many of the discrepancies. However, in other cases judgemental decisions need to be made and agreed, particularly for opening batting and bowling orders. At one time, it had been intended to include in the ‘notes’ to matches details of all the differences in the originally submitted scores. However, because there are so many instances of such differences – on average close to ten per score – such an approach would take up too much space. For every score published the clearing house holds a master file. This contains, amongst other things, a colour-coded version of the score that highlights the differences between submissions and other sources that have been studied and identifies the preferred version. Where judgemental decisions have had to be taken these are explained. Anyone wishing to explore these differences further is invited to get in touch either with the editor, who currently holds the master files, or the relevant county statisticians.