The Minor Counties Championship 1905

10 Final Season A number of players making their final appearance for their County in 1905 deserve special mention: A C M Croome – Berkshire 1895-1905 (born 21 February 1866; died 11 September 1930) Played 53 matches for Berkshire, scoring 2,075 runs at 25.61, holding 67 catches and taking 130 wickets at 19.02. His highest score was 158 against Hertfordshire at St Albans in 1897, which was the highest score in the Championship that year, and the highest score yet which was exceeded by Thomas Grimshaw of Staffordshire a year later. He took five wickets in an innings on 8 occasions and ten wickets in a match twice. His best innings bowling performance was 7-28 against Buckinghamshire at Aylesbury in 1896. A master at Radley College from 1892 to 1910, he was appointed captain of the team when the club was formed in 1895 and held the post for six years until 1900. Arthur Capel Molyneux Croome was a right-hand batsman and a right-arm bowler of off-breaks, and a fine field taking many catches for Berkshire in the slips. He was born at Stroud, Gloucestershire, and educated at Wellington College where he was in the XI in 1883 and 1884. He played for Gloucestershire between 1885 and 1892, and won a Blue at Oxford in 1883 and 1884. An all-round sportsman he gained honours as a hurdler – a Blue – golf and skating. After his career as a schoolteacher, he became a journalist with the Daily Telegraph and an author. He designed the Liphook Golf Course. H E Morgan – Glamorgan 1897-1905 (born 1870; died 5 February 1933) Played 54 matches for Glamorgan scoring 1,707 runs at 20.81 and holding 47 catches. He scored three centuries, his highest score being 254 against Monmouthshire at Cardiff, which was still the individual record championship score when he ‘retired’. He was one of the leading players of the 1901 season when he scored his double century and his career was reviewed on page 8 of the 1901 book. Herbert Edward Morgan was born at Llandough and died at Penarth. P A Fryer – Norfolk 1895-1905 (born 26 June 1870; died 4 November 1950) Played 26 matches for Norfolk scoring 1,006 runs at 25.79 and taking 11 catches and making 5 stumpings. He scored two centuries, his highest score being 130 against Northumberland at Jesmond in 1899. He kept wicket for the county when the more regular keepers were absent. He was educated at Wellingborough Grammar School and Cambridge University. He did not play cricket for the University, but it is reported that injury prevented him gaining an association football Blue. Philip Algernon Fryer played two first-class matches for Northamptonshire in 1908, scoring 83 runs at an average of 20.75, his highest score being 38. He played most of his club cricket with the strong Wellingborough Masters’ team where he taught for many years. He was born at Wymondham, Norfolk and died at Wilby, Northamptonshire. J Hansell – Northumberland 1896-1905 (born 1878; died 18 February 1947) Played 72 matches for Northumberland scoring 2,879 runs at 26.17, holding 35 catches and taking 16 wickets at 32.62 apiece. He scored two centuries with his highest score being 123 against Cambridgeshire at Cambridge in 1900. John Hansell, generally known as Jack, batted left-handed and bowled right-arm fast. As one of the leading cricketers of the 1900 season, his career was reviewed on page 7 of the 1900 book. He was born at North Shields and died at Bournemouth. V Thompson – Northumberland 1896-1905 (born 6 August 1866; died 9 June 1947) Played 34 matches for Northumberland scoring 1,597 runs at 30.13 and holding 24 catches. He scored four centuries and his highest score was 138 against Staffordshire at Jesmond in 1902. Vincent Thompson was a right-hand batsman. He was in the Cricket Eleven at Harrow in 1883.